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We're looking into buying a '94 Ford Escort with VERY LOW mileage from a family friend. It was a "little old lady" car.
It's a '94 Escort LX Wagon, with 9,000 miles on it. Yes, that's right. Nine thousand.
Edmunds lists the market value at $4250 including options, but the mileage adjustment is about $5,000. Obviously, that's a bit much - Edmunds even states "Mileage adjustment should not exceed 50% of the vehicle's trade-in value".
So my question is:
1) How should I value the car, given it's extremely low mileage? Should I just cap the mileage adjustment at 50% of the appraisal value ($2125)? If so, then their $6,000 asking price seems reasonable. (I also think they didn't know it was me when I asked for the quote, so they might go lower.)
2) What problems should I be wary of when buying a car that might not be properly broken in? I believe the owners had it maintained fairly well, but we ARE talking about a 7-year-old car that hasn't had much of a chance to run. I've had cars like this in the past, and the fact that the systems don't get much use ends up biting you in the butt - belts get dry, things rust, etc.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated. Especially since we're buying from friends - always a tricky proposition.
Thanks!
Thanks,
Terry
i took mine to the ford dealer wednesday. i am waiting to hear what they have to say about it. i will let you know what they say if you wish.
lee
Please let me know what your dealership finds out about your car's shimmy. I took my Escort to my Ford dealer and they said that they could find nothing wrong with it - even though they said they did notice the shimmy.
Thanks,
Terry
actually the main reason for the trip to ford last week was i hit a severe storm coming home on the interstate, and the wind was so powerful that it broke my drivers side wiper!! the wiper was laying on top of the drivers side mirror...
i had to have the whole wiper transmission replaced. you can't buy just the knurled stud that the wiper arm goes on to.
as far as the vibration is concerned, they checked that out for me. i had also told them i had just put new rotors and front pads on the car(with in 500 miles) and it felt like they were warping already!!
well, i was wrong. the front rotors were not the problem it was the rear drums that needed turning.
i told the ford dealer i had just balanced and rotated all 4 tires at "tire barn" just 3 weeks ago.(to try and get rid of the shimmy). ford had enough common sense to check the balance anyway.
believe it or not they were out of balance by a big margin!! so, ford rebalanced the front tires. the ford tech took the car out on the interstate and said it was a smooth as any escort he had driven of that year. tire barn is going to hear about it from me, that is for sure.
i got a chance this morning to verify what ford had said about the shimmy, and it is greatly improved.
it is dark when i begin my commute, and with no cruise, i found myself running 80 miles per hour at times, with no shimmy or shake. i usually try and run 72 miles per hour.
thats my story. a ford dealer that knows what they are doing should be able to help you too.
btw, i hope i don't get yelled at by mr/ms host here, since my car is really a hatchback.
i have posted my problems on the hatchback thread and have not got any comments. i will pay more attention to the station wagon thread in the future.
good luck to you!!
i do enjoy my fuel economy since my job moved 50 miles away and i am forced to commute.
42.14 at 65 miles per hour.
40.62 at 72 miles per hour.
63,600 miles on the odometer.
middle grade unleaded fuel. ($1.61 per gallon in indiana this morning, ouch)
mobil 1 synthetic oil, bosch platinum spark plugs.
hope to hear from you again.
lee lhuffman_mail@yahoo.com
Terry
Terry
have a good day,
lee
I have a 98 Escort SE with 13,000 miles. So far there have not been any major problems, but a few nit picky ones that I want to see if anyone else has had.
- When idling, the hood vibrates like mad. I used to have a 99 Tracer (same car mechanically) and I never had this problem. I know is sounds petty but it really does bother me.
-The power steering squeaks when making sharp turns at low speeds. This does NOT sound normal. Could it just need fluid? The service department at the dealer supposedly checked the fluids when I got my last oil change about a month ago, but I didn't think the power steering fluid needed to be changed until at least 20,000 miles.
-The car sort of "hangs" in first gear (it's an automatic), it seems to be shifting a little late. It's also very reluctant to downshift when passing or when I begin accelerating after making a turn, and when it finally does, it does so very abruptly. I suppose this could just be characteristic of all 98 Escorts, but the warranty is up this December and I'd hate for the transmission to fail after it expires.
-OK I think that's it.
-Oh wait, does anyone else have the 6 CD changer? The other night it got stuck and I couldn't eject the magazine. It the CD player goes out, I think I'll die. If it does die, are the audio systems covered by the factory warranty?
