New member here. Hoping to buy my first Expy....

[star-art]

I posted in the other thread that I went through this when I was shopping for my '17 recently. I spent some time 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 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.

 

[Plati]

...I passed on a cheap older 2014 with super low miles (from Canada) because it had 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.

Its the thin sheet metal (rockers, wheel well, body ..) that combines with oxygen, turns to iron oxide, and goes away. The mounting brakets are a much thicker metal with a different chemical makeup. On my 2003 the brackets are rusty looking but still solid like the frame inside the rockers. Ugly looking but still works ... for now anyway.

 

[jeff kushner]

FWIW: I owned two Expy's prior to my '17 and in both the'99 & '03, I found the rocker panels full of water with the wiring bundles under WATER! I chose not to wait till they rusted and simply drilled 2-1/4" holes all the way through then coated the holes with clear spray paint....no rust.....just be very careful if you need to drill....not a lot of room to get a 1/4" bit down there w/o hitting the wires!!!

My '17 has 45K and rocker panels are dry...always have been!

jeff

 

[Big Dave]

I too bought an Enterprise rental. Mine is a 2016 Limited. Just be extra cautious when looking at the body. Being self-insured they don't necessarily have to report accidents to carfax.

 

[1111ExpyEL1111]

If it is a rental keep looking. Rental Vehicles usually get the crap beat out of them.

 

[Flexpedition]

If it is a rental keep looking. Rental Vehicles usually get the crap beat out of them.

A $19/day Focus or Corolla, yes. They get the crap beat out of them on a regular basis. But not a $109/day full size SUV. Those are generally rented by somewhat mature adults and/or families. And everything I've thrown at my Expedition she's taken like a champ.

 

[fireguy926]

My 2012 Expy was a fleet vehicle, and i bought it in 2012 with 20,000 miles ( 1 yr old). Pd less than 1/2 of sticker for a new one. Vehicle was very well maintained. Many fleet vehicles are corporate leases and may have been assigned to just one person. Maintenance is usually quite good. I will probably look for another fleet vehicle in very good condition when i buy another Expy ( best tow vehicle that can hold a large family).
Still need to be cautious thougb since there are some that get abused. If possible, ask for the maintenance records.

 

[fordexpylvr]

is there a difference between a rental car and a fleet vehicle? I am purchasing a 17 expedition with 35000 miles with DRL so I don't know for sure. It was based in Seattle for 14 mos and now is in Indiana,apparently at a Ford owned lot for Ford dealers to purchase prior to a auction.

 

[1955moose]

You don't think gangster rapper types and younger individuals rent these vehicles. Even grandpas treat rentals rougher than their own vehicle. Jeff too bad you can't call Ford like you would PG&E before you drill/dig near those wires!

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[JExpedition07]

As long as the maintenance was done it’s fine if it was driven hard. If the motor is tuned up on schedule and oil changes frequently hard use shouldn’t be an issue. I’d rather have a truck rode hard and taken care of than one that sat and didn’t get used.