Apple.Fanatic

(New to these forums, mods I'm sorry if this thread is in the wrong place!)

Hi All,

I've been considering buying a 2005-2006 V6 Mustang as my daily driver to get me through university. Wanting something reliable, fun, and a little flashy (18yo guy here ) and this gen of mustang caught my eye.

The vehicle I am currently looking at is a 2006 with 150,000 km's (100k miles), all highway according to the seller. The seller is asking $7500 (canadian) and has all the maintenance receipts for the car, and just replaced the clutch and battery last year. Original owner.

Just have a few questions for you experts:

-How reliable would you say these cars are at high mileage? Do the maintenance costs get expensive? Do these motors last if properly maintained? (I intend to have a compression test done before the sale if I decide to buy.)

-Any common issues that occur with these cars that I should be wary of when I go look?

-On the manual V6 cars, is the Drive By Wire lag very noticeable? Can it be overcome? My last car was a high mileage 2001 BMW 330i, and there was some significant throttle lag that drove me ablsolutely nuts (It was a slushbox however, which could have had something to do with it). Is it the same story on these cars? These threads have me concerned, although they seem to have a fix:

https://mustangforums.com/forum/2005...ottle-lag.html

https://mustangforums.com/forum/2005...ust-see-2.html

Any advice would be much appreciated!

BrandonsBlueStang

I bought my car at 100k miles and am now at 120k miles and have had no significant problems. There are many members on here with high miles and still going strong, so I wouldn't worry about the high miles. When buying used though, it never hurts to have a very in-depth check of everything just to be on the safe side.

My best advice for the throttle lag is a custom tune. Beware if you go this route though because once you start modding, you'll find yourself never wanting to stop . http://www.americanmuscle.com/

These are fun cars and I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Tanner05

Check it out for any strange electrical things. If the doors unlock strange, lights flash, headlights won't turn off or anything like that. The 05-07s are prone to a water leak on the passenger side that can contribute to weird electrical issues.

Looking at a manual? Make sure that transmission is working really well before you take it home. Don't expect a butter feel, you won't get it with this T5. Just make sure it isn't grinding and is fairly easy to get in to gear.

Otherwise, the 4.0 V6 is a depebdable motor and proven platform for Ford. It isn't very powerful, but it isn't going to (normally) be a headache. I love mine. The motor hasn't given me any issues. Check it over well and go for it, IMO.

2007StangV6

The 4.0's are very dependable. Mine is only at 75k miles, and I haven't had a single problem with it aside from the thermostat housing. Was a breeze to replace, so that's always nice.

That's one of the things I would check on this car your thinking about buying. It's one of the more common problems of the 4.0's.

Chevy Convert

Buy a V8

yellowneck86

stay away from fleet/ex rentals and watch out for water leaks by the passenger floor board. When I had my 06 V6, I've had issues like the door locks would consistantly cycle by themselves, e-brake light stayed on when the e-brake was off, air vents would fall out, etc. If you plan to mod it in the future, CAI and tune.

JThor

Those cars are really reliable. A well maintained car will last 200k+ mi. The main thing to look for is the maintenance by the previous owner. Were there consistent oil/filter changes? Has the trans fluid been changed? Belts, hoses? Last brake fluid flush? Has the owner kept the drains clean so the passenger side leak talked about above doesn't happen?

How was the car driven? Mainly highway would be the best.

I have found that water pumps and alternators often go out at 100-125k miles. So, expect that repair soon after you get the car. Strut and ball joints start failing soon after. All just normal maintenance items to anticipate.

Avoid a car that has electronic gremlins. They can be really hard to sort out.

Definitely get it checked out by a dealer or a good independent Ford mechanic.

Good luck! Let us know what you do.

Apple.Fanatic

Thank you for all the great advice and feedback, it's a big help

I'm hoping to go look at the car this weekend, will post back if I decide to pull the trigger!