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Thought I'd update the group on this. I got the OEM part from Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, FL (gsfordauto on ebay). The price was discounted and the part had free shipping. It came in a very sturdy cardboard box that the USPS delivered intact. The part was a perfect fit. Not being...

Thanks for the reminder about the ebay option. It seems the product sellers are divided between a Chinese import company and Ford dealer parts department OEM parts. I decided to support an American dealer with my purchase for a few dollars more. Curiously, the ebay price was discounted from...

rdmallory said, "This is no longer true. 'There is no replacement for displacement'" That was not my point. I'm not convinced that vehicles with small engine displacements made up for by the use of turbochargers last as long and have the same level of maintenance required as they age versus a...

Watched the video. I won't be in line to buy one. My now ironclad rule is to never, ever buy a vehicle that is in its first year of production. I did that once and paid the price, with several features that seemed great at the time but turned into repeat problems. As tempted as I was to buy...

We've got some weather coming in today so I thought I'd post this question here before I have the opportunity to take things apart. 2010 LTD here. Has anyone had the top plastic trim piece on their tailgate come loose? The left side started wobbling when I gripped it and I don't want to...

The yellow top Optima is more of a deep cycle battery. It is perfect for vehicles with accessories that can drain a battery more than usual. Winches, refrigerators and huge stereo systems played without the engine running are examples where a yellow top is the better choice. When I used the...

I had an Optima battery in my Jeep for 12 years. When it was 11 years old and still working fine I drove the Jeep to a 4WD trade show and showed a photo of the battery with the date code to the Optima rep. He too took the photo to his national sales meeting and they sent me a bunch of Optima...

Thanks for the alert. A quick read of the advance reports does not excite me. I'm not looking for a cheaper version of the Ranger with "a more rugged, light off-road-ready trim." I'm looking for an SUV with a short pickup bed. We shall see...

Both my 2002 and 2010 STs came with factory running boards. Even though we don't have much road salt here in Colorado the basic steel pipe 2002 boards started rusting about 2010. I sold the truck to my best friend and he took them off when he moved to Tennessee. The 2010 boards are of very...

I made the jump from a 2002 V6 to a 2010 V8 in 2013. Despite a few things that I didn't like as much as the Gen 1 (the rear seat fold-down does not lay horizontal and I had to make a custom 1/4" plywood cover to make a flat surface across the gap behind the seats) I've enjoyed every minute of...

The problem with the Avalanche is that it also is no longer made so in that sense you are no better off than trying to find a lower mileage used ST. In my original post I was mostly referring to current production vehicles, if that was not clear.

Yes, I was referring to the serial number suffix on the VIN. From the numbers, it appears that they made 1016 Sport Tracs in the 20 days between the production dates of our vehicles. They were a very popular vehicle here in Colorado and I still see lots of them on the road - sometimes several...

Congratulations from another late production Gen2 V-8 Limited owner. Before they changed the FordEtis site access I was able to find out that mine was made on September 28, 2010 in the Louisville plant. Its first owner life was in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Last four digits of my serial number...

Thought I'd post an update on my project. I chickened out on buying the Monroe struts from RockAuto because of their horrible online reviews and lack of customer service. I spent a few more bucks and got them from a seller on Amazon. I knew that if they were damaged in transit I would have...

Thanks Todd. Got the strut assemblies ordered. They should be here next week. "You will be happy with the Monroe as long as its installed properly.. Many places screw it up." Tell me more about that. Perhaps I can give this shop some helpful info to prevent a bad installation.

This afternoon I visited with a nearby independent mechanic with high ratings on the CarTalk mechanics files list. He will install parts I supply for $210. According to the pricing software he uses, there was no difference in the labor charge between installing new struts and strut assemblies...

My left rear strut is leaking oil so it's time to replace. I have a 2010 Gen2, 4WD, V-8, Ltd with 88,000 miles. The Ford dealer wants $777.40 to replace the two rear struts (only) with OEM units and do an alignment. A reputable local auto shop wants $668 for the same thing, using NAPA parts...

While the double cab Toyota Tacoma may be seen by some as an alternative to the Gen 1 ST, I still find it lacking as a viable ST alternative in some significant areas. First, it’s a truck and it “rides like a truck” and not an SUV, based on the reviews I’ve read about the 3rd generation Tacoma...

I just paid big bucks to the Ford dealer for 90,000 mile service because I need my 2010 Gen 2 to last a long time. All new fluids, new brake rotors, etc. I just can't find anything else out there that is as good for my driving/camping/exploring needs as my Gen 1 and now Gen 2 STs. In 2013 I...

Despite having a V-8, my Gen 2 never had a V-8 emblem.