Tired of new vehicles. Should I sell me Ranger?

[Jim Oaks]

I'm tired of new vehicles and all of the expense and complexity that comes with them. I've been thinking for a while now about buying an older truck that would be easier and cheaper to work on.

My 2021 Ford Ranger FX4 has 94,000 miles on it and I'm still going to be paying a $570 a month payment for another 34 months. That's nuts.

The worst part is that if anything major went wrong with it, I wouldn't have the money to fix it. One of our 2019+ Ranger owners took their Ranger into a shop for transmission issues, and the repairs are going to be $6,000. I could buy a whole running vehicle for $6,000.

I hate that my truck communicates with Ford and gets downloads.

I was recently driving and wanted to turn on some air and had to cycle through my screen to get to the setting to put it on vent and set a temperature. I liked when I could just slide a lever or turn a knob. I don't need to know the temp. I'm not baking a cake. If I'm not warm enough, I'll turn the knob work towards the red. If I'm not cool enough, I'll turn it more towards the blue.

I pay for a Sirius subscription as well as for Wi-Fi which I know, I don't have to have.

I do believe though that manufactures make it harder and harder for you to be able to work on them and they've been pushing the government to pass laws that would prevent anyone but the dealer from working on them.

Then there's the whole can of worms about if and how your vehicles are collecting information on you.

I look at my 1996 Ranger 4x4 sitting outside and think about all the things I could either do to it or just do in general if I wasn't making that $570 payment. And I know there are people making payments way higher than that.

I really liked my Expeditions, nut they're probably to new.

A 1980s-90s fullsize Ford Bronco would be nice and way easier to maintain and work on. Same for an F-150.

Actually, a few of you have already heard me say before that I was thinking about replacing my 2021 Ranger with an early Explorer.

So, I don't know. This has been on the back of my mind for quite a while now. I'm not having any issues with the truck right now, but I feel like it's a financial disaster waiting to happen.

Anyone else thought about ditching your newer vehicle for an older one, or already have an older vehicle because you don't want a newer money pit?

I look at my 1996

 

[franklin2]

If you are in a serious accident, the first thing the troopers do is take the black box out in a newer vehicle. Or it's the first thing that comes out at the impound yard. Tells them the speed before impact, if you where pressing on the brake or not, etc.

 

[pjtoledo]

I feel your pain, and see my rust.

I'm trying, my 2005 2wd "low option special" now has 383,700 miles on it.
yep, it's the same one that backed up that hill in Dearborn.