2001 Lincoln Continental - $5000 repair estimate in front suspension & steering - reasonable?

[macarose]

About 6 weeks ago I took my 2001 Lincoln to Meineke to have Rear Brakes rotor and pads done for the first time (69K miles). A couple weeks later the rear brake was generating a ton of black "dust" on the alloy wheel. I take it back in and they told me the E-brake was dragging on the rotor....and they adjusted back to normal at no cost. Another couple of weeks go by and I notice the same dust returning and that "hot" smell of burning metal. They check it out and this time blame it on a stuck right rear caliper. They can't get the pins unfrozen. I would note that on the original brake work they told me that pins of both sides were stuck or sticking.....but they were able to free them up at that time.

As long as the car was up in the air I had them check the front suspension as I've been hearing some knocking over rough roads. Well, they came up with a litany of issues....basically requiring replacing everything up front as doing it all "just once" would be cheaper than going back in multiple times. I did see the bad items which included a long crack up the right "plastic" A arm, a torn boot on the right wheel bearing/trans-axle, wobbly right wheel bearing, worn out ball joints, twisted sway bar links and beat up bushings. About the only thing not recommended were the front struts. Front brake rotors and pads were done about 3 yrs earlier (20K miles) and they said those were bad as well. Car is probably only worth $6K if everything mechanical was in good shape. I've been looking for a replacement car with much lower miles and then getting rid of this one. But, that's not working out so well.

Ride control is $3400
Front wheel bearings and seals $866
CV axles - $746
Front brakes - $515

The stuck right rear caliper will run another $820. If I eventually need other calipers this could run up to +$3300 total........or about $9000 if 4 calipers are eventually needed. And that's not even considering any future problems with heating and cooling, exhaust, emissions, electronics, windows and seats, AC, PS, etc. Fortunately, all those systems have been good.

Does $6300 seem "reasonable" for just the things called out right now? The shop stated that they only use "FoMoCo" approved parts such as Moog. They won't put "lesser" quality parts on the car. As I ponder all this, the new front rear brakes are getting eaten up....potentially another $500. New tires are due within the year ($600). Fortunately engine and trans on this have been excellent so far. I do all the fluid changes.

Got the car 5 years ago for $4000 with 39,000 miles from the original owners - elderly couple. So it's been pretty cost-effective....until now. Been closely watching the Northeast for used Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Panther platforms with low miles. So far nothing close to me. I don't want to jump on another one of these at 65K miles and find out it too needs a bunch of money into ride/suspension/brakes. So I'm more focused on cars under 40K miles. Have also been looking at new or nearly new RAV4's, CR-V's in the $25K to $35K range.
.
Never been a new car guy. Would still rather be into a real nice used Panther platform at $8K-$12K. But, this isn't the same used or new car market of 5 yrs ago. It's all changed. Since I know my car fairly well after owning 3 of these FWD 4.6L the past 20 yrs....maybe the simplest thing is fixing it and starting fresh again? At least I'll know where I stand. Yet, can I trust a shop to do good work where I won't be back in a couple years due to poor installation or parts? I also ran this invoice by my long time mechanic who I haven't needed to see since the Pandemic. He wouldn't even get back to me on it. His front desk says he is scheduled out 3-6 months or something. Yes, the market is not 2018 anymore. Good used cars are hard to find. And you have to figure most people have scrimped on the maintenance as well. New cars are expensive and still have issues. I'd be a cash buyer of whatever I do get.

I'm 70 yo next year and can't crawl around these cars like I used to. A problem-free car for the next 5-10 yrs (I do 6K-8K mpy) would be a plus. I do love the ride on these big V8 sedans. Everything still works on this car which is surprising. Other than brakes, filters, and fluids most everything is still factory original. A little rust popped up in the lower rockers and front rear wheel lips last year. I was sort of devasted with that - a $2K estimate to replace rockers and repaint at a body shop. I did my own home repairs for now to at least remove the bad rust, anti-rust treated the other metal, applied a 2 part epoxy sealer with f/g tape, then touch up painted. Keeps the mice out. The car was in a light accident with the orig owners where one side got damage on driver's door, rocker, upper pillar....even mis-aligned the hood height by 1 mm or so. So it's no cream-puff. The paint from that repair is still doing ok. Have to wonder if that accident could have affected the longevity of those front suspension parts? Car tracks straight - always has. Was a great car UNTIL this year. Was planning on a 16 qt trans fluid flush on my own this summer....now might not do it. Been 20K miles since the last one.

