Hello. 

I am starting my hunt for a Tracker.  There are two 95s close by I plan to look at.  What are some of the big points of interest I should be looking for when examining the trucks? 

Thanks for the help and I hope to be a contributing member here soon.

Crawl under the Tracker and look at where the tranfercase/transmission bolts up.  If it has been used in heavy off road it will be bent up a bit.  The rocker panels will also show dents from going through the ditches, so give them a good look over.

Check to see how much oil is underneath it.  It lets you know if your seals are in decent shape and where the leaks are.

If there are cut marks on the outside of your timing belt cover expect to replace that sooner rather then later.  It will usually show down twoards the bottom of the cover.  If they have reciepts for replacement of parts, all the better.

Hello. 

I am starting my hunt for a Tracker.  There are two 95s close by I plan to look at.  What are some of the big points of interest I should be looking for when examining the trucks? 

Thanks for the help and I hope to be a contributing member here soon.

Where you live will also be a factor, check the frame and body mounts for rust if thats a factor in your area. Also have a look inside the wheel wells, and under the rear bumper cover, there are two body mounts at the rear that can be seen from the wheel well. Also tumbler seat floor, A-pillar door hinge mounts.

I just bought a '95 Kicker locally for $860.  4 door AT, 4x4.  Odometer shows tons of miles (original?).  I am impressed with it as it runs and drives excellent although it does have a few issues, the body is nice and solid/straight.  Just to give you an idea of whats out there. 

"Major Tuneup" is around 120K (timing belt) and should be done if you want the little Suzuki to live a long good happy life. Around here, I expect to pay around $700 to a good shop to do this. Be sure to use a shop that knows about the crank shaft keyway issues, or they will likely damage the engine.

Carfax is good, but will only tell you what's been reported. As stated - people who keep records (repairs & maintenance) tend to be people who have taken good care of their car. A compression checker is $25 from harbor freight, and a fantastic investment. Spending $100 or so for a shop to go over a vehicle can be cheap insurance if you're serous about buying a particular vehicle. Have them do a leak down (best) or compression test (good, but not best) if you don't feel comfortable doing it on your own.

Even if you live in a rust-free state, assume it's lived in a rust belt state, and look EVERYWHERE for cancer. Check all the fluids. One way to tell if someone's been "anal" about maintenance is to check the break fluid - it's one of the more neglected fluids. If it's dark, I will scrutinize the vehicle more. If it's clear, then I know the person's probably changed other fluids as well. When you buy the vehicle, change the diff / trans & t-case fluids. It's probably never been done.

""Major Tuneup" is around 120K (timing belt)"... "I expect to pay around $700 to a good shop to do this."

I've been staring at the screen for 5 minutes now, I just don't know what to say about this Jeremiah. That's a very generous tip.

Bring it by my place. I'll do the whole job ( major tune up with parts ) for half that! NO tip required!