My FEH is now more than 5 years old, and it performs as good as new.

MPG wise, I still get the same MPG on frequently used routes as I did when the car was 1 year old.

Battery wise, I still get the same number of amp-hours ( or watt-hours if you like ) out of the battery.

EV driving, I still get the same distance of EV drive time.

I have just past 97,200 miles on the odometer.

I have only replaced the MECS electric water pump, and air conditioner evaporator up front, both were under warranty. I replaced the spark plugs myself, not because anything was wrong, but I just felt it was time.

Other than that, I have replaced tires, oil ( usually at 12,000 to 15,000 mile intervals ) and air filters both front and back with K&N type and have ~75,000 miles on them.

 

Ditto on that gpsman1. 103k, and don't feel anxious to replace it at all.

Always was a little goosey with the Subaru's we had in the past at this point, but not the FEH. SWMBO says she wants to keep it till the wheels blow out and I'm game.

Thinking about replacing the shocks and strut's though, I think they're getting soft but the boss says they're fine.

This little rig still amazes me everytime I drive it.

 

From reading other forums, it seems that FEHs holds up much better than the FEs including the newer ones!

 

I like what I'm hearing!
MMH 2007
51,000 miles
no problems!

 

Ditto, I don't think it'll be long (a few years at most) for me to surpass the miles on my 00 Expedition! Granted I don't drive far, Exp has 75k, Escape all ready at 30k. Also gonna keep her until she dies (ie cost more to repair than replace).

 

That is good news. Part of the reason we bought the FEH's was our perception that they would be relatively low maintenance and long lasting. One of my biggest expenses in the last two cars was brakes. Seemed like I wore out a set of brakes as often as I changed oil. Literally. With the regen braking and my new hypermiling mentality, I am hoping for a low maintenance cost. I do question why Ford chose to go back to drum rears on the '09. Anyone know?

Odd thing is I still see big differences between our two '09's. My wife's still drops into EV sooner, easier, and goes farther. Hers has 12k miles on it now, and mine 9k. Neither one has changed character since after the first 1k miles or so. Her engine is also smoother and quieter. And, annoyingly, her cruise control buttons are in a different order. Mine are On-Off / Set + / Set- / Res, while hers are Resume / Set+ / Set- / On-Off. My Resume button just says "Res", while hers spells out "Resume". I do use CC a fair amount so it gets annoying switching between the cars.

I read that most of the Rav4 EV's are also still on the road and going strong. There are a few that drive around in my area, and I still see them occasionally. They are probably using the original battery packs since by my understanding the Chevron patent settlement forbade Panasonic from building more of the batteries, at least for "traction" purposes. I would assume the full-EV operation is a LOT harder on the batteries than the careful and well-controlled hybrid mode charge/discharge. So that bodes well for battery life on our FEH's.

RayP

 

Drum vs. Disc: Today
In today's automotive pantheon, it's not uncommon to find four-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment on medium-priced, non performance-oriented models. The majority of new vehicles, however, continue to utilize a front-disc/rear-drum brake setup. What does this say about the current state of braking systems? Are these manufacturers sacrificing vehicle safety in order to save a few bucks by installing disc brakes on only the front wheels?

While a "yes" answer would certainly be great for increasing Town Hall traffic, the truth is that today's disc/drum setups are completely adequate for the majority of new cars. Remember that both disc and drum brake design has been vastly improved in the last 20 years. In fact, the current rear drum brake systems on today's cars would provide better stopping performance then the front disc setups of the '70s. And today's front disc brakes are truly exceptional in terms of stopping power. Combined with the fact that between 60 and 90 percent of a vehicle's stopping power comes from the front wheels, it's clear that a well-designed, modern drum brake is all that's required for most rear wheel brake duty.

High performance cars like the Viper, 911 and Corvette can justify a four-wheel disc brake system, especially if their owners participate in some form of sanctioned racing activity on the weekends. The rest of us get more of a benefit from the lower cost of drum brakes. Expecting every vehicle built today to come with four-wheel disc brakes would require an across-the-board increase in purchase price, and that could stop new car buyers much quicker than any brake system.

Why do so many cars still use rear drum brakes?

All cars sold in the United States use disc brakes for the front wheels, but many cars still use drum brakes in the rear. Braking causes the car's weight to shift forward, and as a result about 70% of the work is done by the front brakes. (That's why your front brakes tend to wear out faster.) By fitting disc brakes to the front wheels and drum brakes to the rear wheels, manufacturers can provide most of the benefits of disc brakes while lowering costs. (Drum brakes are less expensive to make than disc brakes, largely because they can also double as a parking brake, whereas disc brakes require a separate parking brake mechanism.) Even so, a car with four-wheel disc brakes (versus front disc/rear drum) will still provide superior braking performance in wet weather and on long downgrades. (That said, you should always downshift and let the engine control the car's speed on long downgrades.)

 

This last bit probably does not apply to hybrids with regenerative braking systems. Most of the braking on long downgrades is by regeneration, unless the battery becomes fully charged.

 

You don't need to be on a downgrade for this to be true. Most of your easy braking to a stop is used for regen braking. The extra charge above MG1 (small generator used by the engine to charge) limits 50.1 to 52% SoC is used as Assist to the engine till the regen charge has been used to the MG1 limits.

One other statement is not true about the FEH:

"Braking causes the car's weight to shift forward, and as a result about 70% of the work is done by the front brakes. (That's why your front brakes tend to wear out faster.)"

The front brakes do not wear out faster in the FEH because regen is used to slow the front wheel and the vehicle first. The FEH repair manual states that the Front brakes last 50% longer than the back brakes. You can isolate the brake pads from regen by using "L" gear in the '05 - '08 FEH to slow you down first before even touching the brake pedal. Ford changed the "L" programming in the '09 FEH where this is no longer possible. Ford also lowered MG1 charging limits to around 50% instead of 52% in the older models which give more regen space between 50% and 60% SoC. Overall, Ford reprogrammed the '09 FEH to run with a lower SoC average than older models. I have to work hard to keep an EV ready charge (above 42% SoC) in speeds below 40mph (city driving). I really had a hard time when the electic A/C was On in the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid during my review in Miami. I bet the '10 FEH is the same way in city driving with the A/C On. My new P&G technique solved this problem in my '09 FEH so I can build SoC till I'm ready for a long EV segment. This new technique does not work near as good in my '05 FEH.

GaryG

 

In my 2005, 53.0% battery SOC is the break even point, or what the car considers "normal" charge.

Any charge greater than 53.0% is rapidly used to assist.
Any charge less than 53.0% and the FEH tries to recharge if the engine is running.

I had thought all of the 2005 to 2007, and probably 2008 behaved this way.