Fix it? Sell it and get another Panther? Get a 2020-2023 RAV4, CR-V, Mazda CX3, or similar?

View attachment 176611

You're being lied to and ripped off.

Want to know the real parts cost? Just go to Rockauto and order all the parts on your sheet. If they don't have it, and that's rare, Ebay will. Multiply that by two.

From there find an independent repair shop that has a good reputation in your community. Don't rely on Google reviews. Instead go to popular groups on Facebook which are mainly composed of residents who live in your neck of the woods. Search for 'mechanic' or 'repair' and you'll find some good opportunities.

Next have your vehicle looked at by the top three in terms of repuation. Finally, take that number and see what you can get in the used car market. I guarantee it won't be much.

There is one nice Y2K Continental in blue that's in a Texas Carmax at the moment. It needs to have its suspension done just like yours. Get a conversion kit from Amazon or Ebay if you need it, and you should be fine.

 

[D60]

This is a tough one. On its face the numbers seem ridiculous to most of us in the BITOG crowd.

In reality, in a post-pandemic world and also just accounting for the realities of expenses, it's arguably not that out of line.

As suggested repeatedly already, I'd at least get a second opinion at a local indy.

Also, what about just fixing the rear brake issue and letting the front ride awhile? If I'm understanding correctly, if you tried to squeeze another 12k out of the front end that could buy you nearly 2 years??

Finally, the mention of CV's is concerning. Despite Meineke's protestations to the contrary, I bet they're planning to slap in whatever O'Reilly or Advance hands them. Worst case, you wind up with weird vibes. Best case, they're smooth and the boots are cracking again in a year and you're back here asking what to do about crappy CV axles that were recently replaced

 

[Aredeeem]

Only thing missing from that line by line estimate is “ older car, client is on the fence about keeping it, client is 72+, probably has money.” Throw out a 5k piece of bait, see if you get a bite. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Just by slightly entertaining such a repair tells these sharks that you can afford it. Average life expectancy is 76 and change. I wouldn’t buy anything now that lasts a day longer

 

[Timmastertech]

For the same or better parts as they are quoting I would be about half that price to do that job in my shop. That said, I would be questioning their list because about all we ever regularly replaced on those Continentals and Tauri back in the day were ball joints and sway bar links. The cars with coil spring suspension did sometimes break coil springs but most of those got updated coil springs on the recall/extended warranty. Your noise is likely a bad sway bar link.

 

[newtoncd8]

Nice car. I read through the replies, but I am not sure if this was covered. My buddy used to have one and he was an advocate for converting the vehicle back to a standard suspension. The only thing I don't know, I think that was for the active (not sure the difference between that and semi-active) suspension.
My buddy sent me the link: https://www.strutmasters.com/collections/Lincoln-Continental-2001

 

[Dave9]

As others stated, this is very unreasonable. Not only are the parts marked up (or excuses made not to use more cost effective aftermarket), questionable how many of them you really need, but then also that much labor when it wouldn't be that much if doing multiple related things at once.

I'd imagine that replacing only what needs it (or is soon to), including real labor by an honest mechanic, would run you closer to $2500.

In its present condition, the vehicle is probably only worth about that, post-covid market markups aside, meaning if artificially high in value right now, expect it to drop back down once sanity returns to the used car market.

If they salt roads in winter there, I'd get it on a lift and check for structural rust damage, especially around the strut/spring and air shock mount areas. If the damage is not severe, I'd spend the time to find someone to do a $2500-ish repair.

