Does that year have the internal water pump? That is something that people need to stay away from. With it being rear wheel drive it could be replaced without removing the engine. With the modern Fords some of the modules are paired with the VIN, making repair more difficult.
The frame might be bent a little bit and the hood latch won’t line up. I wonder if they replaced the bumper? Somebody might have driven it with a busted radiator and damaged the engine too.
It really doesn’t look that bad, but you would have to go there and verify that the engine is good and the frame is good before buying it.
Is there something I am missing? I don’t see why it would take so long to fix. All the parts are available at a junk yard.
They usually total cars if the airbags deployed. In this case the airbag light is on because the sensors are ripped off.