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Ford Expedition Maintenance and Repair
Hi, I'm Rolly. I bought a used XLT 4WD with 36.5K miles a week ago and I just had the gear shifter replaced as a result of inoperative overdrive. I was told by the service rep. that the wires inside the shifter were frayed caused by the shifting of the shifter. A new shifter had to be installed to get it working. Have anyone ever had this problem before?
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If you didn't notice it until 1200 miles, how did you expect the plant to find it in 3 miles (or whatever distance the plant drives it)? Inspections don't do much good for problems that show up after hundreds or thousands of miles. Designs and production processes have to be robust to make sure the components are assembled correctly and built to tolerance in the first place.
Good Luck
It first was diagnosed as a VSS (speed sensor); after closer look at the burnt transmission fluid - there was also a problem with the transmission as a whole. So, the dealer opted to replace it.
Two weeks later, thanks to the snow in the north east delaying the transmission's arrival from SF, we got the truck back good as new.
Has anyone else had problems with theirs? What do I expect next?
Would like to know though if anyone is experiencing a slow to fuel problem? We have a 26 gal tank but you have to nurse in the last 8 to 9 gallons. What a pain. Also in car pool line at school I am forced to park on a downhill slope, if I get caught there idling for more than a minute or two and I am below a half a tank the vehicle thinks it is out of gas. If I let the vehicle roll down to a level spot it cranks right up. Have taken to dealer several times concerning both of these problems -- even had towed from school once for them to duplicate problem which they were able to do. Am now being told by dealer there is a "design flaw" with gas tank and there is nothing they can do. We have requested meeting with Ford area Rep. Must be others out there with this problem. Interested to know.
Thanks for any input.
I find it rather strange that this overall consolidated EXPEDITIONS PROBLEMS topic has been out here for a couple months now, and you are one of the first to report this issue, yet you feel that everyone of them is a lemon huh?
Considering how many Expeditions are sold every year, you would figure that more people would be out here complaining about it wouldn't you?
I personally don't really care about the Ford product in general (my wife's vehicle, I don't drive it), but people who make blanket statements like that make me laugh (sarcasticly).
mile trip to Palm Springs area, through mountain pass snowstorms(white outs & deep snow)-no problems
rattles or squeaks so far. Love this vehicle.
However, I discovered I have the problem where you have to "squeeze" the last 3-5 gallons of gas into the gas tank. Frustrating and uncomfortable when its cold & windy at the gas station.
Also noticed some sensitivity to head winds and cross winds, but nothing serious (where you felt the need to drive slower, for example).
With this lineup of vehicles, who the hell would be satisfied with a Ford product? LOL!
OTOH, pay a visit to the Toyota Sequoia topic. Now maybe those folks are lots of whiners/complainers, but there sure are a lot of them posting some interesting/serious problems. I understand how these folks feel. I used to be a staunch Toyota supporter. Then I bought a new '95 Tacoma. It was so full of problems that the dealer took it back after only 3 months and gave me a new T100 pickup instead. I don't hate Toyotas now, but I refuse to pay a premium for vehicles that aren't any better than a Ford.
Call me a cynic (indeed, I may be), but I feel that buying ANY new vehicle is a crap shoot. There used to be some statistics that showed if your new vehicle was built on a Monday or Friday, it would be much more likely to have problems due to absenteeism at the factory.
The rental car thing is annoying, but that is more an individual dealer situation than a Ford thing. You don't soppose the Blue Oval boys sent out a directive to not give out courtesy cars do you? Across all dealers you will find the upstanding types who want your kind words to friends and future business, and those that want your 200 bucks that day. Sounds like you have found the latter. Look at it as one less place to comparison shop next time. I always make a point of sending a nice thank you to businesses for saving me the effort after I have bought from the competition. Makes me feel all warm and happy inside.
