Ford Expedition

davant · June 2005

You could also get these nifty link title http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=1045&addcar=1 dust covers, (no I don't work for them). I put them on our '03 XP at 25K and have had no heat problems. They are about $80 for a set of four. The dealer wanted about $275 for the new brake pads and that was if I put them on myself. I prefer to contain the dust as the new pads seem like a compromise of sorts.

ranwin33 · July 2005

I've just had the third ignition coil replaced on my 2001 4.6lt. Expedition AND it now appears that a fourth one needs to be replaced no sooner then I drove the truck off the lot after the last repair. The #5 and #6 plugs and coils were replaced at 36,742 miles and I've just had the #4 coil replaced at 84,400 miles.

Is this to be expected or do I have any recourse? At $500 a coil, this is getting to be very expensive.

Repair total is as follows:
coil asy - ignition - $121.64
sensor asy - $30.07
coil on plug tune up, replace plugs, labor - $140.30
spark plugs - $52.80
labor - $130.49

Are these figures reasonable?

Thanks for any help.

explorerx4 · July 2005

i hate to say this, but from what i understand the coil problem can be diagnosed by relacing the coils 1 by 1 to fugure out the bad one. kind of sounds like they could have just switched a good one and a bad one. now you have a 'new' bad coil.
i'm just saying it is a possiblity.

2003 · July 2005

Can anybody supply me with step by step instructions on how to remove rear bumper on a 2003 Expedition. A scan from service manual or a website would be great. It will save me tons of time by not having to guess the sequence of steps and locating all the bolts, screws, rivets, etc. Thx.

2003exp · July 2005

Hi I am new to the forum and have a 2003 xlt expedition with a 4.6l triton V8
i am having a disagreement with some friends of mine about the motor.
When i was changing my oil i noticed that the motor has a aluminum block and heads
all the information on the web says that a expedition is to come with a aluminum heads
and cast iron block which is rated @232hp and 298lbs torque.
And the aluminum block and head is rated@302hp and 300lbs torque which comes in the
aviator suv I have checked the motor and it is all aluminum. Can you help me on this problem for me and set me straight.
mh_60j@yahoo.com

davant · July 2005

Welcome 2003exp,

What is the problem, winning a discussion? You have a nice rig albiet slightly underpowered and its fine for everything but towing 8,000 pounds. It produces 232 HP and the engine is metal, none of that silly plastic or ceramic inside. It is rusts, it was steel, if it doesn't, must be aluminum. Really though, your block and heads are all aluminum, you already confirmed that. The 5.4L like we have in our '03 Eddie-B XP has the cast iron block with I-hope-these-disimilar-metals-play-nice-with-the-headgasket aluminum heads. I considered the 4.6L but needed more ooomph and I did like the fact that the 4.6L engine is all 'aluminium' lowering headgasket risk (anyone remember Chevy Vega radiator mushroom soup?). The aviator gets it's extra HP from a second exhaust valve and more aggressive timing. Enjoy yours, you saved enough to by half of another one compared to the Aviator!

itsjustchuck · August 2005

I have a 2003 Ford Expedition and the driverside window will now work. When you push the button it makes an awful noise. I have since stopped doing that. LOL
Anyway, after further looking into the problem I have discovered that the cable and wheel for the window (yes it is like a little wench in there, pardon the pun also) need to be replaced. Since the cable appears to be damaged beyond repair and the wheel is all boogered up they must be replaced. My only option so far is to spend about $200 for the parts at the local Ford dealership. That price seems a bit high for a steel cable and a plastic wheel. Can anyone help. I have run out of possiblities for an alternate part search. No one seems to be able to get this part. :confuse:

2003exp · August 2005

Thanks for the reply I thought that ford only put cast iron blocks in the expedition
and the only aluminum blocks were found in the cobra DOHC 4.6 and the aviator
only, I looked it up on ford facts and info on their web site.

fangforce · August 2005

Same thing happened to me two days ago. I have a 2004 Expedition. It sounds like the same window set up as the 2003: wires and a spool. I pulled off the panel to discover the mangled wire that cannot be fixed. I called a local window repair shop and they came out to fix it. The entire regulator needs to be replaced. The regulator is the whole black plastic piece that fits on the door panel. This piece contains the motor, spool, wire set up, and even the speaker cut out. He pointed out what caused the spool to fail. The wires are connected to two metal brackets at the base of the window. These brackets are "glued" to the window using silicone. The silicone fails easily, bracket comes off, and ultimately adds stress to the wire set up. The new replacement regulator costs about $187 from the local Ford dealership and about an hours worth ($75) of labor to fix it all. Ford service quoted me 2 hours worth of labor, but the local window repair company charges one hour and they came to my house to fix it. I will have a fight with Ford in the morning concerning their "defective" window setup, but will probably get the cold shoulder due to my warranty being expired. I may have to buy a new window in the deal. The window repair guy stated that Ford is aware of this shoddy system, but hasn't really pursued a recall or service bulletin. I will see what they say in the morning. I hope this helps.

