Thinking About Buying a 2023 Expedition XLT Max… Concerns?

Took one for a test drive over the weekend and will most likely be signing the papers on Monday. Just wanted to ask—what should I be looking out for?

I’ve seen mentions of cam phaser issues and transmission problems. The one I’m looking at was a rental with about 34k miles on it.

Is this something I should be worried about, or is it still a solid buy?

Personally, I wouldn’t touch a rental—especially an Expedition—unless you’re getting a killer deal and have full maintenance records.

These EcoBoost engines are really sensitive to oil changes. You need to be on top of it every 5k miles max. I’m in a rental right now with an overdue oil change, and when I mentioned it to the rental agent, they basically shrugged and said they’ll get to it eventually.

So yeah, make sure you can find maintenance records before pulling the trigger.

What’s the price and where are you located? If it’s not a really good deal, I’d stay away from an ex-rental.

Not all fleet vehicles are rentals. Many leased vehicles are classified as fleet, so it might not have been a rental.

Most major rental companies actually stay on top of preventive maintenance, but it’s still worth checking the service history before buying.

@Ari
Could’ve been a dealership loaner too, which isn’t as bad as a rental.

I’d strongly recommend getting an extended warranty that covers transmission repairs. These transmissions do fail, and it’s not cheap when they do.

I have a 2019 and my transmission went out at 35k miles. Luckily, it was covered under warranty—otherwise, it would have been a $10k repair.

Aside from that, it’s a great vehicle. I love mine. Just be aware that Ford’s built-in navigation is awful—use Apple CarPlay instead.

This thing also pulled us out of 3 feet of slushy snow last weekend, so I have no complaints about its capability.

@Peyton
YES! We have a 2018 and the transmission completely failed. The first time it happened, I was driving 80 mph on the highway, and it suddenly went into limp mode. I had to cross three lanes just to get off the road safely, and I was alone with my kids.

Took it to the dealer, and they told me nothing was wrong. Then it happened again—except by that time, the warranty had expired and the transmission was toast. Ford was zero help.

In two years, we’ve spent over $20k on repairs. Now the cam phasers and turbo are acting up. If I could go back, I would never buy this thing.

@Sloane
That’s awful. Mine failed the same way—80 mph on the highway, suddenly lost power. I was in the left lane going up a mountain, had to throw on my hazards and drift over. A trucker was kind enough to let me get over.

Luckily, my dealership handled it well, but I know not all dealers are the same. So sorry you had that experience—$20k in repairs is insane.

If you go through with it, get the PremiumCARE warranty up to 175k miles. If the transmission or engine fails, they’ll fix it.

Also, use good full synthetic oil and change it every 3k miles—it costs about the same as a tank of gas and could save you from major headaches down the line.

What’s the price?

Don’t do it. Buying my Expedition was the biggest, most expensive mistake I’ve ever made.