Expeditions

[bigbri7870]

Newbie Looking for Advice Expeditions

Hello all, new to the forum but plan to be here a lot moving forward. I FINALLY talked my wife into getting rid of her minivan and getting a real 7 seater instead. Luckily for me it was easy to sell her on the idea of an Expedition. I was thinking of going with a Navigator but decided to stay away from all the electronics.

We’re looking at 05's and 06's (possible an 07 if I can find a good deal on one) all with over 100K miles. Not bad for that age of car. We live in Florida so I'm only looking at 2 wheel drive models.

We’re going to look at them this weekend so I’m just wondering if there is anything I should be on the lookout out for. If there is anything to avoid, and what common issues do these tend to have. Any advice, tips, or even criticisms is appreciated. It took me years to convince her so I want to make sure it pays off.

I'm a retired body man with a minor in mechanics so I can handle suspension and most mechanical repairs, I'm mostly concerned with engine and transmissions. Thanks in advance for any input you can offer.

 

[Red92lx]

welcome to the board! There is a lot of info in the old threads if your willing to sift though them. I recall one that pointed out areas to look for when buying a 2nd gen. Probably quite a few pages back by now, but worth looking for. Good luck and enjoy the expe search!

 

[Skauber]

For future resale value, it's better to have a 4wd. Most people looking for an Expedition doesn't want 2wd, so that's something to consider. You can set it to 2wd and forget it, then the front axles will be disengaged.

Anyway, for things to look for:

Ask if the spark plugs has been changed or not. If the truck is above 100k, it's gonna need new spark plugs if this has not been done already. On these engines, they have a habit of getting stuck and breaking when you attempt to remove them. It's not too difficult to deal with, there are extractor tools you can buy for 60-70 bucks which saves the day in 99.9% of the cases, but the best would be if this has already been done and you don't have to worry about it. Another thing is the cam phasers. If the engine has a pronounced knocking when idling at operating temperature, then it may need to have the cam phasers replaced, and perhaps all the other timing components while it's open.

Other than that, it's a pretty reliable truck. The only other weak point to note is the fuel pump driver module. It is mounted in the rear wheel well on drivers side, and it likes to corrode and short out. It's pretty easy to replace, about a 10-15 minute job. The '07s and up dont have this module. If it has air suspension, then on a 10-year truck there may be some issues. It's overall a reliable system, but the rubber air bags usually have a lifetime of about 10 years give or take, and they're expensive. Another thing to consider is also the TPMS system, they have a normal battery life of about 10 years as well. New sensors are about 100 bucks for a set of 4 on ebay.

 

[k9education]

For future resale value, it's better to have a 4wd. Most people looking for an Expedition doesn't want 2wd, so that's something to consider. You can set it to 2wd and forget it, then the front axles will be disengaged.

Just to add my 2 cents in ... These are heavy trucks and it doesn't take much to get stuck in RWD. Any time it rains I need 4WD just to get off my property. The way the driveway is setup I have to backup onto the grass in order to get out and after it rains, the side of our property basically turns to marsh. I've tried and tried but in 2WD the truck is simply not getting off that lawn.

 

[Skauber]

On pavement I've never had any problems, I live in a tropical country so rain is about the worst we get. However, if you venture out on a dirt road or some muddy area, not necessarily offroad, then it can and will get stuck. That's about the only time I've used my 4wd. Otherwise, it's set to 2H and stays there at all times. It is a nice reassurance to have the 4wd available if you should end up in some situation that will benefit from it.

 

[bigbri7870]

Thanks everyone for the input. I already found a Lisle plug extractor on Amazon for $56 delivered so that's already getting ordered.

I would preferably get one without airbags but won't turn one down that has them if it's a good deal. I have a 98 town car with 154K miles that's still on the original air bags. (Knock on wood)

I think you also might have just persuaded me into getting a 4wd (if it's a good deal as well). The wife likes to go to the local farm a few times a year and go picking, she got our van stuck this year so it looks like 4wd may be in her future. I was just trying to avoid the extra weight, additional things to go wrong etc.

I've seen a few posts about Ford using cheap wheel bearings on these, not that it's a big deal to replace them, but just wondering if that's true.

 

[Lostneye]

I wouldn't be scared away from a 05+ Navi(I own one). Prices are similar and there really isn't more electronics than a well equipped Expy. The interior is a little nicer and they have a 6 spd trans. The power running boards are expensive to fix but the issue is typically more rot from salted roads up north than mechanical/electrical.

The big issues are spark plugs and cam phasers. Be leery if the truck makes a lot of valve train noise or use that to bargain. Same with spark plugs. The fuel pump driver is cheap and an easy fix but something to be aware as it can leave you stranded. I changed mine before it went bad and the metal was crumbling in my hand, the new ones have spacers to keep it off the frame and prevent it corroding so fast. And expect air ride issues soon if so equipped. I am impressed your Town Car made it that long. Every air ride vehicle I've had has needed bags. Sooner or later they will get a leak though. And unlike the Town Car I would recommend swapping to springs over replacing the air on these trucks.
Keep in mind that these aren't unreliable trucks in general but you are looking at something around 10 years old so you should expect some upkeep.

 

[GAINMOB]

go through this sticky thread http://www.expeditionforum.com/f41/what-look-when-buying-gen-2-expy-10742/