BlackHorse Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) I'm looking at an 05 GT, automatic here locally. It's in good shape. The interior is almost like new, no serious squeaks or rattles while driving and everything still works. Engine runs fine and it has 97K on the odometer. Transmission shifts out smooth even under hard acceleration. I'm going back in a couple days to talk money. Right now they want 11,488 but I'm thinking more like 10,500. There is no shake in the engine while at idle speed and the belt runs smooth so no shake in the crank case either. This is where all of you Mustang owners with high mileage cars come into play. What should I look for as far as problem areas? It doesn't leak any fluids, no sign of any aftermarket mods either. If I buy it the first thing I would do is change the plugs, fuel filter, coolant, air filter, belt, oil & filter and have the transmission serviced. Any problem areas I need to focus on? Nick and silvrst, chime in on that. Rear did seem a bit rough over bumps even for a GT. Could need some new shocks back there. And how long is that brake fluid good for without a replacement / refill? Edited March 12, 2014 by BlackHorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomcat68 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 The only issue I've had (other than a truck smashing the back of the car and taking off the back 1/3rd of the car making it very squeaky after repairs) is that paint does not like to stick to the hood. The creaks and rattles are due to the accident as it did not do that before. Cars.com rates the mustang 2005-2014 as one of the most reliable cars. I have to concur. Mine has 82,000 mi. I love this car and never regretted buying it. Hope that helps and enjoy your Mustang! (I know you're gonna do it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 The only issue I've had (other than a truck smashing the back of the car and taking off the back 1/3rd of the car making it very squeaky after repairs) is that paint does not like to stick to the hood. The creaks and rattles are due to the accident as it did not do that before. Cars.com rates the mustang 2005-2014 as one of the most reliable cars. I have to concur. Mine has 82,000 mi. I love this car and never regretted buying it. Hope that helps and enjoy your Mustang! (I know you're gonna do it!) Paint on this car is in good shape and that surprised me because it's silver and silver tends to oxidize. I wouldn't mind buying it but it all depends on what the dealership wants to do. If they start trying to rip me off I'll have no problem finding another used Mustang somewhere else. There's plenty of them out there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 The S197s like to eat batteries, I'm on my third one. I can't think of anything major on my car that has gone wrong on it,besides 3 accidents its had over the years. I had to replace the passenger rear side brake caliper since it was hanging up and eating the pads up. The drivers seat has a tear in the seem whrer the side airbag is. I had a friend with a V6 that had some sort of coolant leak near the fill cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) The S197s like to eat batteries, I'm on my third one. I can't think of anything major on my car that has gone wrong on it,besides 3 accidents its had over the years. I had to replace the passenger rear side brake caliper since it was hanging up and eating the pads up. The drivers seat has a tear in the seem whrer the side airbag is. I had a friend with a V6 that had some sort of coolant leak near the fill cap. The 4.0 V6 had a plastic filler cap and plastic thermostat housing, or so I'm told. Anyway they had issues with coolant leaks. I'd likely replace the radiator hoses when I replace the coolant if I buy it. Might as well throw a new thermostat in there while I'm at it. Whats the word on leaks from the exhaust headers? Edited March 13, 2014 by BlackHorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisH Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Got a little over 89,000 miles on my 05 GT. No major issues. Major accident a little over 2 years ago, but I had a really good body shop. I still love driving this car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT90SC Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 The biggest issue with this era car (and Explorer/Mountaineer, T-birds) - the transmission. The 5R55 family (except E's) have issues with OD planetary thrust washer failure, as well as band servos due to side loading (bad design) on the servo pin. The wear will cause the pin to stick or leak, leading to sags, flares, clunks etc. The OD band comes on for two gears - 2nd and 5th - so it wears at least twice as fast as the intermediate, though due to normal driving can wear far faster. Get the transmission to operating temperature, and force downshifts 5-4, 5-3, 5-2, 3-2, 4-2. If all downshifts are normal it is probably ok. IF any of them (particularly the 3-2) flare, bang, sag, etc, just plan on a servo bore repair in your future. If engagements are harsh/delayed at all, plan on replacement of the solenoid pack and, likely, the OD planetary. V-8's seem to suffer more OD planetary thrust washer failures from the higher loads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Thanks YT90SC, good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford4v429 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 if you want to bet them down a tad on the price, look close under the hood around the edges- about guaranteed the paint will be screwed up at best, or all bubbled up- its a process issue, most have it, most arent noticed until the strawberry texture spreads to the top- and it will, and it cant really be fixed...it originates under the crimped aluminum 'hem' edge, repairs likely wont last over a couple yrs. the pre-08 3v 4.6 have the break-off spark plugs... read up on it, get the TSB, follow it