I've only owned FEHs since 2007. I'm currently on my 3rd (2008), and while it runs flawlessly, the body is starting to give out at 280k and I've been researching another vehicle.
For years, I believe the hybrids have flown under the radar in terms of dependability and low cost of ownership, but the last few years I've seen things change, at least in my area. Whether it has to do with the secret being out or consumers wanting a high value, high MPG vehicle is anyone's guess, but at least during pandemic times, people are looking for good used cars and the prices have increased accordingly.

This go around, the 2008-2012 FEHs are harder to find in great condition and sell quickly it seems. I would love some opinions or links.

Which year are the best FEH'S?
I'm leaning towards a 2010, as the prices are a bit lower and the HP improvements over the 2008 are noticeable. They also seemed to change a few things in design overall making it perhaps the best sweet spot.

Is there any actual build dates to stay away from?
With the 08's, I know they fixed or tried to mitigate some issues (front end comes to mind) with later build dates. Anything come to mind with other model years, and what were the better build dates on the 08?

Since it's getting harder to find these in good condition, I may explore the gas only FEHs - blasphemy! These seem more readily available, obviously! All the reports indicate the FEH is generally more reliable, but the price differences are significant, as the FEH premium is more than several thousand dollars, and may not be recouped in gas costs. At what point does a significantly cheaper gas only become attractive? Are they run of the mill, crappy suvs that will last 150k and then the engine falls apart? I know I'm not in the right forum, but hopefully users have some experience, however anecdotal it may be.
Thank you

 

I don't know much about specific build dates within any given model year, and I really like my 2010 Limited 2WD, but mine is kind of a "ringer" because it's low mileage (a little over 60,000 miles).

There is a significant difference between the 2004-2009 models and the 2010-2012 models however. I think you're right about them having some fixes to the front end, BUT:

The earlier cars had a dedicated air conditioning evaporator located in the driver's side rear cargo area panel that was used for thermal management (cooling) of the High Voltage battery. Those cars had an air intake vent on the driver's side rear window that pulled in outside cooling air that was then drawn through the evaporator and pushed through the battery to cool it. It was a very good system. Unfortunately it was deleted from the 2010-2012 models, and as a result, the battery cooling is completely dependent on the interior air temperature and the passenger compartment evaporator. What this means in practice is that the thermal management of the battery is not as good.

I was a little chagrined when SKeith told me point blank:

"It's a deal breaker for me. The 10-12 FEH is a "would never own" vehicle for me, even if it was given to me."

See the thread here: https://www.greenhybrid.com/forums/f...96/index2.html

Despite that rather grim and blunt assessment (and I like SKeith, he knows a lot about these cars) I've kept the car and it's running well, but I'm sure it can make a difference in the battery lifespan.

Also, the 2010-2012 cars do not have the special "12v battery jumpstart" hardware that allows an owner to recharge and jumpstart a "flat" High Voltage battery using the 12V electrical system. So if the High Voltage battery goes flat, you're stuck and you're not going anywhere, and you have to have it charged by either a Ford dealer or some enterprising soul who can help you build and attach a charger to the HV battery. SKeith has done quite a bit of good work here showing people how.

Having said that, I really do like my 2010. It's built well. It drives really well. People who have taken it for a spin are kind of amazed it's 11 years old. Everything works. The only problem I've had with the car is....a dead 12V battery (which looks like it was original after all these years.) That and a minor rattle on the rear hatch anchor post which I solved with some electrical tape. So: the 2010-12 models can be good cars, but you have to find a good one. I got lucky in that aspect. Mine was owned by a doctor who garaged it, basically drove it back and forth to work, and had it maintained religiously by the dealer, and I intend to keep doing the maintenance.

I think the internal combustion engine on these cars is basically bulletproof if you do the maintenance (oil, air filter, spark plugs, drive belts, PCV, maybe O2 sensor, and of course transaxle fluid). All of that is normal for any car, and these are understressed and well built engines, not super-complicated, no variable valve timing, turbocharging, direct injection, or other complicated plumbing. I've read you should clean the throttle body from time to time. I'll do that on mine in the spring.

Also: On a 4WD vehicle you have to make sure the rear differential and the associated 4WD hardware are OK.

I'll be back later with some other details, busy at the moment.

 

One other quick thought: like anything else you buy, caveat emptor applies. I would seriously recommend an independent inspection by someone who *knows how to work on them*. When you look at the car, the maintenance records and your assessment of the owner history and the honesty of the present owner are key. On a normal car this is true, and it's even more true with the Hybrids. If you're looking at a 4th owner vehicle with high mileage and spotty to nonexistent maintenance records, and the current owner has let the car sit in the driveway or out in the back yard for six months and tells you: "It ran great the last time I drove it" what you have on your hands - no matter how "clean" it looks - is a fixer-upper and I hope you're ready for a deep dive into how these vehicles work. And the sale price should reflect that fact.

The old beaters are not for shade tree mechanics who think they can fix them with some duct tape and a hammer, in other words.

These were relatively expen$ive vehicles when new, and that's because they are complicated when compared to an "ordinary" car. Mine is loaded, and so the complexity is even greater with all the whimwhams.

 

The only other thing I can think of is to get the car up on a lift and make sure all the usual suspects are OK: Bad rust under there? How's the exhaust system? Brake lines look crappy? CV joint boots? Any leaks? Missing parts? Again, these are all standard items on any used car purchase. The basic car is strong, but all these cars rust if you're in the salt belt and don't clean it off at a car wash with undercarriage cleaning from time to time. The rest is just like every other 10+ year old used car.

Watch as Ford TechMakuloco gets under this F150 and it drops the bomb on him and its new owner.

 

Last thought: Nobody who buys one of these used at this point should be thinking they're doing it to save money on gasoline, unless gas prices triple and you manage to put another 100,000 miles on it before it dies. It's unclear to me whether anyone ever saved any money on these cars except possibly the people who leased them. And as far as the prospects go on cars that are more than 10 years old, you will not save enough money on gas to recoup the likely repair costs at this point unless you are really exceptional. I do not expect to save a dime. I just like the car, it's interesting to me for nerd-tech reasons, but I think it's silly to believe I'm saving any money.