I have 234,000 miles on the car, it runs well. starting to have idling problems, if I don’t let the car warm up for ten or more minutes it cuts off. The power steering belt is making noise, the dash board is cracked from the sun other then these two issues it runs great. Should I repair these things or should I start looking for a new car?
Buying a replacement car is usually commanded by financial condition. The idle problem could be numerous items but the first two I would have checked are the IAC motor or the coolant temperature sensor. Temperature senseors are reasonably priced $20 to $50. Idle Air Control Motors can be expensive but can easily be cleaned by most shops if they aren’t interested in just selling you a part. I have a shop and every one I have cleaned for different customers has worked fine. The main vehicles I have seen them start sticking on are Asian cars and trucks. For the dash there are companies that make dash covers to protect your dash or hide it when they crack. Good luck
If you like the car then drive it until the wheels fall off. A good mechanic will be able to sort out the idling problem and make that power steering belt quiet again. FYI…I sold a Ford Ranger XLT about a year or so ago that had over 450K on the clock. I was the second owner. The new owner drives it almost every day. If you keep a vehicle properly maintained it can last a long, long time.