We are in the market now for a new SUB as my wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee is getting old and we simply need a bigger rig. We test drove the Tahoe and it reminded me too much of my Silverado. The Denali was nice, but the monochromatic color scheme was a bit much. Besides, for a few thousand more you could get into the Escalade...so, we drove the Escapade. It was nice, lots of bells and whistles but the one we drove had a very noticeable wind noise from the front windshield. The sales re didn't believe me until he drove it at my insistence and only replied .."not to worry, we can reseal it"! Yea right. The local Cadillace dealers are in no mood to deal on these rigs as they are hard to locate here in the midwest and some even have a waiting list. We just drove a 2001 EB Expedition and liked it a lot. I have had Fords in the past and found them to be reliable so we are looking real hard at the Expedition. Seems to be a good time to buy one as every Ford dealer in the area has 8-10 on the lot and they are offering Cash Back and reduced financing incentives.
I did have a question. My wife really likes the 2nd row bucket seats with the console and it appears to come only with the Premier Group option which comes only in the Arizona beige. Am I mistaken here? My salesman was not a lot of help as he said he would have to research it.
It seems a fair price would be dealer invoice plus maybe 100-200 dollars and let them keep the holdback. I read somewhere in here that someone bought one for straight invoice and even split the holdback. Darn good negotiating! Any thoughts in this area would also be appreciated.
Sorry for the long post.
clay
We also took lengthy road tests of three different Expys before choosing one. There was a noticeable difference in the ride between the loaded XLT and the EB, which I found strange, since both are supposed to have the same suspension and both had 17" wheels and tires. The EB had a softer ride, in case you're wondering. The reason for the lengthy test drives was to determine if any of the trucks had the vibration problem mentioned by several owners. None of the three trucks we drove vibrated.
The 2nd row buckets have been an option on the Eddie Bauer for a couple of years. If there's a console for the second row, it must ONLY be available on the Premier Group, as I have yet to see a 2nd row console on a "normal" EB.
BTW- Choosing the 2nd row buckets means you won't have a flat floor when you fold the seats, if that matters to you. The flat floor was one of the selling points when we were choosing our new truck. The Sequoia and Tahoe 2nd row seats do not fold flat.
Lastly, in case you haven't heard, Ford has recalled all the Firestone tires on Expeditions. DO NOT leave the dealer's lot without getting non-Firestones. That is, IF the Expy you choose happens to have Firestones on it. I put Michelin tires on our Expy after the first week and was immensely impressed with the improved ride, steering and handling.
The same sales rep just called me and told me I can get that 2nd row captains chairs under a 21B option code. It doesn't appear to be a popular option as he has yet to find one in the area.
clay
Wow...you really did get a good deal. We haven't come down to price yet with this dealer, as I haven't completely made up my mind yet on the EB, yet we are leaning heavily in that direction. They have two 2000 Navigators on the lot. I am fairly sure I could get one for about $42,500. Can't believe they still have those. I would be buying a two year old rig but I do like the looks of the darn things. He seemed real anxious to sell them. It would pencil out to about a $3000.00 difference. You "regular" guys posting here are much more knowledgable than I am. What do you think? Would it be smart to "step up" to the Navigator or would it be a wash in the long run?
Thanks again for the replys.
clay
The EB offers pretty much the same features and my wife and I like the overall feel and looks better. I've had two F250's over the years and have gotten excellent service out of both. I would be very comfortable buying another Ford. As I understand it, the incentive program now offered runs through July 2nd, so we have a little time here to decide. I haven't heard much about the 2002 Exp, but I suspect they will make a signifigant body style and powerplant change in the near future.
clay
After two loooong road trips, I am quite pleased with the seats in our EB. I especially like the memory feature for two drivers. Works great!
Personally, I would avoid the first year of a new model. Only time will tell whether Ford will be able to avoid repeating the past and produce a trouble-free truck in the first year after a major redesign. Check out the Sequoia topic. If the posters there are a reasonable sample of Sequoia owners, Toyota also has trouble producing trouble-free vehicles in the first year.
Let us know what you wind up buying.
