smayfield
New member
Hi, I have a 2002 Aztek with ~260k miles... over the past 4 years I've used the car as a learning opportunity to teach myself auto repair. Sunk more $$$ into parts than was probably smart, but I look it like tuition and a bit of entertainment. With what I've learned, I've been able to save myself and friends/family far more $$$ than I've spent. My goal was to nurse the 'Tek up to 300k miles, but I've discovered that the front/pass engine cradle mount is no longer connected (or at the very least, barely connected) to the frame due to extensive rust. The remaining mounts look solid. I've decided that she's on borrowed time and will only be getting basic maintenance items / consumables until she's ready for the scrap yard. I know that EVENTUALLY the remaining 3 cradle mounts are going to fail, probably 1 at a time. Does anyone have any predictions on what that failure is going to look/feel like? I expect it to start making a lot of noise as stuff starts bouncing around when the next bolt snaps, but I don't think I'm looking at a catastrophic failure where the engine and front wheels completely separate from the body. But I could be wrong. I also expect more serious damage if I get into a frontal accident, especially the front/pass corner.
