I took my Beast (2002, 11,458 miles) in to have a few things done:
- Oil, lube and filter (I don't reach 3,000 miles too often, and the chassis is creaking a bit over rough roads)
- Replace radio antenna (car is garaged and covered, but the antenna sticks out and just enough afternoon Sun gets in to roast the antenna and made it crack)
- Replace front center bar across the opening in the front grille (had caught the bumper on a concrete block at the end of a parking space; popped the center bar out)
- Replace front driver's side washer cover (the little thing near the headlight; keeps getting caught on my car cover and yanked off, apparently)
Not much, right? Figure a couple of parts, some labor ... I'm outta there for a couple, three hundred bucks, right?
Final bill: $4560.34
Let the roll call begin!
- Claimed the lower control arms were shot. Replaced. $622
- Replaced said antenna. $72
- Oil leak. Replaced main oil pan. $20 in parts. $1435 IN LABOR?!?
- Rear end smoking, they claimed. Replaced "differential side seals". $1006?!?
- Oil change. $88.50
- Reinstall front center bar and replace missing washer cover. $120.20
- Replaced motor mounts. $708
- Brake fluid renewal. $122.25
- Coolant renewal. $92.75
Total parts was $722.30, total labor was $3763.20
Now for the "good"(?) news:
All but $620.51 was covered by my Mercury Extended Warranty.
Between this time and one other time I needed to use it, I've had almost
twice as much in charges paid for by my Extended Warranty as I paid for it. And it still has 2 years left to run!
If you're hesitant to get an Extended Warranty, let this be a lesson for you - do it!!!
P.S. The original impetus to bring the car in? The creaking at the end of a driveway or when going over rough roads? Still there.
