Faults:

First bought the car in 2006, two months later the head gasket blew at 78k (I figure I bought a lemon). I spent $1,500 to fix and then drove it from KY to FL. Great Drive. Then I got the fuel sensor issue and bought a $25 fuel sensor on eBay. A friend changed it cheap.

Other than that, I have only changed routine things such as: brake pads, clutch, shocks, battery, tires and filters.

General Comments:

I moved to Nicaragua and shipped the car with me. Considering that cars take a real beating here, a lot of pot holes and dirt roads, it has been better than great. With no 4x4 I still use it to pull a small aluminum boat on the beach and never have issues. I consider it spends quite a bit of gas, but then again there are few highways and a lot of hills (also, its really hot so the A/C is always on). Overall it does about 15 - 20 mpg. Very spacious interior.

Faults:

Variable speed function of windshield wipers stopped working, Wipers do not park when shut off, but stop wherever they are on the windshield. Same problem with rear wiper. I wanted to post something useful aside from my other gripes about the oil consumption and clutch failure. I couldn't find a replacement listed as a wiper control module. As it turns out, it's combined with the alarm module, behind and to the right of the glove box on the side wall near the passenger side door pillar.

The glove box removes easily from the front with a few screws. There are two black boxes. It is the larger of the two and is above the smaller one. The smaller one needs to be removed to get to it. Contact points in 2 of 4 relays on the circuit board built up some carbon and made only intermittent contact. The relays are soldered to the circuit board so can't be replaced individually.

Faults:

Tranny leak x3,radiator smell with no leak, 3 sets of tires, 2 full sets of brakes (rears from dealer prior to purchase related to 1st tranny leak- pads wore out related to fluid on them), CD changer has eaten 4 CDs and won't give them back, no light on clock, no gas guage since 50Kish, check engine light since about 50K as well-it is most alarming when it goes OFF! Window buttons don't work- most recently, yesterday, it became stuck in the down position and won't come up! It actually is a convenience since the drivers door handle stopped working from the outside a few months ago- now instead of reaching across from the passengers side, I can reach in through the open window!It's cold in MA in December! Air spoiler thingy over rear window became loose (lost 2 nuts) and made a horrible squeaky noise until I figured that out! Shake, shimmy and roll over bumps and corners. Scary ride at this point. I was hoping for another year with 'my Joe', I will miss him, but it's time he goes to hospice care- comfort care only- no heroic measures planned here. I just hope that the dealership around the corner runs the "push, pull or tow it in" trade in deal SOON! How do I get the window up so I don't freeze? I don't care about using it- I can deal with it being stationary.

General Comments:

Guess it gave me a good run.

Never stuck in the snow.

Interior is just roomy enough with ease of parking a "girly" SUV.

Cargo area is big enough for 2 large trash cans+ for dump runs.

Way too loose on street bumps-pot holes hurt!

My mechanic says " I'll tell you what to do about the window- run across the street to Toyota..."