We’re about to have our 4th child, and I’m considering a 2007 Ford Expedition. We plan to have 3 kids in car seats in the middle row and the oldest (not in a car seat) in the 3rd row. I heard some Expeditions have a feature called ‘tilt & slide’ to make it easier to get into the 3rd row, but I’m not sure if that’s on all models or just the newer ones. Does anyone know if the 2007 model has this feature? Thanks!
Just a heads up: getting to the third row in a 2007 Expedition can be tricky, especially with car seats in the middle row. It might be easier to have them enter through the liftgate.
Also, the 2007 Expedition is known for having high service costs, especially as it racks up miles. Honestly, I’d suggest a minivan. Sliding doors make it so much easier to load and unload kids.
Be careful with the 5.4L 3v Triton engine. It has a reputation for some issues.
I own a 2007 Limited Expedition. As far as I know, the ‘tilt and slide’ feature isn’t on the older models. My dad had a 2008, and it didn’t have it either. With 3 car seats in the middle row, you’ll likely have to access the third row via the rear hatch, or remove a car seat to fold the seat up. Not very convenient for everyday use.
You could look for one with captain’s chairs in the second row. That might make it easier, depending on whether your kids are still rear-facing. But remember, when you have the third row up, it really cuts into your cargo space. If you need to carry lots of strollers or gear, you might want to consider the EL model.
As for the engine, the 5.4L 3v is known to have some issues, so be cautious. I’m at 210k miles on mine, and I maintain it myself with synthetic oil and stabilizers. It’s been good, but it all depends on how well it was taken care of before. If it’s over 125k miles, and you don’t know the maintenance history, I’d be careful.
A lot of people knock the 5.4L 3v, but my dad had a 2007 Limited and put 237k miles on it before upgrading to a 2014 King Ranch EL. He’s got 410k miles on the original engine and transmission now. If you keep up with oil changes and other maintenance, it’ll last. The key is knowing how it’s been taken care of. Make sure the seller has maintenance records or check the Carfax. And if you can find one with second-row bucket seats, getting to the third row is a breeze.
It might be similar to my Ford Explorer. I had it for 3 years before I figured out that the seats could do this! You lift the latch to tilt the seat forward, then if you keep lifting, the whole seat moves up. I only found out when I was trying to remove the seat for some wiring work. Ford didn’t make it super obvious!