May be new ST owner

[Rodney Leary]

Hello all. I have been a fan of the Sport Trac for years. Finally looking to purchase a used ST.



Several local options for me ranging from an '01-'03. My front runner is an '01 with 97k miles, talked him down from $8k to $7k. Going to test drive on Monday... if it runs well I may be a new forum contributor.



Any tips on common problems to look out for?

 

[Len Jorgenson]

I now own a 2009 STA, but my previous vehicle was a 2003 ST 4x4. Sold it to my girlfriend, and it's continued to be a great truck...except for one little issue. It has about 150,000 miles on it now, and recently, the rear timing chain knocked a hole in the valve cover. This meant the tensioner was shot and needed replacement. A known issue with this engine, for which the fix is removing the engine from the truck and replacing tensioner parts and chains on both front and rear timing chains. If you're prepared to do this yourself, great. Otherwise, it's a $3,000 touch. I'm still in the dog house



Not trying to scare you off owning an ST. They are a great vehicle; this is just something to be aware of with the earlier engine and high miles.



L

 

[EddieS'04]

If you can aford it. I would go for '03 to '05. There are many upgrades and fixed glithes.

Not every one has had problems with the chains. I believe the later model '03 and above made changes to the tensoner.

'03 and up has 4 wheel disc brakes also. Maybe some else can chime in on upgrades.

:welcome:

 

[Uwe Canting]

Look under the body and check the body mounts. Members here have noted that they errode over time and it is a costly repair. I also suggest a 03 to 05 as they have alot of the bugs worked out.

 

[Rodney Leary]

Thanks for the heads up. Not 100% sold on the 01 yet, but it's closest to my prince range right now and has the least miles. I will check the body mounts like advised.

 

[Art Garcia]

if you go with the 01 make sure its a job 2.

that simply means it a later production where some bugs were fixed.

easy way to check that is to look at the specs label on the door and it should have been

manufactured on june 2000 or later. also the engine dipstick will be located on the drivers side and the intake manifold cover should look like these. basically the engine bay should look like this

[Broken External Image]:

 

[Johnny O]

'03-up will have four wheel disc brakes.

 

[Rodney Leary]

Had a lead on a 2004 for the same price (more miles) but it was sold before I could get to it.



So I bought the 01. The oil stick is on the driver side, so I think it's the job 2. I checked the body mounts and they are deteriorating. I used this info to talk him down another $500. It still runs well though.



I used a thread here to find my keyless entry code and setup a personal code... yay, thanks!



My biggest issue right now is a weak lock actuator (I can fix myself) on the driver side and the dash lights on the instrument panel/ac controls arent working (I checked the fuses already)... looks like a possible wiring issue or maybe a screwed up light switch (based on some web searches). I will rip the dash out this weekend to see if its the switch. Im not qualified to fix any wiring... so I hope its a bad switch.



Will post a pic and updates as I work on it!

 

[ray moyer]

congrats man! welcome to the family!

 

[H D]

Congratulations! I hope you find the enjoyment out of your Sport Trac that most of us on here have. This is a great forum as well. We like to hear what you're doing with your ST, and we love pictures.