expedition · August 2005

I am glad I am not the only one. However, I don't think it will help me a bit.
My rear right window was "grinding" and "clicking' for a few months. I asked mi passengers (usually my son) not to use it, and they mostly obeyed.
Two days ago my son just closed the door (not even slammed it) and the window fell open. I removed the panel and found that the wire snapped. It was worn out badly. It looked like it was dragging constantly for longer time against something sharp (like knife blade). The plastic wheel inside the motor housing had its thread quite eaten.
I still haven't got a price from the dealer. I took the whole apparatus beneath the window out of the door and put a 1x2 piece of wood inside the door to support the window until I find a fix. I hope it will hold.
I am wondering whether these kinds of parts are available on junk yards?
If somebody wants to start a class action suit, I am on. This last is a joke, unless somebody is serious about it! :confuse:

canabud · August 2005

For all the people in here posting about the troubles they have had, sorry to hear it.. On the flip side, I have a 2002 Expe 5.4 4X4. I have 58,000 and so far no issues.. the transmission runs great, no rust anywhere, no leaks, no weird noises,etc........ I read this forum to pick up on trends and try to take extra precautions in those areas of known issues. I service my tranny more often than recommended. I use 10w-30 synthetic oil instead of that watered down 5w-20 which in the extreme heat breaks down and in my opinion does not give your engine the protection needed. I use synthetic tranny fluid and so on... So, I have been extremely happy with my ford and would by another with no question... There are tens of thousands of expeditions sold, and these are just a very small percent of people that have not received a good vehicle and this happens with every manufacturer.....I just wanted to speak from the other side so people reading this do not get discouraged when looking at a ford suv or truck....

exalteddragon1 · August 2005

what kind of fuel economy do you get, and do you think its worth it to trade up to the 2006 Explorer that has 300hp/265lb-ft of torque (40 more hp that the 2005) and a new 6 speed auto that inproves fuel economy?

Overall would you still buy an expedition instead of the GM twins or the foreign Nissan Armada?

canabud · August 2005

I can tell you that a pitfall of the ford 5.4 is fuel mileage. It is terrible, when a buddy of mine has a 6.0 liter in his GM and gets better mileage then the 5.4 ford. If room was not an issue, and fuel prices were too stay where they are, I would buy an explorer. I think GM makes a great SUV and truck, its preference. As for the foreign makes, they make great cars, but for the truck line, they cant touch the americans unless your just wanting something to carry the kids around to their soccer game...Look underneath an expedtion or excusion or a tahoe and you will see what I am talking about. The frame is incredible compared to your foreign counterparts..They are new to the truck scene and have a ways to go...

saval · August 2005

I have a 2005 Expy with 11,000miles. Over the last two weeks I have been hearing a grinding noise on start up. It only happens on a cold start and last only 1 second, but I notice it. I'm told by the dealership (they heard it) that it may have to do with the AC being left on during start up. Have any of you heard anything like this?

mbjb · August 2005

saval,

I have a 04 expy and the gind up noise is common. When the ac is left on the compressor grinds at startup, something about the pressure. I have been to the dealer twice and to an independent shop. It is the ac compressor and nothing is wrong, just a ford thing. Hope this helps.

gheimur · August 2005

04 EB
Sounds like a loud BRR... I heard it, other people hear it. I am told its normal.
Don't hear it all the time Great truck and uses the same $2.50 gas that every other car uses . just goes 20-25% less distance. I was able to move my daughter from NJ to DC and can fit a box spring, mattress and Futon with the seats down and the hatch closed

dalafleur · August 2005

I've heard this noise twice on my 04 EB when I first got it. Sounded awful and very loud, like something getting to sieze up or come apart. Haven't heard it since. Have 30K. Other than having rear end problems (whine) which I hope they've rectified after the third attempt, absolutely love my vehicle. I echo the previous poster, it really hauls alot of bulky stuff. I've loaded up the back with a huge gas grill (in box), beds, trips to the nursery, etc. The only vehicle I would like more is a Lincoln Navigator.

