[Blue Bird]

k, so I've mentioned I'm most likely getting a Black 2006 Ford Escape Limited from a dealer in the area. Because it's going to be my first vehicle (officially mine and mine only) and the fact that it's Used, has me a bit paranoid, concerned, very cautious, etc. So, I looked at the high quality pictures that the dealer had on their site. In the thumbnails you see many different angles they took of the vehicle. But when you click one to enlarge it and you go from picture to picture in the enlarged view there is a picture that you can't see in the thumbnails and that is the VIN # picture. It appears they didn't actually want that picture displayed but it was in the album anyway :shrug: . So I typed the VIN code first into carproof.com and carfax.com just to see what comes up and it just displays 4 records found and if you want more you must pay. That's not good enough for me because that could mean anything. I moved on and typed the VIN into Google because when i went to see it last Saturday the dealer quickly went over its history and i heard him say it came from an auction. sure enough the only result on google is the lot from when it was sold to this dealer. I click the lot number and it gives me wonderful details of its condition when it was auctioned. Now from there they have posted the FULL CarProof Vehicle History Report which i believe costs like $50 bucks to get which I was very thankful to print out - good news, the dealer was correct in that there is not a single accident/theft/stolen or whatever you can think of on the Escape. So that's great.

What I need help with is the mumbo jumbo in the details of the auction lot. It has pictures :yahoo: which i know you guys love lol. But I can't figure out what the abbreviations are all about. "SCRATCHES - RRD BACK MOLDING (PIC), R1 / 4, RBUMPER, L1 / 4, HOOD -- " :bill: Perhaps someone or some people can unabbreviate everything (from "Options" down and over to "Notes").

I don't know why it has to be in Russian :shrug: but it is:
Translated into English:
http://209.85.171.104/translate_c?hl=en ... 4QSLSJze5g
Original Page:
http://www.avtointer.com/adsdetail.php? ... 20&l=64049

Throw in questions, comments and observations too if you like.

 

[marste]

Is this an XLT or Limited, you can look up what the options were for the particular model for that year. As far as the conditions go there seems to be pictures of everything, cracked windshield etc.

We purchased a 2005 Escape in July this year from a Ford dealer, the dealer bought it from the same auction company. We looked up the auction sheet using the VIN just like you did, under the announcements section ours said Lease, the one you are looking at says Lease and Rental, you might want to get that clarified. Also did you look in the glove box, the owners manual etc., some service records will probably be there.
We purchased a car proof report as well, all was fine. I strongly recommend you take it to a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection, cost for us $80.00. Well worth the $80.00 as Ford dealer ended up doing $700.00 worth of work as a result of the pre-purchase inspection. Try to get the dealer to give you another key fob(remote) for free, you really should have two, the specs say this one only has one, maybe the dealer has already looked after this.

Hope all goes well, enjoy your escape, we love ours.

 

[Scooter Scott]

RRD= Right Rear Door Back Molding!

There is my good deed for the day!

:bill:

 

[Colleen]

These guys can advise you much better than I can, but I just wanted to welcome you to the City !!! :beer:

Best of luck to you on your new purchase !!

 

[Blue Bird]

@marste:
-Limited.
-I'd like to look up the options and all from 2006, 2007 and even the years surrounding and compare them to see what was introduced and taken away over the years but i'm not sure where to look.
-Keep in mind that that is what it was like from the auction. As i said in my first post, i went to see it last Saturday. The only thing i can see that is still not fixed from the auction is the "TORN RUBBER INSOLATION L ROCKER" which is pic #5 and it is also chewed like that on another spot in the same door. Everything else looked fine from my not-so-thorough look at it. In fact, here's what it looks like right now (Warning: pictures may cause interest and excitement): http://listings.boostmotorgroup.com/Det ... owNumber=3 (If you click the Ford emblem picture, then Fullscreen, and then the Previous button, you should land on that "secret" VIN code picture i was talking about)
-The dealer showed me that the manual and the extra papers that are in the soft covered manual holder thingy are there. He said that there is one key fob that came with the vehicle when they got it, so that's what i get. Maybe i'll ask him for another fob and see what happens.
-Now that you mention it I'm definitely getting a pre-purchase inspection.

