Thinking about a used 03 and up expy
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,480
Likes: 6
From: San Angelo, TX
Thinking about a used 03 and up expy
Hey guys i really like the 03-up expy. What can yall tell me about them. Fuel mileage and all that. I want to get one for the wife but are limited to the older models the newest maybe being a 05-06 cause of cash flow. Are there any engine choices in these year models. i thought they came with the 4.6 and 5.4 but could be wrong. The wife drives 80 miles a day (highway) so i was thinking the 4.6 cause of the gas mileage. Any input would be great
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,101
Likes: 0
From: Orlando
From 03-04, they came with 4.6 and 5.4 2V. Somewhere in there, Ford started putting the 5.4 3V, and eventually dropped the 4.6 2V (I think in 2005?) while still offering the 5.4 2V. Don't think they offer the 2V anymore, though, and just stuck with the 3V.
Some things to keep in mind:
-The plastic trim on the XLs and XLTs are notorious to fading. Should have a problem with the painted Eddie Bauer or Limited trims.
-The stock brake pads dust like crazy. Look into getting aftermarkets, and it should clean things up considerably.
-The aluminum tailgates sometimes have a tendency of having spots turn to white powder under the paint (corrosion?). Look for bubbles in the paint, usually around the plate area. More of a cosmetic issue, really.
-Turn on the rear A/C, and cycle through the different fan speeds, temperatures and selection between floor and roof vents. Listen for any "clunking." The rear blend door motor for the temp and roof/floor vent selection tend to loose some teeth on one of the gears, and seems to be a common problem, especially for 03s. If you can drive the price down cheap enough on the Expy, it's an easy 1-2 hour fix (just takes a bit since you have to remove a lot of panels.)
-The stock tires (Continental Contitrac SUV, IIRC) are crappy, at least IMO.
-Some people experience a sort of short rumble at low speeds, usually when turning hard left/right (like when pulling onto a street.) Mine used to do it intermittently when I first go it, but it hasn't done it for a couple years now.
These are some of the "common problems" that I can remember off the top of my head. I'll post more if I remember any.
As for MPG, I've gotten anywhere from 13-18, from pure city to pure highway. Granted, I have a couple mods done (in siggy).
Hope this helps.
Some things to keep in mind:
-The plastic trim on the XLs and XLTs are notorious to fading. Should have a problem with the painted Eddie Bauer or Limited trims.
-The stock brake pads dust like crazy. Look into getting aftermarkets, and it should clean things up considerably.
-The aluminum tailgates sometimes have a tendency of having spots turn to white powder under the paint (corrosion?). Look for bubbles in the paint, usually around the plate area. More of a cosmetic issue, really.
-Turn on the rear A/C, and cycle through the different fan speeds, temperatures and selection between floor and roof vents. Listen for any "clunking." The rear blend door motor for the temp and roof/floor vent selection tend to loose some teeth on one of the gears, and seems to be a common problem, especially for 03s. If you can drive the price down cheap enough on the Expy, it's an easy 1-2 hour fix (just takes a bit since you have to remove a lot of panels.)
-The stock tires (Continental Contitrac SUV, IIRC) are crappy, at least IMO.
-Some people experience a sort of short rumble at low speeds, usually when turning hard left/right (like when pulling onto a street.) Mine used to do it intermittently when I first go it, but it hasn't done it for a couple years now.
These are some of the "common problems" that I can remember off the top of my head. I'll post more if I remember any.
As for MPG, I've gotten anywhere from 13-18, from pure city to pure highway. Granted, I have a couple mods done (in siggy).
Hope this helps.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 13,679
Likes: 84
From: missing Texas...
I average just over 19mpgs with mine, it's got 3.73 gears, gotts intake and it's tuned by justin @ VMP
as far as brakes, I upgraded to the rotorpro's cross drilled and slotted with the low dust pads (poisquiets) and it's almost no dust now
as far as engines go, my 4.6 is about ot get tossed as it's not enough power for such a large vehicle, it strains on hills (compared to my pickups) but it will still get the expy up and moving
as far as brakes, I upgraded to the rotorpro's cross drilled and slotted with the low dust pads (poisquiets) and it's almost no dust now
as far as engines go, my 4.6 is about ot get tossed as it's not enough power for such a large vehicle, it strains on hills (compared to my pickups) but it will still get the expy up and moving