Need thoughts, 2011 EL with 60K miles looking to buy

[chickenator]

I just looked at a 2011 Expedition EL XLT with like 63K miles. It spent its life in Phila, PA area.

The first thing I noticed was the driver door at the back lower area was out of line with the rear door. The front was perfectly aligned. The other doors were good. I could find no damage spots and the bolts on the hinge were not disturbed.
Is it common for there to be slight misalignment on a door?

Looking under it for rust type issues.
Some of the seams of the body underneath have some starts of rust that have not broke through the paint. Keep in mind this is in the area where we get salting in the winter. How rapidly does the rust tend to progress?

I noticed on the top of the front suspension where the top of the shock is there is a domed thing with the top of the shock in the middle. I noticed it had some flaky rust on the edges of the inside of the hole.

Please do not get me wrong on this. I am very familiar with rust and rust repairs as I have done restoration work on early mustangs and Model A Fords. I am somewhat inexperienced in evaluating new cars for purchase. I want to get into a low mile EL at a good value. I like that this is a XLT with almost no options (moonroof). Long term repair of all the fancy stuff is what I want to avoid. I can do much of my own work.

The dealer did a poor job cleaning the car but did put new rotors, pads, and tires on the EL.

They do not want to move on the price and out the door I will have to pay about $21,000 for this vehicle (that includes tax and tags).

I am not in a rush. I am really hoping for a low mile private sale on a garage kept. I can dream right?

 

[Trainmaster]

Sounds like top dollar for an east coast car. If you're spending that kind of green, why not look at the stuff out west? If you're not in a rush, you should be able to find a Texas car with zero rust problems at a lower price. With the couple of grand you save, you can fly out and drive it back...

 

[fordexpylvr]

yes stay away from a east coast car. I found out the hard way. I am now purchasing one from Washington state as we speak. 17 expy with 35K mi Washington uses little to no salt

 

[bloodhound]

Sounds a tad high in price, but more importantly there's issues with it that concern you, so move on to the next one. I do disagree with avoid every Expedition from the east coast. I just sold my 2009 Limited with 120,000 Boston area miles (you wanna talk road salt), zero rust issues other than standard surface rust which is normal for bare metal suspension components. Keep looking, there's a lot out there. And it says a lot about the dealership if they don't even have it detailed properly.

 

[star-art]

I agree with the previous posts. Use CarFax or AutoCheck to find out where the vehicle has been kept since it was new. I spent nearly a year shopping and I avoided any truck from Canada, the Midwest, or the Northeast. I also skipped Texas due to flood concerns from the big hurricane there. Your best bet is a vehicle from the desert Southwest (Arizona, Utah), California, or the Pacific Northwest. We are just now starting to use some salt on our roads here so rust has not been a problem (at least not yet).

 

[fordexpylvr]

Star-art,i am looking to buy a 17 expy from Seattle,it was maybe a lease or rental. it spent 14 mos in that area. So you think I am safe reference salt so to speak? I appreciate any info! thanks!

 

[fonphreak]

The secret to getting what you want for the price you want to pay is patience.

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[chickenator]

I should add that I live in NJ by the shore. This car was a PA rental then owned in the phila area by a family judging by the Legos between the seat and a dog with black and white fur.

As for selling price, that may be what they go for in this area. Last week there was a 2008 EL Limited well optioned with 64K miles that sold for $18k at a dealer in less then 24 hours from when they got it on their lot from an auction. This car has been at this dealer for under a week. They did an oil change and new pads and rotors all around.

I am not in a rush just ready to jump when a right deal comes along. I think I would have bought it for $2k less.

 

[star-art]

Star-art,i am looking to buy a 17 expy from Seattle,it was maybe a lease or rental. it spent 14 mos in that area. So you think I am safe reference salt so to speak? I appreciate any info! thanks!

That's where I bought mine (although it was from MT so I inspected it underneath first). I don't know if Seattle is starting to use salt yet or not. But, if so it would be very little compared to Canada, the Midwest, and the Northeast. I spent about 20 minutes underneath one truck that was up on a lift while an experienced Ford tech walked me through common corrosion issues. He said they don't put any coatings on the driveline or the steering knuckles so those parts always have surface rust. He said all trucks will have that. He told me what I needed to watch out for was significant rust on the frame and, in particular, the rocker panels as these are notorious for rusting out.

I passed on a cheap older 2014 with super low miles (from Canada) because it had some significant rust underneath. The rocker panels had the beginnings of visible rust on the side facing the frame and the mounting brackets for the fixed running boards were also pretty rusted. I realize some of these are thick parts but once that starts it can be difficult to stop.

 

[fordexpylvr]

my 07 has rust on left rocker panel drivers door. Although you can't see it unless you feel underneath or look under there. Its hidden because of the plastic molding covering it. It has been in Iowa 8 yrs and Kansas 2 yrs. one reason I am trading it in other than worrying about the 5.4 issues that could occur.

