im really picky with my NF (its basically a EF) i mean really picky like even a slightest sign of something being faulty and ill change it/fix it and the only thing ive done besides standard maintenance things like oil, spark plugs etc thats critical to the car working was the water pump and it has 282,000 k's on it and almost everything has its original ford logos on them

they are incredibly reliable and despite common belief if driven properly and looked after well can get good economy to and they can go forever i know a fella with over 1 mill K's on his e series and the motor hasnt been opened but 600,000 k's as mentioned by EFNA isnt terribly uncommon considering

gearboxes are usually a common issue so make sure it changes its gears fast and hard and when you first get the car its ideal to service the gearbox as a part of the little tune up most people give a car they just bought as most people look over the gearbox

one thing you want to do is listen for a noise from the AC compressor as they should be pretty much silent and they are expensive to have replaced (mine has been replaced not by me but by the previous owner but i have priced them)

a noise of a busted bearing from the idle pully or belt tensioner is pretty much expected as every EF EL between me and my dad we have had to always replace them



my EL when i had it never dropped leak on me
and my NF has only ever dropped a few little drops when the power steering hose started leaking that little bit



i know the rotors warp and its common issue but twice in a year mate what do you do brake from 180ks to 0 every day or something ? or are you just trying to scare the poor fella lol