[InDebtInDC]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

I honestly don't know. I worry about many things about our cars but living in Boston now I hate his car. I worry about DH all the time. But he says it's the driver and not the car, and he's a good winter driver growing up in Canada without AWD or even a big car, he drove a jetta.

I agree with him. It's not the car at all. I drove a RWD sport car through the winter with summer tyres and I was okay. The only time I got stuck was on ice while going uphill. Provided there is no ice on the ground I was fine.

My friend from upstate NY drives a Miata in the snow. It has 50/50 weight distribution which actually helps a lot even though it's RWD.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

Nope, the hole is above the minimum level. The A/C and heat stop working and we refil it. We just keep on filling it up. It seems fine as soon as we top it off. We've taken it in and no one's mentioned anything.

What hole are you talking about? Again, ask for a coolant pressure test and see what they say. If they have no idea, I suggest taking it to a reputable shop.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

The shaking is just the steering wheel, etc. I think it's because the rim is leaking air so the car feels off balance. I'm not sure. We're ordering new rims but I ordered the "wrong" finish so we have to return it and get a new rim. It leaks so the tire is good but it becomes "flat". Otherwise the tires are aligned and balanced and rotated regularly.

Give TireRack.com a try. If you buy wheels and tyres at the same time, they will mount and balance for free. If you add up the cost of buying online vs. installation at a local shop, you'll find that the online is almost the same or slightly cheaper.

If you do decide to go with Tire Rack, reference Neal in your order. If there's any problem he'll take care of you. If you're still not satisfied I'll speak with him. I'm a volume customer and he has helped me a lot in the past.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

-told that brake pads and rotors usually last 60k miles. My corolla lasted one chage of pads and the rotors/pads were replaced at almost 90k finally.

I respectfully disagree. You were told wrong. If you looked in the owner's manual, there is no prescribed period of replacement for the brakes, mileage or time. All it says is to periodically perform a visual inspection and repair as necessary.

This is because brake wear is highly dependent on driving habit. I can go through a complete set of pads and discs in one day on my race car. The furthest I've been able to drag out my street car was about 30k miles with easy driving.

You have to measure the pad/pad thickness/run-out with a micrometer. If anything is out of spec, you have to replace. Most shops will cheap out and regrind the old disc. Replacement discs are so cheap now that it's not worth the labour to regrind the old one. $25 to regrind each disc vs. $30+shipping for a new disc. The new disc will have more mass and be able to absorb more heat = better braking.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

-the key jammed one night.

Again, this is expected. Sad still.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

DH was super careful, but the fuel gauge broke and he wouldn't read that there was gas in the tank. And then the pump broke too!

Don't trust the gauge. I usually try to go by mileage if possible.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

-they just cleaned the engine. They basically redid the whole engine or something. It stopped the banging noise in the engine.

If you can find your receipt and let me know what they did. You should keep a complete service record to help resale value.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

-the struts went at like 40k. I think it was ridiculous.

Again, like brakes, suspension wear is dependent on use. I imagine if you carry a lot of passengers/cargo with frequent load/unloading, you'll have damage sooner or later.

Without examining the actual strut itself, I have no way of knowing if it's normal wear and tear or premature failure, but as said with the brakes, the factory makes no suggestion regarding repairs of the suspension. It's only a periodic visual inspection and repair as needed.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

Sorry but I swear this car just frustrates me. Problem one, never buy first year of a new car. Second, it's a FORD. DH loves the hatchback so he loves the car. BUT he's also realized how much we've spent comparatively on the two cars.

I agree. If you're stuck on the hatchback, 96-00 Civic CX/DX hatchback. I had a 99 that I sold in 04. I really regret selling it and wish I kept it.

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

I don't know why but the people on the blog suggested not picking up an older used car and said I was stupid. I'm going to keep thinking and mulling it over.

Living Almost Large: Dumping good money after bad...[/color]

Originally Posted by Boomie

I have a Ford Focus also. Haven't a lot of your car troubles been the result of your 2 accidents? If you think the repairs on an American car are high, what do you think the repairs on a foreign car (who has to import the parts) will be? Much higher, I am sorry to say.
Why would you buy a 98 model or older model than Focus?
Sounds to me that you are very hard on your vehicles. Hitting people is not a good thing.
My advice: repair Focus, keep it running as long as possible and then buy a later model AWD car later on (2001 etc.), as you save your money.

I disagree with his statement that foreign cars cost more to repair. While this was true 20 years ago and may be true now for European makes, Hondas and Toyotas have come a long way. You know the Corolla.

I have been repairing Hondas for most of my automative career. I prefer 4-cylinder Hondas and Toyotas over just about anything else.

There is nothing wrong with buying an older car if that older car is cheaper overall than the Focus.

Originally Posted by Barb1954

We would never buy a Ford again because of the unreliability we've had with them in the past. A foreign car, like a Honda or Toyota, is much more reliable and will run much longer. I heard that the newer Subarus are not as reliable as older models, so getting a used one is a good idea. Have a mechanic check it out first, however.

I disagree with the bit about newer Subarus being less reliable than older ones. I've worked on a lot of Subarus, and generally the drivetrain is almost identical from year to year barring some minor internal changes.

The biggest improvement is in the chassis. The newer the year, the better it is. Older Subarus have a lot of mechanical problems and I don't like them nearly as much as the newer ones.

I don't recommend a 97-98 wagon. If you're strapped for cash, 02+ Impreza 2.5RS/i like I said above, or Forester or Outback.

Originally Posted by Boomie

It's a 2005 Focus, bought new but at end of season (so, really 2006) and I paid cash for it. It's a station wagon and has manual, stick shift transmission. Ford Focus has zero pollution emissions and I am very happy with it. I get almost 36 miles to the gallon.

Respectfully, it may be a PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle), but no gasoline car has zero tailpipe emissions.

My 99 Civic CX hatchback 5-speed gets consistently high 30s mixed driving. My 98 LX sedan automatic gets about low to mid 30s mixed.

Originally Posted by Nonsense Means No Cents

I'd keep your current junker instead of buying a new-to-you used car. I agree with Boomie on all points- cheaper repairs with the Ford, save money in the short-medium range term, and hitting people is not a good thing.

More importantly, like you mentioned, you'd be risking more money for a potential lemon with an equally disastrous fate to your Ford. Good luck!

Same comments as above.


Overall, I'm just one person so ultimately you have to make the decision. You can always drive the junker until it dies. You can try to sell it for as much as you can and get another car. It's really up to you.

Just don't blame me if you buy a used car with problem. Some cars are designed better than others, but it really depends on how the previous owner took care of it. Just inspect it really well and do a CarFax before buying.