Garner Ames

On the paint issue, one point for consideration. No doubt these vans have paint issues on the white ones. I also hope this is not the case on newer ones as I also have a 2019 white one that was an outstanding deal and had the G80 diff so I couldn't pass up. I had a work vehicle, a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria that had the same issues these white Expresses did. My car was also white and there were many documented defects documented with white Ford Crown Vics in the 2000s. My car was one out 100 that never had paint issues and I attributed that 100 percent towards the fact that I hand washed the vehicle with low pressure every time where everyone else drove theirs through the car washes. Just a thought.

Needless to say, I will only be handwashing my van. I can already see the weak point where the factory uses some kind of sealant at the joint with the rain gutters and paint over them.

mountainmanjoe

Yup . That's right where mine (and others I've seen) sprung a leak. The sealant dries out, gets brittle. As the van body and seams flex, the sealant cracks and leaks.
I'm told it's done this way so the windows don't pop, but really it's just cost saving.

William Kisselstein

Browsing Copart I fairly regularly see vans listed as run/drive with 500,000 miles on them. I don't know who buys them at that point, but they're out there.