Cost of Maintaining your 2002-2005 Thunderbird

[cdbintex]

OK guys you have no basis to complain about the cost of maintenance. My wife's car is a perfect 2015 Honda CR-V. The battery died last month but when replaced the radio touch screen refused to work. It is necessary to control many functions on the Car. Since I had some experience changing radio on my PCR, I thought I would just buy the part and swap it out. The Honda Parts manager apologized when he told me a new radio was $6200.00! Coming around the counter so he could talk to me collapsed on the floor, he helpfully suggested a factory rebuilt radio for only $1050.00.
I bought that and an hour later had replaced the unit ( and all 10 cable plugs ). After typing in the serial number it was up and working. Moral: Thunderbirds are not expensive to maintain when compared to any modern car.

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[Bond007]

Wow! I’m totally speechless.

 

[OhioTbird]

Strange All the electrical connections,

I have a Lexus SUV still under warranty. GPS was locking up. Dealer said it's the radio.
fortunately they're paying for it all.

 

[Gus Gutz]

OK guys you have no basis to complain about the cost of maintenance. My wife's car is a perfect 2015 Honda CR-V. The battery died last month but when replaced the radio touch screen refused to work. It is necessary to control many functions on the Car. Since I had some experience changing radio on my PCR, I thought I would just buy the part and swap it out. The Honda Parts manager apologized when he told me a new radio was $6200.00! Coming around the counter so he could talk to me collapsed on the floor, he helpfully suggested a factory rebuilt radio for only $1050.00.
I bought that and an hour later had replaced the unit ( and all 10 cable plugs ). After typing in the serial number it was up and working. Moral: Thunderbirds are not expensive to maintain when compared to any modern car.

That's a 2015 vehicle. What is going to happen when that car is 8 or ten years old. I bet it's going to be near impossible to replace these infotainment systems they are putting in today's cars. Look how hard it is to get a FEM for our cars now. They are making cars disposable like phones. But unlike phones these are thousands of dollars.

 

[cdbintexas]

In my humble opinion, a great number of FEM s are replaced un necessarily. If, heaven forbid, I ever have problems with mine, I will be making a list of rebuilders and compare prices to used ones available at that time. Good Luck to those who can not search the internet.

 

[DaveinVa757]

friend of mine did an entire Masters Thesis on this, and proved that you will always, always spend less with a Ford/GM/Chrysler vehicle over a foreign make. Cheaper to own, hands down





QUOTE="cdbintex, post: 59517, member: 11031"]
OK guys you have no basis to complain about the cost of maintenance. My wife's car is a perfect 2015 Honda CR-V. The battery died last month but when replaced the radio touch screen refused to work. It is necessary to control many functions on the Car. Since I had some experience changing radio on my PCR, I thought I would just buy the part and swap it out. The Honda Parts manager apologized when he told me a new radio was $6200.00! Coming around the counter so he could talk to me collapsed on the floor, he helpfully suggested a factory rebuilt radio for only $1050.00.
I bought that and an hour later had replaced the unit ( and all 10 cable plugs ). After typing in the serial number it was up and working. Moral: Thunderbirds are not expensive to maintain when compared to any modern car.
[/QUOTE]

 

[The Flash]

anyone that owns a Honda deserves it.

 

[cdbintexas]

Awh, thats just mean. 😎 I have owned Henry J, Hillman Minx,Ford Fairlane 500, Plymouth, MGA,Couger, VW, LandRover, Firebird, Chevy Caprice, Honda CCV, Volvo, Datsun 280Z, Datsun Maxima, Honda Accords, A Cessna, A Piper, A Katana, Lincoln, and now the Thunderbird. This just means I am experienced to have opinions.

 

[DaveinVa757]

talked to a customer today, his Accord blew the transmission and only 8 years old...minimum $3000... Love my Fords...had to giggle.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

The FEMs are clearly a weak point, mine FUBAR'ed and a prior owner (or somebody) rewired the instrument cluster internally to make the gauge lights work. I fixed the instrument cluster, put in a used FEM (about $400) and had the original repaired ($150) and put it on the shelf - other than that I had an A/C evaporator discharge sensor go out and the dealer wanted $1,500 to repair it (they thought the WHOLE dash had to come out). Turns out it was a $29 part replaced in 10 minutes from UNDER the dash. That's it in 10,000 mile since I bought it 16 months ago; other money spent was for "goodies" like a new radio and nose bra. These cars don't have to be nightmares if you can do some things yourself.
Some things you can NOT do yourself - like reprogramming an instrument cluster if you can find one. Most dealers won't mess with them and if you can't get it done your car becomes a shiny boat anchor.

But yes, modern cars are "throwaways" after a few years; the "center stack" (radio/GPS/computer system) in the wife's 2016 Durango went out and that would have been a $,1600 repair but the warranty covered it...

 

[edward301]

If you do the work yourself very cheap. I have had no issues except suspension,
none of the problems some have experienced. Am I lucky, don’t think so, maybe
car made on the right day.... Want expensive parts try an air plane, had to replace
the battery, over $6,000.00.