My 87 year old mother is driving this '94 wagon that was repaired and put back on the road after being totaled back in 2000 (not totaled by her, though). Many parts were replaced at that time to make it drive-able. The car has been garaged during the winters, less so in the summers. Besides the worrisome fact that she still drives on the highway as well as around town, what parts of the car are most likely to fail after 15 years? Recently she took her car in to have the brakes checked and the mechanic was amazed that she could even stop because they were in such bad condition (and he's a trustworthy guy). Aside from the yearly inspection here in Mass. where they check tie rods, emissions, etc., is there anything else a mechanic should look at that could have rusted, loosened or become less trustworthy over time? Is it even possible to see most of the engine and suspension parts that could cause an accident if they failed?
I know next to nothing about cars, but one time I asked you about a problem she was having when she couldn't shift out of Park into Drive. You described the PNP switch and "rowing" the shift lever back and forth. I followed your instructions precisely and was able to get it into Drive and get it to the mechanic for repair. So thank you for that and thanks for any further advice you might have!