# What to Look For When Buying a Used Ford Territory > What to check on a used Territory, what a problem looks like, and when to walk away. Covers: SY (2005–2011), SZ (2011–2016). Last updated: 8 October 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-ford-territory-inspection-checklist. Printable PDF: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-ford-territory-inspection-checklist.pdf. ## Common Problems on a Used Ford Territory The most commonly reported problems on a used Ford Territory are a wobble through the steering under braking from worn front suspension parts, power steering leaks, and a whine or clunk from the rear diff. Window motors can also fail. LPG cars need a current tank test, and with the Territory out of production since 2016, check parts prices before you buy. ### A Wobble Through the Steering Under Braking On some Territories, the rubber bushes in the front suspension wear out, letting the front wheels shift as you brake. You feel it as a wobble or shimmy through the steering wheel. Warped brake discs can feel similar. Brake firmly from 60 km/h on a clear, straight road. The car should stop straight, with no pulling, wobble or shimmy through the wheel. Then drive over a few bumps and listen for knocks from the front. Worn bushes are a moderate repair. Have a mechanic tell you whether it's bushes, discs or both, and price it into your offer. ### Power Steering Leaks The Territory's power steering uses hydraulic fluid pumped through hoses to the steering rack. With age, the hoses and the rack's seals can leak, and a steering system that runs low on fluid gets noisy and heavy and wears out faster. Look under the power steering fluid tank and along the hoses for wet fluid, check the level in the tank, and look under the front of the car for drips. On the drive, turn the wheel lock to lock and listen for a whine or groan, and feel for steering that's heavy or uneven. A leaking hose is a cheap fix, but a leaking steering rack is a bigger job, so have a mechanic tell you which it is and price it in. ### A Whine or Clunk From the Rear Diff The rear differential sends the engine's power to the back wheels. As it wears, it can whine at steady speeds, and worn mounts or parts can clunk from the back as you accelerate or lift off. On the drive, listen for a whine from the back that changes as you accelerate and ease off, and for a clunk when you take off or change from Drive to Reverse. Look under the back for oil leaking from the diff. Ask whether the diff or its mounts have been repaired, with receipts. A noisy diff can be expensive to fix, so have a mechanic check it or price it in. ### Window Motors That Fail Each electric window in a Territory runs on a motor and a regulator inside the door. As they wear, windows slow down, stick, go up crooked or stop working altogether. Run every window fully down and up, from the driver's switches and each door's own switch. Each should move at a steady speed, without stopping, grinding or tilting. A window repair is a moderate cost per door, so price in any that are slow or stuck. ### LPG Tank Testing Territorys that run on LPG have a gas tank in the back. LPG tanks must be re-tested every 10 years to stay legal, and an out-of-date tank can't legally be used until it's re-tested or replaced. Find the tank's compliance plate, which shows when it was made or last tested. Check the car runs smoothly on gas as well as petrol, and switches over cleanly. Ask for the installation or re-test certificate where your state requires one. A tank that's nearly due for testing is a cost to price in. If the tank is out of date and there's no paperwork, budget for a re-test or replacement before you can use the gas. ### Parts and Servicing Since Ford Stopped Making It Ford stopped making the Territory in 2016. It can still be serviced and repaired, but some parts can be slower or dearer to get than for a model still on sale. Ask where the car has been serviced. Before you buy, check the price of parts for any repair the inspection turns up, and get an insurance quote, so there are no surprises after you own it. ## Which Ford Territory Years to Avoid? No Ford Territory year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). - **SY (2005–2011).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. - **SZ (2011–2016).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. ## Ford Territory Inspection Checklist Tick it if it's fine. Cross it if it isn't, and note what you found so you can price it into your offer. - Safety critical: Affects how safely it drives or protects you in a crash. Best to have a mechanic check it before you buy. - Negotiate: Costs money to fix, from wear to major repairs. Get a quote and take it off the price. ### Before You Go - [ ] **Get the VIN and rego** before you travel. A seller who won't share them is a red flag on its own. - [ ] **Know what you're looking at:** petrol, turbo petrol, diesel or LPG; RWD or AWD. Their checks below are marked. - [ ] **Ask how it was used:** school runs, towing a caravan or boat (how heavy, how far), dirt roads or fleet? - [ ] **Ask for the engine to be cold,** go in daylight, and bring a torch, paper towel and a friend. ### Exterior - [ ] **Panels and paint.