How many miles on a minivan before you predict you might start having mechanical problems?

Question

I am in the market to look for a minivan, due to my young children growing faster than the speed of light! More leg room for them would be much more comfortable for them to ride in.

I am dominently looking at a Ford Windstar as my vehicle of choice, preferrably 1999 or newer.

I have noticed some minivans with lower mileage and some have higher mileage on them, 130,000+ miles or even more.

What would you predict would become future possible mechanical problems, can you give me an estimate of what mileage these things start? I know I am kind of leery of transmision problems once almost any vehicle gets up beyond 110 or 120,000 miles on it, depending on how nicely the previous owner treated it.

LOL Celery is the enemy because it is YUCKY!!!! lol

Answer 1

It is not the amount of the miles that are the concern. It is how well the vehicle was maintained. If the original owner took care of the car and done the required oil change every 3 months or 3000 miles. Then you will have a long running and long last engine for years to come. But if the engine was severley neglected by previous owners, then you can begin to have problems at 50000. the oil change is the cheapest and the most effective repair that you can do for your engine.
good luck

Answer 2

It's best stated by the manufacturer in their warranty. That is their prediction on how long the vehicle will last before mechanical problems start to set in. For example. If the warranty states that it covers the transmission for 120,000 miles, then I would expect that any mileage after that is just borrowed until the transmission gets an overhaul. Just read up on the warranty. It's different on different areas of the vehicle. The one the salesmen like to state in their pitch is the one that has the highest number, but it might be on the seats, or something that has little to do with the engine or transmission. Some parts like tires & brakes don't have much of a warranty at all on them.
As a former Ford van & truck owner I wouldn't recommend that you consider buying a Ford of the vintage that you stated in your question. I was loyal to Ford all through the 70's - 80's - & 90's.
There are many problems that are built in by Ford from transmission, to steering to engine fires.
Particularily the cruise control causing a fire in the engine compartment.
I had a personal bad experience while driving my Ford van in a hard rain storm. The windsheild wipers suddenly quit at a critical moment in the driving rain, & my visibility went to almost zero in heavy traffic on a busy expressway.
I later found out that this was a "Safety" feature Ford put in. It was an automatic cut-off switch that would shut down the wipers when the motor started to overheat. They thought that would be a better solution than building a truck with a wiper motor that could run continuously for more than a few hours.
Fortunately, I was a skilled enough driver that I avoided an accident, & I was towing a 24ft travel trailer at the time.

That was the last Ford I owned.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

If you buy from a dealer, usually they give you a warranty, at least on the drive train, which includes the trany. Some dealers have a maintains record on their autos. I would suggest that you have a mechanic or some one who works on cars to test drive before you buy. It would be a good idea to the have the van put up on a lift to look at the underside. High mileage is OK, it depends on how it was maintained and if the miles or city or hwy. buying a used auto is always a gamble and it is almost impossible to est. when it would need any major repairs. You may drive it six months or six years before repairs are needed, It also depends on how well you maintain the vehicle. This may not be very encouraging, but, it's an honest response.

Answer 5

Check with consumer reports. They're typically the best source for any kind of comparison. You should be able to find some kind of free review from them on the internet, but a subscription (on the internet) to CR is only like $3.95. Considering a new car is going to cost over $20k, <$4 is worth it.

MotorTrend is a magazine that also deals with this...comparisons, trends and maint. records, but CR is completely un-biased. These will both give you a general idea of what to look for. you could also look up all (or any) of their recalls to estimate what may be coming down the road. Repairs on items that have been recalled are typically free.

As far as in-general goes...as long as you change your oil every 3,000 miles (some say more, but 3,000 is a good limit) and keep up on general maintenence (which is all listed in the Owner's Manual) you'll be fine and your car may last well past what everyone else's does.

Also...I linked another mom to this question, but you may want to ask her about her 1999 Windstar...sounds like there are some issues...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061010115346AAtZ2aZ&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMhzRQUJ9hmcYexXr3NHPPQaNf6jYMQ5pdLg--#NbUvWzS_UjKDkz.rmJnb

Answer 6

Stay away from American cars. After 100,000 miles they are no good. Especially Fords. You should look into Toyota. I just bought a RAV4. My driver seat is all the way back, and a large adult could easily sit behind me. The safety features are great too. Toyota has a wider wheel base, so the vehicle won't roll over easily. It also has curtain side airbags, and an optional third row seat. Also, Toyota tends to maintain its value. Good luck.

Why is celery the enemy?

Answer 7

if u are wanting to keep it for a while the no more than 75,000 but if u plan to keep it for only a few years no more than 100,000 the point is if u want it to run good dont get anythin with more than 100,000 mi....good luck

Answer 8

I would sujest no more than 80000miles if you want to keep it for awhile

Answer 9

one!!!