Our Expedition broke for the last time. Will a Raptor be better?

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ChuckPeazy

ChuckPeazy

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So what did you replace it with?
I haven’t yet. The expedition is officially sold to our local ford dealer. So now just browsing to find a replacement. We still have our 2021 4Runner and I have a 2004 Silverado 2500 that I drive around. So not in a huge rush.

I’m leaning towards a Raptor still. I drove a 2024 Tundra. Great power and torque in that truck, given its twin turbo V6 like the Raptor. But it just felt cheap otherwise. Didn’t excite me at all.

I feel like if I skip out on the Raptor now, I’ll never get one. If it becomes a lemon like my expedition, at least there is a warranty for it and I won’t go back to Ford again after that.

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ToadSmasher2K1

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I drove a 2024 Tundra. Great power and torque in that truck, given its twin turbo V6 like the Raptor. But it just felt cheap otherwise. Didn’t excite me at all.
There is a massive recall with these, sounds like the true cause is a spun bearing. If it were me, I'd stay far away from that disaster.
 

FordTechOne

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We were on our way to the Black Hills of South Dakota yesterday for a camping trip with our 3 kids. Our 2018 Expedition just had the transmission rebuilt a couple months ago and this was our first time towing with it since the “repair”.

Well, 30 miles into our trip that transmission overheated to 250°+ and most likely busted a seal somewhere causing a smoke show on the highway.

We’re over it, the expedition has been in the shop for various things many times over the 2 years since we’ve owned it. Turns me off of Ford in general if it weren’t for the fact that my dream truck is a Raptor. Has been since Gen 1.

Service manager says he hardly ever sees Raptors in the shop but I know it shares some of the same components as our expedition including the 10R80 transmission.

Can yall offer any insight on if I’m in for another headache thinking about a Gen 3?
That issue is 99% the result of the dealer overfilling the transmission. They don’t get the transmission to the required temperature to check the fluid level and end up setting it way too high. When under a load, such as towing, the fluid aerates, causing overheating. It then overheats to the point of venting fluid from the top of the case vent.

Likely all they had to do is properly set the level and it would have been fine, but that’s unfortunately an all too common workmanship issue.

I don’t know why people buy used vehicles and then immediately blame the manufacturer they didn’t buy it from for the “issues” they encounter. People in general do not take care of their vehicles; especially leases. They know they don’t own it so they don’t care if it has issues later in life. We’ve had lease turn ins with 25k miles on them and no oil change; the dealer flips them and then the sucker who buys it gets on their social media soap box as soon as they start having issues as if it’s the manufacturer’s fault.
 

smurfslayer

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That issue is 99% the result of the dealer overfilling the transmission. They don’t get the transmission to the required temperature to check the fluid level and end up setting it way too high. When under a load, such as towing, the fluid aerates, causing overheating. It then overheats to the point of venting fluid from the top of the case vent.

I’m sure this is out there somewhere... but what is the procedure in more specificity if you’re having transmission service or work done to refill the 10R80?
 
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So I have a lot to contribute here… as Both a 2x Later model expedition owner and a 22 Raptor 801a AMB owner

We had the 2019 expedition max platinum and had multiple transmission issues with overheating and whining after no towing. Bought in 21 with 25k miles and turned it in last August with 59k miles. Valued and timing worked perfectly, only lost 8k of value between purchase and trade and got a great price on new 23 Expedition. Our biggest adversity was just higher temp, Texas and Oklahoma road cruising. Transmission would start overheating for no apparent reason… We would be cruising for about three hours in the higher southern temps at about 80 to 90 miles an hour - 5 ppl in car. First, Dealer overhauled valve control body, then it did it again… Then they replaced the valve control body after saying they still believed it was starving for fluid, it then did it again… Last August I traded it in for a 23 expedition max platinum, same vehicle down to the color and every single option because I got a great incentive to do so. I’ve got 20,000 miles on it in the first year or so and haven’t had a single issue with it yet.

On the raptor front, I bought my 22 brand new and have had zero problems with the transmission. Lots of higher temp, higher speed road, cruising. In two years, I am almost at 25k mile. Took it off Roading in very challenging scenarios and climates and haven’t had a single issue with transmission, temperatures in it, or the engine, or anything else material. Did have exhaust rattle that is still present even after the attempted fix, think I have some persistent suspension rattle that is possible, and ongoing issues with reverse brake assist and some weird mirror dimming issues. Also, the dummies put the wrong headlights in the truck when it was being built in the summer of 22, which apparently is not a material issue, but caused it to sit at the dealer lot for two months and no meaningful outcome from that debacle. Lastly, my rear end converter seal started leaking fluid and required a seal replacement, but again… Thank goodness so far… No problems with engine or transmission.

That all said when it comes to the raptor, I absolutely love this truck so far. I do realize that with a Ford product, I will be looking at issues down the road and the interior (save for the beautiful blue recaro seats) does feel cheaply and rattley … I have extended warranties on both of these things and after a while, they may start causing me a lot of problems which could affect their longevity in my family fleet. But the experience in the raptor is just so damn fun. In addition, and others have said, the ride in a raptor is far far more comfortable than any luxury vehicle I’ve ridden in today... I’ve owned and rode in many recent models. I am a bigger guy, and the room in a F-150 SCREW both in the front and 2nd row is exceptional. With the exception of true world class luxury vehicles,in the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is my belief that there isn’t a better luxury vehicle ride out there than the comfort you experience in a raptor, even as odd as that sounds. I love foreign luxury cars for the design and many quality and component aspects, that said… When it comes to comfort and wear down from road vibration and impacts, the raptor is by far the most comfort I have experienced and so much fun to drive.

It’s taken me almost 2 years to stop trying to prevent every tiny possible imperfection from occurring in and with the vehicle, but as I have, I’ve grown to appreciate this truck so much more. I’ve enjoyed both going off-roading with it in some of the most extreme conditions (Moab, Utah, Arizona) and going through the Starbucks line to get the Starbucks mango refresher, both experiences this truck can handle extremely well.

Apparently, this highly capable, and highly utilized shared transmission is a workhorse amongst many models (Iincluding at GM, from what I’ve heard - apparently it was co-developed), but the modifications Ford did to make it work in the expedition generation that we speak of, may have changed the fluid dynamics enough to cause recurring issues in some use cases and for some owners.

Either way, with Ford, and frankly for most other manufacturers, you gotta take the good with the bad. like others have said, the expedition is a hell of a nice vehicle and value for the money, if you can tolerate and deal with the Luck Of The Draw in transmission issues. If you buy into the raptor at the right price, keep it within warranty or buy the extended warranty, you should be in a pretty good spot to enter and exit without major financial loss if you don’t like it or if it starts to have issues, depending on your use and care of it.
 

FordTechOne

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I’m sure this is out there somewhere... but what is the procedure in more specificity if you’re having transmission service or work done to refill the 10R80?
Here’s the process:

Add 4.8L (5 qt) of transmission fluid is an initial fill enabling the engine to be started.

Fill the transmission to the transmission fluid level indicator area below the crosshatch mark allows the vehicle to be driven.

Drive the vehicle to allow the transmission fluid temperature to reach 96ºC - 101ºC (206ºF - 215ºF) in order to purge the air from the transmission fluid cooling system.

  • Fill the transmission fluid to the fill range on the transmission fluid level indicator at the normal operating temperature 96ºC - 101ºC (206ºF - 215ºF).
 
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