-OK that's it I promise. Sorry it was so long and if you read this far then I thank you.
if your dealer isn't taking care of you under warranty, i would seek out another that will.
your idling problem is not normal. i am not sure how the automatic transmission behaves that year. you might try driving another for comparison & leverage with ford service.
i wouldn't wait too much longer to get your problem resolved, if the warranty is close to being expired they may not be too interested in fixing the problem.
i have never seen the fuel pump cutoff switch automatically reset itself in an escort.
perhaps you have an intermittent fuel delivery problem? how many miles on the car? have you ever replaced the fuel filter??
this list of possibilities are endless i am sure.
try, http//www.2carpros.com
they have an archive of escort complaints. one of them might help you.
good luck,
lee
the possibilities are many.
as i am fond of saying, snap a code scanner onto the diagnostic port.
check any error codes and start there.
if you have never replaced the fuel filter, i would do it anyway though...
if no error codes are found, have someone check the fuel pressure. if fuel pressure is ok, you could have an injector problem.
does the car idle well? if it idles fine you probably don't have any vacuum leaks.
are the sparkplug wires original? if so, they are probably due to be changed.
the spark plugs have been changed at the recommended interval?? if recently, are you sure the gaps are correct?
any recent maint? if so what was done. verify it was done correctly.
how long has the problem occurred?
did you buy gasoline somewhere you don't normally?
i have on occasion had bad gas cause a lot of problems....
good luck,
lee
i have a 95 escort lx(not a station wagon) i purchased in february of this year, before the gas prices were quite as high as they were now. the price was 3,300.00 with 62,500 miles, 5speed manual, air, no cruise, rear window defroster, tachometer, aluminum wheels.
i believe you have room for negotiation with those prices, especially on a car with zero maintenance, provided it checks out ok, by a pro.
i little more money might net you a lower mile car, if that is a priority with you.
like you, i must have a manual transmission. these cars are low powered anyway, i can't imagine driving one with an automatic transmission. the 5 speed is at least tolerable.
these are some things i would check when you test drive any of the 3 cars.
1) vibrations at interstate speeds (70mph or higher)
2) speedometer accuracy.
sometimes,(maybe 1 time a week) when i hit a big bump, my speedo will register 5-7 miles per hour higher than i am going, gradually coming down to normal(a common complaint).
3) if you can get 38 miles per gallon or higher at 65 - 68 miles per hour, then you can be fairly certain the engine is in good shape and in reasonably good tune.
my 95 lx gets 40.56 as a weekly average, all interstate driving at 68 miles per hour.
(new bosch platinum plugs, mobil 1 synthetic oil, fresh air filter,middle grade unleaded fuel)
running with the air on knocks it down to 38-39.
this is based on a 100 mile per day commute to work.
timing belt question? did you see my comment in the maintenance section under 91-95 escort sedan?
any car that hasn't had the timing belt replaced by 90k will likely leave you walking soon. replacement much sooner than that would be my preference, but perhaps not necessary.
not sure if this has helped you.
i am glad to hear from other escort owners and soon to be ones.
good luck and best wishes,
lee
So far I've had to replace the clutch - probably from LA traffic - the battery, the timing belt - which died without warning during rushour - the serpentine belt, the fanbelt, I've had two oil leaks with a third still unrepaired, countless electrical malfunctions, cruise control breakage, and the always mysterious exhaust-system grumble. SOmething in the elecrtical system fried and sent black smoke out of the engine. I'm told I need a new fuel pump but cleaner seems to work pretty well. Now that I've repaired so much I'm waivering between trading in and running it into the gound.
Any advice?
I swear I don't beat it up. I've had it since 95 and do all the regular maintenance. I just don't know when something else will break and I will have to push it in a dress and heels out of six lanes of traffic again.
believe or not all escorts are not that way!!
yep, when the timing belt breaks it will leave you stranded... the oil leaks you mentioned,,,, if it is from the cam or crankshaft seal, these leaks can saturate the timing belt with oil and cause the timing belt to fail prematurely..
you must have nerves of steel to drive an escort on the la freeway in rush hour.... having been on that freeway for the first time in 1995, in rush hour, while on vacation, it was no picnic.....
if your car would have broken down here in indiana and you were wearing heels and a dress, you would have been overwhelmed with offers of assistance, i am sure.
i believe i would obtain a newer vehicle for the highway and keep the old escort as my around town beater.
best wishes,
lee
I have a 97 Escort and the air conditionning is almost always ON; even when Ithought it wasn't. The only 2 positions where the air conditionning isn't ON is the feet position and the vent position.
I read a post from "BROWN" who was going to check with his dealer to see if this was normal but he never came back with an answer. Too bad!
PS sorry for my vocabulary, I'm french!
The problem I'm having is that the horn is going on by itself (usually in the middle of the night!!!!!!)occasionally. I went to the dealer and they told me the problem is the rubber on the steering is shrinking when it gets cold causing the horn to go ON. They said it is a relatively common problem.