Also I noted on your estimate that "Customer wishes to discard old parts". Always ask for the old parts back. That keeps the shop at least a little more honest.

 

[69GTX]

How can those items need replacing after only 69K miles?

I was under the car on the lift as the store mgr pointed out each item in the front end. The right wheel bearing was sloppy and clunky. All the ball joints, tie rod ends all had considerable slop. And grease boots and bushings were pretty wasted/ripped. The right axle boot had a 2" chunk ripped off it. Wonder how long that's been "wide open". That one side of that axle had a slight fluid drip/leak....but no real effect when checking trans fluid level. The right plastic A arm had a 4-6" long vertical crack in it (at least I think that was an A-arm). Front sway bar links were badly bent and bushings shot. He did point out a steering linkage/bushing issue that was of concern too. There's definitely a bunch of suspension issues there. He strongly recommended taking everything apart only one time and doing "everything" in one shot....so as not to waste labor going back in multiple times in the future.

Having owned about 30 used cars in my life, and played with 9 vintage Mopars for 11 yrs ('68 to'70 B Bodies)....I'm familiar enough with items that get replaced. I always had a used Crown Vic or Grand Marquis from 1985 to 2001. Then it's been 3 Lincoln Continentals since. 7 cars total. Between the previous owners (had it from their 70's to their 90's) and me....the car was almost always driven on smooth paved roads....and pretty conservatively too. Less than average wear and tear imo.

 

[69GTX]

Nice car. I read through the replies, but I am not sure if this was covered. My buddy used to have one and he was an advocate for converting the vehicle back to a standard suspension. The only thing I don't know, I think that was for the active (not sure the difference between that and semi-active) suspension.
My buddy sent me the link: https://www.strutmasters.com/collections/Lincoln-Continental-2001

A common mod or "upgrade" to the Lincoln and Grand Marquis air bag cars is to replace the suspension air bags with standard spring coils that can't fail on loss of air pressure. Those mods are typically in the $500-$1000 range. I've looked at them when I had my 2 earlier Lincolns. Though still, I've yet to have an air bag or compressor fail on one of these......certainly many other owners have.

Will definitely have another shop or two check the car out. It's not even easy to get a shop to look at something these days. It's as if they just don't need any more work.....they are swamped as it is.

 

[dishdude]

I was under the car on the lift as the store mgr pointed out each item in the front end. The right wheel bearing was sloppy and clunky. All the ball joints, tie rod ends all had considerable slop. And grease boots and bushings were pretty wasted/ripped. The right axle boot had a 2" chunk ripped off it. Wonder how long that's been "wide open". That one side of that axle had a slight fluid drip/leak....but no real effect when checking trans fluid level. The right plastic A arm had a 4-6" long vertical crack in it (at least I think that was an A-arm). Front sway bar links were badly bent and bushings shot. He did point out a steering linkage/bushing issue that was of concern too. There's definitely a bunch of suspension issues there. He strongly recommended taking everything apart only one time and doing "everything" in one shot....so as not to waste labor going back in multiple times in the future.

Having owned about 30 used cars in my life, and played with 9 vintage Mopars for 11 yrs ('68 to'70 B Bodies)....I'm familiar enough with items that get replaced. I always had a used Crown Vic or Grand Marquis from 1985 to 2001. Then it's been 3 Lincoln Continentals since. 7 cars total. Between the previous owners (had it from their 70's to their 90's) and me....the car was almost always driven on smooth paved roads....and pretty conservatively too. Less than average wear and tear imo.

I'm surprised none of this was pointed out during the initial visit. Even without asking for a full inspection, a good shop will do one to cover their behinds and find "honest work". It prevents them from releasing the vehicle to the owner with an undisclosed safety hazard and the owner from coming back and saying "ever since you...".

 

[69GTX]

That’s a nice car, but I seriously doubt it needs all that work. A lot of chain shops want to replace everything and it’s just not needed. I would try to find a good, honest independent shop.

