Thinking about getting an 03-07ish Expedition. I've got my sights set on an '06 with low miles now. It had a problem with the AC when we tested it, but the dealer is supposed to be taking care of that. Any issues I should look for?

I have some family that had some bad mechanical & electrical luck with an '05, I've seen several with paint issues. Just wondering...

 

On an 05 or 06 with the 3V engine, if it has very high enough mileage to where the plugs should be done any time soon (75K +) consider negotiating having new plugs installed as part of the deal.

A plug change in these engines can be expensive depending on how many break during removal. Some Ford dealerships quote as much as $700 for a plug change.

 

I have an 06 4x4 and am very happy with it. keep in mind in 2007 they also went to the 6-speed transmission which may equate to better gas mileage. Also not sure if you still have the tt in your sig, but if you plan on towing it with the expy (unless you still have EX in your sig also), you may want to check weights and make sure it will do it. i tow light with mine, if at all and we have no issues. It is the most comfortable daily driver and family vacation vehicle i have ever owned - yet still has many of the capabilities for towing, off-highway and even honey-do lists. I had my choice when I got mine between an 07 EL 2wd or 06 reg 4x4 for around the same price. I went for the 4x4 for some of the other activities I have. Hope this helps some, Mike

 

I would not necessarily avoid 04 or 05 -- I did a lot of research before I bought my 04. The 05 actually had the lowest number of complaints at a couple of sites that track complaints and breakdowns on vehicles.

Other than spark plugs, the 05 engine is better than 04.

Paint bubbling off the tailgate and hood are due to the aluminum parts and tiny shards of ferrous material that shed onto the AL in the stamping. The good news: if you are not proud, these are not your normal paint bubbling which preceeds a rust through. This is aluminum. You can leave it alone for years and it will not perforate. Just looks a little ugly.....

IMHO, the thing to avoid is air suspension. Try to find a towing package if you want that, but in a XLT, so as to avoid all the EB dodads that will give trouble. Like sun roofs and power rear seats etc....

But even if you cannot find a towing package, putting a larger tranny cooler on there is not a lot of money, especially if you are handy. Its nothing that cannot be retrofitted. The tow package wiring is all in place in the base model. Just the cooler, a heavier radiator and the 7 prong plug are missing, as well as the little adaptor under the dash for the trailer breaks. All avialable aftermarket.

 

Thank you kindly for the opinions.

I plan to keep the Excursion for towing the TT, I do not think the Exp is rated for that. It may get some light duty towing occasionally pulling my 19' ski boat, but I'd rather keep it clean and use the Exc for that too. It would be the wife's dd so I doubt it would ever leave pavement. We've got 5 kids now - 2 are almost as big as adults and the other 3 are in car seats & take up as much room as adults. The minivan is getting too small for everybody to get into. I hate to give up the mpg's of the van, but...

do the 2v & 3v engines have the spark plug blow out issues, i.e. the low thread count in the aluminum heads?

Thanks for the info on the paint, that did concern me before - not such a big deal now.

 

Only the 2V engines have had blow out issues and that was the earlier vintage engine. If you are only looking an 2nd Gen Expys (03 and later) that is not an issue. Starting in 05 with the 3V engine there is a plug breaking problem. It happens during removal which requires a special tool and (can take) extra labor time to get the plugs out.
These are two totally different problems with different versions of teh engine.
Just something to be aware of if looking at 05-06.

 

Now, I gotta be honest -- I also have a big old 2006 Kia sedona. Has the nice fold away seats in the rear and a pair of captains in the mid.

It has more space by far than the Expy. Both seating space and storage space. And gets substantially better mileage....

Because minivans sit sooo much lower to the ground and don't have to deal with rear drive train, they are just mobile cargo boxes....

I bought the Expy for the 4x4 in the winter and to tow a horse trailer. If the wife does not need a 4x4, then I am not sure an expedition is a better people hauler than a Minivan.

Not trying to sell you on Minivans -- most people think they are ugly. But when we do a trip (I only have 2 kids, but a dog and 2 cats too that travel), its the Minivan that gets the nod......

 

Uh huh...
http://www.picklehead.com/samples/mo...le_minivan.mp3

 

Yeah.... Well the link that alloro posts is pretty much spot on. Minivans are detested by just about everyone who has a tender ego.

Me, I'd like to transition to a heavy duty hauler (should have got a Excusion maybe) and a couple of little efficient cars like a Fiesta or Prius to zip about.

But that darned minivan just is sort of just annoyingly better than the alternatives in every way except when it snows...

 

Get the 03/04.

I tested both the 03/04 and the 05/06 Expys when I got mine. I was sold on the 3V before test driving them because of the extra power, issues with the 2V, blah blah blah. Honestly, the 2V in the 03/04 is just fine, easier to work on, more modifiable (doubt you will care about modding if it is your wife's). Not to mention the 03/04s are much cheaper and offer you the same overall options.

I got my 03 loaded EB with 78k on the clock for 14.5k out the door, you won't get that with the 05/06 models... Not with that mileage at least. Has every option minus the satnav/entertainment which is fine with me. You have 5 kids so you might want a rear entertainment system but aftermarket units are 1000x nicer than the stocker that can't even play burnt DVDs or SD/USB and with the money you save you can just install one right away.

Agreed on staying away from the air suspension, I specifically looked for one with coilovers which mine has in addition to the tow package. IIRC, the tow package includes the bigger rad, trans cooler, 7 plug adapter and 3.73 rear gears. The 7 prong plug is the easiest giveaway but there is a code on the inner door, I believe H6, that tells you if you have the 3.73s which=tow package.

So yeah I just wrote a book but I'm just trying to pass on some of the research I did when I was in the market for a 2nd gen EB/Navi. There is literally no benefit to the 05/06s other than the power of the 3V and a slightly smoother shifting updated trans which is still a 4 spd. And the 3V only has 15 more ft lbs of torque than the 2V does so it really isn't that much better. Torque is what gets these things moving anyway and I don't see many ppl racing an Expy lol. Heck, if you wanted to then you'd DEFINITELY want the 03/04 because the lightning supercharger setup is almost a direct bolt on for the 5.4L 2V.