@Scott
-erm, okay. That's an easier one to solve . And at the rate you are solving this puzzle, it'll be months later before we decrypt it :worry:. I don't think it will still be there.
Would be nice if somebody could complete it by Friday night but otherwise I'm trying to set up an appointment with the dealer for a final look and most likely purchase of the vehicle for Friday night or more likely Saturday sometime. But it's Thursday night and he doesn't seem to be working presently as he is not answering his phone, unfortunately. Now i'm getting antsy.

@Colleen
-A Double eace: Thank-You

 

[jpark]

Just a thought...have you found another Limited elsewhere in your area? IMHO, this one looks like it may have been treated pretty badly by its previous "owner."

I did a quick search on Autotrader.ca. Go to British Columbia, then click the Advanced Search tab. Look for Light Trucks and SUVs, Ford, Escape, add the keyword Limited, enter your postal code (I used V6Z 1R5), and click Search This Radius.

http://www.canadatrader.com/search/advancedSearch.aspx

I got dozens of pages of 2005-2007 Limiteds, and most had lower kms. Quite a few of them were black, too.

HTH!

 

[Scooter Scott]

Sorry Blue Bird! I didn't look at the site you posted so that's why I didn't decrypt anything further...Like JP said tho...are you set on that Escape or are you open for others?

 

[marste]

Really nice pics on the dealer site.
You can easily find the options for the 2006 & 2007 models by doing an online search, just search for "2006 Ford escape limited specs". Try searching at automotive.com they have a good section where you can compare auto specs., edmunds.com, canadiandriver.ca and there's always ford.

Most of the dealers around here who post used vehicles online, give the VIN right in the listing.

Is this the first Escape you test drove, there should be a fair amount of them around now, people trading in their older ones for the new models. Test drive a few to see how they feel,to see if there is any difference. We thought the first escape we test drove was OK loved the looks of it though and it was hard to walk away from. A couple weeks later we test drove another, drove much better, we bought it after pre-inspection and carproof. The one we bought didn't have near as much damage on the auction page as the one you are looking at, and the damage was all repaired scratches, fog light fixed etc. before we even saw it on the lot.

You need to ask yourself if this is how the owner treated the vehicle, how often did the owner have the routine maintenence and serving done.

Did you ask the dealer why they didn't fix the Torn rubber on the isolation, was it an oversight on their part? Or they don't want to repair it because of the high cost?

Good luck with your search.

 

[stone]

Hello Bluebird. I agree with marste that it would be practical to look around. My apology if it be offending, but the auction site escape looked rough on the interior. The blemishes on door panels were noticed. Its a pity the leather seat was torn. Seems as though the previous owner was rough and neglectful. The torn seat made me cringe.

Can respect that it is other peoples business, on what they do with their cars. My wages are nothing sensational, so henceforth this is why i need to be fussy with personal items. The same attitude is used on my job. The workstation is allways organised for safety and comfort. I have a thing about being particular and organised. Can not tolerate sloppiness and neglect.

 

[jpark]

I agree. When I sold my 2005 Escape, it didn't have a mark on it. No scratches, no dents, no marks on the door panels or scuff panels, and no marks on the seats.

I've now had my Edge since June, 2007, and it's still brand-new clean.

I'll never understand why people treat their second-largest investment like a disposable transportation appliance, even if it's leased.

 

[Blue Bird]

Just a thought...have you found another Limited elsewhere in your area? IMHO, this one looks like it may have been treated pretty badly by its previous "owner."

