[shorod]

There are others on this forum with more Mountaineer experience than I have, but I do recall that ball joints are a common issue. As with most used vehicles, service records would be good. Is there any indication that the vehicle was used for towing regularly? Are the tires wearing evenly? If you drive over speed bumps, are there any unusual noises? Does the transmission shift fine? Check the transmission fluid. Does it appear to have been just changed, or is there any brown color or strong odor to it? Fresh fluid may indicate they are trying to mask an issue, burnt fluid would indicate poor maintenance.

You may also find the search feature of this forum handy for looking for "common" or "typical" issues with the Mountaineer. Mechanically, the Mountaineer is the twin to the Ford Explorer. You may also want to search the Explorer forum for common issues.

-Rod