Finding a good lower mileage panther platform car is getting harder but it’s not impossible. Back in 2018 I found a one owner 04 Marauder with 79k on it. Had to fly to Indianapolis from Virginia to get it, so you might have to be willing to travel to get what you want.

I've considered traveling out 300-500 miles as it seems options are plentiful enough outside my region. Though it's far more convenient to find one in the same state to avoid DMV hassles with having to come back multiple times for paperwork for the one car.

Some states do offer "in transit" tickets ($10-$30) for driving back a car you just purchased back to your home state. But not every state does it. And rules vary a lot by state. My own state doesn't even allow it for it residents....only for non-residents buying a car in CT. Rhode Island only allows their own residents to get a "in transit" ticket. By buying from a dealer directly your odds of getting a temp plate go up a lot. But again, some of the smaller dealers I've already talked to won't do it. You'd have to buy the car, then drive back to your state DMV to get a temp plate. Then drive back to the other state to place that temp plate back on the car.....and drive both cars home. Pretty annoying. And the further out you travel, the worse it gets.

 

[D60]

I've considered traveling out 300-500 miles as it seems options are plentiful enough outside my region. Though it's far more convenient to find one in the same state to avoid DMV hassles with having to come back multiple times for paperwork for the one car.

Some states do offer "in transit" tickets ($10-$30) for driving back a car you just purchased back to your home state. But not every state does it. And rules vary a lot by state. My own state doesn't even allow it for it residents....only for non-residents buying a car in CT. Rhode Island only allows their own residents to get a "in transit" ticket. By buying from a dealer directly your odds of getting a temp plate go up a lot. But again, some of the smaller dealers I've already talked to won't do it. You'd have to buy the car, then drive back to your state DMV to get a temp plate. Then drive back to the other state to place that temp plate back on the car.....and drive both cars home. Pretty annoying. And the further out you travel, the worse it gets.

That's insanity. In CO you just go get it and drive it back with the signed title. You're not even supposed to display plates as that's "fictitious representation". When you go to register they do a visual inspection on out-of-state titles which is nothing more than making sure the VIN and make/model match the title. Done.

 

[D60]

I was under the car on the lift as the store mgr pointed out each item in the front end. The right wheel bearing was sloppy and clunky. All the ball joints, tie rod ends all had considerable slop. And grease boots and bushings were pretty wasted/ripped. The right axle boot had a 2" chunk ripped off it. Wonder how long that's been "wide open". That one side of that axle had a slight fluid drip/leak....but no real effect when checking trans fluid level. The right plastic A arm had a 4-6" long vertical crack in it (at least I think that was an A-arm). Front sway bar links were badly bent and bushings shot. He did point out a steering linkage/bushing issue that was of concern too. There's definitely a bunch of suspension issues there. He strongly recommended taking everything apart only one time and doing "everything" in one shot....so as not to waste labor going back in multiple times in the future.

Having owned about 30 used cars in my life, and played with 9 vintage Mopars for 11 yrs ('68 to'70 B Bodies)....I'm familiar enough with items that get replaced. I always had a used Crown Vic or Grand Marquis from 1985 to 2001. Then it's been 3 Lincoln Continentals since. 7 cars total. Between the previous owners (had it from their 70's to their 90's) and me....the car was almost always driven on smooth paved roads....and pretty conservatively too. Less than average wear and tear imo.

I'm always confused by people who start threads like this then eventually fire back like above. It seems you know all you need to and you have all the answers, so what exactly is the question?

And here's something I don't know that surely you can answer for me and it's 100% on topic: how do sway bar links get "bent"? Seriously, I'm curious...??

 

[69GTX]

Remember, these chain store shops’ business model is built on finding many expensive repairs “that need to be done NOW”. And unfortunately they target your age group (and probably mine now that I’m in my mid 50s).

I recall Goodyear Tire got $3300 out of my dad years ago for work I told him he didn’t need. My dad didn’t think that I knew anything about cars back then and “listened to the professional”. He was pretty mad after being fleeced. Should’ve listened.