exactly, and have the Lisle extractor tool handy...dont try to remove them otherwise. I havent changed my 06 GT stick's plugs yet, at 60k, should get a few years more, but they almost always break off- dealers sometimes get >$500 labor to swap plugs if extraction needed...I'd rather try it myself than pay that...if it takes a couple evenings, so be it. if in a road salt area, rust areas to check: look with a light down behind the headlights where the air snorkel goes into the fender- dirt builds up back there, can rot the core support- I sealed ours... look with a mirror behind the 'flap' in front of rear tires- of our three S197s, only 2 of the 6 areas were correctly sealed when built- rust there will be incredibly labor intensive to correct. floor/inner/outer rockers and wheelhouse all overlap there, many werent caulked. check the passenger floor for damp carpet- prior to 07 especally, cowl leaks were common, water in the passenger footwell often meant the smart junction box in the kick panel has been wet. all years will flood the area if the cowl drains clog- very common. rubber drains are kinda behind valvecovers, under the step of the cowl- easy to pull out underhood, kinda fun to pop back in... do some driveway approaches with wheels turned near full- lots(most) early cars had strut bearing 'popping' issues, redesigned bearing or something supposedly fixed it after 06...my 06 never had the problem though. good luck- these cars are a absolute blast to drive- personally the manual gearbox is more fun to drive, but opinions vary Tim 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I had a major front end accident in 2007 with my 2006, and when I did my detailing on it last year, I don't recall having any paint issues with the new hood on it. I'll have to take a better look next time I open the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Not really up on where the weak points are on the S197's. Wouldn't hurt to check for metal fatigue on some of the suspension mounting points though like the strut towers and control arm brackets which were somewhat common trouble spots on higher mileage/abused SN95's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 Great info guys, thanks for the detailed list ford4v. I remember now about the cowl leaking into these cars and the fact that they eat batteries. I'll be sure to check all of that. I already got up under the car the other day and couldn't find any rust. It's been a southern car since it left Flat Rock so not salty roads. I'm supposed to go back over there on Saturday but now the Ford dealer is trying to talk me into a new V6 model and waiving around that 4000 cash on the hood. It's all going to come down to price in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainLion Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) I had a 2007 GT 5-speed that I bought used in 2009 at 13,000 miles to when I traded it in in 2013 with 88,000 miles. I was putting 800 miles a week on it for a while. I had absolutely no mechanical issues whatsoever - I did go to the dealer on an electrical issue (detailed later). I changed my oil every 6k with Ford-branded 5w20 from WalMart. The brakes were still 40%+ when I traded it. Original battery, suspension, and brakes. I did put 2 sets of tires on it, $800 the first time at 30k for the originals, $1,100 the second at 65k miles. The negatives I had were electrical in nature. When I bought it, half the buttons on the stock radio did not work. I replaced it with a high-quality aftermarket with bluetooth. Every time it was snowing out the wrench light would come on. I took it to the dealer when it first happened at 50k and they could find no fault. I would restart when it happened everytime, and it would usually clear, except for a few times when it would also throw the check engine light. I would clear it with my handheld OBD-II scanner. But it did not cause a driveability issue. I'm thinking I bought a flood car. Got $8,500 for a trade. Didn't negotiate for more. Would I buy another? Heck yes! Edited March 13, 2014 by MountainLion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 The Mustangs in question are generally very reliable. All the info on here is good advise. Things to check. Engine for unusual noise like phasers or exhaust leak. Also look down inside valve cover with oil cap off make sure it's clean. Front lower ball joints for play. Parking brake Works correctly, cable problems were a issue. Transmission shifts good like already advised. Check carpet padding for being wet on passenger side. I would not hesitate to buy that year. As far as the transmission goes, for some reason the Mustang didn't seem to have the overdrive servo bore wear like the Explorer does. However, solenoid pack for harsh engagement or delayed engagement was common across all. FYI if front lower ball joints need replacement, Ford racing sells a upgraded control arm as a kit cheaper than two stock arms. If all that checks out should be a good car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks Fordtech. Its all a moot point now though. They called me this morning to tell me the sold the car last night. lol No problem though as I have plenty of irons in the fire. I have to head down to the Ford dealership in the morning to see what kind of deal they are trying to offer. If that doesn't pan out I have three other Mustangs around the area that are potential buys. All of them have less miles than the 05 did but the also cost more obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92LX302 Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 My dad's '11 GT have 59 000 kms. Not that high, quite a bit for a Canadian car that's only driven 4 months a year. So far he had two passenger seat electric motor replaced (came off the trailer with a broken one) and a steering rack, all on warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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