My fairly good guess (as that is all it can really be) is that it was used to pull maybe a horse trailer or some other kind of trailer for work purposes. For one, there is brake light power connectors hanging down at the back of the escape for hooking up to trailers. Second, there is scratches all over the drivers door inside panel in the auction pics which might say that a lot of getting in and out occured without any care at all - which is something a working (wo)man does when (s)he uses it for work. In the dealer pics and when i saw it last saturday, it looked like both the drivers and the passengers inside door panels were brand new replaced. I never saw the tear in the drivers seat (i'll make sure i double check), the insulation in the drivers door was chewed up but the dealer said they'll replace it as if they missed it before.... the whole interior panels and everything looks either brand new or maybe a couple minor scuff marks that are understandable in a used vehicle or maybe they didn't do a good enough job cleaning. I did notice the driver's seat, at least, didn't have a belt stopper button thingy on it, that stops the buckle part from falling to the floor and then you have to dig it out everytime - although i'm not sure if it's supposed to have one. Other than that, I'm not as concerned about the interior than i am about the mechanical aspect of the vehicle.

The exterior i'll take a closer look at tommorow for scratches and dents; especially the scrape that is in that auction picture, otherwise it looked great.

My main concern is the engine and all the mechanical of course. Maybe i'll be able to get a 3 month warranty, or things might get caught in the pre-inspection check. I've got my dad coming along tommorow to my 10:00 AM appointment and he has more experience with this stuff. He's also an accountant which is a plus for keeping me from making a bad deal and explaining money things i don't fully understand, etc.

I did a quick search on Autotrader.ca. Go to British Columbia, then click the Advanced Search tab. Look for Light Trucks and SUVs, Ford, Escape, add the keyword Limited, enter your postal code (I used V6Z 1R5), and click Search This Radius.

http://www.canadatrader.com/search/advancedSearch.aspx

I got dozens of pages of 2005-2007 Limiteds, and most had lower kms. Quite a few of them were black, too.

HTH!

In my searches (I do the same search everyday to see if there is something new) i do the same as you did except i don't put a postal code in or radius searching and i include 2006-2007 year restrictions because those are the years i will consider. the 13k one is actually sold and i don't know why it hasn't been removed (leather seats were torn out of it that's why price is low), and other than that there are two up in Kelowna for like 21k which is too much, 2 in Vancouver with 1 being 23k and the other is 19k. The one i'm looking at is about 17.5k. The other 6 (10 results in total) are not black.

Sorry Blue Bird! I didn't look at the site you posted so that's why I didn't decrypt anything further...Like JP said tho...are you set on that Escape or are you open for others?

No hard feelings . I'm quite set on this Escape now that i saw a clean CarProof report and the fact that the interior damage and a few dings and dents were probably a significant factor in driving the auction price down that they really could sell this for 17.5k or negotiated slightly less. Also, I think it has sat on the lot for it's first month there, maybe test drove once before me, but otherwise I don't think people are interested or they just aren't advertising at all. But mainly the Carproof report is what makes me intent on buying it now.

Is this the first Escape you test drove, ...

Technically yes. But I did drive my boss' wife's 06 Ford Escape Limited for like a month for work so it was like i owned it and drove it home every night. I think that qualifies me to know how a Ford Escape drives. Forgive me if i sound harsh.

Did you ask the dealer why they didn't fix the Torn rubber on the isolation, was it an oversight on their part? Or they don't want to repair it because of the high cost?

Answered above.

Hello Bluebird. I agree with marste that it would be practical to look around..

Just so you know, I have been looking at 4 or 5 different websites (AutoTrader, BuySell, Craigslist, a couple other smaller sites) for about a month now and this Escape i'm looking at right now looks promising just by looking at it all. Interior stuff is either new or been cleaned; exterior has no immediately visible dents or scratches (again, i will look closer when i go in tommorow); even though the dealer kept blabbing the whole test drive (nice guy though), it felt like it was driving at least close, if not the same, to what i can remember from driving my boss' Escape. Sorry if that sounded offensive, it wasn't my intention eace:.

