buying a used SUV

Hey guys,

I'm about to buy a used car. I've been looking at SUV's, but I don't want to spend over 10k right now.

I really loved this 1998 Ford Explorer Sport that I drove yesterday. It's fully loaded and looks great. The only downfall is that it has 75,000 miles on it. The guy is asking 7500, but I think I can get him down to 7.

My real question is, how much of a concern is mileage on most SUV's? I see many cherokees, explorers, and grand cherokees that are near 150k! Should I be able to take this 1998 Ford Explorer to or near that mark?

Any opinions would be appreciated! Thanks!

If the Explorer was well maintained and you continue to take care of it you can get 125-150k out of it. I would suggest having any used car you are buying, especially one with high mileage, checked out by a mechanic or an inspector.

Thanks for the input. Do you think that there will be any performance issues once the car gets more mileage? Or is it possible for it to run as good as it runs right now?

I also know that he is the only owner of the car. It was used by his wife for several years, and then given to their son at college for half a semester.

Overall, it seems that the car was very well cared for. I have to look into a mechanic to check it out.

Engine wise I have not seen one problem that seems that seems universal to Explorers. The transmissions tend to fail with high mileage. They also tend to develop a subtle misfire that usually does not cause a trouble code but causes a subtle rough idle. The front lower ball joints will probably fail soon if they are not bad yet usually around 70k those fail on Explorers.

The guy seems to be 100 percent honest. He's not a salesman by any means. What kind of price should i be expecting on some of the failures/replacements that you are talking about?

The explorer was one of the smoothest rides that I've had while test driving. Not to mention, it's a beautiful autumn orange. Can you tell that I like this car?

The ball joints should cost around 300-350 to have repaired when they fail. The other two problems are going to be up in the high mileage 120K+ if it is in as good of shape as it seems to be. By that time it will probably be time for a new ride.

I'm looking to only get 3 or 4 years out of it. It probably will be time to get a new ride when it hits those miles.

you seem pretty knowledgable. Do you have AIM? I wouldn't mind having a longer conversation if you're interested. I have a few questions.

I dont have aim sorry.

Thanks for all your help. It really did help.