We are looking to buy a used van, but don’t have much money, so most in our price range have higher miles. So my question is, how many miles can you expect to get out of the average full size van before seeing problems like the tranny dying or motor giving up etc?

There is a ford e-150 regency conversion van that is beautiful, huge, and in our price range, but it has 112,500 miles. If we spend all our savings on an old van, and it tears up, then I’m really in trouble. I need something to last a few years w/ no major issues, and we drive a lot. 

Thanks for your time,

Daniel

Answer: Daniel,

Excellent question !  When looking at high mileage vehicles there are
a couple of questions I always ask…

1.  How was in maintained?  Regular oil changes?  How did the owner
drive the vehicle, short trips (worse) or highway miles (better)?
2.  Has the recommend maintenance been performed, or coming due soon?
Depending on the engine, you may be looking at a timing chain or belt
replacement, water pump and spark plugs around 120K miles,
3.  What does Consumer Reports think about the vehicle.  Grab a used
car guide from Consumer Reports to find out any nagging reliability
issue for the vehicle in question.

The good news is that most full sized vans are based on their pickup
truck brothers, so they are built rugged and reliable.  If you are
looking at a Ford, I would stay away from the 5.4 and V10 engines from
1997 – 2003 due to issues with spark plug blowout.

See here for more details…
https://sparkcharge.lol/blog/engine/spark-plug-blowout-on-ford-modular-triton-engines/

If you can find a 4.9L Inline 6 engine, they run forever and have
enough torque to haul a van full of kids.  It’s one of Ford’s best
engines and will last way over 200K miles if properly cared for.
I don’t have much experience with the GM or Dodge offerings in full
sized vans, expect to say that Dodge has a good engine in their base
V-8.  It’s a proven design and will provide years of service.
Transmissions may be another story though.  Again, it comes down to
maintenance and how the van was driven.

While the headline reads Auto Industry Posts Best US Sales of Year and the cash for clunkers program is attributed to the boost, as always, the devil is in the details…

Fords Sales were up 17%

GM was down 20%

and Chrysler was down 15%

Hyundai and most Japanese Car Makers (except Nissan) we also reporting growth in sales.

So where did the cash for clunkers money go? It appears it went to Ford and Imports.

Why isnt the headline Obama fails to capitalize on Cash For Clunkers Program since its clear that GM did not gain from the program?

Are people turning away from GM since they are now government run?

All questions I would like to hear your opinion on.

Kevin

If you are in the market for a new car, and you have a clunker, this is the weekend to act on this free money. Just remember to thank your neighbor for it ! (it is tax payer funded)

Kevin

Full Story… http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99P2U9G1&show_article=1

Your Trade-In:

1. Must be registered and insured for 1 year.

2. Must be newer than 1984 (Classic car nuts rejoice, nobody will be trading in grandmas 1957 Chevy)

3. Must be rated at 18 MPG or below. (Read bill for calculation formula)

4. Will be destroyed. The dealership MUST disable the engine by removing oil and replacing it with a Sodium Silicate solution which will burn up the bearings and seize the engine plus leave a coating in the block which will make saving the engine for rebuild economically unfeasible. Your car is then taken to the scrap yard and crushed.

5. You will only get scrap value ( -$50 for the dealer to use for administrative costs)

Your New Car or Truck

1. Must be financed (or purchased outright) or leased for a 5yr. or longer lease period.

2. Cars must achieve a rating of 22 MPG or above, trucks are 18 MPG or above.

3. Depending on the difference in MPG between your trade-in and new vehicle you may receive $3500 or $4500. 4 – 9 MPG difference you get $3500, 10 MPG and more you get the full $4500.

4. Must have a base MSRP (before add-ons, options, taxes, tags etc.) of $45,000 or less.

So is this good for the country, the economy, and the environment? I guess its up for debate. Many lower income americans have never had the money to buy a new car, they rely on cheaper vehicles for their transportation needs, this program will reduce the number of older, more affordable vehicles on the road. A bad thing in my opinion.

As for the environment, what is the impact of manufacturing a new vehicle, and scraping an old one? Weigh that with the increased emissions of leaving that old clunker on the road. I dont know the answer to this, but with any environmental question, there are always way to many variables that people do not take into account.

As for the economy, yes more cars will be sold, but now we will have more people with car payments, as well as less older cars on the road for people who can not afford a used car.

I guess the bottom line is that if you were in the market for a new car, and have an older clunker that you are driving, this may be an easy way to get $4,500. Just remember, your car will be destroyed, you will only get scrap value for trade-in (this effects taxes at time of sale) and you probably wont be helping the environment that much.

The first thing to consider is buying new or used? I would strongly look at used cars right now since the price will be less and the last thing you need right now is more debt. We have a quick and easy link to search for a used car. Also don’t forget to search local papers and bulletin boards. As always AutoEducation.com has some excellent information on buying a used car.

If you have to buy new, make sure your credit is up to snuff. It has been reported that GM Finance is only writing loans to customers with over a 700 credit score… this eliminates about 58% of the people in the USA ! That’s not to say if your credit is below 700 you can’t get financed, you may have to pay a higher rate or go to a smaller lending institution. A great place to start your new car buying experience, is at SmartCarQuote.com a site which I created to help people buy new cars at the lowest prices.

If you can wait it out, I feel that the economic crisis will lift and credit will start flowing freely after the presidential election is finally decided. I won’t go into politics here, but I believe that no matter who wins, the economy has no where to go but up.

* Should you buy or lease a new car?
* Is there any logical way to choose between buying a new car and a used one?
* How do these choices affect the kind and amount of insurance you need? The auto industry has moved significantly online, and smart consumers have to do more research and analysis by themselves whether or not they end up buying their cars online or through a traditional dealer. The upside? The average consumer can make a better deal than ever before; the downside is that the buyer has to learn more detail and jargon. For example, two-year leases are called “crackhead deals” and lawsuit-proof black holes of premium dollars’ are the off-shore minimum-coverage insurance companies.
Customer Review: A must-read before you buy a car
This practical guide to buying, financing and insuring a car (new or used) comes in compact format, so you can bring it along as you go car-shopping. It gives comprehensive coverage on negotiating on a deal, choosing the right financing alternatives, shopping for insurance, and even has a chapter on selling your car. While price negotiation coverage is not as deep as that in the excellent “What Car Dealers Don’t Want You to Know,” this book explains clearly the myriad terms used by the car industry, terms that are designed to confuse you into paying more than necessary.

Armed with this book, you’ll be able to better understand how to get the best deal for the car you want as well as gain the confidence to do it. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Provides readers with all of the background information
From the consumer’s perspective, the new and used automobile marketplace has changed dramatically in recent months. Smart Wheels/Hot Deals: A Guide To The Best Car For The Right Money provides readers with all of the background information and bargaining tools they need to make smart, dollar-wise decisions about acquiring any car or truck for their personal or professional use. The topics covered including making a deal for a new car; buying versus leasing; finding the right used car; negotiating over a used car; how auto insurance works; shopping for auto insurance; making an auto insurance claim; warranties and service contracts; managing repairs; dealing with a lemon; sell a car; and getting out of a lease. If you are considering the purchase of a new or used vehicle, begin with a careful reading of Smart Wheels/Hot Deals to save money, time, and aggravation.

Chapters:

Objectives

Which Cars are Best Bets?

Is Design Important?

How to Become an Expert

How Much to Restore

Market Avenues

Buying a Collector Car

On-Going Maintenance and Records

Are Cars Going to Become Obsolete?

The Classic Car Book : The Essential Guide to Buying,Owning,Enjoying and Maintaining a Classic