Yesterday I sold my 05 Jeep Wrangler and had enough cash left over after paying it off to buy a used car (no more debt!!). My wife and I bought a 2003 Ford Escape 3.0V6 FWD auto. It has 112540 miles on it. The suv was a repo and we purchased it from the lender. There is no service history on this car so what maintenance should I immediately have done to it? We’re looking to get three or four years out of it untill we can save enough cash to get something better. I’m not looking to break the bank just to make sure the car gets brought up to speed maintenance wise. THANKS!!
You should use the maintenance list for 90k in the Ford Owner’s Manual.
This will likely include changing every fluid, every filter, and the spark plugs.
I would suggest that you also change the spark plug wires.
For starters, have the engine oil and the transmission fluid changed. IF the car came with an owner’s manual, check to see what other servicing is recommended for 100,000 miles.
I would have a good independent shop check the brakes, hoses and belts. Flushing out the old coolant and putting in fresh coolant would also be a good idea.
I’ve purchased used cars in the past where I didn’t know the maintenance history. I did the maintenance as I suggested above and followed through with gently driving and I drove these used cars thousands of miles.
One other item–a good coat of wax before winter will protect the finish. Keep the car looking nice and you will feel good about your purchase.
Thanks for the quick replies. These were along the lines of things I am planning. Also, should I have the power steering sys checked and would any suspension items need to be addressed proactively?
I agree with with all of Triedaq’s comments here. I would add to the transmission fluid changed a filter cleaning. This transmission stuff is the one thing that is far too often left out of the owner’s manual. If you don’t have the owner’s manual. do a little Google search and you should be able to find one.
I heard through the grapevine that alot of places don’t want to change the tranny fluid on a 100k or over car. Have you heard this and why??
Change the automatic transmission fluid soon.
The balance of items can be done slowly as budget allows.