E250/E350 questions

I’m looking to buy a used E250/350 work van. Absolutely not interested in an E150. During my years working for a plumbing contractor, we used E250s exclusively and I drove a range of them from 92-2005. They were all the inline 6 motor except the 2005, which was a 5.4. I drove them and worked on them and they proved themselves to be reliable. However, none of them was over 130k miles, (the 2005 was <30k) so I don’t have a lot of experience with these vans at higher mileages. I know their longevity is largely based on the level of care/maintenance they received. I also love the inline 6 motor but am having a hard time finding anything other than the 4.6 and the 5.4. I’m also having a hard time finding something under 180k miles in my price range. I honestly don’t care if it’s a 92 or a 2109, I’m just looking for reliability and a van in overall decent shape. I’ve been wrenching for years so I’m willing to do my own repairs/maintenance/etc. I take very good care of my vehicles and treat them well. I guess my question is what other issues should I look out for with these vans? Were there any years to avoid? Any and all feedback is appreciated.

 

There's no particular year to avoid but IMHO there are some options or equipment to shy away from. I'd NOT want a diesel as they're simply not for the "average" driver who doesn't need their power and host of costly maintenance issues those engines that come along with them. Beginning 1997 the gasoline Modular Motors (4.6, 5.4, & 6.8 were introduce and they've proven to be very, very reliable and long-lived---assuming maintenance is performed as shown to be best practices. The 4.6 I'd avoid also as its underpowered---anyone claiming otherwise make sure you know their driving habits, do they use them as work vans etc?

I'm currently driving three different E-Series; 2000 E250 regular body, 2003 E250 extended body and a 2005 E350 that begin life as a Club Wagon people hauler. The first two have over 290K miles with almost no issues. An alternator or two, one radiator, one starter, most all COP's are original but spark plugs changed at 50K miles---something too many believe is too frequent as they're "supposed" to last 100K miles---don't buy that nonsense.

If I had it to do again I'd look for an E350 as they come ready to handle heavier loads---no matter how little weight we think we'll ever need to haul too often as work vans we're typically pushing them too close to their upper limits weight-wise. The E350's do ride a bit more rough than the E250's which can translate into more noise but with a partition curtain and adding a 3/4" plywood rear floor along with minimal side wall and ceiling insulation all that's easily tamed.

If you're looking strictly for a cargo only van avoid the Club Wagon's unless you're willing to deal with all the windows and interior those have. They do have rear A/C and heat which is good if you need heat in the rear (I do) but I've eliminated the rear A/C completely as its a maintenance nightmare---once it develops a leak or other issue the front air is compromised; I want/need my front seat creature comfort, my work supplies need to be warm so the heat remains.

For the most part you want something that's been well maintained and has records to prove it. Transmission full flushes are great for extending life---that's done about every 50K miles as well. Regular oil changes @ 3-4K miles is good too unless you're only traveling on highways. I idle quite a bit so the 3K mile is my magic interval. Using the best quality oil filters and proper viscosity for your engine is another smart practice.

Anything used you buy budget some sort of "repair" where front suspension parts, brakes, shocks and maybe tires are considered as a near future expenditure. Carefully inspect the body and underside for signs of a collision and resulting repair. Honestly crawling underneath something gives you a lot insight into its past life and treatment.

That's about all I can think of at the moment---hope its helpful.



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Wow thank you so much for the detailed reply. This gives me a good foundation on which to choose a vehicle. Lots of stuff in there I wasn’t aware of and I haven’t even thought about or kept up with these vans for many years. Definitely looking to avoid the club wagons, I don’t want all the windows. This will be my DD. I do a lot of projects and always had pickup trucks but I really miss having a van - more secure, dry cargo space but still the functionality of a truck. I plan on having a cage/partition wall and insulating it to keep the HVAC up front and the dust/noise in the back. I’m meticulous about vehicle maintenance and care so if I can find one that’s been taken care of well, it will spend it’s time with me in the same manner. There’s a dealer near me who specializes in cargo/work vans and has been doing highly-rated business for 20+ years. I think I’m going to check them out. Thanks again for the info!

 

I am a semi-retired plumbing contractor. I have had my share of 1/2,3/4, and 1 ton vans over the past 40 yrs. I have found,because of all the weight, 350's are the way to go.I was buying "off lease" 350 15 pass vans and stripping the seats out. The extra light the windows provide was a big plus. Also the rear heat/air,power locks/windows,etc.I had problems with theft with the cargo vans; theives tatgeted them for the tools. Never had a problem with window vans with the glass dark tinted. just my 2 cts.

