Expedition Max to Yukon XL?

[DontTaseMeBro]

If it was a brand new engine, no.
If the engine was already used, then that'd require a closer look - but I'd not immediately disqualify it.

Brand new, replaced by GMC dealership under warranty.

 

[StephenPT]

It sounds like it's had about 14K miles on it since the engine swap so any re-installation issues by the dealer should have cropped up by now. The entire engine and oil cooling system are to be replaced when an engine has a catastrophic (main bearing failure) and I've heard of some instances where the dealer didn't replace the oil cooling system, metal flakes went to the new engine and it was toast in short order.

That said, how long do you plan on keeping it? If it's for a short time you might have a harder time selling it as the CarFax will show the engine replacement and it might deter some buyers.

Will you get any sort of extended warranty with it? IIRC gas engines have a 60K powertrain warranty so if it's not extended then you're coming close to being completely out of warranty on the rig.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

It sounds like it's had about 14K miles on it since the engine swap so any re-installation issues by the dealer should have cropped up by now. The entire engine and oil cooling system are to be replaced when an engine has a catastrophic (main bearing failure) and I've heard of some instances where the dealer didn't replace the oil cooling system, metal flakes went to the new engine and it was toast in short order.

That said, how long do you plan on keeping it? If it's for a short time you might have a harder time selling it as the CarFax will show the engine replacement and it might deter some buyers.

Will you get any sort of extended warranty with it? IIRC gas engines have a 60K powertrain warranty so if it's not extended then you're coming close to being completely out of warranty on the rig.

Plan on keeping it for at least 5 years. Regarding factory powertrain warranty, can it be extended or does that only apply to periods within the bumper to bumper warranty?

 

[15burban]

The new motor wouldn't bother me and you might be able to talk them down in price a little since it's not the original one. Worth a shot at least. I'm not sure on the factory warranty at all but an option is to get a 3rd party warranty. I got one for my other truck when I bought it used and was already out of the factory warranty. Was around $4k for it but it's lifetime/unlimited miles and covers everything except tires, brakes, bulbs, and other basic wear items. I plan on keeping it til it rusts out from around me.

 

[DenaliCountry]

Anyways, not to thread bump, but moving on - I'm looking for some more feedback from those who have a 6.2 and tow a 6000-7000k lb TT? How has your experience been? More then enough power? If you had to do it again, would you do dmax instead? That kind of stuff. Also, I see that there a split amongst those who say that air suspension is necessary vs those who say it's really not if you run a wds? As mentioned, I run a Blue Ox. Here is what my setup currently looks like with it. Very little sag in the back. Approx 1.5" in the rear.

View attachment 421259

We have a Passport 2950BH and pulled it with our Yukon last summer (admittedly we don't travel with it much). My yukon has the 6.2l and it performed great. Mileage was nothing to write home about but it handled the highway at 65/70 MPH very well. Our Yukon does have Max Towing with air ride, etc. so that definitely helps. The Duramax Yukon is a great option, my only complaint was feeling like I had to get out and push it when trying to pass on the highway (no trailer attached). The 6.2l makes up for that on the highway.

Edit: This trailer is 34' tip to tail, probably on the upper end of what the Yukon can handle. The second picture angle makes the trailer look bigger than it is in person lol.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

So looks like the engine was replaced by Chapman GMC out of Yuma, AZ. You think they'll give me a breakdown of what they replaced if I give them a call?

ETA: invoice of work done incoming

ETA2: as expected, original spun the rod bearings

Here's what they did:

So a tick over 14,000 miles since the engine was replaced exactly a year ago.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... looks like the engine was replaced by Chapman GMC out of Yuma, AZ.
You think they'll give me a breakdown of what they replaced if I give them a call?

Maybe?
Not like YOU gave them any money for it yourself; not like you're gonna become a customer of Chapman GMC, yea?
In other words, more likely that they'd give that info to the previous owner who bought it from them.

Time for a used motor oil analysis.
I actually wonder why you can't just ship them a used oil filter with oil in it ...

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Maybe?
Not like YOU gave them any money for it yourself; not like you're gonna become a customer of Chapman GMC, yea?
In other words, more likely that they'd give that info to the previous owner who bought it from them.

Time for a used motor oil analysis.
I actually wonder why you can't just ship them a used oil filter with oil in it ...

They did. See above.

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

Don’t see a radiator on that list…meaning the engine oil cooler wasn’t replaced, meaning possibly metal in the cooler…now in new engine?

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Don’t see a radiator on that list…meaning the engine oil cooler wasn’t replaced, meaning possibly metal in the cooler…now in new engine?

