Car shouldn't come before family if it is that much of a big deal, then forget about it. it is just a car. You Mom just doesn't want you to get ripped off. (I was lucky, my Mom let me drive junk-until it caught on fire.)


After saying that, all SVXi you find are going to need work.

Wheel bearings? Yeah. They go out ant they are not cheap/a pain.
Leaks? Yeah, most SVX leak from vavle covers
swaybar bushings? Yep, they are all like that under leaky SVXi.

Can you delay maintenance? yes. The beauty of delaying maintenance is that the longer you go, the more spectacular the failure!

Is it unsafe to leak and have loud wheel bearings, and trashed out swaybars? Not really. Only the wheel bearings are going to leave you on the side of the road with a big tow/repair bill.

I guess it could leak enough to catch fire. Get an $11 fire extinguisher and put 'er in the trunk. Sway bar bushings are cheap and would make a dandy "My first SVX repair."

The SVX is a high maintenance machine. No doubt about it. If you can't do the work yourself it will be VERY expensive to own.

With the help of the people here, you can save a lot of dough and learn from others instead of learning it firsthand, underneath the car.

Welcome.