My son recently got his driver’s license and since then, it’s taken quite a bit of compromising in order to share my truck with him. We’ve been looking to buy a good condition used car, but haven’t found the right one yet. Today, I found a Ford Explorer for an incredible price. They’re asking less than 40% of the blue book value. It’s a gorgeous vehicle, nice and shiny and red, brand new tires, leather interior, and all the bells and whistles. I spoke with the sellers on the phone and then we went, money in hand, to meet them and look at the car with them.
The seller showed up, fiddled with the driver’s door for a little while and then said that the lock must be frozen as the key wouldn’t fit in. It was in the mid-forties, however, so I don’t think that was really a possibility. Anyway, the passenger door opened fine, and the driver’s door was then unlocked from the inside but even after, the key wouldn’t fit in the lock. The seller then went to get a portable battery charger, saying that the car hadn’t been started in quite awhile and would probably need jumped. It actually didn’t, but it had me concerned that it was expected that it would, as the car had to have been started sometime in the last 24 hours or it wouldn’t have been driven to where it was parked when I noticed it. When the car started, a very loud knocking noise started coming from the engine. I was told it would go away after ten minutes or so and that it was nothing to worry about. At that point, I decided I needed to do some research before I invested in the car. Googling engine noise online, I’ve come across solutions as varied as engine replacement to changing the grade of gas used. One other problem with the car is that the button to switch between 2WD and 4WD functions sporadically. I was told it was probably the result of a blown fuse, but to my limited knowledge, a blown fuse would result in it not functioning at all.
So advice? Are these just minor problems or would I be throwing money away to buy this car? It’s exactly what I’m looking for, for a price I never expected to find it at, but it’s not a bargain if it’s going to die in the near future. They’re holding the car for me until 11 tomorrow morning, so there isn’t enough time to take it to a mechanic for a check-up, so I’m turning to y’all for your advice. HELP!!!
I dunno a whole lot about Explorers, or “modern” cars in general (ie, anything that doesn’t use a carburetor), but the last part of your post set off a lot of warning bells for me.
Specifically, when you said “there isn’t enough time to take it to a mechanic for a check-up,” red flags shot up. If you’re at all reticent, and the seller isn’t willing to work with you to address your fears and anxieties, then it is safe to assume that they’re at best, rude and thoughtless and not really interested in selling their car, or at worst, trying to scam you.
Seriously, I know that the world can be a complicated place, and everyone always has a story to explain why things have to be done just such a way, but I would never buy a car that “couldn’t” be checked out by a mechanic (and I’ve bought some crappy cars in my time). If the seller won’t work with you to allay your fears, he or she doesn’t want to sell his car to you. Simple as that.
Something about this tale is starting to smell like 2 week old fish.
The key doesn’t fit the door? I didn’t see the year mentioned, but you did say the paint was all shinny.
This car might be a rebuilt from a wreck that when they changed the driver’s door forgot to change over the lock tumbler. DOH!
Loud knocking from the engine are something to worry about. Yeah it could be the wrong grade of oil, or it could be a rod bearing telling you that it is just about ready to part company with the engine and put a nice picture window in the side of the engine when it does.
**DO NOT BUY THIS CAR WITHOUT A PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION BY A TRUSTED MECHANIC **
My knowledge of vehicles is limited, but if I was in your place, I would not buy that vehicle - at least not without the blessing of a trusted mechanic. What you’ve said makes me think they’re just trying to unload their problems on you.
You know what is said about “If it seems too good to be true…”
On preview, I see I’m not the only one telling you to run away.
loud knocking from an engine is bad unless it is the result of a broken motor mount causing the engine to bang on the frame.
If you don’t need 4WD then stay away from it. At best, it is extra weight and a loss of gas mileage. At worst it is 1 more thing to break.
And while I’m thinking about it, any vehicle with a high center of gravity is more likely to roll in an accident. Not my first choice for a 16 year olds (I remember being 16)
It sounds to me like the seller is/was NOT the owner/operator of this car, BEWARE!!, I think you are dealing with a “curbstoner” who is trying to pass off a salvage job (repaired wreck) as reliable transportation.
DO NOT BUY THIS CAR WITHOUT HAVING YOUR!!! (not his) MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT!!!
Flee. Not only are the problems with this particular vehicle quite unsafe, but in general Explorers, especially earlier model ones, are not safe vehicles. A used SUV in the hands of a teenager in not a smart move.
Thanks y’all. I guess I knew it was something I shouldn’t get, but I wanted to believe that it really was a good deal. You’ve all helped me avoid what is probably a very unreliable car. I plan on giving my truck to my son and then keeping whatever new vehicle I buy for myself, though of course there will be times when he’ll drive whatever I do get. It hadn’t occurred to me how dangerous teenagers and SUVs are. Guess I should stick to another pickup. Thanks again!
You will always be glad you spent the $50 to have a real mechanic check over a car for an hour. A lemon could cost you thousands plus the incredible hassles.
I once took in a used car and found out that it had a salvage certificate filed with the state. God knows what could have gone wrong with that car. For some reason, someone decided to try to tell the state that it had been so damaged that he was just writing it off. Now someone else was trying to sell it to me.
Beware, some states don’t report to either of those. I checked my car just to see if it had been in any previous wrecks, and it showed zero. I know there has been at least three (minor) wrecks. We also checked my mom’s car, which had almost been totaled, and again it showed nothing.
Also, Amberlai, a pickup may not be the wisest choice for a teenager, either…
It’s good to have something big around you, but pickups fishtail very easily, and can lend themselves quite well to “off-roading,” a favorite teen pasttime
There seems to be a concensus on the suspicious truck. I’m sure your 16-year-old would simply love a wicked 4x4 with reinforced shocks and a big, bad racing stripe down the side. What he needs is an old Tempo, preferably with a stick shift. You were 16 once, remember?
