Need your opinions...

[ccbc65]

Hello all,

I have a 2003 XLT 5.4 4WD Expedition and absolutely LOVE it. I have 298K on it now and she's starting to show her age. The interior is worn and the exterior is rough from heavy usage and teenaged drivers banging her up a little. While at the junk yard getting a window regulator for a friend's vehicle, I saw they had an '03 EB 5.4 4WD that was in excellent physical condition inside and out. It only had 149K on it and when I asked, the guy said he just got it the day before and it had a bad trans. He said he'd sell it for $1500 and he had a good trans from another 2nd gen he would sell me for another $500. So $2k total but I think I have to install the trans...

Do you guys think this is a good deal?

I hear people say they have bad trannys and engine problems but I only know my Expy's history and the engine and trans are all original other than coils and the alternator so it has been very, very reliable. Are they all that reliable?

It seems like a good deal but I don't want to add more headaches to my life...

I would appreciate your opinions...

 

[ChrisOIFdoc]

My vote is no simply because you can find an owner willing to part with a well kept '03 expy, ready to roll, for $2-$3K with service records.

 

[BRIANGEE]

Not unless you have the time and know how to deal with this... and a strong enough cranium to endure the headaches and remorse caused by murphy's law when you get everything together and.... well, nevermind.

I bought my 2003 4WD Eddy BowWow for $4000 with 155K on the clock and garage kept for the most part. I know you're looking at half that but think of all the headaches man! HEADACHES!

 

[Flexpedition]

I've never seen a 15 year old vehicle with 150K miles in excellent condition inside and out. Where did they drive it, inside a parking garage?

Also a bit skeptical somebody would take such good care of a vehicle to only end up dumping it to a salvage yard when the transmission fails.

I'd pass.

 

[Hamfisted]

It would cost you probably $1000 to have the tranny swapped out. So it just depends on how much you want to deal with. How's the rust on this other Expy? You can probably sell your existing Expy for $2k or so and make up a lot of the cost. It just depends on how much you can do yourself and what you want to deal with.



-Mike

 

[docraymund]

If he will allow you to do a compression check and if the engine oil doesn't have metallic residues, then why not? But then again why would it turn up in a junk yard if it is fresh inside out? Better check the papers well.

 

[collazoscesar]

I'm with the others, avoid it not worth the headache. I'd rather know the whole history of the truck.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

The EB model is a step up from the XLT. My 05 had 146K on it when I traded it. Everything worked, interior was in great shape. The liftgate and hood had bubbling paint on the hood down near the front edge, the liftgate was bad. Open the doors and push on the rockers on the driver and passenger side if them make any crunching sound or moves at all they are not solid. Crawl underneath and look at the left and right sides of the radiator supports and go up from there. Check the brake lines where they run back above the tank. Check the left and right rear side of the engine for oil leaks. If the battery still works check all of the windows including the rear windows by the 3rd row seats (if equipped). Make sure the third row seats go up and down. Make sure the front seats move back and forth, make sure the A/C and heat work. Listen for clicking in the rear A/C area and up front as well. Make sure the radio works (although that isn't critical it will give you an idea to how well they maintained the vehicle). Make sure it goes into AWD, 4H and 4L. If equipped with a sun roof make sure that works too.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[ccbc65]

Thank you all for your input. After checking the prices of used 2nd gen Expeditions that are running and can be test driven, I see that wasn't as much of a bargain as I thought so I passed... I appreciate the input from everyone...

ps. My '03 Expy is over 300K now!!!