Hello, new member of the forum.

Ordered a Transit Passenger Van last August, have not heard anything regarding VIN, build status, delivery ect from my dealer. Located in Ontario, Canada. Has not being a good experience so I may pull the plug.

A nice Excursion 7.3 came up locally, body in excellent shape with some minor repairs done to get it into saleable shape. Has just under 400,000kms, 248,500miles. Worth looking into? Haven’t driven or inspected it. Have a 550 with the 7.3 and it’s being fantastic. Just over 250,000kms.

My options, wait for Ford to delivery the Transit, who knows when, or take the chance on the 22yr old Ex? I like the space and towing capacity. Dealer is asking fair market value for the truck, a bit higher with the overall demand for nice ones of course.

 

my Excursion is an '02,
it used to be a Fire Truck....

they did a lot of damage to the electrical wiring, stuff I don't dare pull out, it might kill something?

CarFax reported two fender benders.
only one that I could see, was the driver door had yellow paint on the door jamb, where a Salvage yard had written what model truck it came off of, another '02 Excursion.

the front suspension was in extremely bad shape, spent near $2,000 getting it up to snuff.
that include new hubs and rotors/brakes & bearings

I paid $13k in the middle of the Covid experience.... used trucks had doubled in price

 

This truck has gone through a shop who inspected it thoroughly. Replaced any brakes that needed replacing, new tied rods, fresh wheels and tires. Engine bay is very clean. Truck has superficial rust on frame. Body is immaculate. Has not been undercoated, maybe some dried up stuff underneath? Won’t know until I look at it, probably next week sometime. Only thing holding me back is the mileage and lack of service records. For a diesel, that is important to me.

 

22 year old Excursions are a labor of love, will bankrupt you if you have to have someone doing all of the work for you.

If you are mechanically inclined and don't mind repairs than the Ex may be for you. If you don't want to mess with it than I would wait for the Transit Van.

 

Did you order it in August 23 or August 24 ? Asking because I ordered my Explorer on March 3,23 and it was delivered to the dealer on September 11,23 It took 6 months from order to delivery. Didn’t receive my vin# untill sometime in June. Dealership said that seems to be the new norm

 

Ordered the van August 2023. Dealer has vans coming in unannounced, no heads up from the factory. The horror stories of people waiting multiple years for a van is not a game I’m willing to play. The Excursion is available for a decent price, a plain jane van is climbing up to $100,000 CAD in 2025.

 

Had a real good look and long drive of the Ex. Body is an 8/10. Pretty nice. A few concerning things that I noticed.
- clunk in the front end while driving over rougher roads and bumps. Might be track bar bushings, worn shocks, ball joints, sway bar bushings, and even body mounts? Couldn't tell by looking, on a lift would help.
- 4wd, hubs might be seized, could also be a factor with the clunking sound. Sound of it engaging while switching is audible.
- rear end, humming and can feel vibration when turning. Check the slip yoke for grease? Not sure on that rear end with all the kms on it, could be worn out. A new rear end would be expensive to fix if it's in rough condition.
- passenger side window is very slow to go down, could just need some lubricant in the glass runs. Not a big deal.

Dealers mechanic is going to go over the things I found.

Truck has brand new rims and Toyo ATs.

These trucks like to wander a bit and are rougher of a drive straight out of the factory new. That's normal. But this truck seemed to bounce around a bit more than I would like. Engine seems to be very healthy with no blow by and all the lubricants and fluids look good with no leaks that pop out to me.

 

Remember that it is a 20+ year old truck and things wear out. The clunk could be any of those things that you mentioned, probably one of the front end components like tie rod ends, sway bar mounts or ends, ect Easy fix if your handy, don’t forget the bump stops, their probably missing also. I don’t think it’s the body mounts but it is possible.
As for the hubs being frozen, common problem with our ex, very easy fix. If you want Motorcraft hubs they will run you about 300 bucks, if you use aftermarket about a 100. Many Ex owners switch to manual hubs, also an easy switch and runs you about the same amount.
All Ex owners struggle with wander and is easily corrected with 5* positive Caster

 

Helpful info, things that I could do myself and factor into the asking price. My lasting concern then would be the rear end. The shuddering while turning left or right is very obvious. Dealer did replace the diff oil, said didn’t find any issues. Seemed to get worse as the truck warmed up in the test drive.

 

If it has a limited slip rear differential I hope they put the Ford modifier additive into it.

 

I love my 7.3 Excursion… I’ll probably keep it for life. But unless the Excursion is completely free of any issues and lower in miles, I’d go with a new van. If you’re shopping for an Excursion, look far and wide and find one in primo condition from an area without rust (how were the rockers on this one?).

 

The new Transits have been climbing in price every year by $5000 CND. A basic one with towing pkg and a few other options is currently over $85,000. Next years model, who knows how much.

The Ex shows very well, body 8.5 out of 10. No rot, no holes. However the rockers have been replaced at some point, but have been for some time as they have been worn in with the typically door opening rubbing and scratching. Anything in Canada at that age is going to have some rust, this truck is very clean for how old it is. Was a Western truck as well. Roof is in good shape, engine runs like a top. Don’t have service records as it was an auction purchase by the dealer, I don’t like that so much. Interior is a 9/10. Very clean, looks to be well cared for but yes, a lot of mileage.

 

With the issues you listed after the drive, the only one I'm concerned about is the diff. The clunk is most likely the sway bar end links which are cheap and easy to replace. Regarding the hubs, your best bet is to go manual warns for added reliability. Depending on price, I would pull the trigger.

7.3 excursions are a unique animal and if interested, a good example should always be in your vehicle toolbox. The truck can do just about anything and it is a well thought example of real utility that you don't see as much of in today's market.

7.3'a have a very intelligent community of users. Every bolt and nut has been talked about on these forums ad nauseum. The only question remains, will you be servicing the vehicle yourself or paying to have it taken care of? Things will break from time to time and will need your attention. Most things are easy to fix and then7.3 is a pretty easy engine to work with.

There will be some parts of the body which will be hard to find. Mostly from the rear doors back. So you should inspect that area completly. Hatch, barn doors etc. Pretty much bespoke.

 

I would be doing any work as required. Not looking to do any modifications, I prefer my vehicles mostly stock. Currently have a 550 flatbed with the 7.3 that I have become comfortable working on. Also have family members with diesel trucks and an Excursion. Also have a guy about an hour or so away who stocks parts for anything superduty. I checked the rear doors, everything is straight and clean. Hinges are rust free and rubber is good.

 

My Ex had a shudder and jerk in the rear end, limited slip clutches were seized and welded together. After a complete rebuild the rear end is nice and smooth.