1996 Ford Bronco Potential Purchase

[bulldog]

I'm currently looking to buy a 1996 Ford Bronco. Here are the Specs:

XLT, Automatic, 5.0L V8, 100,000 miles, Power everything, CD, AC, Fuel Injection, Leather seating, etc

So the plan is to take the Bronco off the lot and have it checked out by a Ford Dealership. Unfortunatley I don't know any good mechanics in my area well enough to perform this task. The goal is Reliability. I don't really care about the extra bells and whistles. I just want this thing to be able to handle the highway miles from work and back.

Reliability

I took it for a test drive on the highway and through the streets. It seemed okay, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about potential issues that can't be seen or heard. Paranoia maybe? I dunno.

So my question to you guys is what MAJOR issues should I be on the lookout for? I assume that the Ford dealership will perform a general diagnostic on the vehicle. Maybe someone has some experience with this thing to be able to give me a heads up on some costly issues. Obviously you can't prepare for everything, but I'm trying to maximize my investment while minimizing risk. I'm paying for the check up, but I want to make sure that they check the right things. I'm sure they know what they're doing (assumption), but I'm trying to get as much feedback as possible. Maybe I can use the information provided by the dealership to justify my bargaining position.

Thanks for your help

 

[Bulldozer]

Well what i always try to look out for in broncos is body rust, that can be a big bitch when it comes to broncos. Thats not a major issue but it's always good to watch out for. Since the one your looking at is a 96 theres a high chance that theres no rust at all.

 

[bulldog]

yeah...hardly any rust at all. I looked it over pretty good and the exterior is devoid of major rust spots. It appears to have been well maintained. Thanks for the feedback

 

[Justshootme84]

It's definitely a good idea to have the vehicle checked out. ASk the Ford dealership to run their diagnostic test for any engine trouble codes, as well as checking things like fluid levels throughout the drivetrain. A common problem area on the motor is a leaking rear main seal or oil pan gasket, so have them check closely for ANY leaks. Take a look at the condition of the rubber bushings on the front end and the body mounts. IF they are cracked or dry-rotted, the maintenance on the rest of the vehicle may have been lacking. IF properly taken care of (regular oil changes, etc.), you should get another 100K miles out of it. THe 95/96 Bronco XLT with full options, in good condition and that mileage go for about $5K-$6K here in the Houston, TX area. That will give you at least a ballpark figure to work from. Good luck!!! >-

 

[bulldog]

Based on NADA and Blue Book it looks like $7000-8000 is fairly reasonable. Obviously this value fluctuates based on several variables.

I hope that I can negotiate as close to book as possible. I'm not sure how much the dealership bought it for...and it's none of my business anyway so who cares. I know that the dealership has already marked up the price enough to ensure that they make money off of the deal. Which I can understand. Profit is the bottom line and you can't hate that. Business is business. That's cool.

My position is that I want to get as close to book value as possible. If book is say...$7000 there's no way that I would pay $9000 for it (I've seen this by the way).

Someone once told me...

"It's not the deal that you get...its the deal that you THINK that you get" (something like that)

 

[bluesman17]

Be prepared to walk away too though, there will be other broncos.

 

[captgivens]

Bulldog, sage words from Bluesman, you can allways find another, but this may be the one you want. I'm on my 3rd Bronco and I just love my 94. It had 120,000 miles on it and its just shy of 250,000 now, still goin strong on the original motor. You can allways buy your own code reader. Crawl under that puppy and look for leaks yourself, get dirty its bound to happen sooner or later. Park it on a clean chunk of concrete, let it run for 10 or 15 minutes, look for leaks on the concrete, run the AC see if it overheats. Have fun!!!

 

[bulldog]

thanks for the honest feedback guys

 

[gregor]

Another thing to have checked is the compression . You can buy a compression tester for about $30 at advanced auto. Good luck!

 

[DetroitBronco]

Check the oil pan. 94-96 had pans that rusted thru quick. Ford changed the coating or something. Not a cheap or easy swap.

I'd check the whole front suspenions too. See if the ball joints and tie rods have been replaced yet. Watch for loose steering in general...especially at highway speed.

 

[Broncoboy07]

I would also check the underside for dings and dents. Broncos have been known to be jumped and wheeled. If they have lift kits or major performance upgrades, they may have been jumped or mistreated. Also check the rear for rust. That and the fenders are what usually rust first. Good luck and I hope I find a good 94 myself!

 

[miesk5]

Yo,

Good luck!

In addition and repating what others have advised here:

We have a 96, bought it new in May 96 and basically, we "over-maintain" it...meaning 3k mile oil/filter changes & ***** all filters changed before severe duty schedules, etc. Still, we had minor problems that we addressed quickly.

Besides the usual visual, OBD II Scan check, drivability and leak checks, look for:

- oil pan rust - our's formed spots @ 62k miles - sand it down and prime/paint it w/POR 15 or Restore (NAPA, etc.) & high temp. paint

- radiator plastic side seam leaks, esp. during engine cool-down period/overnight - our's leaked @ 50k miles - look for leaks after engine has cooled down, esp overnight

- auto tranny - E4OD had a lot of improvements made by 96 so look for good shifts and see the maintenance records; fluids should have been changed every 30k miles; and earlier if used for towing

- transfer case operation - electric push button motor/connector is a prob. area; usually the motor connector is fouled, etc.

- auto hub operation (get it in sand, snow or mud and try the 4x4 system; or mark the driveshaft w/chalk or tape and see if it moves when in 4x4 for a short drive; ours blew @ only 30 k miles despite freq. maint.)

- rust in inner rear fender lips and bottom of tailgate (fender lips was rusting due to beach sand wearing the paint & road salt) ...check tg drains for clogs/rust..check weather seals, esp the outer ws on glass

- radius arm bushing deterioration (I sprayed em w/pure silicone, from day 1) but replaced at 80k miles w/Daystar polyurethane bushings

- ball joints..our's are ok but costly if not DIY

- PSOM, make sure it works; look for a waver in the needle at highway speeds..costly to replace; see http://home.comcast.net/~miesk5/technical_...e_bulletins.htm

a crooked dealer here in NJ has been caught for the 3rd time switching PSOMs!..there is also a device to roll-back odometers on PSOMs..so look for some maint records or contact a dealer to run an OASIS report to see what maint was done to it a Ford dealership... Car Fax is iffy..they do NOT list over $5k in single accident damages on 3 of our vehicles incl our 96!!! & our 92 Van had less mileage than when we sold it according to a CarFax report 2 years later

- cracked exhaust manifold/Y, etc.

- roof/gutter area cracks (mostly appl. to earlier years)

- emissions air check valve on MTA system..tends to rust early

- radiator supports, lower, it rusts mainly on passenger side PIA to replace

Knock the dealer down on the price, esp. now that their SUV sales are way down and they prob. low-balled the trade-in very, very severely - perhaps Less that 70% of wholesale figures (not trage-in figure, but Wholesale).

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/miesk5/

 

[Gintaka]

This goes for all older used vehicles....be sure and get the transmission looked at and if you are going to use this bronco on the trail, I would take it out there and try out the 4wd if the owner will let you....this will show you a lot about the condition of the truck. Wiring is also not so good on the older fords. Also, take the truck up to 80 mph to see if it shakes or what not. Also the tubes become cracked and decayed due to the age of them...take a good, thorough look at the front end.

good luck

PS- this is just from personal experience