I hate taking my car to mechanics, and I wouldn't dream of a dealership servicing my car. I do my own repairs and oil changes. Everything on this car is easy to fix.
Steering box seal failed - could have replaced just the seal for next to nothing, but I let a local mechanic twist my arm into a new Ford unit. I could have gone with the cheaper repair and I'm sure it would have lasted, though.
Power steering pump shortly after the steering gear.
Air-springs for the auto-leveling suspension, leaky when I bought the car, but not severe for a couple more years. Inexpensive, quality replacements are available online, and are very easy to install.
With annual rust-protection, car body is in fantastic condition.
I've had trouble getting a good alignment - a local national-chain repair shop was absolutely useless. Took it to an alignment-only shop, where they did an excellent job for very little money. No more pulling to one side!
Except in the vent position, the climate control blower feels rather weak. But, the automatic climate control is great, though sometimes it blows on max for no reason.
No vent windows.
Air-suspension computer malfunctioned at 308000 Km.
Complete rear axle service (bearings, washers, etc. - but no ring gear) at about 300000km.
Driver-side power door actuator ripped sheet metal from door. This was probably because I never oiled inside the door.
Overall, these cars are very easy on the wallet. What you save on maintenance, repairs and insurance more than makes up for the extra money you might have to spend on gas. Although, compared to the '86 Grand Marquis I owned previously, the '94 uses about half the gas, so even at the pump, it really isn't all that bad. While the '86 never burned a drop of oil between 6000km oil changes, the performance of the '94, even with it's much smaller motor, is vastly superior.
This car seems like it can run forever, but in the end, lots of little things will spell the end of the road.
My '86 had a carbureted 351w. With vent windows. Best. Feature. Ever.
Great review! You should join www.grandmarq.net :)
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