How do you say this another way?

My car broke down a ways back.

My car broke down .......................

Question

How do you say this another way?

My car broke down a ways back.

My car broke down .......................

Answer

My car broke down a while ago.

Answer

The meaning is not precise since it can refer to time or distance. That means there are a large number of things you could say. Without context I would guess that the subject is distance. You could say the car broke down “back yonder”.

Answer

My car broke down a while back.

My car broke down some distance ago.