Well it’s got 14k miles since the change of trouble free driving.

 

[Marty_S]

Hi everyone. Hoping I can get some answers/feedback here regarding the Yukon XL. I apologize in advance if this is a long winded post. There is a lot to unpack. Currently own a 2020 Expedition Max w/Max tow that's about to roll over 30k miles. After 2 years of ownership, here's what I think about it:

Like
- Love the performance from the 3.5 Ecoboost
- Good interior layout, everything is where it should be
- 2nd row tip n slide seats make for easy access into the third row
- Third row is big enough for adults
- Overall seat comfort is excellent(I'm 6'3")
- Turning radius
- Tows our 27' camper well 90% of the time(more on this below)

Dislike
- Ride can get bouncy at times; too much body roll as well
- Fuel economy is nothing to write home about, average 16mpg in town
- Ford's version of the 10R80 trans is poorly executed - doesn't shift smoothly all time; can be erratic with shifts(will expand more on this below)
- Outdated infotainment
- No air suspension option

As you can tell like/dislike is fairly balanced. Overall, I wouldn't be considering to move on from it if wasn't for two things that have become a glaring problem:

Towing
As mentioned, this thing tows beautifully 90% of the time. The 10% that it doesn't is something that could potentially leave me with an expensive paperweight. I live in a mountainous state that has hot summers. Access to our favorite campgrounds have steep, slow winding roads. I've had to pull over on such roads every time due to the high transmission temps. First summer it reached 260F at the summit on our way to a particular campground. Last summer it reached 265F before I even got to the summit(same destination as prior year). As mentioned previously, it is equipped with the Max tow package(trans cooler and HD radiator). The speeds that I've made this climb are very slow, 15-25mph in Tow Haul mode. The engine starts off strong but by the end of the climb it's got hardly any power(pedal to the floor) in 2nd gear. That's when the trans temp start to rise(along with engine temps, just not as much). Again not an expert, but this sounds like a classic example of heat soak to me due to small engine displacement, plus the added heat output from having two turbos. Lack of significant airflow due to slow speeds and high outside temps don't help either.

As a side note, I'm well within the tow limits of the vehicle. This Expedition has 1710 lbs of payload, trailer(Sundance 241BH - GVWR is 7500lbs but we are around 6500 when loaded) has a gross(dry is 570lbs) tongue weight of 700lbs. I run a Blue Ox WDS with it. In addition to the trailer, we are a family of 6. So our payload is approx. 1500lbs all in. Any other mountain grade on even the hottest days is not a problem so as long as my speeds going up are higher(like on paved roads). The moment I take it up the slow and steep dirt/gravel stuff is where it all starts to fall apart. I believe it's only a matter of time before I destroy the transmission.

Transmission
Lastly, the other issue that's a concern is the erratic nature of the transmission itself since day 1. Sometimes there is a delay in upshifts or downshifts. Other times it slams into gear, especially from 4-5. I've done the adaptation reset but it doesn't really help. Funny enough, as I write this, it's actually perfect. But literally was behaving like this up until it got cold here(maybe it healed itself lol?). I understand that it was co-developed by Ford and GM but I can assure you that Ford's derivative is not as good(tuning?). This is our third Ford product with this transmission(previously owned a 2019 Expedition and 2020 F-150) and they all have acted this way. This is evidenced more so by the numerous posts pertaining to it on the Expedition forum. My friend just replaced his 10R80 last month in his 2018 Expedition after his went out at 65k miles. To add insult to injury, I owned a 2022 Silverado for 9 months and it was perfect. Two of my friends own '23 Sierras and theirs are buttery smooth too.

Conclusion
So basically it's come down to this. It appears that the Yukon XL might be the a good replacement for our Expedition. Trust me, I'd get a 3/4 pickup in a heart beat if our family was smaller and we had more use cases for a truck. Just isn't a good option as a primary family hauler for us anymore since we welcomed our 4th child. Also doesn't make financial sense to own a dedicated tow rig because we go camping 3-4x a year. So back to the Yukon. I'm looking 2021's w/the 6.2. My aforementioned Silverado had the LM2 3.0 Dmax and it was a sweetheart. However, I never put it to the same tow test. Again no expert, but honestly don't think it would fair much better if my assumptions are correct regarding small displacement performance in certain scenarios. So I don't think the same engine in the Yukon will bode well in those scenarios. My only concern with the 6.2 is reliability due to DFM.

Ugh, I really hate predicament that I'm in... Please help!

