HELP with purchase decision on a '11 Expy

[Denethor]

I own a base model 2011 (old police vehicle bought at auction), I got it with 80K on it, and i've put another 80k on it without any issues. Once had a strange miss fire problem with #8 cyl and was about to change all the plugs and COPs, ran a tank of premium through it and the miss fire went away. Must have just been one tank of shit gas.

 

[rjdelp7]

Check the tailgate for bubbles or paint issues. There is a known problem with delamination on aluminum tailgates. Kind of funny that, Ford has incorporated, more aluminum in new vehicles.

 

[Rigpig]

My '09 has paint bubbling around the tailgate handle. Luckily, as of now it's on the inside of the handle, so it's not as noticeable, yet.

 

[Judge Mills]

Check the tailgate for bubbles or paint issues. There is a known problem with delamination on aluminum tailgates. Kind of funny that, Ford has incorporated, more aluminum in new vehicles.

Is the hood aluminum as well? I have a small patch of bubbling on the hood and the tailgate.

 

[rjdelp7]

Is the hood aluminum as well? I have a small patch of bubbling on the hood and the tailgate.

Hood is aluminum. Ford will fix it, if reported in time.

 

[tsingson]

Check the tailgate for bubbles or paint issues. There is a known problem with delamination on aluminum tailgates. Kind of funny that, Ford has incorporated, more aluminum in new vehicles.

You make it seem like the problem is with the Aluminum. From what the research was saying, it was due to "inferior surface preparation or contamination". Keep in mind that preparing any surface incorrectly can cause problems in the paint.

Back to the Triton, I had an 05 that I did the plugs on. Broke 7 of 8 but was an easy job with the Lisle tool. I actually broke one plug into 3 pieces.

 

[rjdelp7]

You make it seem like the problem is with the Aluminum. From what the research was saying, it was due to "inferior surface preparation or contamination". Keep in mind that preparing any surface incorrectly can cause problems in the paint.

Back to the Triton, I had an 05 that I did the plugs on. Broke 7 of 8 but was an easy job with the Lisle tool. I actually broke one plug into 3 pieces.

If true, why didn't paint peel on steel panels of same vehicles?

 

[tsingson]

On my 2005, I had the paint bubbles on various spots. Not just the tailgate and hood. Look man, we get it. You don't like the aluminum Fords or offroading a "non-offroad vehicle". I am sure the Chevy forums have more than enough space for you. I mean the H3 forum.

 

[rjdelp7]

On my 2005, I had the paint bubbles on various spots. Not just the tailgate and hood. Look man, we get it. You don't like the aluminum Fords or offroading a "non-offroad vehicle". I am sure the Chevy forums have more than enough space for you. I mean the H3 forum.

F-you, D-bag, I own two Fords and a Lincoln. I can bash or comment the same as you. You babies can't handle the truth. I call BS on many, the last on about prep of surface, is a prime example.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Ford won't fix the bubbling/peeling paint properly (strip to bare metal, seal, re-paint) even if you report it within a week. In 99.9% of cases, they won't even fix it improperly. My mom's Explorer had bubbling on the hood within 10K miles. Ford told her to stuff it. The Zestar FB group is full of people with similar stories. Regardless, there is no time limit on what is clearly a manufacturer defect. Ford should be fixing these problems (properly) whether you report it in 7 days or 7 years. In fact, they shouldn't even be occurring in the first place considering that Ford has had 18 years to correct the issue. And FWIW, the problem with Ford's peeling paint is related to both the use of aluminum and surface prep (see Zestar's extensive collection of research on the problem).