In the market for an Expedition - what to watch for?

[Polo08816]

I know of this and havent had time to lift up the vehicle, remove the wheels and wheell-well liners to get to the turbo.
Ford also does not recommend this method, or atleast the dealer i dealt with..
An $80,000 SUV that you have to put a little spring on an engine component to not make it sound like crap lol good job Ford. Shoulda got the Tahoe and not deal with these turbos

GM has been having problems with their 5.3 and 6.2 V8s.

 

[SyndicateZ]

GM has been having problems with their 5.3 and 6.2 V8s.

What problems? Im sure those problems they would fix . Unlike Ford telling me to deal with it and its "normal" wastegate noise and do nothing

 

[Left Coast Geek]

I have found myself in the market for a lightly used Expedition Max. We need the towing capability to pull an RV and the interior space to haul ourselves and dogs. The Expedition is at the top of the list with roughly 1000lbs more towing capacity than the Suburban/Yukon and the Navigator L, and way more interior space than the Sequoia, Durango, Wagoneer, and Armada. One of my company trucks is a 2019 F-150 with the 3.5L Ecoboost, and other than the start up noise, it's been a good truck over the 160k or more we've driven it (it's a work truck driven by guys that don't have to pay to fix it, so "abused", "thrashed", "tormented", "hammered", etc might be better descriptions of what this truck has been through). That said, it's a basic truck with few options, so what I need to determine is how the Expedition's features hold up over time. We'd be looking for a 2020-21 Limited or higher, with roughly 50k on it. I've driven a couple, and noticed a few things. First, the little trim covers over the folded 3rd row seats seem to be broken on every truck. Second, they have a very "pitchy" ride when going over bumps, almost like a boat pitching over waves. What other irritating things can I expect from ownership?

for sure, you want the HD Tow option, which also gives you a 2-speed 4x4 transfer case. The Limited Stealth editions all have it, the other Limiteds and XLT, it was a separate option and only a few I found had it when we were shopping for 2019-2021. I really wanted a FX4 but they are unobtanium on the west coast, at least, the only ones i found were in the midwest on sites like cars.com.

The Stealth also has the CCD shocks, which are optional on plain Limited afaik. Indeed, these greatly improve the ride. The Stealth came with 22" wheels, ugh, I found some F150 18" takeoffs and swapped them out as I eventually will be mounting all terrain tires.

Mine is not a MAX, we didn't need the extra length.

22" wheels


18" wheels

 

[SyndicateZ]

for sure, you want the HD Tow option, which also gives you a 2-speed 4x4 transfer case. The Limited Stealth editions all have it, the other Limiteds and XLT, it was a separate option and only a few I found had it when we were shopping for 2019-2021. I really wanted a FX4 but they are unobtanium on the west coast, at least, the only ones i found were in the midwest on sites like cars.com.

The Stealth also has the CCD shocks, which are optional on plain Limited afaik. Indeed, these greatly improve the ride. The Stealth came with 22" wheels, ugh, I found some F150 18" takeoffs and swapped them out as I eventually will be mounting all terrain tires.

Mine is not a MAX, we didn't need the extra length.

22" wheels
View attachment 79013

18" wheels
View attachment 79014

Delete

 

[Mr Big]

Look for one with Heavy Duty Tow package and 3.73 gear, that is a certified Pre-Owned. My 2019 certified pre-owned non-MAX Platinum tows great, especially in tow mode. The boat like ride you mention is common on most large SUVs. My ride depends on speed. If I'm going slow and go over wavy roads, it can float giving you the boat over waves effect. Going faster gives less wave but smooth ride. I look at it as better than a tooth rattle.

 

[dsacorn]

You're probably not going to like this answer, but honestly, I would stay far away from an Expedition. We purchased a Gold Certified 2019 Expedition Max Limited 4WD with the heavy duty tow package (we have never even towed anything with it yet). This is hands down the worst vehicle I have ever owned (although would be an amazing vehicle without the issues). In a little over a year of ownership and under 40k miles, the transmission is quickly going out and will hopefully be replaced under warranty next week (over a month out for an appointment with Ford), the air conditioning doesn't work (multiple attempts to repair so far, and they supposedly replaced the entire system last time which I doubt, since it isn't working again), multiple electronics issues with the infotainment system, side mirrors, remote start, etc., issues with the seats folding down, leaking windshield washer fluid reservoir, side mirror glass falling off of the mirror housing while driving, engine issues, etc. We take great care with all of our vehicles, and there is nothing we could have done to prevent any of these issues. These are incredibly terribly manufactured vehicles, and my wife and I have talked to many Expedition owners in parking lots with the same experience.

 

[sctom1]

How much smoother is your ride dropping from 22 down to 18 inch tires? All that sidewall increase should really help. If I get an Expy, it’s going to be a freeway cruiser so I want an almost Buick type of ride. I have my eye on a ’23 stealth with the 22 inch wheels and CCD.

for sure, you want the HD Tow option, which also gives you a 2-speed 4x4 transfer case. The Limited Stealth editions all have it, the other Limiteds and XLT, it was a separate option and only a few I found had it when we were shopping for 2019-2021. I really wanted a FX4 but they are unobtanium on the west coast, at least, the only ones i found were in the midwest on sites like cars.com.

The Stealth also has the CCD shocks, which are optional on plain Limited afaik. Indeed, these greatly improve the ride. The Stealth came with 22" wheels, ugh, I found some F150 18" takeoffs and swapped them out as I eventually will be mounting all terrain tires.

Mine is not a MAX, we didn't need the extra length.

22" wheels
View attachment 79013

18" wheels
View attachment 79014

 

[Mr Big]

How much smoother is your ride dropping from 22 down to 18 inch tires? All that sidewall increase should really help. If I get an Expy, it’s going to be a freeway cruiser so I want an almost Buick type of ride. I have my eye on a ’23 stealth with the 22 inch wheels and CCD.

Tires make all the difference. For instance, Michelin Defenders are going to give a smoother ride than Perilli Scorpions. I love my 285/45 R22 Michelin Defenders. They give me a smooth but tight, no sway or dipping, drive. I know a few have switched to 18s from 22s but I prefer the 22" wheel and tire combo. For me too many good features get lost when going to a larger sidewall. It loses the tightness around corners and changing lanes fast, dips and sways more in turns, etc.
My EX has CCD so that contributes some to the ride as well, which I'm sure makes some difference. In the end we all have a different feel we want. I'll sacrifice a couple of hard feeling bumps to keep a more controlled but still smooth drive. Mine floats down the highway like it's on air.

 

[Ugh_J]

If you end up looking at the newer models (I think MY22 and up) double-check the window sticker and make sure they didn't do a bunch of the "delete" options. My parents bought a '22 Max Platinum a couple months ago and the original dealer had deleted the nifty lumbar adjustable seats, the kick sensor for the lift gate, and a few other things. I wouldn't have expected that as at the time I assumed all Platinums at least had the 3-zone lumbar adjustments, and I'd have been wrong.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

I go off road enough that 22" wheels would be at a major risk of a pinch flat from a rock or whatever.