Can respect that it is other peoples business, on what they do with their cars. My wages are nothing sensational, so henceforth this is why i need to be fussy with personal items. The same attitude is used on my job. The workstation is allways organised for safety and comfort. I have a thing about being particular and organised. Can not tolerate sloppiness and neglect.

I'm similar too . I keep a tidy work van with things organized so that i don't have to dig boxes out to get to something or move things around till i find a certain tool or part.

But in general, I'm thankful for everyones replys and it has got me thinking a bit more cautiously and this has been helpful. And again, my thoughts are the interior looks good as it is now. Scratched panels that have been replaced means the old is gone for good, unlike fixing something with the engine where Part A is broken because of Part B and Part A gets fixed but after a while Part B breaks Part A again. So it could still haunt you in the future if you know what i mean. Anyway, the exterior looks good as it is now, and the mechanical seems fine too, even though that's my big question mark as to whether everything will still work in a month from now as it is supposed to.

Hopefully I replied to everybodys message and questions and hopefully i didn't repeat myself too much :lol:.

I might check this topic again tommorow morning before i leave (9:30AM PDT) just to see if any more insightful knowledge has flown from somebody .

Thanks everyone!

 

[Tribby]

If the Escape was used to tow a horse float I'd be checking the condition of the transmission fluid as these transmissions arent the strongest of boxes. I'd also pay special attention to shift feel and feel for any driveline shuddering/vibrations
Sorry if i'm stating the obvious here.

Good luck with it :thumb:

 

[Blue Bird]

What a day <insert exhausted smilie here>. Took longer then i thought it would but it is done. I am now the proud owner of a 2006 Ford Escape Limited.

I took it for a drive in search of a good location to take a few pics and i knew that Abbotsford International Airport (15 mins from my house) was usually a good place to practice for a driving test or take pics because of empty parking spots and well kept landscaping in front of the terminal. But when i got there this time the long term parking where i was expecting to do this was now gated off with the paid parking machines at the entrance rather than little boxes scattered over the parking lot with no gates at all. But this pic i took basically right across the street from the airport where there was this cracked pad of pavement just sitting there probably for fairs or trade conferences (there is a building next to the airport for trade shows, home shows, conventions, whatever you want. But i thought the cracks in the pavement were quite artistic even though it isn't intended for that.

Sorry for the quality of the pic. All I had was my phone with me. I might go back on another day with an actual digital camera.

 

[Colleen]

Blue Bird, Your Escape looks very nice !! :yes: :thumb: :thumb:

A big congrats to you !!!

 

[Dasha]

What a black beauty!!!! :yahoo: Congrats!!!! Now you officially belong here!! :yes:
eace:

 

[Tribby]

That looks great

Hope she serves you well.

 

[escapedtroy]

nice looking ride mate
love the totaly black look

 

[stone]

Hello BlueBird. Your escape looks presentable. Can the summer climate in canada become very hot? I am asking this because of your dashboard. Me is currently using a dash board mat.

 

[Blue Bird]

Thanks everyone! :beer: I'm still trying to forget how much money this is costing me even though it is fairly inexpensive for a 2/3 year old fully loaded small suv. That's the only thing holding back some of my excitment.

My only problem right now is that my Escape looks too plain because it has no air deflectors. If i can find a good air deflector for the hood that doesn't cost me too much money I'll make the purchase in the near future but otherwise I think I might hold off on the mods for a while until my bank account stops yelling at me :lol:.

Here in the Lower Mainland (as we British Columbians call it) of BC the temperatures will most likely reach 35C at some point. The summer before last I had to drive my cousin visiting from Ontario to the airport and it was 38C outside. The dash and steering wheel of the truck was so hot you could barely touch it. But I would say average summer temperatures are around 30C-32C. Is there really a need for a dash cover though? Does it actually fade?

 

[Charles]

If my math is correct, 38C equates to about 100 F. I never purchased a dash cover for mine. I had no problem with the dash fading. However, mine was the tan (Medium Pebble) color instead of Black.

This is a case of your mileage may vary.