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Are Ford Explorers Junk?

22 messages,  Last post on Oct 21, 2009 at 5:44 AM

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#13 of 22 no way by x92exploder Aug 08, 2007 (8:39 am)
I know this aint been written on for awhile but I strongly disagree on these being junk, the tranny's yes if you beat them around they will begin to have problems but other than that they are strong running trucks, I've seen'em go well over 250k miles even 309k on the original motor!!! The first and second generation explorers are the best SUV you could buy 91-2001 The manual shift tranny's however are the better tranny's in these, The explorer stock 4X4 system is excellent, Had bad winter this past winter and did not get stuck or anything and I even had regular street tires on it at the time, and mine is a 92 explorer sport my dad has 2000 XLT. So info for anyone thinkin of buying one, go for it!!
#14 of 22 Re: Are Ford Explorers Junk [writerhopeful] by kipk Sep 14, 2007 (4:42 am)
Replying to: writerhopeful (Mar 16, 2007 10:51 pm) "The Hondas and Toyotas are either too small for what I want or to pricey"   Are you sure about that? I was thinking the Pilot to actually be a bit larger than the Explorer. Compare the price with similar equipment. You might also want to go to Edmunds.com and compare "True Price to Own". Also check out KBB for resale values on 2-5 year old similar equipped models. "Pricey" involves a lot of things. Not just the buying price.   As far as durability goes... My 79 year old mom's 95 V6 Explorer's auto tranny laid down at about 60K miles. Cost her about $3k to replace. At her age of about 85 the tranny laid down again with about 90K on the vehicle. The first tranny lasted 60K the second one lasted 30K.   I drive it occasionally and it feels as though the car is falling apart. The steering column is loose and rattling, the driver seat is sagging (mom weighs 110 lbs) and the suspension seems to be noisy and weak.   But that is a 95 and this is 07. I would expect the V8/6 speed to be a good combo. The 4.6 has been around for a while and proven itself to be reliable. I understand that it now incorporates variable valve timing which should improve power and fuel economy. Durability of the 6 speed will have to be proven.   Kip
#15 of 22 transmisson help by cw_meeks Oct 11, 2007 (8:34 pm)
A trans. oil additive " trans medic" often will help the ford auto trans. . This additive is blue in color . this will help you to identify it.use only mercon v fluid in your ford. CW
#16 of 22 Re: Are Ford Explorers Junk? [70ss454_man] by curshaw Oct 13, 2007 (7:58 pm)
Replying to: 70ss454_man (Mar 17, 2007 1:18 pm) i agree w/ you 100%. These babys may be labeled as "exploders" but they are certainly NOT JUNK. Sure, they have their problems, some (okay......most) of the early 90's models had/have tranny problems and the paint often fails making it look like crap, but my '91 is by far one of the funnest, the most reliable and easy to maintain vehicles I have ever owned. I purchased it almost 2 years ago for 650.00, fully knowing that she had a glorious 300,000 miles of experience and adventure under faded chassis. the person I bought it from is amazed that she still runs and everything on her still works. I just tell him and everybody else that criticizes her that with just the right amount of TLC and regular oil changes THESE THINGS JUST WILL NOT DIE...... I also tell people that based on my experience, I would buy another one just like her in a heartbeat. ......
