Good video, you bring up the most important issues and as an owner of 2 expeditions in the last 9 years (2005 & 2009), in the 2005 I’ve encountered all the major problems (exhaust manifold, camshaft phasers, transmission, resistor, blower motor blend door, and the dreaded spark plugs) the 2nd generation 2003-2006 truly suffers from all those problems, the 3rd generation 2007-2014 5.4L equipped don’t necessarily suffer greatly from what is listed in the video, the exhaust manifold leak is still a definite especially in the snow belt.. it rusts and then warps due to being frozen overnight and then when you start it the sudden extreme heat causes the metal to deflect and cause a leak... it’s commonly sounds like a tractor when it’s at its worst phase, the expensive repair is due to its location and the bolts securing it are rusted completely forcing mechanics to cut and extract the bolts but 90% of the cost is labor (a very tedious job) The rocker panels rotting is typical in 2nd generation expeditions The cam phasers were significantly improved by Ford mid run of the 3rd generation (2009+), it isn’t fully cured but its far rarer to see it in the later years vs the 2nd generation expeditions which have a 100% chance of failing (expensive repair $1,500-$4,000 USD depending on shop and replacement parts) The spark plugs issue is only a problem for 2nd gens and 2007, 2008, mid year into the 2008 (aka 2008.5) Ford redesigned the heads and the spark plugs and they are no longer an issue The corrosion is true to all expeditions up to 2017, cheap fix at a body shop once it begins to irritate you The resistor, blower motor & blend door are still common issue but are considered cheap and easily fixed DIY fixes I’ve ran 5-30 synthetic oil my entire life on these motors and a true fix to the worry of low oil pressure is to replace the oil pump to a Melling M360 oil pump, commonly replaced at the time of cam phaser repair. One issue you did not mention which is also a highly common issue in early 3rd generation and definitely 2nd generation are the hydraulic chain tensioners failing, during a cold start if you hear what can be best described as a rock in a rattle can for approximately 7-15 seconds then consider yourself warned, this is the only major issue that can result in complete engine failure if ignored for long (I know from experience) I’m currently in the market for a 2010 expedition EL (would be my 3rd expedition) and what I can say from experience is they’re overall more reliable than not, if cared for properly like any car should these engines are proven to go well over 300k without breaking a sweat. Excellent for towing and in my opinion the interior design is far more superior to their GM counter parts (Suburban, Yukon, Escalade), but just know this is a work horse of a truck, if you’re looking for more speed focused engine you’ll have to consider the Yukon Denali or the Escalade with the 6.2L engine, the 5.4L in the Ford is similarly matched to the Tahoe, suburban and Yukon (non Denali) 5.3L but fords towing capacity is far greater. My final thoughts are, the video is excellent for anyone considering the expedition. Key things I’d like to point out is if you’re switching to expedition or the GM equivalent SUV’s from a minivan then please know 3rd row access is only accessible by fording one of the 2nd row seats (unless you have captain chains in middle row with a pass through in the middle), unlike a minivan which seats can slide forward or just tilt... this is especially important if you plan on having child car seats in the 2nd row seats but are planning on using the 3rd row frequently. Also minivans are wider in the 3rd row than these SUV’s, fitting 3 car seats side by side is doable in a minivan, not so in these SUV’s even when using the expensive narrow car seats offered in the market, expect to get 14-16 mpg in both the 5.4L and the 3.5L but the 3.5L eco boost is far more peppy to drive, the 5.4L has great power across the entire rev line while the 3.5L is best for low to mid torque, it seems to only scream and do nothing of use after 4,000-4,500 RPM (the EcoBoost has its own issues just like the 5.4L did, especially with the turbos) Best wishes to all and hopefully you’ll enjoy your new purchase
@@QuiteAlright Hi there, I saw the 2010 today. Was disappointed to see it has air suspension. I live in Northern Canada (BC) too and I'm concerned with the cold the complex system will fail (air bladder, compressor, lines) now that it is older. Have you seen this at all, or am I just paranoid?
@@QuiteAlright Hi Quite Alright, I went back to the dealers and crawled under the 2010- it did not have air suspension. Later, on an Expedition forum, a poster messaged some from the 3rd gen did and some did not. His 2012 had a rear air suspension only. So folks, check it out, I guess. Anyway, I bought the 2010. It had the timing chain, tensioner, phazers, etc. replaced. The earlier owner was cautioned to use a Ford filter only, as others I won't mention lose material that can block oil ports. After this kind of repair on a 5.4, it was advised by a Ford technician on an F150 forum to always make sure to drop the oil pan, and check for metal and plastic fragments that could block the oil pump take-up.
