Hi Scotty,
A local dealer is selling a 15 Ford Fusion with the 2.5L. It has a carfax claiming government vehicle for its entire ownership. It has 51 K. I was going to look at, but a mechanic friend warned me that despite its low miles, you have to consider idle time as well. He said despite the low miles, if it had a high idle time, it could have taken a toll on the engine. What do you think, Scotty? Is there a way of finding out the total idle time the car has like it does in mileage? Thanks.
You should inquire what it was used for. The Ford fusion was never sold in police interceptor versions. If it was used as an undercover or detective’s vehicle it could still have some idle hours, but generally would be comparably less than a regular squad car, which it almost certainly wasn’t. But there many other government vehicle usages that may barely rack up any idle hours.
why is idling so bad? Nothing an italian tune up can't fix.
You might want to consider that its probably never been serviced as well. Anyone employed by the governement get s away with murder in situations like this. But then I suppose it's that vs a higher mileage car and taking their word for it that its been serviced.
Depending on which government and even what department/agency. It’s either maintained really well or heavily neglected due to severe underfunding