 

You could poke around a bit on this forum and look at signatures, etc... these vans are practically legendary for durability I seem to see hundreds of them on the road daily, and many are in that 97-02 range (different grill style).
Just for fun, you could google "million mile van". it's an old site, but that was still quite a lot of miles.
I was chatting with one of those FedEx [contract] couriers at the gas pump a while back... the E350 that he was driving had a 5.4 (big box style behind the cab), IIRC he was in the 300k range. He also noted that his "previous" van was still in service with around 700k.
Obviously different vehicles, but very similar drive-train to the Expeditions.There's a thread in that section of the forum that shows a lot of higher mileage vehicles as well.
Good luck finding what suits you.

 

The 300 disappeared in ~'97 when the Modular Motors (also marketed as "Triton") were introduced. There was a complete change in personality of the engines at that point. Not saying one was necessarily better or worse, but the older engines were torquier at lower rpm and the mod motors make horsepower up high. I had a 5.4L in an '08 F-250 and a 6.8L in my '15 E-450 motorhome. Both made truly impressive power and got reasonable mileage doing it, but they have to spin over 3000 rpm (sometimes a lot over that) to get the job done. I find them very unpleasant to drive because they're so busy / buzzy. But they do make a lot more power than the earlier engines and use less fuel doing it, so if you're into the bottom line more than the driving experience they are much better. (I went back to an older pickup with a 460 because I just like driving it so much more.)

 

That Is about where I buy my work trucks, keeping them until the body gives out which is the big problem up here in the salt belt. The 4.6 is the weakest motor in the stable but still makes about 80hp more than the I6 ever did so it is a lot better highway driver, you just have to ignore the tach and let it spool. Actually the 4.2 V6 was available for a short period too, that is the motor you want to avoid as it did have some reliability issues. Otherwise these are simple vehicles without a lot of things that can go wrong, I'd say the only downside is you probably won't get a lot of color choices outside Oxford white in a cargo van anyway, maybe DHL yellow and Home Depot orange to a lesser extent.

 

I definitely like the E350s but they are less available in my budget/area. I’d take one if i could find one. One of the reasons I don’t want a club wagon is because they are so long. I drove the long E350 for a while and it was fine for the job but wouldn’t want to DD one. Plus I really don’t like all the windows. I get what you mean about the cargo vans being targeted though, that’s a good point.

 

I’ll always love that 300 engine. Had a F150 with one and it just absolutely would not die or ever let me down. Upgraded to a fancy new truck years ago when I got a new job but to this day I regret selling that F150. Plus they were easy to work on. Also drove an F450 with a 460 in it, that thing was a beast.

 

Looks like I’ll be trying for a 5.4. These seem to be a solid motor and from what I’ve seen on CL, there are a lot of them available. I actually prefer the white van so the color thing isn’t an issue for me. For some reason my mind thinks an E-series in anything but white looks strange, probably just because of how many of them there are.

 

Yes if you want to blend into the background noise white is the perfect color, nobody gives you second look driving through a home construction zone for example. All of the 4.6 and 5.4 vans got 3.73 or 4.10 gears so even the 4.6 is a respectable performer, there isn't a lot to separate these two really, the 5.4 has a little more grunt while the 4.6 can do a little better on gas. There was a problem with blown out spark plugs in the early 2000s motors but the head and plug was updated by '05-06 I think to fix that, use only Motorcraft plugs and follow installation procedures and torque specs and you won't have any issues.

 

500k miles here on 2000 e350 7.3 PSD

 

That's impressive and congratulations--shows the durability of the body/chassis and an engine, the two can be and are mutually exclusive to one another though.

Diesel engines aren't for the "average" driver, the gasoline 5.4 being the "best" engine for what VanKo is seeking.

I don't want to start an argument but the 4.6 isn't a good choice for anything but a E150 that will see very light duty. It just doesn't have enough torque to pull a 3:73 rear gear. That's mostly IMHO but most who do have the 4.6 tend to agree its a bit underpowered for what most of us use a van to do.

 

New to the forum, but long time van owner.... Had a 99 and 03 E350 extended for work...the 03 was a work horse and finally died at 396,000, but the body died about 250,000...Bought a 17 transit, med roof next...loved the height, the mpg, the "newness", but it SUCKED in winter! I haul antiques and furniture for my shop, so it is mostly empty...transit was a joke in the winter....I got stuck when the E350 would plow on thru! Sold the transit last year and I just bought (last week) a 2010 E350 extended xlt. I have and prefer the club wagon...I like the windows for light, but I cover them with my logo and wrap (3M transparent and I can still see out). I wanted the carpet and finished panel and headliner for a clean look, and also sound absorbing. I also wanted heat back there in the winter. it is the 5.4 flex and that engine is a tank! I bought it with 146k miles and got a great price... I plan on keeping this until the AWD transit are out a few years and prove their worth. I have to say, the E350 sounds and feels so much better that the transit... More solid! But, I do fear the rusting out on the back typical of the extended vans...E350 would be my choice over the E250...