I've avoided the fleecing on my previous cars. Pretty much got out of most of them in the 100K-120K as things started showing up. I rarely had a bill for more than $350-$750 for normal wear and tear suspension parts. I made the mistake of driving one Lincoln to 212K miles. But the number of parts that sequentially failed from around 135K-200K miles was a nightmare. I vowed to never do that again. For these past 3 Lincolns I don't think I put more than $1000 or so in replacement parts in any of them. So this current one was about at that $1000 level for the first 5 yrs (F&R brakes replaced).

 

[JavierH19]

They're not fleecing you, they're skinning you.

 

[Brian123]

69GTX, have you thought about sourcing the parts you need by checking out AutoPartsWarehouse, I think they are now Carparts, or PartsGeek.
You can get the parts yourself and then find a shop that will let you bring in your own parts. I knew a guy that worked at NTB and he told me that I needed 2 front shocks and 2 upper control arms. NTB quoted me $600.00 for the shocks and $500.00 for the upper control arms, so that would be $1100.00

I checked Carparts and PartsGeek and they both wanted about $450.00 for the parts. I ended up getting the parts at Amazon since they had free shipping and my cost is going to be $360.00

Some of these shops make a killing on the parts, whatever parts your car needs you should be ablr to get what you need for half what this shop is charging.

I remember my car needed a fuel pump and the shop I went to also let you bring in your own parts, they got all of there stuff from NAPA, they wanted to charge me $400.00 for a Bosch Fuel Pump. I went down to NAPA that afternoon and I walked out the door with that Bosch Fuel Pump for $240.00

 

[69GTX]

Umm, no. Old cars (excluding classics) drop in value over time. You would be lucky to get $3,000 for it if you payed $4,000 5 years ago. In it's current state, maybe $2,000, so makes no sense in dumping all the money into it.


The continental is NOT a Panther. It's a Taurus/Sable. No question an actual Panther, Crown Vic, Grand Marquis, Town Car would be simpler and less trouble. A lower mileage example shouldn't be hard to find, but even with 100,000 they are barely broken in.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Umm, yes. Over the past 3-1/2 yrs (ie pandemic years) the prices of many used cars have gone up 50-100%. I bought my 2002 LIncoln back in 2009 with 22,000 miles for $9000 from a dealer. An equivalent car like that today is $15K to $25K depending on the dealer who has it. Private parties wouldn't ask less than $15K. If there were one out there I'd happily plunk down $15K right now. That's appreciation....not depreciation. If the twin of my current 2001 LIncoln were out there again with the same 39,000 miles as when I bought it.....you couldn't touch it for under $8,000. I'd buy that same car again for $8,000 right now if there were one out there in the same condition. So yes, my Lincoln right now at 69K miles WITH all the front end work needed might only be a $1000-$2000 car. But if every mechanical system was in perfect order, it would surely be a $6000 car. You can't even find a 69K mile Lincoln in overall very good shape for under $5000. Average asking prices for "clean" 1998-2011 Lincolns with 120K miles are $4000 to $8000. My 1999 Camaro SS M6 LS1 cost me $12K back in 2009 when it had 12,000 miles. Today at 20,000 miles it's worth around $16K despite more miles and 11 years older. It's probably also true that "reality" will return to the used car market some time in the next several years when economic stresses worsen.

My mistake for confusing a Lincoln with the Panther platforms. Lump them all together because of the shared 4.6L engines. That's really the main thing. The transverse engine on the Continental is a pain. I agree that the Town Car is simpler. Still, I prefer the sporty handling of the shorter FWD Continental. I've had 380,000 miles on my 3 Lincolns and took one of them to "engine death" at 212K miles when a water pump failure did it in. I was selling the car before the engine failure for $600....as the car was already toast in so many ways.

 

[69GTX]

22 years old, stuff ages out. Also CT does use road salt, and that does not help.

