So now my1997 E350 v10 work van has 200,000 miles and is still going but is starting to get tired. I like the v10 and found they re generally a good value because buyers are afraid of gas mileage.
I started looking around for a replacement and found a 1998 E350 v10 with 70,000 miles which according to the seller was "government owned and maintained". I almost think that this van was sitting around and not being used.
Question: Does a vehicle actually deteriorate when it is not used regularly? If so, should I rule out purchasing it? Price is $9000

 

A depends on where it was kept/stored.
A copy of the maintenance records would be helpful in making that decision.
Gov owned could be any branch and it would be a good idea to know which branch .
Sometimes they have several vehicles and it could have required some expensive work and they just didn't want to use it or repair it, and that's why maintenance records help.
Things like tires, battery, exhaust system and even body can rust and become problematic. Buying sight unseen is a gamble and always better to look it over before just deciding on price alone. If it came from the salt belt you might want to look underneath and see just what kind of condition the chassis and sheet metal are in.

 

Thanks for the reply. I will see it and drive it. I hope they have the service records but probably don't. Tires, exhaust and rust are easy enough to check .
Anything else to check?

 

Bump...