I've had a lot go wrong with my 1.8 freeby over the last couple of weeks, but she's ten years old and it's to be expected.
Left front ball joint (new wishbone)
Clutch slave cylinder bracket (new bracket and master and slave cylinder)
Tappets sticking (fixed by oil change and some wynns hydraulic tappet cleaner)
Split radiator hose (yet to fix, only happened today)
All the parts listed above are relatively low cost and i save a lot of money by doing everything myself.
My theory is that if i keep her well maintained and keep replacing worn parts, i'll know they aren't going to go wrong again for a while (hopefully several years), and it's a lot cheaper than buying a new car.
All cars wear and tear, my dad had a Kia Carens from brand new, it took only 2 and a half years for the front ball joints to wear. 10 Years for my freeby isn't bad going.