Good point. Since I'm retired the past several years, I almost never venture out on Connecticut roads during a storm. Luckily, I'm in a region near the shore that gets much more rain than snow. Snow storms are becoming a non-factor in South East CT. I think we had 2-3 last year....only one significant. The state and town clean the roads up pretty quick. And usually with 24 hours of a snow storm the main roads and highway are clear and dry again for perfect driving. When I daily drove my 1st Lincoln through every Connecticut storm for 9 yrs, the under-side got pretty rusted...even rusted the brake lines away.

=================

As far as these V8 Lincolns with a Taurus AX4N transmission possibly eating up front end parts, that's not the case. Again, I've had 3 of them and took one to 212K miles. They didn't go through front suspension or brake parts any faster than my early Crown Vics or Grand Marquis. I'm very familiar with the additional risk to the drive train the 265 hp engine has vs the Taurus FWD transmission. I don't drive it like a race car. Feather touch on the gas most of the time. Changing trans fluid more often than the factory recommends on the these FWD Continentals (1996-2002) is imperative if you want them to last.....esp. if your doing non-highway miles.

When assessing the age/value of these cars I tend to lean heavily on the mileage. But I also pay attention to any rust/paint condition as well as mechanical and electrical wear and tear. It's the whole package. When I first spotted rot in the rockers last year, the value of the car dropped $1500 right then and there on resale.

While my car has the active air suspension in the rear, the front end has no air suspension. It's just mechanical parts. Struts, springs, shocks. No different than all other cars. So this Meineke estimate is to repair/replace standard mechanical suspension parts.....nothing related to the air system.

I wasn't aware that brake pins should be replaced if they're sticking, esp. on a 20 yr old car. My bad for not knowing that. I've never done by own brake work....and it shows. I don't ever recall replacing a caliper on my previous LIncolns. But, none of them had to go to the 21 yr point. Those other 2 went to 11 yrs old and 16 yrs old. I could be expecting too much out of 20+ yr old cars.

Each year I've had this current Lincoln I've been underneath with a wire brush and scraper poking around everywhere I can reach. Anything on the body that showed rust starting I would scrape down, prime, and paint. So I don't really expect a major issue with the body. The rear lower rocker rust came from the inside out. And that was invisible to me until a bubble blister formed on the exterior paint....and of course I poked at it.....lol.

 

[69GTX]

I'm surprised none of this was pointed out during the initial visit. Even without asking for a full inspection, a good shop will do one to cover their behinds and find "honest work". It prevents them from releasing the vehicle to the owner with an undisclosed safety hazard and the owner from coming back and saying "ever since you...".

That is a good point. And this shop does advertise FREE brake and underside inspections....no doubt to drum up future work. It is odd that they didn't even check that front end out. When the car was back to them a 2nd time it occurred to me I should have them check out that front end "clunking."

The pandemic just didn't keep people from seeing their Doctors. Cars experienced that too. I didn't go to any auto repair shops for 2-3 yrs. And that was a mistake in hindsight. I skipped all the normal FREE tire rotations. And I knew that my rear brakes were already due.

 

[69GTX]

I'm always confused by people who start threads like this then eventually fire back like above. It seems you know all you need to and you have all the answers, so what exactly is the question?

And here's something I don't know that surely you can answer for me and it's 100% on topic: how do sway bar links get "bent"? Seriously, I'm curious...??

1. I started this thread to find out if $5000+ was reasonable. I hadn't done any major work on a car in 10 yrs. I had no clue, esp.
on replacement parts for Lincolns. It's not 2012 anymore. Prices are way up all around the automotive market. Googled it and found that up to $5000 was "normal" for considerable front end Lincoln work. Though I had some doubts....and why 6 weeks later I haven't done that work. If my car was worth $30K I'd have done it. But that work would have exceeded the car's current value. So why not "ask" the experts here?

