Just bought a 2000 Ford Explorer Sport w/ 96K miles. The shop i like told me it needs a new clutch (the current one releases real high), new shocks, and a new serpentine belt (cracked). They estimated the work at a little under $2Gs…thoughts?
First thought: next time bring it to the shop first (many offer a basic once over kind of service at a flat fee). Ok too late for that one.
Second thought: get a second opinion & quote for the clutch & shocks - do you have any trouble with the clutch or with how it rides? Will the shocks pass inspection? If both really do need to be done ask which is most urgent and spread the work out into 2 chunks (one now; one in 6 mos).
Third thought: If you’re not completely all thumbs, get ambitious. Buy a shop manual for the car and look at the jobs that supposedly need doing. At the very least you should be able to sort out the belt on your own - relatively easy stuff. If you’ve never done much w/ cars you probably won’t want to try the shocks and definitely not the the clutch. But even so, a shop manual will save you money over the years if you use it.
Repair costs vary tremendously from one region to another. A good plan would be to call another good shop in the area and ask the same question you asked here.
Why not wait and see on the clutch? You never know how long it will last.