I've been on the hunt for a Ford Flex for about a year. One just popped up near me that is from 2018 and has under 11K. It's being sold at a dealer so I'm pretty positive that it is on the up and up with no hidden issues. The Chevy dealer where it is being used as a trade states it was a snowbird car so I'm guessing it spent most of its life here with very little use.
History shows no accidents and 1 owner. Should I worry about trying to find the Ford service history on the car? Will a Ford dealer provide the service history based on a VIN check?
Ford dealerships will have access to a record of any warranty work or services performed at a dealership but I'm unsure on their policy of sharing that info. If you can get that history, it would be nice to verify that no recent recurring work was performed which might imply the car was traded in because of an issue.
Of course it wouldn't show any work done at an independent shop so ymmv
I will tell you that I will never buy a car that sat again. I love the Rio, I really do. The wife's was perfect except not having 3 pedals. Mine, sitting for 18 months was the worst thing that could have happened to it. I would be very hesitant to buy one with barely 1500 miles a year on it and then expect to use it like any other vehicle. If you don't drive much it may not be an issue.
bobzilla said:
I will tell you that I will never buy a car that sat again. I love the Rio, I really do. The wife's was perfect except not having 3 pedals. Mine, sitting for 18 months was the worst thing that could have happened to it. I would be very hesitant to buy one with barely 1500 miles a year on it and then expect to use it like any other vehicle. If you don't drive much it may not be an issue.
Can you tell us the things that died after sitting that 18 months ,
With old analog cars it usually just the rubber parts but I have never bought a new car that sat ,
Thanks for the info
6 years? That's nothing. I'm the KING of old stuff with low miles.
73 AMC Hornet with 7400 miles
73 Impala Wagon with 58k miles
94 Mazda B4000 with 68k miles
97 Lincoln Mark VIII with 73k miles
Yes, things will dry out and age, but 6 years? No problem. I have gasoline in the tank of the Lincoln that is older than 6 years. Modern oils, coolants, and composites are up to the task. The Lincoln sat for at least 5 years. We didn't hesitate to put a new battery in it, fire it up, and drive it. Only thing I changed were the tires because two were 13 years old, and the other two appeared to be originals.
If it all checks out and you can strike a deal, it's probably just something that grandpa bought and he didn't drive much. Now he (or his executor) is selling it. This screams "grandma drove it to church on Sundays."
I'm an enabler and I approve this message.
One thing I will add... After 6 years, its low mileage doesn't really add to its value. Don't let the dealer pretend that they have a super-special item. It's worth pretty much the same as a 6 year old Flex with 60k on the clock. The downside is that there are potentially other folks salivating over it as well, so the dealer might be pretty firm.
If you plan on keeping it until it dies, pay what you feel like paying, but if it's something you might sell later, negotiate well.
I think older cars do better with the whole siting unused thing. Newer vehicles have so many vampire drains on the electrical system that stuff gets weird at low voltages. Not a deal breaker, just more potential electrical gremlins in my experience. Look up the restart procedure for a fiat 500 that has sat. It's not that complicated, but if you don't know it's an issue well now you have to tow it to the dealer for something you good easily do yourself.
californiamilleghia said:
bobzilla said:
I will tell you that I will never buy a car that sat again. I love the Rio, I really do. The wife's was perfect except not having 3 pedals. Mine, sitting for 18 months was the worst thing that could have happened to it. I would be very hesitant to buy one with barely 1500 miles a year on it and then expect to use it like any other vehicle. If you don't drive much it may not be an issue.
Can you tell us the things that died after sitting that 18 months ,
With old analog cars it usually just the rubber parts but I have never bought a new car that sat ,
Thanks for the info
Varnished fuel in the injectors (GDI) causing a lean condition on 2 cylinders, corrosion on the block and knock sensor causing it to knock, rings allowing excessive blow by after use because they were run after corrosion took over. Scraping 18 months of rust off of non-properly stored engines, especially ones that are 11.5:1 compression factory is harsh.
Then there's the wheel bearings that after sitting in several winters and corroding did not like being used hard. Pads were glazed pretty severe, my guess was they were just driven on after sitting. letting rusty rotors get "worn back in" is harsh. Grounds that were corroded. Buttons that weren't used often that didn't like to be used etc.
I had an identical car that had been driven regularly, with more miles that had none of these issues, so it was not a chassis problem. I know several of these with 150-200k miles on them that have never had ANY of the problems I have encountered.
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
There's a huge difference between old cars and new cars. No offense but nothing on that list is what I would even consider as a "newer car". The hornet and impala combined barely have more compression than most modern NA GDI cars lol.
