My beloved trusty 2009 FX4 left me stranded this week! I don't remember ever having to be towed in all my life.

Stopped at a store - came out to start the truck and a heck of a thrashing sound from the starter. Shut the truck off (it did start) and took a visual inspection of the starter - looked OK. Tried to start it again and the starter just spins - no engagement to the flywheel.

Long story short - the starter gear and a piece of its shaft broke right off. They found the gear laying in the bell housing. Not any warning signs of anything going wrong with the starter before that.

Then while it was in the dealer shop (my next stop was to the dealer anyway) to have "The Works" done - oil change, tire rotation, general inspection, etc. I get a call from the dealer that I have a broken coil spring (RF) and the associated shock is leaking.

Again - no sign of this. I didn't feel anything different about the truck - wasn't leaning and drove perfectly fine.

All this with 59K miles.

Yes, I got a little frustrated, but I still love my truck. Just an expensive week. But my wife always says when stuff like this happens - it's still better than the payment we used to have to make on it. These repairs came to about what one payment used to be.

Just a little rant - I feel better now.....

 

Good wife you have there ..... smart enough to put the right spin on it, to keep it in "perspective".

It's real easy .... once we get out a ways from payments .... to let a repair catch us off guard.

 

Anything that burns gasoline is going to cost you one way or the other. Repairs hurt for a while but a new car loan is long term.

 

Its unfortunate to hear of these issues but its around that age now where it will be time to refresh some wear and tear items. At least it is paid for so you can do so much more easily! I had my 2007 paid for in late 2015. I just sold it a week ago to my friend and bought myself a 2013. I guess I couldn't handle the no-payments .

 

Over the years with many vehicles I have kind of stuck to a rule of sorts - trade in at 2 years or 10 years or there about.

I went all out when I bought this truck back in '09 - FX4 super crew with all the bells and whistles - luxury package, NAV, moonroof etc. Because of my meager retirement planning this was to be my retirement truck - pay for it while I was still working and hopefully keep it in as perfect condition as I could.

As life does these things - I had to stop working due to a serious disease 4 years ago - 7 years before my normal early retirement goal. It was a heck of a hit financially suddenly one day going to 1/3 the income, but we are doing it. So at this point there is no way I could afford a monthly payment on a new truck like this.

I took a stroll in the lot - saw what would have been my next truck - a pearl while King Ranch (sticker $63k). Just ain't no way that is possible now.

Don't get me wrong - I love my truck! I went all out when I bought this so I didn't have that "want" all the time - just the way I am. I have never yet wanted something different.

So yeah - at the age of the truck I am going to start seeing some repairs. But I am bound and determined to keep up with it and continue enjoying it for many years to come. The only alternative is some puddle jumper which I refuse to own/drive.

 

With just 59K miles, it will last you a loong time especially considering since you are retired you probaby won't be driving as many miles.

My 02 suits me just fine with 142k miles on it. I'm retired and driving it about 3k miles per year and my 05 Dodge Magnum Hemi about 3k miles a year (if I don't drive them on a long trip on vacation which I recently did with the truck putting almost 6k miles on it in 15 days). Those two vehicles should last me since I'm 72. My wife who is younger and still working has a newish Infiniti EX37 with only 14k miles on it. One newish vehicle is enough.

 

Starter is pretty common on most vehicles, no big deal.

Super inconvenient, but nothing to worry about long term

 

I hear you there. I'm turning 27 in December and I am excited to be even close to this new of a truck. You certainly pay for the extras but in the very long term it is very much worth it.

I see your location is north central PA? Where abouts? I'm in Mansfield area 40 miles north of Williamsport!

 

Yeah - 4 year in now and put 5k a year on it average.

Had a couple problems here and there mostly due to the garbage salt/sand mixture they put on the roads here. 3-4 years of daily driving in that then all of a sudden it sits in an unheated barn. I think I am through most of the corrosion stuff underneath now (front rotors, steering shaft u-joint).

I am in Cameron County - east of Emporium.

 

Nice, I have family in Coudersport.

 

Holy smoke....how much was a truck payment?

 

As it turns out my repair bill was ~1.5x my old truck payment. And that was with using all OEM parts. Repair bill was $848.12.

Picked the truck up on Tuesday. Funny that I never noticed that broken spring and leaking shock (right front) but on the ride home I did notice that it handled left hand turns much better - or was it just in my mind.....

My local Ford dealer service department is top notch - I will never take my truck anywhere else. They helped me out with getting the truck to the shop (free) and a free loaner car even though I didn't buy my truck from them. And checked their prices against Tasca on-line and they were within 10%. Labor charge was very reasonable in both rate and amount of time spent on each issue.

It was kind of a hit to me very tight budget but will recover - just so glad to have my truck back and working 100%!

 

Glad you had a pleasant experience and had good treatment. That's always a plus. I have no doubts at all it would handle turns or even body roll better after a repaired spring and replaced strut.

 

broken coil spring, time for Bilstein 5100s