Moving Up in the World

[Who iz]

So likely a few issues, it's probably been rode hard and put away wet. Make the dealer throw in a warranty...Or offer 5k less and accept 3k less than current offer, worst that can happen- they say no?
Plenty of fun left to have with this Bronc, fix whatever comes up. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

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[dman3540]

WOW!!! Awesome find! Go get 'er! Cant wait to see pics of it out on the trails!

 

[Zeaks]

Some good info in this thread. It is odd that it doesn’t have the Sasquatch flares as others have said. I would say that if you go check it out be prepared for a lot of tire noise. From the pictures it looks like the tires haven’t been rotated in a while. The fronts have a lot of uneven wear and the rears look pretty even. It may need an alignment with the tire rotation and then they should start to even out and quiet down. I don’t think I’d want to drive 11 hours after picking it up as it sits. At a minimum I’d have the dealer rotate the tires, maybe push for a front end alignment as well. I would probably plan for a new set of tires in 10-15k miles.

Me personally, I’d pass on it just due to it being a modded vehicle. A modded vehicle that you can tell was done purely for looks and was a mall crawler as they say is one thing. A modded vehicle that you can tell has been off road and possibly abused is a concern for me. At least if I’m doing the abusing I know what to expect.

 

[jeisfoto]

Seems like good deal. Some questions that will likely go unanswered without being able to talk to a previous owner or two. Does it matter? Maybe not.

 

[timhood]

If the alignment at 800 miles was due to an issue that could have affected the steering rack or other suspension components, those issues would have shown up by now. I see no reason why you shouldn't proceed with some homework (maint/repair history), and an inspection if everything
looks good.

What all this means is that a vehicle for sale at a dealer doesn't come with the explanation from the owner. That explanation could be completely benign and make a lot of sense. Maybe the tie rods were upgraded out of caution. There are people here who take a spare set when going off-roaring. Maybe the owner didn't feel mechanically inclined to make that kind of roadside repair. The bottom line is if it checks out, fits what you want and the price you're willing to pay, go ahead. There aren't any known widespread issues to look out for. (And there are plenty of us doing rock crawling on OEM tie rods--they aren't a problem when used properly.)

BTW, I'm not convinced those fender flares were swapped for non-Sas flares. The photo angle is too far off to make that call, even though it looks like a possibility. That is a rare type of swap for sure.

 

[Nc211]

If the alignment at 800 miles was do to an issue that could have affected the steering rack or other suspension components, those issues would have shown up by now. I see no reason why you shouldn't proceed with some homework (maint/repair history), and an inspection if everything
looks good.

What all this means is that a vehicle for sale at a dealer doesn't come with the explanation from the owner. That explanation could be completely benign and make a lot of sense. Maybe the tie rods were upgraded out of caution. There are people here who take a spare set when going off-roaring. Maybe the owner didn't feel mechanically inclined to make that kind of roadside repair. The bottom line is if it checks out, fits what you want and the price you're willing to pay, go ahead. There aren't any known widespread issues to look out for. (And there are plenty of us doing rock crawling on OEM tie rods--they aren't a problem when used properly.)

BTW, I'm not convinced those fender flares were swapped for non-Sas flares. The photo angle is too far off to make that call, even though it looks like a possibility. That is a rare type of swap for sure.

excellent point about issues showing up by now! I would agree!

OP - do try to get your local ford dealer to run the vin through their service computer first though!

 

[Elegance]

BTW, I'm not convinced those fender flares were swapped for non-Sas flares. The photo angle is too far off to make that call, even though it looks like a possibility. That is a rare type of swap for sure.

Here's a front facing and rear facing view if this gives any more clues:

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Here's a front facing and rear facing view if this gives any more clues:

I see the stock yellow Bilstein Sasquatch shocks, so only suspension upgrade from the pic are the tie rods. Likely nothing happened, guy just got paranoid from reading all the drama here on Bronco6G!

Front bumper swap isn’t a big deal and looks good. I doubt that thing has seen a day of dirt, or at least not much.

You can get an extended warranty from the dealer if you‘d like some security, but you should go pick that up on tomorrow. Monday is a great day to buy a car.

 

[HPNQ420]

Window sticker for reference. The VINs do match on this sticker and the door panel sticker.

Wrong transmission otherwise you are good . Nice ride.

 

[mpeugeot]

That front end alignment looks all f'ed up. Get it checked. It's definitely going to need new tires.

That alignment looks jacked up.

As far as the shocks, you are good to go.

Notice the orientation of the shock reservoir on the Badlands and the Badlands Sasquatch shocks?

It (on second look) appears to be a Sasquatch shock. I had to look side by side to really tell.

As far as known issues, there was a brake booster issue, but that should have been sorted out by now.

It may have an exceptionally noisy roof, which really sucks, but by adjusting it properly and doing a little work they can be much better. Mine went from needing noise canceling headsets loud at speed to really not much worse than the typical passenger car. That would explain the frequent turn over of the vehicle... It would not be a deal breaker for me because I know it can be resolved with a little work and a very minimal investment in cash (sub $100).