The cause being found I thought I was saved (from the neighbors wanting to kill me for waking them up at 1AM) but then they told me the solution is to change the whole middle part of the steering which contains the horn switch and ...the air bag!!!!. Cost: 800$ Cnd +tax + time.
I took out the fuse and am now driving without a horn!
Have you ever heard something that ridiculous!
The poor car has had 106,000 miles of abuse and never failed me. It sets at airports for days at a time, then fires up first try. My teenage daughters hate it (not fashionable enough), but I refuse to replace it. No vibrations, brake problems or any of the other problems I read of.
I'd buy another.
Mi 100000.
Has anyone run this car for 150000 miles.
AM advised it is not a long haul car.
Please respond
JPLANTE, in answer to your question of air conditioning, yes, the vent position for feet and upper body is refrigerated air, that's just how Ford made it. I usually us the vent side to the left of the center for outside air. It actually works out nicely having the cool air on the vent setting, it is just cool enough for most of the days. I have only used the air conditioner settings when the day is over 98 degrees.
for any help.
Dave - it sounds to me like you have a broken rear spring. Most Escort wagons have a problem with rear springs because Ford, in its supreme wisdom, decreed that wagons could use the same springs as the sedans.
BUT, there is now this strange surge or stutter that has occured both at moderate speeds on country roads, and at higher highway speeds. it's as though i were depressing or lifting my foot from the gas pedal, but i am not. it doesn't do this all the time, and doesn't seem to be related to temperatures (they've been seasonal here (western mass.)). any ideas from you veteran escort wagon owners out there? i would appreciate your help.
Can anyone give me an idea of what gas mileage you are getting with your wagons doing highway driving?
THANKS for your information!!!
Private sale - The guy was asking $2400 but I got it for $2000 by paying cash.
It seems to be in excellent condition. Everything seems to work except the cruise control. I think it is factory original. Why is the handle that it sits on movable? It seems weird that I can move the handle, but the handle itself (below the turn signal) serves no real purpose, except to provide a place to mount the CC switches.
The switches don't seem to work to set the cruise. Has anyone else seen this? Is it usually easy to fix?
thanks,
Ray
it could be the strut/spring causing the noise.
at that mileage, if the struts are original they all are probably shot. mine were replaced at 60k!!
you might raise the car and check to see how much side to side play there is in the wheel. you could have a bad wheel bearing assembly.
also, examine the brakes. the flat piece of metal that runs from shoe to shoe, that contains the pivot for the emergency brake cable can become frozen, and not allow the shoes to release fully.
(that is what happened to me). it caused some noise, and it caused the shoe in the rear to heat up the drum and gave me that warping feel after braking repeatedly.
if the wheel cylinders are original, check to make sure they are not rough in operation.
if you find a brake job is needed, consider replacing them(the wheel cylinders) along with the brake hardware.
if i could get 170k on my escort i would be happy.
see you,
lee
So far brakes seem fine but I am planning to take a day in the near future to go over the car. After driving the car a few days I would have to say I am impressed how well runs and handles after 170k miles. Having owned 2 Honda's for the past 13 years I would have to say the Escort ranks right up there with them.
Thanks again,
Ray
I just recently purchased my wife a 97 Escort Wagon with 23k miles on it. During the test drive I was just ecstatic to find 7 receipts in the owners manual from where the previous owner had gotten the oil changed on this car like clock work every 3k miles. My question is to do with the door locks, why did the only put an auto door lock on the drivers door ??
My Escort has had NUMEROUS mysterious noises coming from the wheels since about a week after I bought it.
First there was a thumping that I could actually feel through the floorboard when applying the brakes. A dealer tried replacing the brake "counters" (four brass cylinders), and that did change/muffle the noise but didn't end it. Others have looked into it too, without ending it.
Later a scraping sound began coming from the rear wheels when applying the brakes at low speeds. Several mechanics have worked on this, eliminating it for short periods. Each mechanic has blamed the previous ones for causing the problem but fails to resolve it permanently.
Most recently a swishing sound has begun coming from the front end as I drive. It usually fades away above about 40 mph, and on turns. I took it in to the shop for that also, and the mechanic insisted it was coming from the rear. Turns out, he was zeroing in on that other unresolved noise instead.
I'm tired of dealing with this. Even though my first car was a Mustang, back in the 60s, I never was much of a Ford fan. There has to be a car that's more pleasant to own and drive.
new water pump & t-belt & radiator flush/new antifreeze & new thermostat cost me about 300.00 at a reputable repair shop.
problems?
I would snap a code scanner into the diagnostic post and check for error codes.
other than a flaky speedometer at highways speeds, nothing major so far.
my 95 lx is at 80k miles and is used for a roughly 104 mile per day commute.