Kirstie_H · August 2005

A reporter would like to hear from consumers who have recently had trouble selling their gas-guzzlers for a decent price. If you have a story to share, please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com with your daytime contact info, city/state of residence and the make/model in question no later than Monday, August 29, 2005.

stowe · August 2005

I bought a 05 ford expedition two months ago it has 3100 miles on it and the two front leather seats are cracking also am hearing the same grinding noise at start up in the mornings.And I also noticed moisture under the floor mats after reading the message board it's got to be the air condition. I took it to the dealership two weeks and the dealer rep said that the cracking is normal wear.. O no i said only two months old i could under stand if it was three or four years old not two months I am currently in discussion with the owner of the dealership... I will post my results in a week after meeting with the owner and the ford rep.

aquaman · August 2005

I have a 2000 eddie bauer and since I have had the truck, the factory amp and sub have not worked. I had a remote start professionally installed a year ago, and now just decided to disconnect the amp and had an installer install an amp and sub. After the job was done, the accessories that come on when the key is in the accessory position are on constantly even without the key in the ignition at all. Any suggestions?

tourguide · August 2005

Currently, the Expedition costs ~$80 to fill up at local prices. Anyone feeling buyers regret at getting into this big dog?

davant · August 2005

Regrets? No. Feel poor? Yes. Our 2003 EB XP gets about 16 MPG 50/50 C/H over the last 50K miles. It is not a big dog anymore than any other large SUV. We knew it when we bought it what the EPA mileage was but gas was nearly half as much. If I have any regrets, they certainly aren't directed at Ford or any other vehicle manufacturer. One could make pointed political quips but I won't go there. I'm tempted to ask what you drive, what MPG you get, and if you enjoy the current fuel prices? Those questions are probably better addressed in another forum. Sure it hurts, who would enjoy this? Many consumers are probably traveling less, combining errands, taking fewer vacations, that will regrettably impact our economy much more than my guzzling SUV.

tourguide · August 2005

Well, I owned an 04 Expy EB for about a year. I too loved the vehicle, except for one problem. About a year before I purchased and all the while I was researching it, fuel was running ~$1.50 gal. When I made the initial buy it was running ~$1.89. Fill ups were killing me because I used my Expy as a daily communter. You quoted ~16 mpg in mixed driving for your vehicle, but for me those numbers were pure fantasy with the execption of strict highway driving. Yes, it would do ~18 mpg under ideal conditions on the highway, but that is where I seldom drove it. My experience was somthing like 6-9 mpg driving around town. Now even if I felt like paying that much to motor around, it just didn't seem like a responsible use of available resorces. Sure I liked driving it, but when gas hit $2.36 locally last April I decided to trade out of it. Yes I took a hit in negative equity - I knew this was part of the deal, but I went ahead and did it.

I got into a Toyota Highlander which gets ~18+ around town and over 20 on the highway. The Toyota has been absolutely trouble free - not a squeak, rattle, whine, or grind to be heard anywhere at any speed. It is easily as quiet as the Expy was driving down the road - which was hard for me to believe as I thought the Expedition was as quiet as they came. Now when I pull up to the pump and the low fuel light is on I put ~ 15 gal in to fill up versus ~ 25. That combined with the lower payment helps me feel better about my decision.

So why am I in this forum - asking these questions? Well, it isn't to poke a stick in your eye Dave - or anyone else for that matter. I was merely curious if anyone else had made the move I had because fuel here hit $2.99 per gal yesterday for Regular 87.

tidester · August 2005

You may be interested in this discussion: All things related to gas prices

tidester, host

explorerx4 · August 2005

when you owned your expy, how did you use it? if you were able to move to a highlander, then maybe getting the expy was the wrong decision.

davant · August 2005

Tourguide,

Thanks for sharing, no offense taken, it's all good. We are about to trade our '03 EB XP for the some of the same reasons. For me it has more to do with convenience that the latest Odyssey offers (a curse word among hard-core SUV fans) as a luxo-fam-cruiser more so than just to get a little better real-world MPG (XP EPA 13/17 vs Ody 20/28 but truth is a diff of 5 tops). Although the $/gal discussion is better hashed out elsewhere, it supposedly hit $5.50 in Atlanta today... why? Katrina put a single digit dent in production but nearly doubled the price, who is getting richer, not me. I wonder...

Why is it we consumers flock to things that don't make sense? Panic buying, paying thousands to save pennies. Forgive me if I diverge but why pay another $5K for a hybrid vehicle? If folks would do the math, you only save $200-300 per year in fuel. Hybrids have some not so obvious faults besides initial increased cost. Life expectency is forecasted to be lower and depreciation is defininitely higher so you have less time to get a return on investment. I'm not against the 'green thing' but it seems it isn't worth it...yet (cha-ching).

