I usually hang out in the other forums, but hope I can get some feedback here. My folks have been looking for a new vehicle for a while, and just got a call from a dealer they had been to who said he just got a 2001 Diesel Excursion in, a returned program vehicle, loaded and with 41K miles, and "he really wants their business", so wants them to come see it. I don't know anything about the Excursions or the Diesels. Is there anything that they should be looking for, any known problems/recalls etc. that should have been taken care of? I know in the diesel forum I see a lot of talk about flash upgrades, should they check to see what version is flashed in the main computer? Thanks for any help you can provide.
Robb

 

Anybody who owns an Excursion, will tell you that it's THE best tow and/or travel vehicle they ever purchased. Myself being one of them, I know that to be true.

As far as issues are concerned, there are few if any. On 4x4 models, the front hubs are the main issue. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. If the manual lock on the hubs are hard to turn, have the dealer fix it. Door lock actuators sometimes fail, but thats relatively rare. Flashes for the 7.3 are rare, if not non-existant. The 7.3 Liter Powerstroke is a tried, true, and proven engine. I know because I own one. The only thing about the engine is the CPS or Cam Position Sensor. It's an easy piece to replace, but when it goes out, it can leave you stranded. So it pays to carry one with you in the glovebox. TLC is required with this engine if it's to last as long as it should, if not beyond. Have the dealer (a Ford dealer) pull an OASIS report on it. The report will tell you everything there is to know about the vehicle; repairs, maintenance records, issues, and things of that nature. The most important thing is maintenance records. If this vechicle was well maintained (i.e. at the proper intervals set by Ford), and never had any major repairs, you're good to go. But if it has a spotty maintenance record, I wouldn't bother. You could luck out and not have any issues with it, but who knows? Tim Lamkin over in the "6.0L Powerstroke" forum or 1956MarkII over in "New/Ford/Lincold/Mercury Buyer" can handle that for you. Just get the VIN and send either of them a private message or an e-mail. Other than that, there isn't anything else to worry about. Good Hunting!