Newbie - 2003 Model - Good or bad?

[cw212010]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, apologies I'm in the UK and as the car isn't sold here it's hard to research it.

I'm moving to the US just shortly and I'm looking at a 2003 Explorer NBX 4.0 V6 (4x4).

Yes, it's got 200,000 miles on it, but the damn thing is immaculate with one owner from new. It's being sold by a main Ford dealer, in their lot, through a subsidiary trading name.

Can anyone direct me to anything that I should walk away from in terms of an Explorer of this age/model? Is there anything in particular I should check that may cause issues?

 

[LMHmedchem]

It will be harder here for folks to evaluate the purchase without knowing the asking price, more or less.

On the less side of things, explorers (and any truck really) will need timing chain work at some point. This becomes a more serious issue after 150,000, and you are well past that. Many here won't buy the 4.0L version because you have to remove the engine to service the timing chains. That can run $3,500-$5,000 if you have a dealer do it. I'm not sure what a competent and honest local mechanic would charge, but $2,500 would be a fair bet. That's a nice chunk of change over and above what you already paid. I would ask for confirmation that the timing chains and tensioners have already been replaced. If they haven't, then I wouldn't pay too much unless they will give you some kind of service guarantee. If you have the ability to pull and replace the engine yourself, then the job can be done for ~$1200 in tools and parts.

Once you get much past 150,000 on any vehicle, the transmission could start to have issues. That is another $2500 to fix, so you would want to take it for a test drive and see how it is shifting.

In short, if you buy a truck with that many miles on it, you have to be prepared for the potential of major expenses to keep it on the road. That should be factored into the price. With an explorer, it helps allot if you can do some of your own repairs.

If the vehicle is being sold in Maine, I would want to check if very carefully for rust (especially underneath). We have allot of snow in the north-east and so there is salt on the roads all winter. That takes a toll on the body, suspension, and undercarriage after a while. Check and see if the truck was previously owned in Maine, or is just being sold there. I would also ask what maintenance has been done on the truck lately such as muffler, catalytic converter, struts, brakes, control arms, ball joints, CV joints, wheel bearings, and the last time it had a tune up. A decent dealer should have taken care of all of that if any of it was on the way out, but who knows.

Most users here would recommend that you look for a model with a v8, or better yet, a 2010 with a v8.

LMHmedchem

 

[cw212010]

I'm somewhat restricted on budget at the moment hence the lower and older end of the scale. It's a change going from a 2014 BMW!

The car is being sold for $3,000 in KY and I have the opportunity to purchase a warranty period of my choice, again from the main dealer.

I'm quite happy to do work myself, I've rebuilt a couple of smaller Ford engines after a head gasket.

The vehicle is really just to see me through a year or two to get on my feet with minimal mileage.


http://www.carsalesexpress.com/2003-Ford-Explorer/Used-SUV/Cincinnati-OH/7180437/Details.aspx

 

[Joe in NY]

DO NOT buy a car before you see it! I almost got scammed into buying a 2nd gen mountaineer. Turns out the guy was a photographer and just ever so carefully hid the many problems and obvious faults with the car in the photos he sent.

The AD for that 2003 NBX shows nothing to support it being immaculate. What that is called is a good detailing job. Means someone gave it a clean and waxed EVERYTHING. If you open the hood, WAX EVERYWHERE. They hide all wear and tear so you have no idea how the car has been cared for. It certainly looks good though, huh? Also, a big common cheap trick, is painting the frame. I see it done all the time. "Frame looks great!" me: "Because it's been painted..." "oh... Good Point."

Be very careful.

 

[swshawaii]

^ Ditto. And possibly one of the best free resources BEFORE inspecting ANY used vehicle. GL

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2003/

 

[lincolnshibuya]

200k miles and a v6? from a small lot dealer? run...

unless the seller can guarantee the tensioners were replaced and if you have the place and tools to DIY might be a good buy.

normally I'd trust buying that kind of car from a private individual than from a small shop.

nothing as cancerous as that rust on the rear fender and the double butt crack (wasn't highlighted by the seller)

all I can say is if you came from a bmw, the explorers are more reliable.

 

[cw212010]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I am hoping to put down a $500 deposit subject to final inspection IF my friend can view the vehicle beforehand.

It's a little tricky trying to find something that will do the job for that sort of price sadly.

 

[silverfox103]

Looks good in the pictures but 200K is too many miles. Save yourself problems, keep looking.

Tom C.

 

[Stick4503]

Save your money. When you get over here rent a car for a week at around $150.00. Get online with craigslist or some other site and pick up one of the hundreds of explorers that are for sale for $2500 to $ 4000 in the 2002 to 2006 year models. Small lot dealers are con artist. They specialize in high mile high priced cars for weekly or bi weekly payments after a hefty deposit hoping you will miss a payment and they can repossess it from you and sell it again. Just my opinion.

 

[cw212010]

Hmm is Craigslist really the place to go? Over here it's the sort of place you'd really not want to go.

