Looking to purchase an escape - have question

[k24accord]

morning guys

i have been doing extensive research on the escape's, as i am looking to purchase one for my mother. she currently owns a 2005 ford excursion 4x4 limited and is looking to downsize due to budget constraints. i found a 2007 escape XLT 2.3L FWD with 57k miles (carfax shows it was a fleet vehicle, hence the high mileage) and the local ford dealership is asking 10,500 for it. i was hoping to talk them down to 10k OTD and was planning on test driving it this weekend. my only concern is the higher mileage.

with that said, here's a few questions i have

1. should i be concerned about the mileage being that high?
2. what things should i be looking for when test drive the car?
3. is the listed price and my offer fair/good?
4. how reliable have these cars been for you guys? any common issues?
5. how expensive are these cars to maintain?

thanks for the help guys. i really like these cars lookswise and from the pricing ive been seeing, its alot of car for the money.

-Steven

[theoldwizard]

Kelley Blue Book says the suggested retail price on that car, with that mileage is about $12,500.

This is a HUGE step down from an Excursion, so I highly recommend a test drive and include some freeway. Older 4 cylinder Escape where not known for their "put you back in the seat" acceleration so merging onto a freeway may be an issue. (BTW, this is no longer an issue with the 2009 4 cylinder; bigger engine and 6 speed transmission make a world of difference.)

Like any high mileage car, it will need some maintenance. I'm certain the tires have been replaced which is good because the OEM Continentals were very noisy. If possible take it to a professional and have them check the front suspension for excessive wear as well as the brakes, but I would do that on any high mileage car.

The transmission in that vehicle (CD4E) is not Ford's best, but there are a lot worse one !

[JFUSION21]

the engine is probably going to be fine, I'd suspect it might need some suspension work and I'd be weary of the brakes if they haven't been done yet. Front endlinks commonly go at that mileage, so check for knocking noise over bumps on the front end. It might be due for a fuel filter change, and transmission fluid change, I'd ask for evidence of that being done before the sale or insist that they be done. I think she'll be tickled pink with the increase in fuel economy though, good choice for that.

[ORian3182]

At 60,000 miles its gonna need an overhaul of ignition coils and plugs. A lot of people may think why get it done if it isn't showing any problems. Any car has service intervals, getting things done every interval keeps you and our mechanic on top of small miner problems before they become big.