That’s hilarious! I got under my wifes to replace the shocks, and it seemed like something was missing… HA! It was the spare tire! Who knows how long it had been gone, or where it fell off.
Ironically, a week later, my 01 Ford trucks spare fell off in our driveway.
Replaced both spare tire lifts in a weekend. Had to get her a new spare, obviously.
But to the original post… It’s an old high-mileage vehicle… Have it inspected, but expect the worst. Ours only has 135k on it, and we’ll be keeping it around for our kids to drive, even when the wife gets a newer vehicle. It’s a gas guzzler, but has been reliable, and is tough as nails, and a beast in the snow.