Buying an old Ranger - Is it worth it?

Roger

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I spotted a 2004 Ranger XLT FX4 for sale. It has about 176k miles on it but seems to be in pretty good condition. I am thinking of buying it as a beat around truck to just do work on and drive out/offroad when I don't want to take my standard vehicle. Has anyone bought an older model? What are some things I should consider checking before buying? My 1990 Bronco finally stopped running.
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K Knox

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It can be worth it but it depends on the shape of it. You didn't mention a price here but I would be prepared to sink another $1000 into it if it needs work. Sometimes these trucks run great at that age and mileage with no issues and then a few months later, everything starts going all at once. Just ask about all the basic testing on it, take it for a test drive and listen for any off sounds with the engine. Make sure it isn't overheating.
 

FelixDaCat

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It can be worth it but it depends on the shape of it. You didn't mention a price here but I would be prepared to sink another $1000 into it if it needs work. Sometimes these trucks run great at that age and mileage with no issues and then a few months later, everything starts going all at once. Just ask about all the basic testing on it, take it for a test drive and listen for any off sounds with the engine. Make sure it isn't overheating.
A buddy of mine put $2,300 on a 2003 Ranger and it was up there in miles but had no rust and everything was still running great. I believe the engine was replaced though. He got that in 2014 and it is still running fine. He did have to get some work done to it, I can't remember the details but he uses it mostly for work. He is in landscaping and doesn't mind ti getting dirty.

OP - what is the price, do you have any pictures? Maybe a listing we can look at?
 

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I have to really like a truck or have plans for it to get an older one. I wouldn't go more than 10 years out myself but it can be worth it depending on what you are going to do with it. Just keep in mind that it is 14 years old and will need work be it soon as or a year from now.
 

TMJ77

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I have to really like a truck or have plans for it to get an older one. I wouldn't go more than 10 years out myself but it can be worth it depending on what you are going to do with it. Just keep in mind that it is 14 years old and will need work be it soon as or a year from now.
I second this. If you are just buying it to buy it and don't have long-term plans, save the money and put it towards a newer truck. It can be a lot of fun messing around with older models but it can also end up costing a lot. If you don't have a scrap yard near where you live, it will cost even more.
 


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Roger

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K Knox

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Thanks for the input.

It was selling for $4,780. Someone ended up grabbing it but I did find another one online I liked the look and sound of.
It has less mileage so the price is a bit higher but I intended on spending 4k-6k so it is in my range.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-2004-Ford-Ranger-Houston-c117_L34369#listing=215450407

2004_ford_ranger-pic-2483686869863517035-1024x768.jpg
Be careful with that. A lot of dealerships will do basic tune-ups and have the truck running good enough to outlast the warranty. It appears to only be covered for 3 months as well from what I read. Maybe try to negotiate something longer. Overall, the body is in really good shape and considering it only had 4 owners is pretty good for a car that is 14 years old.
 

Beef_Stew

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When looking at older 4.0 sohc Rangers (especially 01-03) make sure they don't have the dreaded timing chain rattle on start up.
 

joeb427

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I was looking for a clean loaded '10 or '11 but the prices were nuts. $15K. I saw a couple of 28K miles and 35K miles ones but $17K and $18K.Too much money nice or not.
Then decided to buy a new Ranger.
 
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Johnpenn

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Just to give you another reference point. I had my dealer give me a price to trade in my 05 Ranger Edge 2WD, 3.0V6 with 133000mi. They said $3800 so I decided to keep it for a while. I bought it for $9000 with 86000mi about 10 years ago and have had to do nothing but normal maintenance. Still runs great.

My dealer told me that older Rangers are in demand and easy to sell. Many are still running well at 200000mi, if properly maintained. You may want to have a mechanic check out any car you intend to buy especially when high mileage.
 

RedlandRanger

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I sold my '05 XLT with 82k miles for $8900 about a week before I got my new truck. I had wanted 10k, but that didn't seem to be realistic. I was offered $8500 by a broker about 5 minutes after I listed it. There does seem to be pretty good demand for the old Rangers.
 

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I spotted a 2004 Ranger XLT FX4 for sale. It has about 176k miles on it but seems to be in pretty good condition. I am thinking of buying it as a beat around truck to just do work on and drive out/offroad when I don't want to take my standard vehicle. Has anyone bought an older model? What are some things I should consider checking before buying? My 1990 Bronco finally stopped running.
Just sold my excellent 2001 Ranger after 18 years. Could have kept it for another 10 but I fell for the 2019 and my small fleet doesn't have room for 5 vehicles.
It sold in less than 24hours, which means that if you buy one and change your mind , you can always sell it without a loss!:like:

upload_2019-5-21_21-40-52.jpeg
 

t4thfavor

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I just got out of a 2003 FX4, the problem is if I had kept it, I would not be able to bring myself to drive it as it wasn't comfortable, and got bad gas mileage. It was also rusty as F, so that's also a common thing with old rangers.
It only had 89000 miles on it too.
 
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Floyd

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When looking at older 4.0 sohc Rangers (especially 01-03) make sure they don't have the dreaded timing chain rattle on start up.
Good place to put a reminder of the value of regular oil changes with MotorCraft 5-30 and Motorcraft filters.
Mine was a 4.0L and was quiet and strong. It was worked hard and driven hard.
I always take a deep breath at the filler tube when inspecting a used car, Checking for the smell of engine death and neglect... You can't hide that with a prep for sale.
I think the biggest mistake that the owner of a 2019 Ranger can make is to neglect or extend oil changes.
 
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chasvs

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What's the staus of the Airbag Recall on some of these? Certainly something to be wary of IMHO!
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