25th Sep 2012, 14:56
Hate to hear you are having problems, but why is it costing $800 for that type of work you mentioned? The belt/hoses, transmission fluid and antifreeze is about as basic Autozone/O'Reilly stuff as you can find in a year 2000 vehicle; even more so than Cadillac. Someone is ripping you off on the price.
If I'm not mistaken, the 4.6 should have one belt. The belt should be about $30-$60 at most. Antifreeze should be a couple of the standard sized standard antifreeze that Ford has been using for years; think they had switched to the Orange at that point, which is about $15-$20 a bottle or about $40 at most, and transmission fluid shouldn't be any more than $80 for ten quarts, or about a little over $100 for the synthetic upgrade if you can find it.
So that leaves about $600 in labor? Belt and hose may take about an hour and half combined, transmission fluid maybe 30 minutes, or 45 minutes if you take a break and charge the customer for that break. Even a full flush of a system shouldn't be more than $100, and that is assuming the whole shebang flush of every last drop of antifreeze possible. Something isn't adding up, and or someone is over charging you just for having a Lincoln.
The air suspension system can get pricey, but that $1200 is usually the price for redoing the entire system, with the air pump and hoses being the most expensive thing, as the shocks should only be about $120 a pop at the high end, outside the dealer.
Well sorry you had bad experience with those cars, but usually it is about the cheapest car to maintain.
Even some Honda owners complain about the price of the alternator, labor costs, water pump and getting to it, all can be pricey. Most people and Hondas I have come across are "cheap to run" because they don't put money into it. Too many Hondas I've gotten, you could tell the suspension was totally shot and probably was not safe to drive, wasn't running right, head gasket problems, electrical issues usually stemming from jury rigged aftermarket work, etc.
When you shop around for that Honda, make sure you find one that has been properly maintained. If you see nothing having been done and no service records, leave it alone, or else you will wish you had the Lincoln back.
24th Sep 2012, 16:48
Why buy a Lincoln if you are on a Civic budget. Is it image or to impress? My parents bought these cars new, and never once griped on gas mileage or having more luxury options to maintain. All I ever heard was fantastic ride and comfort.
The complaints usually are someone that buys an older one cheap, struggles with the fuel cost, and has no extra money for repairs. I heard the same thing with one of my son's friends who bought a cheap used Range Rover. Same scenario; blew the air suspension out and parked it. If you buy an image car, it's not like keeping it up like a basic Civic. Might get a date or two, til you break down on the way to pick them up though.