What to look for?

[Robert 96]

O.K. guys since I'm here and looking, what are the things I should look for when shopping Marauder's. All cars have their quirks, so what kind of problems should I look out for when shopping? I have had both a Crown Vic and a Grand Mark in the past and they were pretty much bullet proof. Does the same go for the Marauder?

[Zack]

Narrow your search to a BLUE MARAUDER, then go from there.

[magindat]

Narrow your search to a BLUE MARAUDER, then go from there.

:rolleyes: Here we go again!!! :o

[vkirkend]

Anything in Black is the preferred way to go. Something about the Black paint that makes it drive better and last longer.:D

[Richy04]

Once you go black, you'll never go back.. Got an 04, and love it..

[RF Overlord]

Robert, here are some thoughts, in no particular order:

Some early-build 300As had an issue with the rear axle shafts. There's a TSB on it... #03-5-5

Blue smoke at start-up (from tailpipe)...some cars do it and some don't...it's nothing heinous and doesn't mean the motor's shot.

Front tire inner tread wear. Most of the early ones wore out the front tires very rapidly, due to faulty factory alignment specs...do a search on this site for "carfixer's alignment specs".

Yes, the front and rear tires are supposed to be different sizes.

Power window switch lights not working...it's an easy fix (if you can solder), but no one figured it out until recently.

Rear bumper sagging or ballooning at highway speeds. An easy and inexpensive fix. Install a Pro-Guard.

Steering wheel doesn't lock...That's normal, it's not supposed to.

The transmission upshifts way too early. That's the factory programming. Can be corrected with a tune from Dennis or Lidio.

Car seems slow off the line, but is great at highway speeds. That's normal... and can be greatly improved with a tune from Dennis or Lidio. Installing 4.10 gears helps a lot, too, and won't kill the gas mileage.

"The valve covers aren't painted"...normal for an '04.

"Where's the traction-control switch?"...Early '03s don't have TC.

"Where's the supercharger?" (Heh...trick question... :) )

[Marauder386]

To add to RFOverlords info...

Easy visuals whilst on the lot looking:

Early MM's have digital clock in center of dash...others incorporated into radio.
Early MM's have map pockets on driver and passenger seat, at the front.
Early MM's have NO Traction Control switch, only brake/gas pedal adujstment.
Early MM's ( VERY EARLY ) have soft splotchy paint that FOMOCO admitted to...but refused to fix...


:cool:

[Steve_NC]

Shocks. Make sure there is no oil leaking from them. I had a bad one and it sounded like the tire was about to come off whenever I hit speed bump.
Oh yea, and the PING! I love the ping from the exhaust when it cools down.

[Local Boy]

RF Overlord and Marauder386 covered all you need to know...

Just one bit of advice...Regarding RF Overlord's first point (faulty rear axle shafts)...you can look at the inside of the rear wheels...look for gear oil dripping down the back of the brake housing...this is a sure sign that the axles are bad...

Good luck...

ALOHA

[CRUZTAKER]

Shocks. Make sure there is no oil leaking from them. I had a bad one and it sounded like the tire was about to come off when ever I hit speed bump.

Yes.

In the last 4 years - 30,000 miles I have had (repaired under warranty):
One rear shock failure
One front end realignment (inside front tire wear)
Shift linkage loose (difficulty finding R) *Loose again
Thermostat
Limited Slip Diff (replaced with an Auburn)
Parking brake cable

I also had the infamous early 300A left head 'TICK' and blue smoke on startup.

[knine]

Narrow your search to a BLUE MARAUDER, then go from there.


:rolleyes: Here we go again!!! :o

Yesh, look for a BLUE one, they're the best, most rare and coolest color. :cool:

[Hotrauder]

Look first for the super charger, If none..walk away.:PDennis

[ckadiddle]

Look first for the super charger, If none..walk away.:PDennis
Now that's a good point! :banana2:

For my 03, the drivetrain has been very solid and strong. So far, up to 44000 miles. About 20000 of that has been put on since I bought it, and I haven't been gentle with it. :D

Get a Ford ESP or EasyCare plan if the car is still eligible for it. I have had one front shock go bad, electric fan switch, uncommanded wiper operation (search on wacky wiper), the heat/ac control unit and probably a couple other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. Everything was either under the OEM 3/36 warranty or under my ESP plan. To me, all this stuff is minor. Engine and trans has been reliable and solid for me, gets me to work every day, grocery store, main trans for us on weekends.

I owned crown vics prior to the MM, traded a danged nice 2001 CVLX with very low miles in on the MM. Compared to the crown vics, Marauders eat tires faster. Tires are also more expensive and sometimes hard to find.

All that being said, there is no comparison in the fun you will have driving a Marauder compared to a crown vic. :burnout:You can't put a price tag on looking forward to driving to work every morning.

[racorcey]

Get a Ford ESP or EasyCare plan if the car is still eligible for it. I have had one front shock go bad, electric fan switch, uncommanded wiper operation (search on wacky wiper), the heat/ac control unit and probably a couple other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. Everything was either under the OEM 3/36 warranty or under my ESP plan. To me, all this stuff is minor. Engine and trans has been reliable and solid for me, gets me to work every day, grocery store, main trans for us on weekends.



I agree....I waited until literally the last minute to get Ford's best extended warranty (Premium). My warranty ran out 6/1/2007. My extended policy started on the same date.:D I found a particularly good deal on the Premium, 3/100k (after end of stock warranty), $50 ded., for $1660 from a dealer in DE. Most everyone else wouldn't quote anything other than what was in their dealer's book - about $2200. You just have to shop.

Bottom line - I've used about $1100 of the warranty cost since June 1, on A/C and ignition coil problems.

Normally I'm not a believer in extended warranties. My last several CV's were pretty much spot on with minimal upkeep. I've owned the MM since March of 2006, and it's in the shop about once a month or so. Nothing really serious in the sense of the word, but enough to have made me thought about getting the extended warranty. As of today (Sept 7), I still have under 36k miles, and have seen about 60% of the problems listed by others here on this forum. It's not enough to make me get rid of the car - I otherwise love it! I guess we can thank Jack Nasser for his part in creating a more unreliable Ford product for this 2003/2004 era. I hope with him gone now that the engineers (what's left of them) can get back to concentrating on creating reliability and away from removing costs at any cost.

Caveat Emptor!