Great video. We are in the market for a Expedition EL... This was really helpful. Seems like the Expedition is the only vehicle that would meet our needs. We looked at Sequoia, Suburban, Yukon XL and Pilot. 4 kids (3 teens), camper (upgrading from popup) and space for luggage to take on trips. The GM product can't fit 3 of our 4 kids (5'7 and taller). Do you have any feedback on issues with the 3.5L Ecoboost (2015-17) Expeditions? We drive an 07 Odyssey now but have put 275K miles on it since new (zero issues), so will definitely put a ton of miles on our next vehicle... Thanks again on the vid, great info!
Unfortunately I don't have too much experience with 2015-2017 Expeditions. But I believe 3.5L Ecoboost is one of the better Ford engines, but like I said I didn't have enough of those so I wouldn't be able to pinpoint specific issues
I just bought a 2014 Ford Expedition el with 112,000 miles. What oil viscosity do you use? The oil cap says 5w-20. But a friend suggest 10w-30 or 10w-40. I guess the cam phaser failure is caused by low oil pressure. And having a thicker oil will help the problem. Others suggest 5w-30. What oil viscosity do you use?
Well I live in the north of Canada where temperatures get as low as -40 degrees. So I have to use thinner full synthetic oil, or it won't start even with a oil block heater connected. But you can definitely try with thicker oil, it could help
I just bought a 2014 Ford Expedition el with 112,000 miles. What oil viscosity should I use. The oil cap says 5w-20 but a friend of mine suggested 10w-30 or 10w-40 to help with the oil pressure. Which is I guess the main cause for cam phaser failure is low oil pressure. Others suggests 5w-30. What oil do you use?
Well I live in the north of Canada where temperatures get as low as -40 degrees. So I have to use thinner full synthetic oil, or it won't start even with a oil block heater connected. But you can definitely try with thicker oil, it could help
Good video, you bring up the most important issues and as an owner of 2 expeditions in the last 9 years (2005 & 2009), in the 2005 I’ve encountered all the major problems (exhaust manifold, camshaft phasers, transmission, resistor, blower motor blend door, and the dreaded spark plugs) the 2nd generation 2003-2006 truly suffers from all those problems, the 3rd generation 2007-2014 5.4L equipped don’t necessarily suffer greatly from what is listed in the video, the exhaust manifold leak is still a definite especially in the snow belt.. it rusts and then warps due to being frozen overnight and then when you start it the sudden extreme heat causes the metal to deflect and cause a leak... it’s commonly sounds like a tractor when it’s at its worst phase, the expensive repair is due to its location and the bolts securing it are rusted completely forcing mechanics to cut and extract the bolts but 90% of the cost is labor (a very tedious job)
The rocker panels rotting is typical in 2nd generation expeditions
The cam phasers were significantly improved by Ford mid run of the 3rd generation (2009+), it isn’t fully cured but its far rarer to see it in the later years vs the 2nd generation expeditions which have a 100% chance of failing (expensive repair $1,500-$4,000 USD depending on shop and replacement parts)
The spark plugs issue is only a problem for 2nd gens and 2007, 2008, mid year into the 2008 (aka 2008.5) Ford redesigned the heads and the spark plugs and they are no longer an issue
The corrosion is true to all expeditions up to 2017, cheap fix at a body shop once it begins to irritate you
The resistor, blower motor & blend door are still common issue but are considered cheap and easily fixed DIY fixes
I’ve ran 5-30 synthetic oil my entire life on these motors and a true fix to the worry of low oil pressure is to replace the oil pump to a Melling M360 oil pump, commonly replaced at the time of cam phaser repair.
One issue you did not mention which is also a highly common issue in early 3rd generation and definitely 2nd generation are the hydraulic chain tensioners failing, during a cold start if you hear what can be best described as a rock in a rattle can for approximately 7-15 seconds then consider yourself warned, this is the only major issue that can result in complete engine failure if ignored for long (I know from experience)
I’m currently in the market for a 2010 expedition EL (would be my 3rd expedition) and what I can say from experience is they’re overall more reliable than not, if cared for properly like any car should these engines are proven to go well over 300k without breaking a sweat. Excellent for towing and in my opinion the interior design is far more superior to their GM counter parts (Suburban, Yukon, Escalade), but just know this is a work horse of a truck, if you’re looking for more speed focused engine you’ll have to consider the Yukon Denali or the Escalade with the 6.2L engine, the 5.4L in the Ford is similarly matched to the Tahoe, suburban and Yukon (non Denali) 5.3L but fords towing capacity is far greater.