 

[Mojave Norte]

Here's a front facing and rear facing view if this gives any more clues:

The alignment definitely looks strange. The Camber looks way too positive. A slight positive camber is good for off-roading. But this one looks way too much. Hard to believe an alignment shop would leave it like that

From your first photo I think it also has a leveling kit (front-end lift.) Another reason for the alignments.
Not a bad thing. We have leveling kits in ours

 

[HotLap]

As Nc211 noted, head to your LFD and have them run an OASIS report on the vin, that should detail all work that’s been done (by Ford Service at least). Good luck!

 

[JL8jeff]

It looks like it has wheel spacers to push the stock wheels/tires out that far past the flares (even though they aren't the Sas flares). That alignment does need some help for sure.

Based on the front tire wear and that alignment, be prepared for it to drive a lot rougher than your Bronco Sport. That can all be adjusted/fixed but the 2 door rides a bit rougher to begin with because of the shorter wheelbase and that front end looks like it will be even rougher. Maybe see if someone here is close enough to take it for a test drive for you to get an honest opinion.

 

[Elegance]

Okay y'all. The news so far today for those following along at home:

• I found a very well reviewed independent mechanic who is willing to do an inspection and a test drive. He pulled up the listing and the Carfax and agrees there's uneven tire wear and the camber looks strange. I'm currently waiting on the dealership to give me permission for them to take it to their shop.
• I went to my local Ford dealer and there was nothing alarming in OASIS. Regular oil changes and maintenance. The first owner had a premium warranty but never needed to use it.
• I called the shop that did the first alignment at 5k miles. The alignment was needed because the owner installed aftermarket parts (which I'm assuming is the tie rods). This means they were installed before 6000 miles, maybe because the owner knew about the tie rod failures.
• I called the VW that wound up with it. Their service department had nothing remarkable to say. It went to auction because it wasn't a typical vehicle you'd find on their lot and they were selling high at auction back in 2022.
• I called all the Ford dealers who serviced it. They also had nothing remarkable in their notes.
• The mechanic I called this morning seems to think this was only a 2 owner vehicle and Carfax was confused by owner 2 moving back and forth between NC and Illinois. If you look at the Carfax, it actually wound up at the exact dealership it's sitting at right now back in 2022. It was registered in NC, then registered in Illinois, then registered in NC twice more. It's likely this Bronco had a SC owner to start, then got a NC owner who moved back and forth from Chicago. I'd imagine the Bronco wasn't the best for traveling such a far distance, so it was traded to the Toyota dealer it's currently sitting at.

Any thoughts with all this new information? I still want the mechanic to inspect it, but my fears have been reduced slightly knowing it probably only had 2 owners.

 

[timhood]

Okay y'all. The news so far today for those following along at home:

• I found a very well reviewed independent mechanic who is willing to do an inspection and a test drive. He pulled up the listing and the Carfax and agrees there's uneven tire wear and the camber looks strange. I'm currently waiting on the dealership to give me permission for them to take it to their shop.
• I went to my local Ford dealer and there was nothing alarming in OASIS. Regular oil changes and maintenance. The first owner had a premium warranty but never needed to use it.
• I called the shop that did the first alignment at 5k miles. The alignment was needed because the owner installed aftermarket parts (which I'm assuming is the tie rods). This means they were installed before 6000 miles, maybe because the owner knew about the tie rod failures.
• I called the VW that wound up with it. Their service department had nothing remarkable to say. It went to auction because it wasn't a typical vehicle you'd find on their lot and they were selling high at auction back in 2022.
• I called all the Ford dealers who serviced it. They also had nothing remarkable in their notes.
• The mechanic I called this morning seems to think this was only a 2 owner vehicle and Carfax was confused by owner 2 moving back and forth between NC and Illinois. If you look at the Carfax, it actually wound up at the exact dealership it's sitting at right now back in 2022. It was registered in NC, then registered in Illinois, then registered in NC twice more. It's likely this Bronco had a SC owner to start, then got a NC owner who moved back and forth from Chicago. I'd imagine the Bronco wasn't the best for traveling such a far distance, so it was traded to the Toyota dealer it's currently sitting at.

Any thoughts with all this new information? I still want the mechanic to inspect it, but my fears have been reduced slightly knowing it probably only had 2 owners.

Solid homework. Regarding the Car Fax, I've seen similar situations where Car Fax assumes that a registration in a different state is a new owner. I think i Once even saw that going from regular to personalized plates created a wonky notation in Car Fax.

As long as the mechanic feels it's good, I say proceed. Whatever he finds, bring to the selling dealer and ask them to address anything before you purchase. I think I recall this dealer is far away, so you wouldn't want to have to try to get it done after. This should include the alignment, or if they don't want to do the alignment (maybe they don't have the equipment), have them knock off $200 (or whatever the cost of an alignment is in your area).

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