Ron, go buy a Dodge then and quit complaining.

 

I had the money!! But who has the money after shelling it all out on one of these babies??
BESIDEs Id miss all that one on one time with my truck, under it.
SERIOUSLy though Buzzard, I LIKE my EXPY, I do however think that THIS particular Ford vehicle has more reoccuring problems then Other ford Vehicles.. And if I Were asking about purchasing one of these I would want to know Common weaknesses of the vehicle. So I would Know what to expect.
I feel that If you get a GOOD expy, then it will last a long time. I feel the motors, INTERNALLY are very reliable, but externally,
The heads are a weakness... The Tranny's also SEEM to be a reoccuring weakness,(specifically the t-converter) as well as excessive brake wear, etc..
Honestly If I knew then What I know now, I probably wouldnt have purchased this vehicle, But the fact remains, I Like it, Always have every since they came out. I like the drive, the ride, the look, and when everythings functional and working.. Im Happy!

Ron
99 XLT 4.6

 

Well let me start off by saying welcome to the #1 Ford site in the world. There are so many things in this thread that I want to respond to, but I will try to keep it small. Things to look for in a 99 Expy:

1) Check the passenger side cylinder head if it looks new it was replaced. The cylinder head would be replaced for 1 or 2 of the most common reasons. #1) OIL LEAK (this was cuased by a flaw in the milling of the original head and has nothing to do with the gasket.) This is a common occurence in Expys manufactured I belive early to mid 99. Ford "discovered" and corrected the timing in their manufacturing equipment. #2) The spark plug blew out of the head. This is caused as Matt said by the threads being just a "tad" too big and the plug vibrates loose and rips the threads out of the head when it blows out. ( I was a recent victim).

2) The world renowned #4 coil pack going bad due to the leaky heater hose. This is "easily" remedied by replaceing the coil and using a screw type clamp on the heater hose.

3) The "VIBRATION": This is caused by a yet UNDETERMINED factor. Many people say many different things as to the cause and repair. Truth be told NO ONE knows for sure what the cause is. My vibartion appeared AFTER the cylinder head was replaced. Some say tranny some say driveshaft etc. But like I said there is NO DEFINITIVE explanation.

4) The Steering: Can (like buzzard said) be cleared up by the stabilzer bar. If the vehicle is REALLY loose the links are PROBABLY busted or and/or the bushings need to be replaced. These are both inexpensive and simple repairs. You can check the bar just by looking under the vehicle in the front and look to see if the bar is hanging. You can grab it to see if is loose as well.

As far as bolt-on performance items there are a ton of them available for the 5.4 not so many for the 4.6.

What I would do is bring a code scanner with me and hook it up with the owner there and check to see if it throws any codes. That will give you some bargaining leverage if it does pop some codes. If it puts out some severe codes you may want to look elsewhere.
With the exception of some problems (like everyone else) I really like my 99 Expy.

P.S. Buzzard lets all play nice!!!!!!!!!!!! (HOW DARE YOU SAY THE D-WORD IN HERE)I think ktm has a point. If you KNEW it was gonna break or have some P.I.T.A. problems, would you have bought your truck????

But back to the point at hand Dawgnit: Do a good inspection of the vehicle or bring it to a REPUTABLE mechanic and let them be the judge.


Good Luck...........................................

 

All "slamming" these vehicles does is reduce all of our resale values...nothing more. As markets diminish so do values. Sure there are some problems with the Expys, Navis and F-series pickups, but name a single vehicle (or anything mechanical for that matter) that doesn't encounter some probs (you don't have to look too far past the space shuttle to realize what I'm talking about). The head gasket leak and #4 coil pack seem to be the most prevalent problems. I believe the spark plug popping-out thing is more of a fluke than anything else. Sure it might happen, and has happened to a few but think of how many millions of these engines have been produced and tell me occurrence rate of the plugs coming out. I guarantee it is tiny...unfortunately it has happened. Overall, Ford has done an exceptional job with these trucks, that's why they have been so popular for so long. One day I might buy another brand but I've been driving Ford SUV's since 1986 and haven't had any serious probs (until this later this afternoon when my beloved 5.4 develops the head leak, pops a plug and the tranny falls to the ground ).

 

If you find ANY product with zero defects over the expected life of the product LET ME KNOW. It simply does not exist.
I'm not an old timer here and my 99 Expy is also my first Ford, but I'll say that I am EXTREMELY happy. Do I expect problems with any car that is 4 years old with 70k miles? Yes. I would be shocked if something didn't happen. I personally know more than 10 people who drive 97 to 2001 Expy's and all are extremely happy. If you're concern is to have no out of pocket expense, buy a new one off the lot with the bumper to bumper warranty. If you're like me and can't afford everything associated with driving one fresh of the dealers floor, then find one you like; make your test drives and then make a good decision based on the information at hand. Personally, if you find one you like; I'd say go for it!

TC

 

I bought my '99 Expy last year with 75k miles on it. I LOVE IT!

Except right now.....it developed a very slight shudder, which got worse when the dealer "fixed" it with a "crank shaft dampener". After "a call in to Ford" they have it back today to "check three or four things."

"It might need a new engine" is what the Service Manager said. I don't know how I went from a very slight vibration to "new engine", but let's just say I'm a tad skeptical. Let's hope they find the real reason. As I told my husband, I might have to drive it until it develops into something that actually FEELS like "needs a new engine."

 

Acamar, you may want to look at page three of this forum under "vibration, tranny... etc" I think you may find your answer there.
Good luck.

 

(knock on wood)

 

(knock on wood)

 

OK. Took my first road trip with the Expy, 2000 miles around trip. Yes, I bought it! The drive was nice, even though it was in the rain, on Memorial weekend.

I had a few issues with the Expy. The torque convertor (I'm almost sure) was shuddering and trying to slip when taking off, making a horrendous noise until there was no load on the tranny. I had the fluid flushed and the shuddering and noise decreased, but it's still there.

While I was at the shop the Expy was in park, idling, and noticed the hood shaking when it was opened. Sometimes at idle i can feel it shake through the seats intermittently. I don't know if this is normal, or the coil pack is starting to go, or that plug is starting to come out.

And for the small stuff. Did my little OD light bulb burn out? The OD lock out works, but no light. Go figure. Any simple way to fix that?

Driver's window. When it's all the way up, and you attempt to roll it down, it likes to stop when it first cracks open, then you have to let go of the button and press it again to get the window down. Binding? Electric glitch? Anyone else have this problem?

Wind noise. I hear some at the side mirrors, no big deal I guess. I also hear it near the passenger side door, sometimes... ?

Brakes. Ugh. The previous owner drove it on the highways, no traffic at all. The first week I had it I was playing in DC traffic. Now the driver side pads are hitting the warning squealers. I guess this is normal wear and tear.

Other than that. Nothing major. The drive was nice, it felt comfortable, and ergonomically speaking it was great.