What to look for when buying a gen3 expy

[Snag]

I hope they are successful with the turbo engines. I had a couple past associates with them and really liked the engine, although still new. My son in law was wanting to buy one because of the performance of the one they have in their BLM fleet. But the newer models are so expensive they settled on the 2010 Expedition XLT with the 5.4. He did say their BLM Expedition v6 turbo has much more power then the 2010.
When my son first contacted me about wanting the v6 turbo I did do a little research and one I bring up a lot is Brian with FordTechMakuLoco who does a lot of Ford Videos. He was saying some of the versions are having carbon buildup problems. Sounds like Ford has changed some things on the years with the different generations. I really, really want to have Ford see success with this engine as it looks like the near future of Ford engines.

 

[Funstuie]

What's so wrong with 07 models?

 

[NevadaGeo]

What's so wrong with 07 models?

There is nothing "wrong" with the '07s, but the '15-'17 has the V6 twin turbo as standard engine. It is a fantastic upgrade and seems to be made for the Expedition. IMHO

 

[jeff kushner]

I have had plenty of experience with turbochargers having restored a vintage bike with one and I completely rebuilt the turbo itself. Very simple devices although some of the new variable-vane devices are a bit more complicated, thankfully, that doesn't apply to the ones in our Expy's (or any that Ford uses in it's regular models). Balance is everything to a turbo since they spin at speeds of 210,000RPM....no, you didn't read that wrong. Garrett & Borg Warner both make solid turbos so that should give you comfort.

The big thing with turbo's is to run CLEAN oil. Even though Ford is recommending that we owners allow the "computer" to tell us when to change the oil, I would caution owners to wait no longer then 6K between changes due to the 1/2 size filters used in the 3.5. I'm guessing the turbos will need to be rebuilt around the 150K mark if the oil is kept clean, less if driven hard but that's not(and wasn't) a deal-breaker for me because I know that removing & replacing will be the most difficult part of the job.

From everything I've read, the current rendition of the 3.5 and the new version available on the '18 models should perform excellently and outlast the previous 5.4's and neither appears to have any issues to the degree of the head gasket & cam phaser issues of old.

I owned two previous Expy's both with the 5.4 and liked them both despite their issues but this new engine is to be driven to be believed. It's missing the sound of the "American V8" but it makes up for that and more.

One thing to keep in mind when buying a used engine/car.....it takes a lot of abuse to ruin a big V8 and takes a lot less to ruin a smaller engine....for anyone considering buying a used ecoboost, keep that in mind as you shop.

Does that mean any Tom or Dick can waltz into any used car lot and grab the first 3.5 Expy that they fancy and be assured of trouble-free driving for years? Absolutely not...there will always be lease cars who's oil was never changed, lessee's who abused the crud out of the truck because it wasn't "theirs" and so on. Do your due-diligence on any used car & remember the golden rule about used cars/trucks....they sold it for a reason!

jeff

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Are there any issues with rusting radiator supports on the 3rd gen models? I know it was a big problem for my 05.

 

[jeff kushner]

Andy,

I spend many hours searching through the threads on this and another forum looking for issues with the TT 3.5 and non-engine issues with the 12-16 models and don't recall ever seeing anything about the rust issues we all know about that plagued the earlier models. I ended up junking my '99 due to the entire undercarriage being rusted out.

jeff

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Thanks Jeff, I had Ziebart spray some of their rustproofing spray inside my radiator supports while I had the headlights out, just as a precaution.

 

[JExpedition07]

Check paint condition on hood and tailgate. Listen to engine and make sure it's smooth. 3v 5.4 is a great engine as long as you take care of it (many of these engines in My family, speaking from experience with them). Once you get it change your oil religiously and replace the filter every change. I love the ecoboost but it doesn't have that good V8 sound in my opinion.

 

[NevadaGeo]

[QUOTE="JExpedition07, I love the ecoboost but it doesn't have that good V8 sound in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

That is true. The 3.5 TT has a purrrr to it and a put-put-put sound at idle that I think sounds like a Porsche or some other high-compression sports car engine. I like it!!! I miss the throaty V8 sound, but the TT is a technological advance in Fords that will be hard to beat!

 

[Hubcap480]

Consumer Reports list the 2012 Expedition as a vehicle to avoid, noting worst-in-class reliability (large SUV). Without subscribing to CR, I can not find any details but should be based on owner's reports for the need to do repairs plus factory recalls that require a dealer visit.

Hello everyone. Anymore info on this? Going to look at a 2012 XL 4X4 today...maybe