Speaking of worth (I promise, no more paragraphs), why are large SUV's worth 25 percent less as a trade in (Edmunds prices included) than the market books and comparisons show and should support? This frustrated XP owner who wouldn't be upside down in a normal $2.50/gal economy is now I'm faced with a big dive. I have no probs trying to sell privately or allowing dealers a modest living (cough) but truth is, someone who drives short distances will get a great vehicle with a 40 percent residual on a 3 y/o XP EB, that's not fair! Thanks for making it this far, opine on.

tourguide · August 2005

Speaking of worth (I promise, no more paragraphs), why are large SUV's worth 25 percent less as a trade in (Edmunds prices included) than the market books and comparisons show and should support?

It is interesting you should mention this. When I first wanted to move on my Expedition trade, I put a rather costly ad in my local paper and ran it for a week to try and sell the vehicle on my own. I'll give you a guess on how many calls I got for the Expy. ZERO. Not one call for a low miles Expedition. It really stunk that I couldn't sell it on my own, but that is the way it went.

Yesterday fuel prices spiked up 30 cents, but today the average here is $3.20 another 20 cent uptick. I really don't think it is over yet. $5.50 in Atlanta?! That is pushing the riot envelope! Whoa!

tourguide · August 2005

That link is broken for me I'm afraid.

stever · August 2005

I think Sneakers must have rolled it into an existing discussion, like How Are You Dealing With High Priced Gasoline?.

Steve, Host

bunni · September 2005

I have recently been experiencing my headlights not coming on. I have had the bulbs checked and they are fine. Anyone with any suggestions as to how to correct this problem would be greatly appreciated.

waynel · September 2005

My wife is compaining that the insode of her expedition smells like a mouse climbed in it and died. Anybody know where I would look for that?

mi97tbird · September 2005

wayne, i had my 05 in the shop 4 time for a bad smell, mine seems to be coming from a a/c drain problem. but my local dealer can not find it. i just got mine back from being in the shop for a week of them trying to locate the smell. they changed the carpet that helped a little. stay on them.

david34 · September 2005

For everyone concerned about reliabilty, I had a 2001 Expedition which I ran for 4 years and 115,000 miles. In all that time I never had a single problem and at the end, the engine ran better than new. I've also owned Toyotas and the quality is comparable.

I bought an 05 Armada and regretted it (I've now sold it at a huge loss). The quality of the Armada is apalling compared to the Expedition. The interior is full of cheap, uncomfortable materials and its so full of squeaks and rattles you have to turn the stereo up for some peace. I had problems with the 4WD and the thin paint scratches easily, even from waxing too hard. I should have kept the Expedition along with the 10k I lost.

fitguy · September 2005

Sorry to say, we traded our 2000 Expy today. Happy to say, it was for a 2005 Explorer. We really liked our Expy- bought used and over 2 years never had a single problem. Good tow vehicle; not so good for my 5'1" wife. The deals out there on any SUV's are just incredible (we got 10K off MSRP, inc rebates) AND leased it at that price with an ok lease. And the new Explorers are pretty nice (2006's even nicer). I was just too afraid the Expy would be worth next to nothing by next summer once the miles passed 50K. The Explorer w/3rd seat & V8 offered just what we needed, with good tow capacity, in a more compact package. Gas mileage won't be much better, but will improve some. And in 3 years, when no one will want Expy's, Explorers, Tahoes, Suburbans, etc, we can just hand the keys over and say "your problem now, Mr. Lease Guy!" :P

davant · September 2005

We too shed the Ford badge last week, sold our '03 Expie Eddie-B with 51K to family. Other than going through front brake pads, rotors (and this time calipers) every 25K miles, we had no problems or issues unless getting 13/16 MPG is considered one. I had been quoted ages ago that when gas hit $3/gallon I might be apt to get rid of it and have remained true to my word but for different reasons. I wanted easier kid access and swallowed my pride so I now drive an '06 Odyssey Touring, the wife misses her tall tough truck already. I bow out gracefully from this forum wishing you all the best in your future Expeditions.

ealmekinder · September 2005

We are looking to start camping again with our Expedition and were looking at buying a tent that fits over the back of the open tailgate so that my wife can sleep in the back of the Expedition while the dog and I sleep in the rest of the tent that is pitched on the ground. We have noticed however, that when the tailgate is up the two little lights above the rear doors come on as well as the light just above the tailgate. The tailgate light can be switched off while the tailgate is up, but we can't figure out how to turn the rear door lights off while the tailgate is up. With the lights on, my wife won't be able to sleep, not to mention the drain on the battery.