** Uneven gaps, mismatched colour or overspray on seals and trim mean crash repair. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Paint on the roof and bonnet.** Faded or peeling clear coat is common on cars left in the sun. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust** at this age: wheel arches, sills, door bottoms and the bottom of the tailgate. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Tailgate and glass hatch** open and stay up on their own; they shut and lock cleanly. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Lights and glass.** All lights work; windscreen free of chips. Hazy, yellowed headlight lenses cut light output. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Windows and doors.** Every window goes fully up and down at a steady speed; doors lock from the remote. (Negotiate) - [ ] **VIN plate** (in a door frame or under the bonnet) is there, untouched, and matches the papers. ### Under the Bonnet - [ ] **Engine oil** between the dipstick marks, brown not black. Old, dark oil means servicing has been skipped. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Coolant** at the mark and brightly coloured. Rusty or oily coolant, or regular top-ups, needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brake fluid** (small tank at the back of the engine bay) is clear to light amber, not dark. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Belts, hoses and battery.** No cracked belts or perished, swollen hoses. Rubber parts age with years, not just kilometres. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Leaks.** Wet oil on the engine is a leak; also check under the power steering tank. (Negotiate) - [ ] **LPG: tank date.** The tank's compliance plate (in the boot) shows when it was made or last tested. LPG tanks must be re-tested every 10 years to stay legal. - [ ] **Cold start.** Starts easily and settles to a smooth idle. A rattle for the first few seconds, or smoke, needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) ### Underbody and Wheels - [ ] **Tyres** above the wear bars, worn evenly and under ~6 years old. AWD models need four matching tyres; mismatched ones strain the AWD system. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust and crash repairs.** Rust on the floor or around the suspension; bent metal, fresh welds or new black coating in one spot. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Oil leaks** from the engine, gearbox, rear diff and AWD drive parts; drips where it's normally parked. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Suspension.** Push down on each corner: it should bounce back once and settle. Oily shock absorbers leak. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brakes.** Deep grooves or a raised edge on the discs mean they're due. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Towbar.** A worn tow ball means lots of towing; check the wiring plug works. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Exhaust.** Heavy rust, holes or loose heat shields. Diesel: heavy soot can mean a damaged or removed exhaust filter (DPF). (Negotiate) ### Interior and Electrics - [ ] **Warning lights.** Key to "on": every dash light comes on, then goes out once running. An airbag, brake, engine or AWD warning that stays on needs explaining. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Third-row seats** (if fitted) fold and lock; belts work. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Seatbelts** pull out fully, retract and latch, with no fraying. Check child-seat anchor points. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Water leaks.** Damp carpet, a wet cargo floor or a stained headlining. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Air con** blows cold front and rear, without a musty smell; heater gets hot. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Electrics.** Screen, stereo, Bluetooth, reversing camera, sensors and mirrors all work. Count the keys. (Negotiate) ### Test Drive - [ ] **Automatic.** Smooth changes with no slipping, flare, harsh shifts or thump into Drive or Reverse. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Engine.** Pulls smoothly with no stutter or smoke. LPG: runs smoothly on gas too, and switches over cleanly. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Turbo or diesel.** No loud whistle, flat spots or sudden power loss. (Negotiate) - [ ] **AWD.** In a car park, drive slowly on full lock both ways: no clunking or juddering. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Braking stability.** Brake firmly from 60 km/h: it stops straight, with no pulling, wobble or shimmy through the wheel. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Steering and noises.** No knocks over bumps; no whine or clunk from the rear as you accelerate or lift off. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Afterwards,** check for new drips, a steady temperature gauge and no hot smells. (Negotiate) ### Documentation - [ ] **Seller's ID** matches the rego papers, and the VIN matches on the papers and VIN plate. - [ ] **Service history.** Oil changes on time, with receipts. Ask when the gearbox fluid was last changed, if ever. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Repairs.