Why are 1st generation 5.4 Expeditions so reliable?

[Machete]

3 valve motors have cam phasers (not needed) a more aggressive EGR pumping into the intake and a few other things all in the interest of running "cleaner"
My 2 valve 04' has 188K miles and runs like a champ, i have had since it had 14K miles and the only failures i can think of were ignition lock cylinder, vaccum hose tree, power window switches and door latch innards (kids always playing with doors and windows) Nothing engine or powertrain related. Meticulous service and maintenance using only Motorcraft parts has played a role I'm sure..

That’s awesome. I just came back from a Christmas Eve party and discussion around the table w the guys was about cars (and football). Everyone was of the opinion that all new vehicles regardless of make and style are engineered with a fix date of obsolescence. Meaning they’re just engineering vehicles to meet transient market fluctuations and government regulations and not for longevity.
That right now millennials aren’t interested in buying cars and houses and the middle class is buying small to midsize suv’s (Crossovers) in the $25k - $30k range that can get 25mpg mileage.

I can’t touch a new or 2 year old CPO F-150 or Expy for that money. And even if I purchased a used in my budget ($30k) I wouldn’t have the benefit of the full factory’s warranty bumper to bumper. If a computer module or an HID headlamp goes or all of a sudden you hear that “ticking “ noise in the engine I’m screwed out of big dollars.
A bit of a quandary I say.

 

[TobyU]

Well I've never had a warranty on any car I've owned so it's important to me to only buy ones that won't have expensive repairs or where the parts are ridiculous prices since the last time I had a shop do a repair was in 1994.
I had a lot of Haynes and Chilton repair books before the internet.

 

[Trainmaster]

Never had a warranty either, until last year. I bought a 2010 V-8 Explorer, which was the last of the truck models for my wife. I paid a good penny for it, but it had what I wanted with 70K miles. So I'm driving along one day on the Jersey Turnpike at 85 and I get a phaser code. Okay. It cleared up on its own.

The one day round town it starts running rough. Phaser code again. Clears up again.

Get on line and buy a four year 40K mile powertrain warranty from Lombard Ford for $1,200. Only thing I ever financed, at $100/month, interest free.

I'm no fool. This new stuff is junk.

 

[Machete]

On another note, Ford better watch out because I'm not loyal to any brand. I've always been a GM guy at heart but I've owned more Ford's than GM's.
The last couple of years of Toyota 4Runners are looking awfully nice. They've gotten big and fat and look just about like my navigator. Give me one of those in black or silver with black leather and I'd be just as happy. Maybe happier, because I wouldn't have to worry about the air suspension issues.
I don't want a dinky crossover at least not as my only option. Lots of different types of vehicles have their place and I always have several sitting around. I want my big SUV because I want it to hold seven extra people if need be and have a nice big tall mean stance.
Now when I make a trip across country to buy a vehicle I take one of our high fuel mileage vehicles. My son has an 05 Saab that somebody gave us and is an exceptionally good condition it just has almost 200,000 miles on it. We've already had it on several longer distance trips and it runs like a dream and gets 30+ miles to the gallon.
It's dinky and would be terrible if you had four people going but for just a tool box and another driver it's perfect for picking up vehicles or just getting somewhere.
I guess I got spoiled I having 3 full size Chevy Conversion Vans in a row. When my kids were babies and growing up all of our family trips were in these.
The best of them only got 16.5 miles to the gallon but the huge room inside and being able to move around was excellent.
My wife could hop out of the front seat and pop right into the back to check on the baby in the car seat in the second row captain seat. I think the reason we have to have third row is so on trips somebody can hop in the back and take a nap.
We took one trip in a four-door sedan that was a company car and free to use so we did from Ohio to Texas and it was not nearly as enjoyable as having a van or an SUV with extra room.
Now I hear these companies are going to stop making normal sedans. GM just got major heat for announcing it but Ford already quietly announced it previously from what I heard. That seems hard to believe as entry-level cars and young people love the four doors and the hatchbacks. It would be odd if Honda and Toyota for the only people making four-door sedans. It's sad already that when you pull into a parking lot almost every vehicle is a 3/4 size SUV in the majority of them the same two colors.
Maybe eventually people will start demanding style again we will get some variation.

Yup. I’m going to look at the Chrysler 300. The last big American car that is rwd although I want their AWD model.

My wife drives the 2016 Explorer w the plain v6 2wd. It drives really well and has plenty of torque. We have 40,*** and not a hiccup.

 

[johnp993]

i have a 98 eddie bauer 4x4 has a blown headgasket, exhaust leak an smokes like a fog machine currently its sitting in my yard waiting on an alternator other than that i haul my camper my boats ive even pulled a 76 f150 with it in park i got it for 1300 back in 2015 pretty good purchase ngl

 

[johnhardrock]

i have 184,*** and to date I’ve only done wear items except for replacing a cracked intake which I learned is made of plastic for my year.

This truck has been very reliable in fact driving from Chicago to central Florida next week without hesitation. I tow my boat (3000lbs total wt) like it’s not there and have cruised at 70-75mph in long flat stretches of open hwy with it in tow.

My theory and I’d like your opinions on this is that first this truck doesn’t have much in the way of modern technology. I’ve garage kept it’s whole life except for one bad winter when I kept my old bimmer in the garage cause I couldn’t find storage that year.

I think that garage keeping vs harsh elements here plus my OCD on maintenance has served me and this truck well.

Reading the F-150 forums and the newer generation expy posts here it is discouraging to see the myriad of systems failures mainly due to new technologies and electronics, sprinkled in with several common defects for each power plant and generation.

Could it be these 1st gens are the most reliable Ford trucks generally?

I had a 93 Lincoln town car with the 4.6l engine . I bought it from a coworker in 1997 and drove it till 2018 with an additional 140k Miles over the original 40k miles. Motor was great till I discovered a head gasket coolant leak inside the number 1 cylinder. The interior was shot and the coach roof was worn out as well. So I retired the car and bought another used 2003 expedition while driving the existing 2003 I bought new. The earlier engines with the two valves per cylinder and no cam phasers are the most reliable. The V10 in the f250/350 and excursions are the two valve model with an all aluminum intake manifold. No 3V. Per cylinder for me. Lol

 

[1955moose]

The last part of your post said it all. The fact that they have only 2 valves and no stupid cam phasers is why. The oil galleys that get oil to the phasers and other vital areas, gets plugged on 05- up Expedition/f150. If you or previous owner wasn't dilligant about oil changes, they develop gunk, that won't let oil flow. That and breakable sparkplugs makes the 05-08 expedition, one of the vehicle's top techs say, stay away from. I agree.