Hi! I have a 2000 Ford Explorer that I've owned for about 4 years now. It has 228,000 miles, a V8 5.0 L engine and it is AWD. The previous owner took good care of it and did all the scheduled maintenance. Other than some body damage, the Explorer still runs great and I use it as my daily vehicle. I have replaced a number of parts on my own including the alternator and a tie rod. It has needed little repairs thus far and I try to do preventative maintenance to keep it running well. The only issue I'm having now is that the wheels need to be aligned and one tire shop told me I'd need the ball joints replaced on the front end suspension in order to get an alignment. A different tire shop told me I only needed a tire rod replaced (that is the one I did myself). Is it worth the money to do some suspension work on it? I'd like to keep it for a while longer and the suspension seems fine, it's still the original suspension. I wouldn't mind getting new front-end suspension and I really do love this car. What do you (or others on the forum) suggest?
keep it
put some Lucus in the tranny and keep your money in your pocket.
It doesn't sound too bad yet. You're not spending thousands per annum. If engine & tranny are ok then hang on to it.
I would keep it if it is still running. You can consider a practical change to something else if:
1. You want a more fuel efficient vehicle.
2. Repairs on the vehicle exceed the value of the car or the value of another vehicle that you can afford.
3. The frame rots out.
Otherwise, if that V8 is smooth, the tranny shifts smooth and the frame is solid, I say keep it. It's going to be hard to get a vehicle like that going forward. Something like that is worth driving until it dies.
Thank you for replying Triton! It honestly does still run like a dream. Gas mileage isn’t great of course, and with current gas prices it kind of sucks but I can’t afford a new vehicle at the moment. The tranny has some tiny slips every once in a while but nothing to cause concern yet. I think I’ll go until she dies.