Interesting enough, I was at the dealer's lot this morning taking a second look at the EB Expy and right next to them was a brand new Limited Excursion with an MSRP of $500.00 less than the Expy! Go figure that one. It was a real nice rig but waay to big.
clay
Pretty near bought it, except my wife really didn't like the fact you could not get six way power seats for both driver and passenger. So we decided to wait and think about it. The very next day we drove by a Cadillac dealer with a shiny white Escalade on the lot so we decided to take a look at it. Went right to the sales manager's office and told him.."no BS, give me your best price on the Escalade, he looked at us and said $46,000. I asked him what was wrong with it and he said not a thing except it has 227 miles on it as it was used in a golf parade and some golf pro drove it to the course and back. They had to sell it is as a "program car", hence the price. 227 miles...I'd put that on it going home! We drove it and then bought it on the spot.
You wouldn't believe how it drives untill you sit behind the wheel.
I do appreciate the input and guidance here. Good luck and drive safe!
clay
Less than 1000 miles after biting the $47,000 bullet, I was driving my new car in the downtown San Joe area. Ahead, the traffic light turned red. I put my foot on the brake and nothing happened. I pumped the brake, still nothing. I stepped with both feet on the brake, still nothing. At this point I was bearing down on the mazda miata that was stopped at the light. I shifted the truck into first gear, and turned my SUB onto the sidewalk to the right and somehow managed to steer clear of the oncoming traffic. I came to a stop next to the curb without a scratch.
My dealer confirmed a failed brake booster. They replaced the part and called me to pick up the vehicle.
I objected and demanded a new truck. My wife is scared to drive this car, she won't allow my son to ride in it, and I don't know if I disagree. This incident could have been catastrophic. If my wife had been driving, if I had been pulling the boat, if we were on the freeway, or coming out of the mountains, we would have been facing a life or death situation. The gal applying make-up in her miata, weather she knows or not, was already in a life or death situation. Personally, I can't put my newborn son in that vehicle. I'm not looking to sue anyone. I simply want what I paid $47k for; a car that I feel confident putting the lives of my family in.
Ford contends that they cannot intervene at this point. The dealer is taking a position of "no blood no foul". Ford Credit is still waiting for the first payment.
At this point, do I get an attorney?
Thanks, all of you for your help and advise.
As for the brake failure posting from Whooooa, get an attorney. It will be a longer than desired process but you'll be better off in the long run.
Stay away from fords, you will have nothing but problems as soon as you drive off the lot. Ford's slogan in Texas is "Ford is # 1 in Texas". I know that they are "#1 in recalls" for sure.
Maybe you just treat your vehicles badly and they respond in kind.
Been on three trips at over 600 miles one way.
Performance is great with the bigger engine.
MSRP was $40,255 - loaded it up with Captain Chairs, Reverse sensor, which required side air bags, etc. Gave $300.00 over invoice. Dealer holdback was around $1200.00. Traded 98 Mercury NtNeer - no comparison, BELIEVE ME!!! Got realistic trade in amount for MtNeer. Was not going to pay the big ticket price for Navigator.
Having owned over a dozen Toyotas, I would be inclined to concur with your statement about Toyota quality, except my last three Toyota experiences were less than stellar. Two Tacomas ('95 & '99) and a '95 T100. The T100 wasn't too bad (had the head gasket problem), but the Tacomas were garbage, IMHO. Lots of problems, that THE DEALER COULDN'T FIX!
I also own a '97 Lexus ES300 and truly love the car. But, it too suffered transmission leaks at just over 50K miles. Thank God for warranties!
BTW- I also take good care of my vehicles.
If you think the Sequoia is the "usual high-quality Toyota product", check out the Sequoia forum. Given the small number of Sequoias sold, they sure have more than their share of problems. Or, more likely, The Sequoia owners EXPECTED a perfect vehicle, and instead got an average vehicle and they're pissed! Anyway, check it out if you have time. You may be surprised.