Hey Kyle ready for another opinion?
I bought my 96 Mystique 3 yrs ago with 37,000 on it. It had previously been a lease, was clean, and I figured it had had reasonable care and service. Since then my major repairs have been replacing the left front wheel bearing, both heater hoses, the thermostat, and left front brake hose, all done by the local Ford dealer. Everything else has been routine maintenance, except one look at the way the serpentine belt was packed in...I had the dealer do it. In all I've spent around $1000 for repairs.
I recently considered trading mine in for something else, but I've decided to hang on to it awhile longer. After 40,000 miles I've come to appreciate the power windows, locks, lumbar support, and other creature comforts. It was a step up from the 91 Escort I had. The next thing I'm looking at is having the timing belt replaced. The shop manual has no maintenance interval for it, but all the dealers I've contacted recommend 60,000. (They would, wouldn't they.) I changed the belt on my Escort myself, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a DOHC! The dealer quoted my a price of $214 complete.
I guess if you spend more time in the car than under it, it's worth keeping. A co-worker of mine with an older Escort said "Once it goes over 100,000 you may as well keep it just to see how long it will go!"
Oh yeah, Jeffyscott was right when he said that more people post how crappy their cars are than how good they are. This web site seems to be one heck of a support group, too!
Good luck with yours.
Jim Ward
