Hey Scotty, right now I’m driving a 1996 Mazda B2300 5spd with 185k miles. I’m looking for another small truck just with more room in the cab. I’ve found a 1999 Ford Ranger with 295k miles, automatic trans, and it’s a 4x4 for $3500. The owner claims he got the engine rebuilt by a dealership and has around 4k miles since the last engine service. Are Dealer rebuilds trustworthy?
Should I keep searching? I prefer standard transmission but don’t mind automatic. Would a ranger or frontier be a better option?
Thank you! And sorry for all the questions hah.
V6 or I4 engine?
Hey guys, lost the password to the first account.... to answer some of the questions. The ranger in question had an automatic transmission and is a V6. The seller will not sell vehicle until May.
I wasn’t set on buying this vehicle as I had my doubt about it anyways.
Thank you for your guys’ insight! I’ll do some more searching ideally for a manual transmission truck.
See 5:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWP3baxDt3w
I would avoid this specific one because you don't know if the engine was rebuilt correctly or not. If its a 6 cylinder, I would avoid it entirely, and most likely it is because those are infamous for cracked heads which essentially ruin the engine.
Back then, both the Ranger and Frontier were decent pickup trucks. Definitely aren't getting a Toyota Pickup, Tundra, or Tacoma for 3 grand so keep looking for Frontiers (IMO the better one at the time) and 4 cylinder rangers. If you can get either with a manual transmission, it would be ideal.
Check out the used car buying guide for more info on buying used cars. Some rules:
Don't buy salvage, flooded, or rebuilt title cars
Don't buy cars with "rebuilt" engines and transmissions unless you can have an expert technician guarantee its been done correctly and ideally a warranty
No matter what you buy, have a mechanic inspect it before buying.
Carcomplaints.com is a good resource to see what owners complain about in certain years. For the Ford Ranger, the 1999 model year has the most complaints of any model year, top concerns being electrical problems and cracked cylinder heads.
As for the Nissan Frontier, avoid the 2005-2008 model years as those are infamous for transmission failure caused by coolant leaks.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Frontier/
2009+ and 2004 model years and before are better bets.
"CARCOMPLAINTS.COM NOTES: In a very limited selection on small pickup trucks, the Frontier is one of the best options except -- and I cannot emphasize this enough -- for one problem that makes it an avoid-at-all-costs pain in you know what: the radiator ruptures and leaks coolant into the transmission, killing it. Such a buzzkill." - Applies to 2005-2007(+some in 08) Nissan Frontier models
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Ranger/
Dealer or pro shop rebuilt doesn't mean jack. We've rebuilt a race engine better than the race shop we brought it to, when we were into racing. He says it was dealer rebuilt...I'd say show me the invoice and what was done, parts replaced etc. and when it was done. 4k since last service, how recent or long ago was that? Without being there, but just from what you've said, my mind is saying keep looking.
Too many miles for me, rebuilt or not. I'd pass.