 

[Habbibie]

Is the expy in a dealer like carmax? (Pay highest price w/ no haggle) Just wondering cause the price is awfully high for an XLT 2011, $20,500 is 2013-2014 EL limited/king ranch territory w/ similar mileage

 

[fordexpylvr]

I am buying a 17 XLT with 35K miles 202A Navagation etc for 36500 minus my 07 8000 brings it to 28500 diff. Oxford white with dune leather

 

[chickenator]

No not the carmax price. There is one local at carmax at like $5k over high end value. I do not get it.

It is at a Ford dealer in a higher area near Phila on the NJ side.

 

[Trainmaster]

You are certainly going to pay a large premium when buying from a Ford dealer. Some folks feel it's worth the added expense. Most franchise dealers won't sell junk and will auction any junk they get. They should also give you a warranty of some sort.

I try to buy privately or from a fleet rental company. That saves me $3,000 to $5,000 over a dealer's price on an eight year old car. That's a lot of hard earned money for me to not throw away. I finance nothing and pay cash. If I want it, I can buy a Ford dealers' warranty for about $1,300 on top of that and get any of the protection a dealer will give me. And if I want the thing detailed, that's another $300 in New York. Searching privately is a pain. It takes a lot of time, but the potential to save $5K is well worth the trouble to me.

But I'm a mechanical guy. I don't mind the risk and I can ferret out maybe 70% of the hidden problems. It depends on what you want and what you are willing to pay. I hate paying more than I have to.

If you feel you must buy from a Ford dealer, you will be paying top prices. It's the easy way to shop, but you will pay dearly for that convenience. It's just necessary for them to meet their high overhead and still put food on their tables.

 

[coolzzy]

I wanted to find a private party expedition when I was shopping too, but once I had drive An ecoboost expy with 202a, I knew nothing less would do. Mine is used for family hauling and pulling my RV and I was getting rid of my pickup which had the 5.4 and was adequate for my towing needs. The ecoboost exceeds all expectations, tows like a freight train at altitude, and gets 20+ mpg on road trips without the rv. The newer nicer low miles expeditions will only be found at Ford dealers for the most part. People are not trading in expensive late model vehicles with the same frequency as they used to since new expedition and truck prices in general are astronomical.

The Ford dealers have exclusive auction access to low mile late model fleet vehicles. They get first pick of the good stuff, with the others with higher miles or hidden problems go to the non Ford exclusive auctions for the rest of the dealers to pick over.

I'm not saying buying from a smaller dealer is bad per se but the vehicles they have access to at auction typically are farther from perfect than those you'd find at a big Ford only dealership.

 

[Adieu]

That price looks horrible

Imho, get a higher mileage and/or newer and/or navigatorL for A LOT LESS.

And west coast or southern would be better

Door sounds like an accident

 

[1955moose]

Problem is as long as new SUVs stay in high demand, the price of used ones will also be high, with very little negotiating. You need to find private party low mileage vehicles. I agree with stay away from Midwest/ east coasters. Theirs going to come a time when peoples interest will wane, then prices will drop drastically. It's supply and demand. The past few years the demand is high. Ford's been the king due to inside room and features. It's like trying to find any Toyota, no matter what model at a deal. Doesn't happen, unless it's got 300k or more, who wants that.

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[RustyOval]

I cant speak to price, but here are some things I have had issues with on my 09 : Look for paint bubbling up on the aluminum hood and lift gate (corrosion, not rust). Find out if the spark plugs have been changed yet (a BIG job). Check the serpentine belt and coolant condition. Listen for an exhaust leak tick near the rear of the manifold, the bolts like to break there. Should be due for a tranny fluid change s well. I love my EXPY, If these things are Ok you shouldnt have an issue for quite a while.

I bought mine in the chicago area and Ive put over 120,000 more miles on it and they have been pretty much trouble free. I pull a 30 foot travel trailer as well....

 

[Adieu]

I cant speak to price, but here are some things I have had issues with on my 09 : Look for paint bubbling up on the aluminum hood and lift gate (corrosion, not rust). Find out if the spark plugs have been changed yet (a BIG job). Check the serpentine belt and coolant condition. Listen for an exhaust leak tick near the rear of the manifold, the bolts like to break there. Should be due for a tranny fluid change s well. I love my EXPY, If these things are Ok you shouldnt have an issue for quite a while.

I bought mine in the chicago area and Ive put over 120,000 more miles on it and they have been pretty much trouble free. I pull a 30 foot travel trailer as well....

Plugs on newer models are childs play

And shouldve been on an 09, for that matter

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

The doors being slightly off is commonplace. I've seen it on many vehicles including my Expedition (which has never been in so much as a fender bender) and my wife's car (which we bought new).

ELs fetch a premium in the northeast, but I still wouldn't pay $21K for it. I paid $27K for my 2011 EL Limited in PA w/ an extended warranty (had over $10K in repairs done under warranty) in May 2015 and honestly, if I had bought it 6 months later and/or settled on an XLT I could have had it for far less.