Looked at a 2016 GT350 today! Buying advice?

[Rbp_280z]

Hey everyone, I went to test drive a 2016 GT350 with 30,000 miles and one owner. It was a Massachusetts car and seemed well taken care of. I currently own a 2022 Mustang GT but have always admired the GT350’s. What buying advice do you have for a person new to the platform? The salesman pulled up the service record and an engine replacement was never done. Is oil consumption an issue on all 2016’s? Does oil consumptions cause longevity or any other issues?

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[ClayDee]

My man, it's unlikely you'll have anyone else post on this thread after me. There is an endless amount of information on here about the questions you are seeking an answer for. Use the search function, it is very helpful. Take care and good luck.

 

[Crew4991]

Just get the car, it is a one owner well taken care of car. Those are hard to find.

 

[NPTR]

My man, it's unlikely you'll have anyone else post on this thread after me. There is an endless amount of information on here about the questions you are seeking an answer for. Use the search function, it is very helpful. Take care and good luck.

Agree - just an insane amount out there and this is such an open ended question folks could go on forever…

I will leave you with something though, since I was recently in the market…I found “Enthusiasts Garage” on YouTube to be incredible knowledgeable, to the point, well researched, and objective / honest. Watch all his videos for straight forward info on the GT350.

 

[matthewr87]

If it is a 2016 make sure it has the track pack, otherwise it will be missing the oil coolers that became standard on the 2017+. If the original engine is at 30,000 miles then it is likely one of the 96%+ without issues (most of which show up early on).

 

[MAGS1]

Agree - just an insane amount out there and this is such an open ended question folks could go on forever…

I will leave you with something though, since I was recently in the market…I found “Enthusiasts Garage” on YouTube to be incredible knowledgeable, to the point, well researched, and objective / honest. Watch all his videos for straight forward info on the GT350.

He’s on this forum as well, although I can’t think of his username off the top of my head.

 

[JAJ]

Hey everyone, I went to test drive a 2016 GT350 with 30,000 miles and one owner. It was a Massachusetts car and seemed well taken care of. I currently own a 2022 Mustang GT but have always admired the GT350’s. What buying advice do you have for a person new to the platform? The salesman pulled up the service record and an engine replacement was never done. Is oil consumption an issue on all 2016’s? Does oil consumptions cause longevity or any other issues?

There's lots of opinions on lots of forums and most will be confusing. On the oil consumption issue, the 2016's didn't seem to have the "high consumption" problems that were a big deal with 2017's and 2018's. But, they did consume oil at a lower rate. Mine, also a 2016 with 30,000 miles on it, goes through a quart every 1500 to 2000 miles. It's done that since new and it's pretty steady - a bit more when I'm driving in the city, a bit less on the highway and on the track.

As for other things, as @matthewr87 said, make sure it's got coolers, make sure it's had the oil cooler line recall done (if it needed it) and make sure it hasn't been tuned. A fair number of "failed Voodoo's" on the internet were tuned.

As for other issues, if it was a single owner for 8 years and 30,000 miles, it's probably a good car with few problems.

 

[lunatect]

I have a 2016 Tech Pack and am a retired club racer (BMW). Do not worry about not having the coolers if you are not going to open track the car.

 

[SoCalTim]

The GT350's are special cars, and that Voodoo makes some rather epic noises.

That being said, I wouldn't touch a used one without some kind of warranty. A 2016 is way past its factory coverage, so whilst you can test drive a car and get a good feel for how it runs etc, you just never know if you have purchased a ticking time bomb. There is no way of knowing how hard the previous owner drove the car, and whether they were mechanically sympathetic. (Not revving the motor high until the oil is up to temp, etc).

That Voodoo is expensive to replace... so my only 0.02 of advice is look into your warranty options before purchasing.

 

[NPTR]

Would also look for signs of enthusiast ownership - little things that tell you whether someone who truly cared/knew these cars and was part of this community would have done....the biggest one being a Ford Performance catch can (at least passenger side). Other things like PPF, jacking rails, rock guards, etc. are all little signs of a more loved / cared for vehicle. I would also look for signs of past modification returned to stock...would require some more detailed poking around, but worth it as many of the bigger issues I have seen on these cars were more heavily modified than the simple / quick bolt ons.

 

[GoBlueGT350]

2016 Tech here - my use case was not going to involve tracking this car, if it were I would've been far selective about a 2016 track pack or 2017+ newer to make sure the oil/transmission coolers were included. That said I've had the car 3+ years and have never had a temp issue with spirited back road driving and it's been a fantastic vehicle otherwise. Check the oil level, check the oil level, check the oil level.

The AC goes on these cars, if you didn't test it I would want to make sure it works, if it doesn't you're looking at big bill to get it back to working order. You can easily add car play to the 2016 by changing the USB module in the center console if that hasn't already been done.

I always pay attention to mods, ask if the car has been tuned, check the date codes on the tires. Also check the engine bay in general - catch cans and clean appearance aren't guarantees but certainly good signs. Service records if it was a single owner are always a positive as well.

A pre-purchase inspection is always worth it IMO.

Every single car has its boogeyman issues, my LS7 had the terrifying exhaust valves notoriety, my 392 in the SRT Grand Cherokee had everyone talking about water pump and lifter issues etc, etc. Take care/keep up with the maintenance on the vehicle and enjoy it.

Oh and check the oil level.

 

[Rbp_280z]

Thank you guys for the replies. Do you guys have an extended warranty you recommend besides Ford? Ford won’t cover it because it’s a 2016 and the warranty has expired.

 

[autobahnGT350]

If your buying from dealer, they may be able to offer a warranty but it will be aftermarket. I bought a 2017 Rangerover Sport SVR at a Ford dealer when taking my GT350 in for service a few years ago. We went back to purchase the SVR, and dealer said that most dealers offer an option for warranties for used vehicles. This was a very large Ford dealer (one of the largest in the Virginia area) so they may have some more discretion with warranty options. Just ask the dealer and see what happens. I did not think the warranty price was that bad either. A couple grand for 3 years, bumper to bumper.

 

[2fast2focus]

Thank you guys for the replies. Do you guys have an extended warranty you recommend besides Ford? Ford won’t cover it because it’s a 2016 and the warranty has expired.

I believe Flood Ford or Granger Ford can offer you a warranty. You would have to give them a call for pricing and to confirm.

 

[klawrence]

No way I would trust any aftermarket warranty, they are in the business to not pay out warranty claims. I recently purchased a 2016 from a dealer. You can get an actual Ford ESP on a 2016 , just requires an inspection at a Ford dealer.

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