Klingon

According to Wikipedia ALL TC cargos are/were imported w/ second row seating to avoid a 25% import tax on commercial vehicles. As soon as they hit US shores the seats are removed and they are quickly and easily turned into cargo vans. Seems that: A.) ALL TC's should be "pre-drilled" to accept second row seating, and B.) There should be a ton of second row seats, new, floating around out there (I've seen them on Ebay). Wikipedia says the second row seats were "recycled" after removed. I find it hard to believe they would take thousands of brand new second row seats and run them through a shredder.....but who knows. I found a 5-seat TC and bought it so I never really looked far enough into the idea of adding factory second row seats into a cargo van. Definitely seems safer than anything aftermarket.

My 2013 XLT wagon doesn't have a mirror in the visor. I was a bit surprised. Seems all my previous vehicles did.

I just got a 2013 XLT 5-seat w/ 72/300 mi. for $8500 USD. Used car dealer.......and he took my trade in F350 Lariat Crew Cab diesel which had a leaking radiator and a million other small problems too expensive to be worth fixing. Lower mileage was what I was gunning for in my new TC. My other target was a 2012 5-seater w/ 69,000 that sold before I could get to it....private party....$9000. While there was definitely not a shortage of TC's in central fl., 95% seemed to be the cargo version....and I needed seating for 3. So my targets were very limited....kind of made TC hunting simple for me. But in my search I found lots of TC cargos w/ 140,000-220,000 still on the road. Basic maintenance and driving like an old man goes a long way. The 2.0 engine in the 2010-2013 is admittedly weak. In the hands of the wrong person I could see the gas pedal being jammed to the floor far too often and engine life shortened. But of course you often don't know much about a used vehicle's previous owner or maintenance most of the time. Mine didn't even come w/ an owner's manual or spare tire let alone maintenance records. My TC's previous owner was female. Women and old dudes tend to not beat the hell out of their cars. Something to look for.

I just bought a 2013 XLT wagon that came w/ 215/70 non-XL rated tires on the rear......and they are cheap Chinese generics. The front had one bald xl and one non- XL 205/65. I put two new 205/65 xl rated on the front. Plan to wear out the backs then go all XL or even c1/c5. Can't say if the bigger rear tires affect handling in any way. Of course I have nothing to compare it to since I just got the vehicle a week ago. They definitely don't LOOK out of place. I couldn't even tell at first glance they were one size wider and taller.

I've had my 2013 XLT TC wagon for about 5 days now. I came from a 2005 F350 Dually Crew cab Lariat longbed w/ literally 3 times the cubic inches of my TC. That being said, it's been an easy transition. Just need to remember to apply about 80% less pressure to the brake pedal unless I want to go through the windshield. I did a bit of research before buying. Like many said, the 4 speed trans. is a little clunky and dated. The engine is weak but I expected that and accepted it ahead of time. The driving experience is that of an early 80's econo-box.....like a Reliant K or any other early American FWD. I know that doesn't sound very complimentary!! But, as long as it keeps running I'm a happy man. I got second row seating which was a must have. Body has a few dings but nothing bigger than a dime . I paid $8500 w/ 72,300 on the odo. No major issues that I can see and I used to be a mechanic (a lifetime ago). Minor issue: The dash says there is a door open but there isn't. The doors also wont lock either w/ the key fob control or manually (I turn the key in the driver's door lock and all the doors click locked....then a half second later they all unlock. I'm assuming the two issues are related. Never been in an accident. All the door close straight and smooth. Must be a sensor. Any suggestions. Also has check engine light on. Auto parts store threw a code scanner (if that's what it's even called) on it and said it had a bad O2 sensor. Easy fix? Location? Tire pressure warning light is on and will be until I figure out how to disable it. It came w/ 215/70's on the back and they aren't XL rated. Max. psi is 44 which is what I have in them. I'm not hauling anything more than 120 lbs. of kids so I'm going to run them down and later replace w/ XL rated or maybe even C1 or C5's. Till the....44 psi. Definitely louder on the inside than I thought a modern vehicle would be. I know....it's primarily a utility/work vehicle. I don't get the impression that anything is wrong. Just a bit more engine noise and vibration than expected. Is this par for the course? Any advice about what to look out for on my TC would be appreciated