Does anyone know how to turn those lights off while the tailgate remains up?

fitguy · September 2005

Your Expy should have the battery-saver feature, which turns off all the lights after a period of time (I think it's either 15 or 30 minutes)- you would have to leave the liftgate up until it shuts them down. Happy camping!

alwaysfords2 · September 2005

Depending on model year you also have the option of rolling the panel dim all the way down to a detent that keeps the lights off when the doors are open. Can't remember if my 99 had that, but my 03 does.

ealmekinder · September 2005

Thanks for the info. on the Battery Saver. It did turn the lights off like you said, but it took 50 minutes for them to turn off. Is there a way of adjusting the battery saver to have them go off sooner? Or is there something wrong with the feature? The battery is rather new, would that have anything to do with it?

By the way, I also tried the panel dimmer dial, but no matter what I did to that, the lights still stayed on.

fitguy · September 2005

50 min seems much longer than I remember; unfortunately I don't have the Expy any longer, traded on a new Explorer, and along w/it went the owners manual. I don't recall any way to adjust the time, though.

714cut · September 2005

I believe you can adjust time delay for lights through the message center (I have 2005 with message center).

sonofagun · September 2005

"My experience was somthing like 6-9 mpg driving around town..."
My '99 4WD 5.4 gets 13 mpg around town.
Yours must've been broke.

injunhead · October 2005

I have an 03 Expedition and even when all doors are closed(including the back) the door ajar light stays on 75% of the time. I have narrowed it down to the back driver side door,but I see no switch of anykind. I am guessing it is internal. I have already priced the switches at autozone which is about 20 bucks so I am hoping that is the problem.Any input on this would help considerably.Small problem,but aggrevating as well.

alwaysfords2 · October 2005

Spray WD40 in the latch area. Fairly common problem, and the spray corrects it.

myex · October 2005

I am considering ordering the 2006 King Ranch. Any comments on the King Ranch edition?

Also, I can't decide whether or not to order the 2nd row captains chairs. I have 3 kids and think that the captains chairs will ease access to the 3rd row. Any down side to the captains chairs other than losing seating for one? I would like to avoid my kids stepping all over the seats to access the third row and know that flipping up the bench for access may not always happen. Thank you!

ceads9 · October 2005

I also have three kids, they range from 7 months to 12 years. I didn't want the captains . Every time we would need to go one would have to be in the back, they can still sit there if they want but they dont have to. also it would cut down on the cargo area if you where to go shopping or on a trip since the seat is up Plus we would have a extra seat for their friends of my kids. I also play Softball and when I but the bags back there I still can take 7 with me and a cooler Just my 2cents.

macman246 · October 2005

Just got the recall notice on my '99 Expy. Rather than making 2 trips to the dealership (once to disable the cruise control, second time when they actually get parts in), is it possible to just pull a fuse to disable the cruise control??? Thanks.

cacman · October 2005

Funny - We currently have a 04 Odyssey - Always had big SUV for the family - I convinced my wife to go the VAN route to save money on gas etc - Well she can't get rid of it fast enough - On a 2 year lease with 7 months to go - I will be looking at a used EB - Expedition - probably a 2003 with 30-40k miles on it. Good values out on EBAY right now for this model. I was very disappointed with the van -the metal on the van is like aluminum foil. We had work done on the van 3 times for little bumps that require over $ 1,000 of work - Also the gas millage for around town was not very good - 14-15 MPG - The only good thing about the van is the entertainment systems for the kids, and that the kids can't play with the windows from the back seat - Any opinions as to what year to try to get on a used Expedition. As stated earlier I am thinking 03 or 04 - Any real differences between the two years?

sheldee · October 2005

OK, my grinding noise is accompanied by an awful, burned rubber smell. We've owned our '05 Exped since April, had it in the shop 3 times for this issue -- never have they recreated the noise/smell. The burned smell originates from the passenger side, up against the cab (there are three switch boxes -- the smell comes from that area); but the fan sucks the smell into the cab and is so bad I often have to get my kids back out of the car! Help! Any thoughts? Sales guy told me it's under factory warranty, so any REAL problem that comes up would be covered. Hmmm... very frustrated. Love my car -- hate the fear that something is going to catch fire.

fitguy · October 2005

Search back for previous posts re:problems with the '03's- I was going to trade our 2000 for one and seem to remember some horror stories w/them; little or none about the '04's. If you don't have to have a full-size SUV, you may want to check out the Explorer V8- we love our '05, and my 5'1" wife is much happier with it's size. The 3rd row seat isn't as big of course, but not bad either. And the deals on '05s are incredible right now. Plus, we tow a 3500 lb boat and it does that effortlessly.

Ford Expedition

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