Nice platform, questionable engine.
On balance, we really like the truck. 129K miles on it now. A legit 3rd row with a real seating position unlike the same vintage Tahoe/Yukon & Suburban/Yukon XL. Plenty of room for 6-7 (have 2nd row captains chairs) and some hockey gear.
Everything is above average compared to the GM products we've owned EXCEPT for that 5.4L Triton under the hood. That's what brings that Build Quality rating down. The rest of the truck has held up well with regular maintenance. This was $5-8K less than the GM products w/similar mileage at the time so there is some value there as long as you don't have to replace an engine.
The 5.4 Triton has plenty of power but is infamous for having the spark plugs seize in the block (luckily we were able to get them out and replaced w/o issue) and having oiling issues in the top end. Ours has flashed a code for low top oil pressure (oil pressure is what activates the variable timing actuators) but have had the valve covers off and, while visible oil flow is lower than you'd see in other engines, everything was super clean. The next step would be an engine rebuilt to get to the internals and completely clean the oil passages, so as long as we don't hear any valve train noise and the CEL resets itself, we'll just keep doing frequent oil changes. It's a shame Ford never addressed the issue, Jasper has with their re-manufactured engines.
Later ones come with the Eco-boost 6 cylinder which has it's own set of benefits and deficiencies.
Verified Owner