2. Part two of my question is what you do: A. spend the $5K......B. get another used car......C. get a new car.
Very few people addressed the B. and C. It was mostly the A that was discussed. No one suggested to get a new car. I was curious as to how many people would say to just get another car....though fairly few did. Most members addressed the "value" of the $5000 estimate and appear to be leaning towards repairing it though with a much lower cost estimate. I'd spend $3000 right now if that would get me the next 3-5 yrs on the front end and brakes. My choice was B. right off the bat. But I've found it so hard to find a decent used Lincoln or Panther Platform in 6 weeks, while being able to avoid a front suspension repair bill just like my car.....that I came back to considering just spending the $5000 or whatever it took to get my daily driver back on the road. I now look at every used Lincoln out there with 55K to 75K miles as having the same potential problems as my car....and those are priced at $7K to $10K.

3. How do sway bar links get bent? That's one on me too. Unless the previous Senior Citizen owners off-roaded the car, there's no
logical way other than humongous pot-holes and dips that could do such a thing. You do run into some unforeseen big dips and holes on today's roads and highways....especially if Mr and Mrs MaGoo are driving and don't see well enough to avoid 95% of the pit falls. Maybe that elderly couple had a grand son that hot-rodded the old Lincoln around. It is a pretty peppy car with quick acceleration with that very tall 1st gear (0-50 mph in 1st). I'd rather have the sway bar links bent (inexpensive) vs. the trans being ruined. I mentioned earlier that this car had a side hit with the previous owners. It's possible that some of the front suspension got "compacted" or torqued if the hit was hard enough. It wasn't a hard enough hit to total the car as it was all fixed. But, maybe having been tweaked up front, the front suspension on this car is a bit "off" leading to higher wear rates. The hood on this car no longer lines up properly on the left and right sides......it was tweaked too.....the entire width of the car.

 

[69GTX]

This is a tough one. On its face the numbers seem ridiculous to most of us in the BITOG crowd.

In reality, in a post-pandemic world and also just accounting for the realities of expenses, it's arguably not that out of line.

As suggested repeatedly already, I'd at least get a second opinion at a local indy.

Also, what about just fixing the rear brake issue and letting the front ride awhile? If I'm understanding correctly, if you tried to squeeze another 12k out of the front end that could buy you nearly 2 years??

Finally, the mention of CV's is concerning. Despite Meineke's protestations to the contrary, I bet they're planning to slap in whatever O'Reilly or Advance hands them. Worst case, you wind up with weird vibes. Best case, they're smooth and the boots are cracking again in a year and you're back here asking what to do about crappy CV axles that were recently replaced

Good responses. Thanks.

Could I get another 12K miles on that front end ? Maybe. At a minimum it would give me pause about jumping into the car for a 150-300 mile trip on short notice. The car would probably have to be relegated to within 45 miles of home....usually within 15 miles.

The Meineke Mgr scared me by stating that the open rubber boot on the right front wheel would or could eventually lead to loss of control/steering. He said the same thing about the steering link/bushing issue. He mentioned a couple times the car right now could lose all steering at any time. That's keeping the car mostly grounded right now except for short 2-4 mile trips to the grocery store. I will get some other reputable shops or OEM dealers to look at the car. Though I suspect it will take a couple weeks just to do that. I used to be a frequent flyer at repair shops when I was taking my used cars from 50K to 125K to 200K miles....they all knew me and love me.....lol. But that changed. The past 14 years I've focused on utilizing the 25K to 90K mile range....and then selling the car.....avoiding the later in life items. It's worked pretty well until now. These Lincolns will require spark plugs, coil packs, and other related things around 100K-120K miles....something I'd rather avoid. 20 yr old parts might not come out easy.

I did a CV axle on my last Lincoln. I was a factory replacement part. That's probably how I would go today. The Meinke Mgr was emphatic that he only used the best parts "like Moog"....which FoMoCo considers to be equivalent factory parts. If that's not true, then there's not a thing I can trust about this particular shop and what they did. Whatever axle or other parts go into the car, I'd want the packaging they came in to verify what I got. I'm anal enough to have them keep everything in sealed packages until I get there to see them opened up...and placed on the car. I can afford to spend most of 2 days at a shop and watch the work in progress. Then again, who else is going to use or need front end parts for a 2001 Lincoln Continental in my area?