Don't take
@ircphoenix experience with his pa-28-140 as representative of the type. He was drawn by the siren song of low SMOH engine and desirable aftermarket trimmings (GNS 530 et al), in an airplane whose logs were likely pencil-whipped for a long time (pitot/static as one possible indicator of relevant mx behavior). He drew the short stick. His shop didn't do him any favors either on the labor rate and their willingness to push aggressively for invasive mx. Good bad or indifferent, that's why he had the outcome he had.
None of this invalidates his experience, but merely provides context for what the takeaway needs to be for you if you're serious about aircraft ownership. Yes, things can and do break at random, but big issues such as multiple cylinder work doesn't happen overnight. Understanding of the type's AD list and the recurring mx items most likely to be encountered as belated, seller withheld/minimized, or even purposely-misrepresented items during sale, sets you up for success when approaching a specific airplane for sale. The other takeaway is of course, to have some measure of disposable cash reserve to handle expenses on a recurring basis.
Though by comparison
@ircphoenix has had a more expensive mx rate than my much more capable Arrow II, the reality is that in the aggregate, the arrow population will be more expensive to maintain than the -140/160 population.
