Help me choose a used Expedition for towing

[Fitzroy]

I am looking to purchase a used Ford Expedition to be used lightly around town but mainly for towing a 4000 lb travel trailer. I have a few questions, but please let me know if there's anything else I should know before buying.

• What is a good year for the Ford Expedition in terms of reliability and towing?
• What's a good mileage target for a used Ford Expedition?
• Are they reliable past 175,000 miles?
• Do I need the heavy duty tow package for 4000 lbs provided I have a good weight distribution hitch installed?

Thank you!

 

[JExpedition07]

Any 2nd or 3rd gen expedition will tow 4,000 like a breeze (03-17) and you won’t even know that weight is there. They are pretty reliable past 200k assuming it’s maintaned. No you don’t need HD tow for that weight.

 

[coolzzy]

Travel trailers are a slippery slope, a 4k pound trailer is a gateway trailer. You will soon want that big slide out or more room to stretch and you need a tow vehicle that can grow with you. Shoot for 08+ if budget permits, most of the 5.4 kinks were worked out by that point. Look for 3.73 gears as a must have regardless of tow weight.

Even for 4k pounds, you will be well served with a wdh, depending on the tongue weight and what you're hauling in the back of the truck, those coil springs will still sag or porpoise going through dips in the road.

Listen to startup with a cold engine and if it rattles, walk away. Listen to the motor when hot at idle, if it sounds like a diesel, walk away.

 

[coolzzy]

BTW, what kind of budget are you shooting for? That will help narrow down a mileage target. In my book if you're picking a tow vehicle, the newer, lower miles the better even if you have to sacrifice that moonroof or power running boards to do it.

 

[Adieu]

I am looking to purchase a used Ford Expedition to be used lightly around town but mainly for towing a 4000 lb travel trailer. I have a few questions, but please let me know if there's anything else I should know before buying.

• What is a good year for the Ford Expedition in terms of reliability and towing?
• What's a good mileage target for a used Ford Expedition?
• Are they reliable past 175,000 miles?
• Do I need the heavy duty tow package for 4000 lbs provided I have a good weight distribution hitch installed?

Thank you!

Any properly maintained 2nd or 3rd gen will work.

Prices vary $3k to $30k

Reliability wise, these are some of the most reliable and cheapest to maintain vehicles around. Many shared components with F150 (pretty much everything powertrain, almost everything suspension) also means that any decent shop in America knows how to work on it, and parts are readily available and cheap...


Example:
Injector for my Expedition or my Navigator: $32 , 5 minute swap
Injector for my bimmer: $477, and NOT 5 minutes to swap

 

[gtncpa]

Bottom Line Magazine just recommend The Expedition as the #1 SUV if you plan on keeping it 200K+ miles. (this was for the last model)

 

[rollinstone]

I tow a 3,000 trailer with ease with our 2014 with HD tow pkg. Because of the places we go we'll never want anything bigger. Everyone is different, though, and this Expy would allow anyone to upgrade to something bigger.

 

[CaptOchs]

I would get the tow package. Your 4000 lb camper might be 5000 lb by the time your wife is done packing it. Add another 500 lbs if you have a full water/grey/or black tank. Not sure if the non-tow package Exp has the hookup for brake controller like the ones with the tow package. If it doesn't, it might cost more to cut into existing wiring to install.

 

[FisherPete]

I'm on my second. My '99 went almost a quarter million miles. My '12 has just over 100K. Both came equipped with load-leveling suspension. It really makes a difference for towing and makes highway driving smoother, too.

I'd look for a rig with the 5.4L Triton V8 instead of a twin turbo V6. There's just no way the higher compression and higher RPM on the turbo will last as long as the big lump.

 

[coolzzy]

No reason the turbo motor won't last just as long, each motor has its share of issues although both share the possibility of timing chain replacement issues. The turbo is no more complex. The 5.4 can have timing chain guide and phaser failure, exhaust manifold leaks, and will have the older tech nav units. The 3.5 can have the same timing chain issues, electric power steering trouble (epas), potential turbo failure (not common), and will have newer tech with sync 2 or 3.

The v8 vs v6 turbo argument has been beat to death all over the internet with no clear winner either way, and for most people who don't keep their vehicles past 100 or 150k miles it really doesn't make a difference either way in terms of reliability. Drive them both (the turbo is a game changer BTW) and get whichever you like most and fits your budget.