I'm in the market for a used cargo van and am looking at a 2003 E-250 which has 200,000 miles on it. Engine runs great, transmission is in good condition (fluid looks good), steering is tight and no oil leaks. It has the 4.2 Liter engine. It was a fleet vehicle.

At the same lot there are 6 used E-250's (all purchased at the same time) which have mileage that range from 200k to 270k miles. Considering that they all had similar maintenance performed on them and all are running well, it seems like I could get a good 50k+ miles out of the van if I continued regular maintenance after purchase.

Is there anything that I need to watch out for on the 2003 E250? Any experiences or thoughts would be appreciated. Does anyone have an e250 with over 200k miles on it?

 

A lot of people run Ford vans up into huge mileage, especially freeway mileage. I do know that the 4.2 engine had intake manifold gasket or other issues and would rather see you looking for a 4.6 engine in a van. A dead engine could nullify the good deal you get in buying such a van. The 4.6 actually got better EPA and real world mileage than the 4.2. My son drove a 4.2 at his old bike shop job and said it was a real dog when loaded up with exercise machines and stuff (he had a lot of miles in our 4.6). If you are gonna carry heavier loads, the 5.4 may even be your best choice. The 4.6 and 5.4 vans did have the spark plug blowout problems prior to about 2005. Rare, and less common with the 4.6.

I have a 4.6 in my 2002 E150, bought new and celebrating its 10th birthday in my ownership with *only* 111k miles on it. It is starting to get some rust in a couple doors, but will probably go as long as I want it to. My wife is currently moving some queen mattresses and box springs in it today with my son...

There is a guy with a website millionmilevan.com who got 1.299 MILLION miles out of an E250 with a 5.4 in it without any major engine work. Engine finally gave out. I think he had to have a trans rebuild at 1.1 million miles or so.

These are great vehicles that can run a helluva long time. Again, I would personally stay away from the 4.2. The 4.6 has often run 500k miles in taxis, town car limos, and trucks, and the 5.4 has run a lot of miles as well. Front end parts, brakes, and other basic stuff is just about all you will have to worry about unless you toast an engine or trans.

Good luck,
George

 

Thanks for the reply, YoGeorge. In my case I won't be carrying or hauling anything very heavy, so the 4.2 seemed to be 'ok'. My goal is to have something I can use for periodic trips where I need to haul equipment that is too big for my current vehicle and needs to be covered for protection against the elements.

I think I'll take it to a mechanic for an inspection- should help me get a feel for what might be going out. I'm hopeful as its siblings seem to have much higher mileage 8)

For anyone else who reads this thread, edmunds.com has a note about the manifold issue here: 2003 Ford Econoline Cargo E-150 4.2L V6 4-speed Automatic Reliability

 

I have an '00 E250 with the 5.4 motor, originally had 203K miles on the odo when first purchased in February of '08. Currently it has 272K miles and still running well, a bit tired of course but reliable anytime its needed.

Along the way I elected to do several things like new A/C compressor etc, reman'd calipers, new rear brake cylinders, drums, front rotors, master cylinder just for reliability. Along with regular maintenance as well as changing spark plugs I can't complain one bit.

Currently running an '03 with the 5.4, also from an outfit that performed regular maintenance, even gave me the shop log of what's been done since it was new to them. It has 163K miles, put on the road in November of '12. So far it too has been a great van.

Long story short good maintenance on these Ford vans pays off and they make great second owner utility vehicles for anyone not needing a $32,000 + new van. (The '03 cost me $4,500 which was fair given its overall condition and features.)

Most good mechanics could test drive one for 5 miles and get a clear idea about it. Taking a drive monitor portable scanner along for the test drive would give a world of invaluable info. You'd be making an informed decision based on more than just a gut feeling.

Sounds like you're onto a potentially good deal though---how much are they asking for each of the E250's ??

 

The manifold gasket issue is mentioned here, but note also that if the gasket fails internally, it can fill one of your cylinders with coolant and take out the whole engine by hydraulicing a cylinder and bending/breaking a rod. So it can be far more than a $400 repair.

