Get another opinion on car?
I own a 2004 Ford Taurus and the ABS light came on last week. I took the car to a mechanic I've never used. I've had only 2 issues which were minor with the car. One was a battery and the other the muffler. No major mechanical problems on the vehicle.
The garage said that the car is junk. It has 148000 miles on it. He said that it needed a new oil valve cover, new front springs on the front, the floorboards were rusting out, needed new brakes on both axles, needed a new AC compressor, and also a new ABS motor.
I know basics of car maintenance and never noticed any major problem with the car. The oil is good. The transmission fluid is red and not burnt. No radiator leaks or overheating.
Was this guy trying to rip me off? I told him not to do anything with the car. Should I get another opinion before junking it?
You got your use out of it and then some. Mine died at 130,000 miles when it needed its third fuel pump, plus an alternator. [the fuel pump is inside the gas tank… Something like five book hours to remove, etc.]
you should be able to see if the brakes and floorboards are near gone for yourself.
This is why the UK has strict vehicle testing.
These issues can be found early and fixed
A proper service should be checking all these items each time and getting them fixed early.
Get a second opinion.
Remember proper maintenance is vital.
It prevents issues rather than fixing thing when they break.
Seems to me it would be easy to double check all of the things he said are bad. If the valve cover is leaking oil it at least needs a new gasket. Look at the brake pads. If the friction portion of the brake pads (on inner pads) is less than 1/8" you need brakes. Does the AC work? That should be an easy one for you to figure out! If the ABS system doesn't have a wheel speed sensor code stored it may well be the ABS motor. On a car that old I'd replace a bad wheel speed sensor but if the ABS unit is bad I'd put a piece of black electrical tape over the ABS light and just remember if braking hard and the tires lock up to just pump the brake pedal like you had to do in older vehicles with no ABS. Sounds like you don't care if the floor boards have some rust. Take it from there…
The Taurus as a model is one of the worst pieces of garbage Ford has ever tried to sell. I'm surprised that you don't have a bad transmission by now. However, make sure to get a second opinion on those recommended repairs. If you're not hearing any weird sounds from the engine, it should be fine. Ditto for brakes. Front springs usually get worn out by now. For rust, you'll actually have to have a look underneath the vehicle. If your AC is still blowing cold, leave it alone. I would leave the ABS system alone unless it is throwing ABS error codes. If you feel like getting rid of the vehicle, what can I say? Any car that makes to 150k miles without any major issues is a good vehicle in my books. I'm surprised you made it that far with the Taurus without getting screwed over for a major repair. Getting something else wouldn't be a bad idea.
My opinion of the mechanic that said that is either lack of work or selling you services you don't need or require just ecause of one warning light.
It won't cost you much to get a second opinion, and maybe learn more about your car workings also.
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