Liz's car bit the dust again - it is a '90 or maybe a '92 Taurus with the V6. She has very low mileage - maybe 80K, and has owned it for 12 years. It is very well maintained, 3k oil changes, with the Ford Shop doing all the repairs.

I will not work on the new cars - too complicated, and too much plastic for me.

Anyway, last spring the Ford garage convinced her to replace the computer, which did not fix the problem she was having. Off and on, it spent several weeks in the shop - with rental cars and all she must of spent $2k on it. The problem turned out to be a flaky wire - not the $1200 computer!

Yesterday it died again - she had it towed to the same Ford shop. They said it was a $487 sensor - which she had replaced. It did not even get out of the dealer's parking lot before it died again - they had to push it back into the shop bays (at least no tow charge this time!)

It sure seems to me that the Ford mechanics are incompetent, and the new cars junk not worth spending your time and money on.

Even with the low mileage I am thinking it is time for a new car. Neither one of us have ever owned anything but Fords, however, I am thinking of getting a rice grinder as they seem to be better built.

She wants it nice, with all the bells and whistles -

If you were buying a new car today and wanted something that would last 15 years and 150k miles, what would you buy? Money is, of course, important to us, but comfort and durability come first.

 

I was wrong, her Taurus is a 2000 model. This is the third Taurus she has owned. It does have 85k miles on it.

Also, the dealer now says it is the fuel pump.

 

It must be "dead Taurus" week, my neighbors Taurus bit the dust too, think it's an 98.

I'll probably jinx my car...but I have 155K on my '01 Ciivc with just fluid and tire changes....I did also replace the plugs at 100K.

 

I'm rather fond of the Tauri, especially the SHO. That car flat kicks butt! Your problem is not the car, it's the incompetence of the shop doing the work. They obviously plug into the code scanner and simply replace whatever part that's associated with the code that shows up. Sometimes it's not the part but a bad connection (or wire) somewhere in the system. These are not mechanics, but simply parts changers. Find another shop.

That said, I prefer the earlier Taurus, before they went to the round, odd-looking body style. For my taste, anything that's old enough to be OBD-I rather than OBD-II.

BTW, how did Liz manage to own a 2000 model for twelve years? My math is bad, but not that bad!

 

I have to put a plug in for a Subaru. I have a '98 Outback that has been good as gold to me, (now I'm probably jinxed).
But, even pre-owned ones are fairly expensive. I did see an older one on craigslist the other day that was already lifted and ready for lots of things, but thtat's probably not your wife's style. Mine scowled at me when I said that I should buy it for my commnter.

I also had an older Acura that ran really well and got 37 mpg. In hind sight I should have put an engine in it and kept it, but now I'm partial to the Suby.

Rich

 

Toyota, Honda, or Suby, for a newer rig. For sure, take it to a different place.
Hey Mike, did that Civic get a couple timing belt changes in those miles too(we hope)?

 

No Dale, still running on borrowed time I've been thinking about getting it done for the last year or so, just haven't set it up yet.

I think they say it should be done at 100K?

 

It's recommended to do at 60-90k

 

My SHO is supposed to be done at 60K but it had just over 100K on it when I got it and it had never been done. Made me a little nervous to think of all those cams whirring around madly with a belt that was approaching double its intended service life, so I changed it out after I'd had the car about two weeks. It's quite a job on one of those things...

 

I dont think it's a big job on the Honda, I think the dealer told me 300 total awhile back, so probably just a few hours labor and parts.

Guess it's time to start planning for it.

 

I'm not much of a fan of Hondas (I guess it's because it's the ricer boys' car of choice around here) but I have to say all the ones I've worked on were easy to work on. I don't see the timing belt being too difficult a job on that. 'Course, I've never worked on one that new...

Did a belt on a my dad's old Escort 1.9 a couple years back when it went out just as he was coming back to town after a a trip. Took about 90 minutes total including running up the street to Kragens for the new belt. The fun part was that it was just getting dark and I'd already put in a full day at work, and he'd coasted the car into a parking lot which was where I had to work on it...and it was just starting to rain. Good thing the Escort is a non-interferance motor...

 

Funny you mention that about the "ricer" thing.

I bet I get 2 or 3 guys wanting to race me everday I drive the thing...and it's just a bonestock 4door LX.

I think I might put a NoX sticker on it to scare'em off.

 

Na, Mike, it is best to wait until your wife gets it downtown Stockton so she can back up traffic, and let the cops call a tow truck. If you are lucky the tow truck driver will have a good shop he can recomend that will take your VISA card - while she takes the kids to lunch and maybe a movie before she rents a car to come home in.

That way you can be worked over by the tow outfit, the repair shop, the rental car company, and have a upset wife that blames you for risking her and the kid's lives.

It keeps life interesting!

 

lol...my wife won't even drive the Honda to get me a 6pack.

For her, it's the F150 or nothing, no matter the drive.