Considering high mileage Eco Boost - What am I missing?

[JasonH]

I wouldn't do it unless you spring for a warranty. These vehicles are great when they run, bit Ford quality seems to be iffy. I've only had one major repair, but it was a doozy.

Repair/Maintenance by Me
Plugs were done around 90k, causing misfires and stumbles. Boots ripped and it was pain getting the rubber pieces out.
Fan blower resister melted.
Rear camera plug needed repair twice.
Rear struts done at 120k
Throttle body replaced around 100k
All brake pads and rotors replaced around 110k.

Dealership
And the biggie, head gasket at 120k by the dealership for 4k. Warranty covered all but $300.
The turbo recirculating valve leaked. $300

I suggest springing for the lower mileage one and getting an extended warranty. I've actually considering trading my 2017 for another 2017 with lower miles, so I can re-up on the warranty and it's easier to get a model with HD Tow.

 

[Viper74656]

Does Ford sell their "Protect" plans for non-factory certified used vehicles? I'd assumed that wasn't an option since I was buying used outside of factory warranty coverage.

I've always considered 3rd party warranties to be a waste of money since they tend to avoid paying out at all costs.

 

[JasonH]

Does Ford sell their "Protect" plans for non-factory certified used vehicles? I'd assumed that wasn't an option since I was buying used outside of factory warranty coverage.

I've always considered 3rd party warranties to be a waste of money since they tend to avoid paying out at all costs.

My warranty is through Fidelity Warranty Services. I purchased the warranty when I bought the Expedition from Carmax. I think I used Fidelity on a previous Carmax purchase...a Honda Odyssey that needed a rear main seal and power steering pump replacement. Those repairs were covered as well, so I've had a good experience with Fidelity.

For the head gasket repair, a Fidelity rep met with the dealer to assess the need for the repair. Combustion gases were present in the coolant reservoir, so the repair was 100% approved and I only paid the deductible. With that one repair, the warranty paid for itself. I was concerned that my missing the 100K coolant service might result in a denial, but I didn't have any issues. Any premium paid for a lower mileage vehicle will likely be recovered in longer service life. Or, if you can put 3 - 6K aside for potentially major repairs, you can forgo the warranty and just keep a cash cushion.

 

[Trainmaster]

Lombard Ford sells the Ford factory extended warranty on line and you can buy up to about ten years/150K miles. I bought the powertrain for an Explorer with a motor that ticked and an tranny that slipped. I think it cost me $1200 when the car had 98K miles.

 

[Viper74656]

Thanks @Trainmaster and @JasonH. I'd hardly considered extended warranties, but it sounds like both Ford and CarMax/Fidelity are decent to deal with on them. I can't believe Lombard Ford selling factory-backed warranties for high-mileage used cars! Definitely gives me something else to think about.

 

[Viper74656]

For what it's worth, I've found a local shop that will do a compression test and borescope the intake manifold for a few hundred bucks. Probably overkill, but I think I'll do it for my own piece of mind.

I should be able to check out the higher mileage vehicle in a week or so, and the lower mileage one in 2 weeks.

 

[Trainmaster]

I never bought a warranty before on anything before this. But with the prices of engine and transmission repair and the vastness of serious engine problems the 5.4's have seen as well as several phaser codes I've seen on the truck, I bought this one to hedge the engine problems. Now the trans is slipping at 113K miles and I'm waiting for it to get noticeable before I bring it in.

Many of the low mileage cars offered for sale are lease trade-ins around here. They've received absolutely no service or oil changes and have been driven like they were stolen for the first parts of their lives. I considered that too.