Scotty, I’m looking at 2011 Ford Escape limited with the 3.0 Liter v6 engine and 4WD. ( https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1FMCU9EG8BKB58777).
It has 89k miles, is very clean, and dealer is willing to be very negotiable with the price ($7,995.00) if paid in cash. I would like to know: is this make and model reliable, what are some of the common issues, should I go for it or should I just play it safe and buy a used Camry as my first car? -Thanks
How long and how many miles are you looking to put on it? If you plan to keep long term and rack hundreds of thousands of miles go with the Camry. The Escape there has AWD which can be expensive to fix when it breaks. If you need the sport utility and like to sit higher, I’d recommend a RAV4.
Also look here for that year. Top issue was engine-related:
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2011/
It's owner history is Michigan, Pennsylvania, then Ohio.
Get under it with a hammer and check it for rust. Bang on the frame with the hammer. It should sound solid. Inspect other parts for rust while you're under there. . Exhaust, cats, and pay particular attention to the shock towers for rust/corrosion. You have to look underneath and then pop the rear hatch, pull back the carpeting and the side plastic, and visually inspect the shock towers and wheel wells for cracks and corrosion. It's a common issue for "rust belt" Escapes so take your time and inspect it carefully.
They sell a repair kit but you're paying $8,000 for the vehicle and you don't need the headache.
Also, do a combustion gas test of the coolant. I've owned many Fords. The weak spot is the head gasket.
Title Record:
| 2020-12-10 | Ohio | Current | 89323 mi | 1FMCU9EG8BKB58777 |
| 2020-01-30 | Pennsylvania | Historical | 86000 mi | 1FMCU9EG8BKB58777 |
| 2013-06-17 | Pennsylvania | Historical | 26674 mi | 1FMCU9EG8BKB58777 |
| 2013-05-01 | Pennsylvania | Historical | 26638 mi | 1FMCU9EG8BKB58777 |
| 2011-03-18 | Michigan | Historical | 25 mi | 1FMCU9EG8BKB58777 |
