I found a Transit that has almost everything we’re looking for, and the price seems okay. The only issue is it’s 2k miles away, so that’s a bit of a hassle. I’ve never bought a car without seeing it first. I can hold it with a $2k deposit, but if I change my mind after seeing it, I’ll lose that deposit.
I asked a friend, a diesel mechanic who recently bought a Transit (he has a gas engine like the one I’m looking at). He told me not to go for it. The one I’m considering is a 2021 with over 60k miles, so it’s out of warranty and has high miles for the year. He got his with only 31k miles, but I can’t afford one with lower miles.
I’ve already had three Transits slip through my fingers in the last few weeks, so I’m getting a bit impatient. This one has been sitting on the lot for 60 days. That could be another red flag, but the photos and videos make it look great.
If anyone has some thoughts, feel free to send me a DM and I’ll share the link. Appreciate it!
It’s a bit high on mileage for the year, but people who build vans often put a lot of miles on them. My 2021 work van had over 100k miles when we transferred it. The only thing to watch out for is that it could have been built during the Covid period.
I got a 2017 with 150k miles as an airport shuttle van in 2020. It was under $20k and in great shape. Now it’s at 175k and still runs great. I’d suggest getting a mechanic to check it, though, and I’d be cautious about the deposit if you’re not seeing it in person.
That’s just the trade-off. More miles = better price. You could also get an extended warranty. As for it sitting on the lot for two months, it’s not unusual. A lot of people still prefer pickups and SUVs over vans.
If you can get good pictures and maybe a video, I would go for it. I bought a 2020 with 80k miles and had no major issues. Just make sure the photos aren’t hiding imperfections, especially if it’s white—those are harder to spot in photos. It’s a solid van, but you might need to rebuild the driver’s seat eventually, and watch out for some door sensor problems. They drive well, though. Just get enough info so you know what to expect.
In my fleet, all our 2021s have over 50k miles. One has 105k, another 93k, and we even have a 2022 with 85k miles. No major issues so far. We replace our older Nissan vans with these.
Quincy said:
In my fleet, all our 2021s have over 50k miles. One has 105k, another 93k, and we even have a 2022 with 85k miles. No major issues so far. We replace our older Nissan vans with these.
@Lauren
We have two EcoBoost engines, both 2023 models, and they have under 10k miles on them. The rest are regular 3.5 engines, so not much data on them yet.
You might want to find a different mechanic. These Transits like to be used and don’t do well just sitting around. I have a 2020 Transit, and the engine lasted to 570k miles. As long as you change the oil, you’ll be fine. I drive mine cross-country and through winter, and it’s always running unless I’m refueling. I only had to use the warranty for an alternator at 250k miles and for the engine at 570k miles.
I bought mine with 143k miles and use it for expediting. Now it has 280k miles and still runs like new. Just keep up with maintenance and don’t follow the manufacturer’s service intervals. It’s always best to get videos or a test drive to be sure.
It looks like the mechanic is just a diesel specialist, so maybe his opinion is from a different angle. And if you’re in the states, they didn’t make diesel Transits in 2021.