Personally, I wouldn't bother having it looked at. Sadly, Singer doesn't make machines like they used to, and this is one of their low-end models. If your budget is tight, I'd recommend looking at a Janome machine, or one of the Sears machines made by Janome. I think Janome give you a lot of bang for the buck. If you are a little braver, finding a vintage machine is a great option, but if you're timid about doing your own maintenance, that may not be a good way to go.