Forum Newbie looking to become an Owner...

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River_Mck

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Greetings all, allow myself to introduce myself...Married, father of three with two golden retrievers. I enjoy deer hunting, boating, and DIY projects around the house. I try to do as much work on our vehicles myself, unless it's beyond my capability or I'm short on time (three kids). Family's current vehicles are a 2003 Grand Cherokee with 168K on the clock (hand me down from the wife), 2007 Volvo XC90 V8 with 120K miles (Wife's), and a 2010 Honda Fit Sport (my 60 mile per day commuter vehicle when it's not snowing) with 88K miles. Well, as our family has expanded over the last few years, we've become more and more cramped in the two SUVs. My wife's XC90 still has some life left in it, but the jeep is ready to give up the ghost. Having the two dogs in the way back leaves little room for all of the "stuff" that comes along with the little ones, which has led me to searching for a larger SUV with more towing capability, safety features, and tech equipment.

I looked at sequoias, but they're too pricey and hard to find close to where I live. Never really considered Tahoes/Suburbans or Armadas...But Expeditions have always caught my eye, they're American, and my uncle owns a 2008 which he has been very happy with. I also work for the other company that supplies aluminum to Ford for their F150's and F250's, so I sort of have a brand allegiance by way of employment. My father owned a few Taurus wagon back in the day too, so its been in the family before...

I really had my eye on the 2015 models because of the powertrain and tech updates, but cost and local unavailability led me to widen my search criteria. Well, after much searching, I've found a 2012 Limited EL with 18,568 miles at a reputable dealership not too far away from me. It has a "93" autocheck score, no reported accident history, good title, unknown number of previous owners and unknown vehicle use (fleet, rental, etc). Some other info I got from the sales woman: built in Kentucky in 12/2011, sent to a Canadian Ford dealership for sale, purchased in 2012 and then traded back in to that same Canadian dealership. The dealership near me bought it at a "Ford Sales Event" - essentially an inter-Ford dealership auction. She also said it is a non-smoker vehicle and that they converted the speedometer back to MPH instead of KPH, and that it meets all DOT requirements...I haven't seen the vehicle in person, but it looks pretty clean on the website. It's listed for $35,300 which I think they could come down some on.

In my short time visiting this forum, I now know to look for the bubbling paint issues, powered running board functionality problems, exhaust manifold leaks and window regulator woes. No vehicle is flawless, I get that, I just don't want to buy a really expensive turd.

Is there anything else I should be concerned about? Should I be scepticle that the previous owner only drove this vehicle less than 5K miles per year? Could those have been a rough 18k miles in the last 4 years (farm or construction equipment towing?). Maybe I'm just paranoid as this is the most we will have ever spent on a vehicle and no one wants to buy a lemon.

I apologize for the lengthy post in advance and appreciate your feedback and advice.
 

DesertFordRat

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Listen for ticking/knocking at idle after the car is warm. Fast ticking is the injectors and that's fine but a knocking would be indication of a notorious 5.4 3v motor issue. If they will let you take it for a test drive for a few hours take it to a mechanic to have it looked over to ensure oil pressure etc. is good.
 

1ATony

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Welcome to the site

Tony
 

1955moose

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Bringing your SUV to a qualified mechanic before you buy, is always a smart idea. He won't catch everything, but a lot of times they can. Any reputable dealer or individual should have no problem with taking vehicle.. You may have to leave a deposit to take vehicle, but it's worth it to know now instead of later, if your SUV has any issues. Good luck. By the way Golden retrievers are my favorite dog, had one myself.


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