Repair old MacBook Pro or buy new MacBook Air?

My $.02 - Rather than sinking $500 into a seven year old MacBook I’d buy a new one. Start fresh. But. I can afford to offer that opinion.

MacBook Air for $1400

Choose this if it's 16 GB / 512 GB. It's the better option in the long term.

I've found that the lifespan of a Mac is 8-10 years. I had the battery capacity drop a lot on my first one that was a floor sample or something like that. The second one lasted nearly 10 years until the track pad lost clicking sensitivity in about 2/3 of the track pad.

Up to you, but even after getting the 2017 MBP repaired, you may be looking at only 3-4 years before something else major goes wrong. Another issue is that after a few changes to the MacOS, you won't be able to use the Migration Assistant. Going from my first MBP to my second was easy because I could use that assistant.

They are only repairing it at that price, not upgrading. Don't do it. Get the Air you can afford with 16GB min and 512GB min.