[Baggers]

Hi All, I need to guage reaction to an idea. I have a 2007 4wd diesel Sportage. It only has 40k miles on it but because it has been stood unused the suspension and ride is just bad and rusted, and now the abs kicks in at low speed stops, it feels unsafe. I'm shortly retiring to Spain an although I am thinking about a new car, I also think that if I spent a few grand replacing the 4 corners suspension etc with such low mileage it might last 10 years or more.

What would you do?

Cheers

 

[Jack Daniels]

if you can do the work yourself, then absolutely, why not fix it up.
A cheap and ok brand for parts is Ridex from Autodoc. They are bound to be Chinese, however the few parts I've used seem ok.
Some folks will no doubt ask whey spend more than the car is worth, however if you buy another cheap car it may not necessarily be better, so if you know that the car is otherwise rust free and everything else works ok, then fitting the new parts is a good idea if you dont mind driving a car of that age.

I would expect that all the new parts that you require can be obtained for less than £1000 at a guess.
I bought Bilstein springs and shocks for a car not long ago and one spring broke after just 2 years. The cheap shocks from autodoc are still working well in another car, so I see no reason why not to use them, especially at the rear where they are easy enough to change.

However the vehicle should be well checked out prior to starting so you don't find other surprises that may end it's useful life.

 

[iooi]

If you are retiring ti Spain & plan on staying there. Why not sell on your sportage & buy a car in Spain.

Remember we are no longer in the EU. So certainly have a look at the costs of taking your car to Spain. Below is one of the many sites offering advice.

Importing your UK registered car into Spain post-Brexit - Upsticks Spain

Importing a vehicle from UK to Spain post-Brexit? Find out about third country duty and tax charges and how you might able to get a waiver.

upsticks.es

 

[noublue]

in my experience there allways seem to be cars for sale in the ex pat community, people that have done there 10 years or so returning home wanting to sell there car, used cars from dealers seem to command high prices (also in uk now) a new car is also worth looking at. it might be worth getting a quote from your local garage to see how much a new suspension actually is.