The first couple of years where uneventful, car required usual things for its age: CV/axles, exhaust, radiator, brakes, tires, hoses, I maintained per schedule and it never let me down.
Then: this past year or as soon as the car hit 190k all heck broke loose.
New Door Latch, surprisingly expensive!
New Distributor/Coil.
New Speed and O2 Sensors.
Oil pan gasket.
Turn signal/headlight stick.
Another round of exhaust/ tires/ brakes while paying for other things.
Repairing rear fender rust again.
AC needed freon, no leaks found.
Even with the wallet draining past year, this has been a good car. Not the most fun, but the least overall cost of ownership. If you maintain them they will run forever.
Car has 200k and uses 1 qt of oil b/t changes (5k-6k)
Seats are comfortable, I'm 6ft 230lbs.
Very little UV interior fading.
Paint still shiny, I wax twice a year.
My only complaint is I wish these little cars could tow a small trailer, 1000lb capacity isn't worth putting a hitch on it.
Things (freon) don't last forever. They eventually run out.
The A/C system is sealed and rarely if ever will need more freon. Only if there is a leak, and even a small leak over 13 years will eventually need recharging.
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