Purchase or not

I'm looking at possibly buying an E series van, probably a 150 but maybe a 250. Somewhere between 1995-2001 model years.

1.) What should I look for as far as problems with these vans? I know they are fairly simple and durable, but every vehicle has its "quirks". Ex. Most 90's Fords have transmission issues, do these vans have that kind of problem?

2.) I would be using mine for courier/expediting work, which means lots of highway miles. Most E-150s are the 4.2 V6 (or 4.9 straight six), good for mileage, bad for hills. The van wouldn't be loaded to the max all the time, but should I hold out for the V8? I know the V8s are good but is the 4.2 V6 any good?

3.) Most of these vans do not have cruise control, something I deem very necessary. Is it possible to fit these vans with cruise?


Thanks in advance for any replies.

I had a '97 E150 with the 4.2 V6. The gas mileage on the V8 or the 4.9 IL6 is in reality better than the V6 which underpowers the vehicle. I had to have the tranny and the engine rebuilt at just over 100K miles.

The engine was thanks to a bad intake manifold gasket that resulted in a bent rod. It is a known issue on late 90's ford V6's. Strike one

The tranny required rebuilding thanks to the melting of several plastic parts. Strike two.

I had chronic front end alignment problems resulting in going through 3 sets of tires. Nobody could get it aligned properly. Strike three

I had several problems with the ABS brake system Strike four.

Mine came with factory Cruise Control, I had to replace the throttle cable end and clip twice due to breakage. strike five

I would say not. I would go with a Chevy or the Dodge Sprinter.