milehighxr Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 So what should I be looking out for in terms of good, bad, and the ugly on one of these bad boys? It has come time to get a truck for towing my trailers, and for hauling kids/gear around. Expedition/navigator seems to fit the bill nicely, and has more than enough towing capacity for my needs. I do all my own maintanence on my cars(and I do mean all from tire mount/balance to full tranny rebuilds). However I am not looking to buy someones basket case, so I need to do some homework. I'm looking to get a 97-03. Funds won't allow purchase of anything newer at this time. So what issues am I looking at on those years? Does the 5.4L have the same issues as the 4.6L when it comes to spark plug change out(I've heard the threads usually strip on the 4.6L engines), though at the age I am looking at they should have been replaced at least once by the time I buy one. I've also heard of issues with the air suspension, and that it is pricey to fix. Also what tires should I be buying for one of these so I don't have to worry about blowouts, tread seperation, or rollovers due to ries issues. I know that at the price range I am looking at I can't expect a perfect truck, but I would like to at least go in eyes wide open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Those years didn't have a problem with spark plugs. We had a 99 that was bulletproof. I think we had one coil pack replaced under warranty. Any good quality tire will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehighxr Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 Interesting ont he plugs, I had heard that all the mod motors(especially the 4.6L) had issues witht he AL heads stripping when the plugs were finally removed after 100k mis or so. How about he switches for windows and such? any issues after 15yrs? How many miles on yours? All the ones I am looking at have at least 150k mis, or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 (edited) Interesting ont he plugs, I had heard that all the mod motors(especially the 4.6L) had issues witht he AL heads stripping when the plugs were finally removed after 100k mis or so. How about he switches for windows and such? any issues after 15yrs? How many miles on yours? All the ones I am looking at have at least 150k mis, or more. There was an issue with those years spitting plugs. It happened to a few folks, but wasn't common at all. Just make sure they are good and snug, and if it makes you feel more confident, I think you can add some loc-tite type stuff on them (I'm no mechanic). I put 136k on a '99 F150 with the same engine and only had to change a coil pack. I think you will see the normal issues you see on a vehicle that is 15 years old with 150k+ miles. Nothing really specific to the Expy, just vehicles in general with that age. Edited June 10, 2014 by fordmantpw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 For some reason I thought those were F150 specific. Didn't realize they affected the other 5.4s as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 For some reason I thought those were F150 specific. Didn't realize they affected the other 5.4s as well. I'm pretty sure they used the exact same engine from '99-'02. Not sure about the '03 Expy. I've heard of a couple Expeditions spitting plugs from another forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I'm pretty sure they used the exact same engine from '99-'02. There was only one engine? How did they determine which owner got to use it when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 There was only one engine? How did they determine which owner got to use it when? {sigh} It sucks when I find someone who is as much of a smartass as I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 {sigh} It sucks when I find someone who is as much of a smartass as I am. I find it highly entertaining. But I've noticed other people rarely feel the same way, especially if they're on the other end of the smartass remarks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I find it highly entertaining. But I've noticed other people rarely feel the same way, especially if they're on the other end of the smartass remarks. I don't mind it. If you can't take it, don't dish it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 (edited) I don't mind it. If you can't take it, don't dish it out! Fortunately after 29 years of marriage my wife has finally learned to dish it out and not be offended nearly as often. And I've learned to just keep my mouth shut sometimes in the interest of marital harmony. Unfortunately for my wife the kids inherited my sense of humor. My 19 yr old daughter is on a "that's what she said" kick right now....... Edited June 10, 2014 by akirby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Fortunately after 29 years of marriage my wife has finally learned to dish it out and not be offended nearly as often. And I've learned to just keep my mouth shut sometimes in the interest of marital harmony. Ha ha...same here. Only 15 years of marriage so far though. Problem is, she sets herself up so much, it's hard to bite my tongue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Problem is, she sets herself up so much, it's hard to bite my tongue! Same problem here. Why do they ask questions that are so obvious? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 RUN AWAY from air suspension ! Most owner who have it eventually swap it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotdog14 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 RUN AWAY from air suspension ! Most owner who have it eventually swap it out. I have to agree, while I have no experience with it in the Expedition. I did have it in my 1995 Explorer and ended up swapping it for traditional shocks. When purchasing our 2008 Expedition I would not look at models that had the air suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 My 98 Expedition (5.4L) spit out a spark plug at about 20,000 miles. Turned out the head was cracked (which is what caused the plug to spit out) and leaked coolant into the engine, so Ford put a whole new engine in it. I eventually traded that in on my 01 F150 (5.4L) and I put over 110,000 miles on it before I sold it a few years ago and it was still running great. I wouldn't worry too much about the spark plug issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red2002 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 My neighbor has had to replace the air suspension on a 2006 Navigator. $2800. Tough pill to swallow on truck that's 8 years old. No real choice, the rear end was practically sitting on the tires. I know of several other similar stories on the air suspension. Nice idea, poor execution for longevity. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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