2014 or 2017? And why?

[berrie]

Hi,
My wife needs another car, and we like the Expedition.
After lots of reading, there is a lot of talk about the different years and their most common problems.

So we would be looking at a 2013 or 2014 which has the 3v Triton engine. The Triton gets a bad rap with timing chain and cam phaser failures. However, I see many of them for sale with 200k+ miles.

We're also looking at the 2017, which has the 2nd generation Ecoboost but still has the 6-speed transmission. The Ecoboost is getting a bad rap with cam phasers, water pump, coolant leaks at the turbos (but at least it doesn't have the 10spd).

So if we are looking for an EL with no more than 90k miles, which would you choose, and why?

 

[JasonH]

It really depends on the price. I needed something capable of towing a large camper, and the 5.4 wasn't it. The tradeoff with getting a 2017 was a head gasket repair, turbo manifold upgrade, and now the timing chain stretch. But if you can get a 2017 for a good price and put some cash aside for potential repairs, the 2017 is the way to go. My repairs are likely attributable to the weight I was frequently towing. I'm at 163,000 miles and hopefully this chain repair will be the last big one.

 

[berrie]

Thank you for the reply.
For context, this car may occasionally tow a 3,500 boat.
Other than that, it's to drive my wife around, shopping, taking the kids to school etc.
I thought that the 2017 has the 2nd generation Ecoboost with the split timing chain. Didn't realize that stretch was still an issue even after they split the chain.

 

[JasonH]

Thank you for the reply.
For context, this car may occasionally tow a 3,500 boat.
Other than that, it's to drive my wife around, shopping, taking the kids to school etc.
I thought that the 2017 has the 2nd generation Ecoboost with the split timing chain. Didn't realize that stretch was still an issue even after they split the chain.

Two chains is the 2nd gen Ecoboost which began in model year 2018. Those were the ones with phaser issues.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

Almost all the Expy's have some quirks, but based on what I have read in many of the pages here, I would recommend either a 2010-2011, or a 2019-2021....

Yea the newer ones are gonna cost ya some more $$ upfront, but usually less on failures/overall maintenance and with better gas mileage too...and you might even be able to get an ESP to cover any major repairs down the road....

Just be certain that you can get the seller to allow you a 5-7 day try out/inspection period and get it checked by a trusted mechanic, even if that means putting down a small but fully-refundable deposit

 

[ExplorerTom]

I would recommend either a 2010-2011,

That’s an interesting year range. Why wouldn’t you go for the last of the V8s? 2012-2014.

The 2014 has the latest revisions to all the timing and transmission bits. Plus it’s just that much newer.

 

[Jamo]

That was my exact reasoning for buying my 2014 EL LTD. Still happy with it, and I'm at 110k. Front hubs, 4 shocks, and rear A/C have been my only problems. Knock on wood here...

 

[JExpedition07]

As these are both getting old the 5.4 is the winner, you can engineer the problems out of it. Throw some cast iron tensioners in the 5.4 and you have a reliable foundation. The 5.4s Achilles heel was the tensioner blow outs starving the top end. These aging EcoBoosts are much more tricky and you can’t change the fundamental issues as you can with the 5.4. The 3.5s also tend to get dead bores in the 200k range (loss of compression do to bad rings), you rarely ever see a 5.4 with a dead hole even at 300k. If I was buying an older used truck it would be 5.4 all day because I know with the 9.8:1 compression it’ll last forever.

I still wonder how my 2023 5.0L V8 is going to do long term as it’s got a high 12:1 compression ratio. Yes it has 100 more HP than the 5.4 Triton but it’s also got a lot more cylinder pressure. We shall see!

 

[BigOleFordFan]

That’s an interesting year range. Why wouldn’t you go for the last of the V8s? 2012-2014.

The 2014 has the latest revisions to all the timing and transmission bits. Plus it’s just that much newer.

Because those are the models that I am most familiar with, and AFAIK, the 12-14's brought their own share of potential issues, even though there was some refinements too, but most of those were achieved only through additional, more complicated electronics, which have/had their own quirks...

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I opted for a 2013 to replace my 2001 and specifically wanted a low mileage 5.4L V8. They are getting very rare. I did some checking, forgot my results, but I think beginning 2008 they no longer had the two piece spark plugs. Easy enough to check part number of plugs for the model year you are looking at. I am not a true believer in boosted engines foe long term reliability, especially when it was done to reduce # of cylinders and displacement. If you want V8 pulling power for a trailer, to go the distance, get the V8. If you are on flat ground, just pull a boat in and out of the water, I suppose the V6 turbo will do. However, there are more parts with the turbo to go bad. Its not just Ford, look at all the dodgy little SUV's that have downgraded from a V6 to a I4 turbo GDI motor. Hyundai/Kia etc. Nightmares.