I've had a look at eBay, Auto Trader (where I found this car) and a few magazines ones I collected from Walmart. My trouble is that I'll need the vehicle from the moment I arrive as I'm moving to the middle of no where!

 

[ScaryWoody]

I used www.truecar.com to find my 2003 Explorer. It guarantees the price and was no hassles. Make sure it has a CarFax to give you an idea of its history. I would suggest only looking at Explorers or others that were used in the southern US. No salt and easier winter driving.

 

[cw212010]

One last little question...If the price of a car is $1,000 - Is that the price I pay or is there tax to be added?


Over here the price you see is the price you pay. I just wouldn't like to find out there is a tax here there and everywhere.

I fully understand the fees I need to pay to plate the vehicle and so forth, I'm just talking about fees to a used car place.

 

[lincolnshibuya]

if it's from a dealer they will add in a processing fee (title and other misc stuff..etc) could be from $100-$300. they will give you a temporary tag/plate so that you can drive around. the temp tag is valid for 30-60 days where during that period you have to register and license the vehicle and have a permanent license plate. this is where you pay registration, tax and license plates. for a $1000 truck expect somewhere between $100-$200 in fees.

if it's from an individual (private party/person) you skip the processing fee but ask for a safety inspection and/or emission permit (depending on the state/county requirements), it cost $20 (in my case) sometimes seller don't care and it becomes your responsibility (and headache if it doesn't pass)

i'd recommend that you rent or lease a vehicle for a while, there's so many scam artists in the auto business here in the US, don't rush it otherwise you'll regret buying something that will create more problems. it's better to see cars and the seller in person and test drive it.

 

[Joe in NY]

Do not trust car fax. So many things are hidden from the VIN. My dad, my uncle (who looked at and bought my explorer), and myself all believe my car was in a front end accident. The VIN look up is spotless though. When you look around the engine bay some things seem a bit odd.. You get that feeling you know something happened here.

You really have to give everything a good look over and feel. Drive the car at least 30 min to get a sense of it too.

For fees, registering, inspecting, and plates all in all was around $700 here in NY. You do have to pay the 8% tax for the vehicle value in NY

 

[LMHmedchem]

For fees, registering, inspecting, and plates all in all was around $700 here in NY. You do have to pay the 8% tax for the vehicle value in NY

It's not that bad in Mass. You pay a 6.25% sales tax on the value you paid for the truck if you get it from a dealer. If you buy the truck from a private citizen, you pay the tax on the kbb value. If you are getting the truck from an immediate family member, there is no sales tax. You also pay a $60 registration fee and $30 for an inspection sticker. The town you live in will assess a yearly excise tax at the rate of $25/$1000 value. Mine is around $75 at this point, so that must be based on the kbb value. I think I paid around $300 total to get everything taken care of. It may be even less in Maine since taxes are pretty low there in general.

There are some odd things in Mass. There is no sales tax in NH, which is where I bought my truck. Mass still expects you to pay sales tax since you are registering the truck in Mass. There is, however, a list of dealers in NH where if you buy from them, you don't have to pay the Mass sales tax. It is not at all clear to me why dealers are on that list and why you don't have to pay if they are.

LMHmedchem

 

[p71]

For me, that is far too much risk in that amount of miles on the vehicle without knowing the mechanical history of it. As mentioned before, the transmission or timing chain repairs alone can be more than the price of the vehicle. I would only consider it if I knew that those items were rebuilt/replaced in a competent manner within the past 50-75k miles. The only positive I see in that ad is the Michelin tires, a brand that is not exactly cheap in the US, suggesting the previous owner did not shy away from spending money on vehicle maintenance.

 

[cw212010]

For me, that is far too much risk in that amount of miles on the vehicle without knowing the mechanical history of it. As mentioned before, the transmission or timing chain repairs alone can be more than the price of the vehicle. I would only consider it if I knew that those items were rebuilt/replaced in a competent manner within the past 50-75k miles. The only positive I see in that ad is the Michelin tires, a brand that is not exactly cheap in the US, suggesting the previous owner did not shy away from spending money on vehicle maintenance.

Hmm good point. Frustratingly the dealer isn't the best at keeping in touch so I'm not going to put massive effort into a sale if they don't seem to want it.

I've also come across a couple of 2004 Volvo XC90's which are rather nice too. Not as high a mileage but still fairly priced.

I must say though when comparing it to over here 6 monthly insurance policies and dealers refusing to take deposits is strange. I could place a $500 deposit and they'll hold a vehicle for a month. The most I can muster at the moment is a week!

 

[D Hook]

Where is this "middle of nowhere" you're moving to?

If you're going to be in such a remote location, I'd look for a vehicle that can be easily serviced and one that won't need the service (much) to begin with.

Do you think you'll need the 4x4 vehicle where you're going?

 

[cw212010]

It's a very quiet little town with no transport links, it's near Cincinnati but on the KY side of the river.

I don't expect I'll need the 4x4 ability but it's a very hilly area - I'm not sure what it'll be like in the winter.