** Ask about any steering, suspension or gearbox work, and get the paperwork. (Negotiate) - [ ] **LPG paperwork.** Installation or tank re-test certificate, where your state requires one. - [ ] **Parts and servicing.** Ford stopped making the Territory in 2016. Ask where it's been serviced, and check parts prices for any repair you'd need. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rego and roadworthy.** Rego checked online; roadworthy supplied if your state requires one on sale. (Negotiate) ## Stay Safe Never go under a car held up only by a jack, and never open the radiator or coolant cap on a hot engine. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing clear of fans and belts when the engine is running, and do checks under the bonnet with it switched off where you can. On the test drive, hold a current licence, confirm the car is registered and insured, obey road rules, and only brake hard when the road behind is clear. Meet in a safe, public-facing place, take someone with you, and don't carry large amounts of cash to a viewing. ## Disclaimer Shufti is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ford; Ford and Territory are trademarks of Ford Motor Company. Figures are counts from Shufti's analysis of official records and published reports, not a statement that any particular vehicle is affected. This checklist is general information only and is not professional, mechanical, legal or financial advice. It covers common checks, not every possible fault, and a car can pass every item here and still have problems. It is not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection by a qualified mechanic, which is worth considering before you buy, especially if anything tagged Safety critical turns up. Repair costs vary widely; get your own quotes. Roadworthy, registration and transfer rules differ by state, so check with your state road authority. Private sales generally don't come with the consumer guarantees that apply when you buy from a dealer. You use this checklist at your own risk and, to the extent permitted by law, Shufti accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from its use. ## Buying a Used Ford Territory: Questions Answered ### Is a used Ford Territory reliable? It depends more on the particular car than the badge: how it was driven, loaded and serviced. Work through the commonly reported problems above, read the service history for servicing done on time, and run a PPSR check. ### Which Ford Territory years should I avoid? No Ford Territory year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). This checklist covers the SY (2005–2011) and SZ (2011–2016) Ford Territory. Problems reported across them include a wobble through the steering under braking from worn front suspension parts, power steering leaks and a whine or clunk from the rear diff. ### How many kilometres is too many for a used Ford Territory? Kilometres matter less than how the car was driven and serviced. A high-kilometre SUV with a full service history can be a better buy than a low-kilometre one that's missed services, done short trips or been used for rideshare. Check the history for regular servicing, and on a hybrid ask for a battery health check. ### Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a used Ford Territory? It's worth it if you can. All-wheel-drive and hybrid systems can hide faults that only a mechanic's tools will show. Most buyers don't book one, though, so whatever you decide, check the car thoroughly yourself with this checklist first. See Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it? (https://shufti.com.au/guides/is-a-pre-purchase-inspection-worth-it) ### How do I check a used Ford Territory for money owing or a write-off? Run a PPSR check with the car's VIN. It shows whether there's finance owing and whether the car has been reported stolen or written off, and costs $2. Run it on the day you pay. See What a PPSR check covers and what it doesn't (https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check) --- Shufti is an Australian used car inspection app for iPhone and Android that tailors the inspection to the exact car you're looking at. It is not affiliated with Shufti Pro, the identity verification (KYC) company. From the listing link, it builds every check around that car's make, model and year, odometer reading and the seller's description. It runs PPSR and government recall checks, crosschecks a database of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, flags problems from your photos and audio, plans a test drive, produces a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaches you through the negotiation. A check costs $24.99, or $49.99 for three, including PPSR and recall checks. A mechanic's pre-purchase inspection costs $250–350. Made by Frontpoint Digital Pty Ltd (ABN 23 669 870 366), Melbourne, Australia. Contact: hello@shufti.com.au. Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/shufti-used-car-inspection/id6795718336?pt=129235165&ct=Website%20guide&mt=8), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.shufti.shufti_app&referrer=utm_source%3Dshufti.com.au%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite%26utm_campaign%3DWebsite%2520guide%26utm_content%3Dllms).