My final thoughts are, the video is excellent for anyone considering the expedition. Key things I’d like to point out is if you’re switching to expedition or the GM equivalent SUV’s from a minivan then please know 3rd row access is only accessible by fording one of the 2nd row seats (unless you have captain chains in middle row with a pass through in the middle), unlike a minivan which seats can slide forward or just tilt... this is especially important if you plan on having child car seats in the 2nd row seats but are planning on using the 3rd row frequently. Also minivans are wider in the 3rd row than these SUV’s, fitting 3 car seats side by side is doable in a minivan, not so in these SUV’s even when using the expensive narrow car seats offered in the market, expect to get 14-16 mpg in both the 5.4L and the 3.5L but the 3.5L eco boost is far more peppy to drive, the 5.4L has great power across the entire rev line while the 3.5L is best for low to mid torque, it seems to only scream and do nothing of use after 4,000-4,500 RPM (the EcoBoost has its own issues just like the 5.4L did, especially with the turbos)
Best wishes to all and hopefully you’ll enjoy your new purchase
Thank you for the excellent and extensive comment. It definitely adds to this video so I have pinned it to the top for everybody to see/read
Thanks so much for adding this! I’m looking at older Ex’s right now so this is super helpful.
Wow this reply is amazing, sums up everything in one post!
well said!
Great info, thank you!
Thank you for an excellent video, and a special thanks to HR for the supplemental comments. I'm going today to look at a 2010 with 200k km.
Thanks for the comment and good luck
@@QuiteAlright Hi there, I saw the 2010 today. Was disappointed to see it has air suspension. I live in Northern Canada (BC) too and I'm concerned with the cold the complex system will fail (air bladder, compressor, lines) now that it is older. Have you seen this at all, or am I just paranoid?
Hmm to be honest I think I never had one with the air suspension, so I'm not sure what to say. It was probably optional equipment on a 2010
@@QuiteAlright thank you, quitealright. I guess it is caveat emptor.
@@QuiteAlright Hi Quite Alright, I went back to the dealers and crawled under the 2010- it did not have air suspension. Later, on an Expedition forum, a poster messaged some from the 3rd gen did and some did not. His 2012 had a rear air suspension only. So folks, check it out, I guess. Anyway, I bought the 2010. It had the timing chain, tensioner, phazers, etc. replaced. The earlier owner was cautioned to use a Ford filter only, as others I won't mention lose material that can block oil ports. After this kind of repair on a 5.4, it was advised by a Ford technician on an F150 forum to always make sure to drop the oil pan, and check for metal and plastic fragments that could block the oil pump take-up.
Great video. Very helpful man.
Thanks 👍
Great video. We are in the market for a Expedition EL... This was really helpful. Seems like the Expedition is the only vehicle that would meet our needs. We looked at Sequoia, Suburban, Yukon XL and Pilot. 4 kids (3 teens), camper (upgrading from popup) and space for luggage to take on trips. The GM product can't fit 3 of our 4 kids (5'7 and taller). Do you have any feedback on issues with the 3.5L Ecoboost (2015-17) Expeditions? We drive an 07 Odyssey now but have put 275K miles on it since new (zero issues), so will definitely put a ton of miles on our next vehicle... Thanks again on the vid, great info!
Unfortunately I don't have too much experience with 2015-2017 Expeditions. But I believe 3.5L Ecoboost is one of the better Ford engines, but like I said I didn't have enough of those so I wouldn't be able to pinpoint specific issues
I just bought a 2014 Ford Expedition el with 112,000 miles. What oil viscosity do you use? The oil cap says 5w-20. But a friend suggest 10w-30 or 10w-40. I guess the cam phaser failure is caused by low oil pressure. And having a thicker oil will help the problem. Others suggest 5w-30. What oil viscosity do you use?
Well I live in the north of Canada where temperatures get as low as -40 degrees. So I have to use thinner full synthetic oil, or it won't start even with a oil block heater connected. But you can definitely try with thicker oil, it could help
5w30 unless up north.
I just bought a 2014 Ford Expedition el with 112,000 miles. What oil viscosity should I use. The oil cap says 5w-20 but a friend of mine suggested 10w-30 or 10w-40 to help with the oil pressure. Which is I guess the main cause for cam phaser failure is low oil pressure. Others suggests 5w-30. What oil do you use?
Well I live in the north of Canada where temperatures get as low as -40 degrees. So I have to use thinner full synthetic oil, or it won't start even with a oil block heater connected. But you can definitely try with thicker oil, it could help
I would use 5w 30. Unless the 2014 model has something special to it.