My '96 GMC Savana van had the manifold gaskets fail (the Dex Cool antifreeze would last 100k miles but dissolve intake manifold gaskets in 65k miles...not my idea of a good tradeoff). Fortunately it did not leak into a cylinder--but the replacement cost, back around 2001, was $750. Again, I would be wary of the 4.2 for this reason. Watch the coolant level very closely, or if you have an inspection done, have the cooling system pressure tested.

My '02 E150 needed new lower balljoints before it hit 60k (done under my extended warranty along with tie rod ends and I believe the drag link) so yes, front end parts do need replacement but the basic box is great. I'm guessing brakes on the 250 will go a bit longer than they do on the 150 which is a good thing for you. The 150's are probably more likely to warp rotors and eat pads because there is less brake there.

One other thing--if you are in the rust belt, check out the bottom door seams for bulges indicating rusting out. A couple of my doors on my '02 are starting to get there (the driver's door and the rear 40% door on the side pair) and will probably start looking bad in a year or two. I sprayed them internally with rustproofing when they first started bulging and this will slow the rusting but not stop it.

Good luck,
George

 

Mind sharing the price you are looking to pay? Ford cargo vans are a dime a dozen, unless it is extremely cheap I'd look for a 5.4.

 

There is no good reason to buy a used 4.2. They get worse fuel economy than the 4.6L v8, they have lower towing capacity, they are less reliable, and they do not cost any less on the used market than a 4.6 or 5.4.

The only reason to get them NEW was to save a few bucks on massive fleet purchases. Even then, most fleet managers were not impressed with the damn things. Ford phased them out pretty quickly.

 

I found this to be very true when I was looking about this time last year. Oddly enough most 4.2's were in converted vans, very few of them in cargo-only though.

I was really looking for a V10 E250 but that proved a bit elusive, at least in my area.

 

99 e250 5.4l ext. with 288k daily driver, still hauling 2-4k lbs of cargo, carpet rolls ,vct,self leveling,etc.

 

V10 vans are rare, as the v10 was a spendy option that didnt get anything for most fleet uses. It didn't increase the GVWR of chassis cabs, and most fleet vans were not expected to tow anything. Even the gas ambulances are often the 5.4L. I would say you are about as likely to find a diesel van as you are a v10.

 

Oh yeah---exactly right on the V10s' in cargo only vans. That motor seemed most often in the 15 passenger people movers, not of interest as a work truck for me. Honestly though the V10 wouldn't have been all that practical for me since I'm only running near the chassis GVWR anyway.

Oddly enough I found more than a few diesel E350's, in fact for a while that's all I was finding in my local area.

It seems the 5.4 is the best motor for most applications in a van---my experience would agree having owned three of them along the way.

 

2009 F-150 with 5.4L 3V at 146K miles, have had it almost a year and running fine using Mobil-1 5W-30 synthetic. Glad to hear many here have achieved well over 200K with these engines.

 

To pass CAFE
Ford used to give those low cubic inch motor ones away (the 4.2) so the fleets would pick them up cheap
Same with trucks
Fors had to sell a ton of compact cars to account for the poor mileage of trucks
I own both a 4.2 and a 5.4 and each has its place in this world
Pissed at them both and like them both

 

4.2 was good for light duty .. 5.4 guzzled fuel like a 5 doller skank ... plus the spark plug issues were a bit of a nightmare ...I have owned 7 E series Vans and My Last one is the Best .... 7.3 Diesel ...2nd 3rd and 4th are 4.9 six powered units ...Lame But effective ....Ran forever ....I also had a 302 ( 5 Litre) that was decent and 2 460 's which were scary fast and powerful but guzzled fuel more than the 5.4 But they made alot of power and I kept the engines ....One I still have ....

 

It's always fun when someone stumbles on an 11 year old thread and brings it back to life and others jump on. Also nice to see names in the original messages I still see around.