Used car shopping, little help please.

[jrwitten]

Looking at a 2001 Escort sedan, auto, 142K with new timing belt/waterpump and alternator/battery. Car looks well taken care of, after some research biggest complaint seems to be rough/low idle problems. Can I get some pros/cons on this car before I go to shake it down this weekend? Anything specific to watch out for....

[sketchman]

Dropped valve seats if it's a SOHC. I personally wouldn't buy one without expecting to have to replace the head with a reman unit, and the rear springs WILL be broken if the PO hasn't already fixed them. Besides that, the autos trans is not that great either. If you test drive it and notice the slightest bit of issues shifting, walk away. There is a flaw in those that if the trans isn't properly maintained(and who does that among the general ignorant car driving populace) it will eventually kill itself. Can't remember off the top of my head what exactly it is, but it's a known issue on the Escort board.

So, IF you want it and think it's solid, use the $250-300 reman head (plus labor?) and the $60-70 rear springs as factors in the price. Don't take that the wrong way. I have a SOHC wagon and love it, but it's a manual and I have already done the head which the PO messed up once before I got it.

[sactnato]

I bought a 97 sedan auto 140k with A/C for $800. Tune up, oil change, brakes, rear spring, and tires and it was trouble free for 2 years until being rear ended. Best part was I got $1900 from the other guys insurance company since it was considered totaled.

[1990new]

I bought a 98 wagon automatic with 116xxx on it last fall for $1600 Put new brakes, new tires, new left axle, ball joints, tie rod ends, front wheel bearings, changed oil, trans fluid/filter, and did a thorough cleaning of the interior. Only problem since then is the AC is leaking somewhere. Engine and trans are still doing fine. I see lots of the Escorts in the junk yard. I think the dropped valve seats sends lots of them there. I saw 3 Escorts with perfectly good bodies there a couple of weeks ago and all three had right at 178xxx miles on them.


From what I read, the valve seat problem is unpredictable. Seem it happens no matter how well the engine is maintained.