Battery 70.
A/c power module 130.
EGR valve 60.
Waterpump.
Heater hoses.
Interior lights won't go off.
Vibrates at speeds more than 70mph.
Steering wheel is off center.
Exhaust leak.
Trunk pull down.
Paint is thin.
Skin dents too easy.
Memory seats don't work.
Seat heat doesn't work.
Transmission bushing and seal.
A/c drain fell off soaking the interior.
Very pretty car, definitely the best looking car I've had. the engine runs smooth enough, but I find the auxiliaries to be noisy. the ride is not as quiet as one would hope since roadnoise echos in the cabin giving a low frequent rumble at low speeds. The car vibrates at high speeds. it doesn't handle very well it has lots of bodyroll and feels like an older car than it is. power is more than sufficient. interior and trunkspace is not as good as expected for a car that size.
The previous owner (original) had many major problems with leaks of all kinds. several bills show amounts of 2000-3000$
My recommendation is to buy a similar Grand Marquis which is a better car for less money.
Grand Marquis is definitely less costly to buy, but it's definitely not as luxurious or nearly the status symbol these Fleetwoods are. I would argue it's not as reliable in 200k miles of driving compared to the Fleetwood.
Your fleetwood was 12 years old with over 120k miles when you got it. Those minor things that were wrong with it should be expected. A similar year and condition Grand Marquis would've had just as many and possibly more things wrong with it. Believe it or not a Fleetwood actually cost less to maintain than a Grand Marquis or similar Ford product i.e. Lincoln Town Car.
Exactly what sort of expectations did you have before you bought this car? As has already been pointed out in the previous comment - you purchased, which was at the time, a twelve year old vehicle with over 120,000 miles... Not to mention the fact that seeing as how you acquired it from a private party, I'd wager that you only spent a few thousand dollars for it.
All of the complaints listed can be boiled down to three things... Normal age-related wear and tear, improper care and maintenance by the previous owner, and plain old misconceptions about the nature of the car itself.
While these old B-bodies are well known and consequently sought after for their reliability, ease of repair, power, and comfort... They're not "bullet-proof." They're still cars and all cars have their problems and require maintenance, as well as repairs - especially at a certain age.
A Grand Marquis, Crown Vic, or Town Car will by no means, have less problems than a Fleetwood, Roadmaster, Caprice, nor Impala... especially of a similar age. Not to mention the fact that in general, one will spend even more money in maintenance and most certainly in repairs on Ford's modular V8 than one will spend on a Chevy small block.
Just remember - time cares not about make, nor model... Eventually everything breaks.
After reading the first caption, it's obvious the car was not properly maintained, or taken care of, or at least "they didn't care much, and planned to dump it when crap piled up".
As for the B body family comment about reliability, and bullet proofness, all B body & D body cars are in fact, bullet PROOF! If you take care of them and routinely maintain them like anything other vehicle.
This is coming from a 25 year old with a heavy foot flying around in a 94 Caprice wagon, and I have been beating it for the last 7 years, with 367,000km or 204,000 miles, and change.
No rebuild, no burning oil, no funny knocks or pings, STILL PASSES E TEST, the lt1 especially seems to be seamlessly RESILIENT, just show the car you care, and I guarantee you will never be let down!
Remember this is coming from a 25 year old, who loves to hear those 30 series Flowmasters roar! B BODIES NEVER DIE, THEY JUST GET PASSED ON TIME AND TIME AGAIN, TILL THE BODY FALLS OFF!
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