Used Ford Endeavour buyers’checklist

The Ford Endeavour is a one of the largest SUVs you can buy in India. At over 5 metres in length, the vehicle has imposing size and road presence. The new Ford Endeavour is available in three variants – a 4×2 2.5 litre manual transmission variant, a 3-litre 4×2 automatic variant and a 3-litre 4×4 automatic variant.

The Endeavour was first introduced in India in 2003 and has since gone through three upgrades. The vehicle is based on a pick-up truck chassis and is quite robust, with a strong suspension and chassis. It is a fairly reliable vehicle with no major problems being reported. The Endeavour is assembled in India with parts coming from Thailand, and hence spares are expensive. It sells only about 120 vehicles a month, facing strong competition from the likes of the Toyota Fortuner on one side of its price band and the Mahindra XUV500 on the other. A new Ford Endeavour is priced between Rs. 17.9 lakh to Rs. 20.9 lakh ex-showroom. Also see: Ford Endeavour 4×4 AT video review

The Endeavour initially came with a 2.5 litre engine option only in both 4×4 and 4×2 variants with a manual transmission and manual 4×4 shifter. In 2006 it was upgraded to a 3-litre variant with manual 4×4 and 4×2. In 2009, Ford launched the 3-litre 5-speed automatic Endeavour with 4×4 and in 2010 a 3-litre 4×2 automatic variant was launched.

Prices of used Ford Endeavour

Model 2003-2004: Rs. 4.95 lakh – Rs. 5.5 lakh

Model 2005-2006: Rs. 6 lakh – Rs. 7.5 lakh

Model 2007-2008: Rs. 7.5 lakh – Rs. 10.5 lakh

Model 2009-2010: Rs. 13 lakh – Rs. 16 lakh

Model 2011-2012: Rs. 14 lakh – Rs. 18 lakh

If you are looking for a used Ford Endeavour here are some things to watch out for.

Engine

The earlier 2.5 litre engine on the Endeavour was underpowered as it produced just 142 bhp. The vehicle needed to be revved to move and this took its toll on the clutch as well. Other issues that the Endeavour reported were dirty fuel injectors and leaking intercooler turbo hoses. When you inspect the vehicle, start, warm it up and then rev it to check for any untoward engine noise (hissing, whining) and for black exhaust smoke. This can be a sign of an abused vehicle.

Clutch

The Endeavour is a heavy vehicle. If you are looking at the manual variant, pay close attention to the clutch. The clutch on the Endeavour is slightly heavy, which is normal. But check for slippage or excessive clutch play. It should engage smoothly and not judder, which could be a sign of a clutch that has worn out. Be especially wary of vehicles that have seen heavy city usage. The later automatic transmission variant has no such problem though.

Transmission

If the vehicle you are inspecting is a four-wheel drive variant, pay attention to the transmission. The 4×4 came in two kinds – the earlier ones were a manual shifting variant, while the newer Endeavour has a Borg-Warner shift on the fly 4×4 electronic shift. If the vehicle has been used in 4×4 mode on tarmac, there could be problems with the transmission. It is quite difficult to gauge any problem if you are inspecting the vehicle on a paved road. Keep the vehicle straight, start and shift into 4×4. There should be no unusual clanging or banging noises from the transmission. Drive forward slowly for a few metres and then stop, and shift into 4-Low – it should engage without difficulty and you should be able to feel the engine rpms rise considerably when you drive a few metres. Stop and shift back into 4×2 mode, and reverse the vehicle to check if the hubs unlock. Earlier Endeavours had a unlock switch on the dashboard for this, while the later ones have automatic hubs. Also read: Ford Endeavour road test and review

If you are planning on buying the automatic variant, check for excessive engine revving before the vehicle moves, which could indicate trouble with the automatic transmission, although the AT is quite robust and doesn’t usually give any trouble.

Brakes

The Ford Endeavour has a known issue of weak brakes. If you are used to driving a sedan and try the Endeavour, this can seem scary at first. The brake pads tend to wear out early (as early as 20,000 km) on the new Ford Endeavour automatic variant, while the earlier ones had spongy brakes that didn’t inspire confidence. Check if this is excessive and whether the pads have been replaced recently or not – as it’s a fairly expensive affair.

Suspension

The Endeavour comes with a leaf-spring suspension set up at the rear that can take quite a bit of abuse over any kind of terrain. The front suspension is an independent torsion bar set up. Although the suspension doesn’t usually act up, check for alignment issues which are a fairly common problem with the Endeavour. Ford Endeavour vs Ssangyong Rexton

Buying a used Ford Endeavour seems like a good idea, but also keep in mind that the huge size may not fit in everyone’s parking lot and is difficult to manoeuvre in the city. It also doesn’t have the best ride comfort. Buy one if you want a tough vehicle for rough terrain, and one that has plenty of interior space.