After replacing the motor mounts and steering control bushings less than a 1,000 miles ago, I started to hear and feel clunks and the car began pulling to the right. I took it in to my trusted service and repair shop who did the previous work thinking something was going on with that work---they discovered a broken bolt deep inside the sub-frame that was inaccessible requiring the entire sub-frame be replaced. I was not involved in an accident, had not run anything over while driving, am not an aggressive driver and in 4 years of ownership, only put on around 30,000 miles in total.
It was purchased with about 33,000 from a rental car agency and against my better judgement, I decided to take a chance. It had virtually all the accessories and features I wanted, was the right price for my budget and luckily I also purchased an extended warranty...that's been used to cover other issues (electrical harness as well as the previously mentioned replacements) but the structural replacement will not be covered.
Since I tend to keep my cars for many years, motor mount and other bushing replacement work usually became required at around 100,000 miles or more so I must assume since this was a rental car, it underwent a fair to great amount of non-caring, aggressive driving in its first 33,000 miles of ownership.
Lessons (for me anyway)---NEVER purchase a previous rental vehicle, ALWAYS get an extended warranty and BE wary of Fords (my first since my first car at 16--a 55 Mercury and I never owned another FMC product until this one).
After replacing the motor mounts and steering control bushings less than a 1,000 miles ago, I started to hear and feel clunks and the car began pulling to the right. I took it in to my trusted service and repair shop who did the previous work thinking something was going on with that work---they discovered a broken bolt deep inside the sub-frame that was inaccessible requiring the entire sub-frame be replaced. I was not involved in an accident, had not run anything over while driving, am not an aggressive driver and in 4 years of ownership, only put on around 30,000 miles in total.
It was purchased with about 33,000 from a rental car agency and against my better judgement, I decided to take a chance. It had virtually all the accessories and features I wanted, was the right price for my budget and luckily I also purchased an extended warranty...that's been used to cover other issues (electrical harness as well as the previously mentioned replacements) but the structural replacement will not be covered.
Since I tend to keep my cars for many years, motor mount and other bushing replacement work usually became required at around 100,000 miles or more so I must assume since this was a rental car, it underwent a fair to great amount of non-caring, aggressive driving in its first 33,000 miles of ownership.
Lessons (for me anyway)---NEVER purchase a previous rental vehicle, ALWAYS get an extended warranty and BE wary of Fords (my first since my first car at 16--a 55 Mercury and I never owned another FMC product until this one).
- F R C., Tempe, US