Dad had a 91 F350 4x4 'cowboy Cadillac' 4 door with 360 gas. We had no idea the transmission (auto with OD) and transfer case were poorly designed and figured the low mpg was size/weight related. Ford was forced to fix it at no cost. They did argue the year, 91, put it past their responsibility. We got it fixed at no cost due to it being a Cimaron aftermarket and the first retail sale was within 10 years, barely. This may or may not help, good luck. I've had 98 Land Rover Disco (loved it but 2 sunroofs pouring water). 80 Chevy full size 4x4 with auto, Ford explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee (Never again), 86 NASA/Ames follow me suburban (still sitting near house after submarine episode) and 03 Yukon Denali bought about a year ago. I wasn't too keen on the Denali at first due to concerns about AWD vs 4X4 and 3 miles of gravel, dirt and a creek between end of public road and home. As this rainy winter is ending it has done very well and will town anything up to a tractor with tow chain under front loader and gannon scraper chained to ROP.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Alright, well I pulled the trigger and picked up a 2022 Yukon XL Denali in Midnight Blue Metallic over a Dark Walnut/Very Ash Gray interior. 43k miles on the odometer. All the options except Super Cruise and air suspension. I wanted to get one with air suspension, but this was too good of a deal to pass up.

My 2 week ownership experience may be limited but I can tell you this is one hell of a ride compared to my 2020 Expedition. Feels like a bank vault on wheels, soaks up the bumps over crappy pavement like it’s not there. Better interior, more technology, and man, the 6.2 is one fabulous engine.

Fingers crossed it gives us many years of reliability(I’m very well aware of all the engine issues, the one in ours was replaced 13k miles ago).

Last but not least, the seats. Dunno why everyone keeps bagging on them, they feel fantastic. Even my buddy commented on how they felt better to him compared to the Expeditions. Back when I had the 2022 HC Silverado, I thought those seats were too firm. These don’t feel the same as those seats at all.

Anyways, thanks all for the feedback. Here are some pics.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Second camping trip down the hatch. Averaged 9.1mpg over 229 miles doing some mixed interstate and mountain highway driving, between 2500-5000 ft of elevation. Towing a 24ft 6500lb camper with 6 people inside the Yukon. Look at that perfection when it comes to no squat. And yup, I don’t have air suspension in this rig! Just a Blue Ox WDH. Didn’t feel the camper at all.

 

[Bigburb3500]

How did the truck do going up the mountain? Any overheating issues?

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

How did the truck do going up the mountain? Any overheating issues?

None whatsoever. Max temp I saw on the trans was 167F. That being said, I have yet to go to the same campground that gave me the overheating problems with the Expedition. Might not go there this year. But when I do, I’ll report back on how the Yukon handles it.

 

[Bigburb3500]

None whatsoever. Max temp I saw on the trans was 167F. That being said, I have yet to go to the same campground that gave me the overheating problems with the Expedition. Might not go there this year. But when I do, I’ll report back on how the Yukon handles it.

Glad to hear it’s all good so far! Can’t wait to hear about how it goes - I started a 3500 Suburban thread and hoping to report back on towing with the 6.0.

 

[DontTaseMeBro]

Just came back from a camping trip up in the mountains. Tackled a very steep mountain grade both ways when it was 100+. Highest transmission temp I saw was 207F on the way there and 190F on the way back. Very happy to see that. I recall seeing 240+ in the Expedition last year in the very same grade when it was also 100F.

 

[adventurenali92]

Glad you’re liking the Denali XL! I agree they ride pretty great considering how big and solidly heavy they are and they ride pretty well when towing!

 

[BacDoc]

Beautiful truck and camper! Without air suspension it looks perfectly balanced in that pic. Enjoy the 6.2l as it’s a great match with the 10 speed transmission and the sound of the 6.2l is a bonus!

 

[ChuckPeazy]

Thank you for posting this. My wife and I are going through the same decision. We recently sold our Expedition Max that we absolutely loved... when it wasn't in the shop. We ended up selling it after our freshly rebuilt transmission overheated pulling this pop up on our way to South Dakota and left us on the side of the highway. It was the last straw.

So now we're on the hunt and really like the Yukon's but have some concerns including the "same" transmission as our Expy.

We're really considering the 3.0 Duramax and love the Midnight Blue Color.

Must Haves:
Max Tow Package
Adaptive Cruise Control (Does this include the hands free driving?)

Wants:
Middle bench
Rear Entertainment

It's nice to hear that you're happy with your decision, hopefully we can make the jump soon.