Selling a dead or tired Ford Excursion

Ford sold the Excursion for six model years, 2000 through 2005, so even the last ones are past twenty. Which engine is under the hood decides most of what follows: the recalls, the likely faults and whether a repair makes sense.

Four engines, one Louisville body

Ford introduced the Excursion on September 30, 1999, as a 2000 model, and built it at Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville next to the Super Duty pickups. US production ended September 30, 2005.

The 5.4 Triton V8 was standard and the 6.8 Triton V10 optional. Diesel buyers got the 7.3 Power Stroke at launch, then the 6.0 Power Stroke from partway through 2003 to the end. Every Excursion is an automatic: the 4R100 four-speed behind the 5.4, 6.8 and 7.3, and the 5R110W five-speed behind the 6.0.

Trouble, engine by engine

7.3 diesel: the sensor that shuts it off

Excursions with the 7.3 belong to Ford recall 07S57, filed with NHTSA as 07V553 in December 2007. It reached about 1.18 million Super Duty pickups, E-Series vans and Excursions with International's 7.3 V8. The camshaft position sensor could work on and off, and when it quit, so did the engine. NHTSA had opened an engine-stall probe in February 2006 and made it an Engineering Analysis that June. Ford put the fault down to the sensor circuit degrading, from build variation and a design too easily upset by its surroundings. Dealers check the sensor's design level and fit the redesigned part where needed. Ford's report says a stalled truck slows gradually and keeps power brakes and steering down to around 30 mph in high gear.

6.0 diesel: a ground stud and sudden stalls

Two recalls cover the later diesel. On 2003 Excursions, the engine stud that grounds the negative battery cable can work loose and overheat the radio suppression strap (04V327). On 2004-2005 trucks, the 6.0 can quit without warning on the road (05V270; its 180,104 count covers every 6.0 pickup, SUV and van in the campaign). Dealers upgrade or replace the wire harness for the fuel injection control module, the FICM, put in a new ICP sensor connector, or do both. Ford's 2005 Excursion page also lists campaign 09L04, a maintenance notice for 6.0 and 6.4 diesels.

Engine and engine cooling is the second most-named part across the Excursion's complaints, with 181.

Gas or diesel: the cruise control switch

Three campaigns cover the speed control deactivation switch. Gas Excursions from 2000-2002 are in 06V286, the August 2006 recall of 1.2 million Ford trucks and vans, and 2003 gas trucks are in 07V078. Ford said the switch could corrode over time, overheat and ignite. Diesel Excursions from 2000-2003 joined a later 4.5-million-vehicle campaign, 09V399, for a Texas Instruments switch that can leak and overheat. In each case the fix is a fused harness on the switch circuit. Vehicle speed control draws 51 complaints in all.

First-year campaigns

The early trucks picked up four more recalls: headlamp switch knobs that can break because a supplier used the wrong material (2000, 01V075), a driver air bag inflator with a weak weld near the igniter (2001, 01V082, just 268 vehicles across Excursions, Expeditions and F-Series pickups), front belt buckles from TRW that may not fully latch (2001, 01V227), and a wiper motor switch that can overheat (2000-2001, 01V258). A 2011 recall, 11V352, pulled replacement brake light switches sold as service parts for 2002-2005 trucks.

Tires on the first two years

Tires are the part named most across all Excursion complaints, 281 of them. Most sit on the first two model years: 182 of the 2000's 533 complaints and 57 of the 2001's 209. None of the 11 recall campaigns in the file covers tires, and the counts alone don't say why owners complained.

What NHTSA holds for each model year

NHTSA's bulk complaint and recall downloads, as of October 10, 2026, supply every figure here. Crash and injury columns tally complaints that say a crash happened or someone was hurt. Some campaigns name more than one Excursion year, which is why the recall column sums past 11.

The 1999 row holds complaints, and the 7.3 sensor recall, filed under a year before the first Excursion model year.

Before you put money into it

The sources behind this page carry no repair costs for the Excursion, so get a written estimate and set it beside the going price for a running Excursion with the same engine, year and miles.

1. Start with recalls. NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls takes the 17-character VIN. A 7.3 that stalls or a 2004-2005 6.0 that cuts out may be recall work.
2. Ask a Ford dealer for the open campaigns on the VIN, and on a 2005 diesel ask about 09L04 as well.
3. If the engine itself is gone, see the blown engine guide before paying for a long block.
4. Not sure where a dead SUV should go? Junkyard vs scrap yard explains the difference.

Selling the Excursion as it sits

1. Write down the VIN, the miles, gas or diesel, two- or four-wheel drive, and the symptom.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Describe where it is parked, such as a gravel drive, a side street or a mechanic's lot, and whether it rolls and steers. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Keep it whole. The engine, the wheels and the catalytic converters stay on. Be upfront about anything that has been removed.
5. Have the title and an ID for the handover. Plates stay or go depending on the state; after you sell sorts it out.

More big Fords: the Expedition, F-250 and F-350, or the complete Ford list.