u/Karenkw26

So my husband and I are in the market for a used car that will hopefully last us a good while. Up until a few months ago I had a 2013 Fusion I drove for 150,000+ miles but decided to sell it to the dealer rather than pay $4000 worth of repairs just to maybe have it last another year or two. We have two kids now and want something reliable with more space for all the things we lug around with young kids. Was originally interested in a used Explorer, but after falling down the rabbit hole of the internal water pump issue, I came across the Flex and I think it would be better suited to our needs and budget even with the water pump issue. It seems to be a well loved car by those who own them.

So now the question, near me there is a few options we’re considering taking an in-person look at. A 2019 SEL with 88,000 miles for $11,000 that had its water pump replaced in 2022, a 2014 Limited with 101,000 miles for $9,800 that had its water pump replaced in January of this year, and a 2014 SEL with 73,000 miles for $9,900 that has not had its pump replaced.

I’m leaning toward the 2014 that just had its pump replaced despite the higher mileage, but is it worth the extra money to get one of the other options with lower mileage and pay the $3000-4000 up front to replace the water pump? It makes me nervous to get a car with that many miles, but since the pump was just replaced it seems like it would be a good deal for the price. Sorry for the long post but any advice is welcome!

Just wanted to share a milestone for me. Thanks to all the information and encouragement on this sub I was able to back carry my three month old in the grocery store today!

I’ve done the ruck carry with my woven wrap at home many times but I’ve been too nervous to try it in public. Today I gave it a try and it worked great. Much easier than front carry while grocery shopping with my toddler in the cart. I hope this encourages someone else who is nervous about carrying. With enough practice you can do it!