#17 of 22 Don't buy an explorer by ginamillar2000 Nov 11, 2007 (9:14 am)
m never buying another Ford. I used to be a staunch "Buy American" consumer. As American car companies market share continued to plummet, I continued to feel that it is my patriotic duty to buy American.   Well, I finally woke up and realized that everyone else is right, and that I was naive.   Last week the O/D light came on in my Ford Explorer. I drove it right home and got the manual out to see what the problem was. "Transmission problem" was what the manual indicated, as well as several websites I reviewed.   I didn't worry at first, since I figured this would be covered under warranty. My Explorer is just under 5 years old and just under 60K miles. Surely there would at least be a 60K power train warranty. No one would buy a vehicle if they knew the transmission would only last 59K miles.   Well, the dealer told me a new transmission was needed (5th and 2nd gears were worn down), that it would cost $3500, and that it is not covered by warranty. And to add insult to injury he charged me $90 to tell me the transmission was bad (something I obviously knew) - isn't this similar to stealing?   I then asked him what trade in value I could get (not that I really would buy another poor quality Ford, but I wanted to explore all options). $5500 is the most they could give. I laughed - since I had taken very good care of the vehicle. It told me that they didn't want the vehicle either - so much for them really standing behind their product. They know the quality is poor.   Obviously I was quite irritated. I asked what caused this. None of the possibilities applied since I took good care of the vehicle and had it serviced according to the maintenance manual. In fact, the dealer (Cover Ford in Austin) did the 30K checkup. I spent $1K on that (and probably got ripped off).   I took it to a transmission specialist and had it fixed for under $2500. He informed me that he sees a lot of issues like this with Explorers - probably a poor design and poor quality. Also, judging by various websites there are indeed lots of complains like this.   I wouldn't be surprised if Ford knew of the poor design - since the warranty that came with the vehicle was only 3 yr/36K even for powertrain. If Ford had good quality, why couldn't they step up to the plate and offer 60K or even 100K power train warranty. They must have known the poor quality. In my mind, this is deceptive practice - and I kick myself for not recognizing this as a red flag.   Well, for the 2008 Explorer I see Ford is offering 60K powertrain warranty. So they must have made some improvements (which further underscores their recognition of the poor quality in earlier years). But it's still a far cry from 100K that some vehicles come with. You also have to wonder what other quality issues are lurking.   I think the choice is now clear to me. In the future I will be considering something like a Honda Pilot. Ford deserves the trend of lower market share. Consumers are very wise, and the quality the provide is reflected in their declining sales and marketshare.   Please don't make the same mistake I made. The foreign competition provides much better quality and customer service.
#18 of 22 Re: Are Ford Explorers Junk? [writerhopeful] by jwp1775 Jun 17, 2008 (3:03 am)
Replying to: writerhopeful (Mar 10, 2007 8:58 am) No. I have a '94 with a 4.0 L V6 that I bought new. It now has 320,000 miles on it and is still running strong. Burns no oil, no tranny problems. Heads never off. One tune-up. No 4WD problems. A very reliable truck. Replies to this message: modelwarships (Aug 15, 2008 1:00 pm)
#19 of 22 Re: Are Ford Explorers Junk? [jwp1775] by modelwarships Aug 15, 2008 (1:00 pm)
Replying to: jwp1775 (Jun 17, 2008 3:03 am) I own a 2002 that I purchased new. It had the cracked rear panel, seat belt light, and airbag light fixed under warranty. However at 67k the rear bearings went out and it cost me over $1,000 to fix it. The dealer wanted more just for one wheel so I took it to my local mechanic. They had one helluva time with it. I see that wheel bearings are a chronic problem on this car. Just hope my transmission lasts. This was my 13th Ford and I am sad to say that it will be my last. The wheel bearings are a design defect, installed with way too much preload and should be the subject of a recall. Where do you go when the brand you have cheered for lets you down?
#20 of 22 Just think carefully by jhs517 Aug 26, 2009 (9:27 pm)
I would not call them junk, but you need to be very careful about what year you want. If you're thinking about a 2002, think again. Whenever its a model change, and the 02 is a drastic model change, there are going to be lots of issues. Fortunately, I was lucky, because i read many horror stories about owners with 02s. I did have the trans rebuilt, and I just had to deal with it. I will admit that i feel very safe in my explorer. The 4x4 comes in quite handy during the michigan winters. the back trim panel has a crack, just like the others, but it doesn't matter. for the most part, mine has been ok, the usual stuff, wheel bearings, which are expensive, the back coil springs cracked and replaced. just think carefully what you want before you go out and get one.
#21 of 22 Love my Explorer by tmk100 Sep 27, 2009 (7:23 pm)
I have a 2003 Explorer with a V8 and a third row seat. I bought it to replace a 1997 Toyota Camry, as we needed something with towing capacity and the ability to hold up to 4 kids in the back during carpools to school and after school activities. It is a great vehicle. We did have transmission problems, but only after about 110,000 miles, half of which were spent towing a large bass boat. The interior features were well thought out and I loved the split door feature on the tailgate. Very easy to pop the rear window and drop in a couple bags of groceries, baseball equipment, soccer equipment, etc. If you need to really haul something, the rear seat folded flat and the entire tailgate lifts. I would recommend running boards, else you end up hopping into the car. My family has had great experience with Ford trucks (dad's most recent F150 had over 250,000 miles) and will continue to buy them. I think it is a mistake to think that you can avoid car problems by buying a particular make. And I disagree in particular with the broad assertion that foreign competitors provide much better quality. For example, we spent 25% more on a Camry than I would have spent on a better equipped Taurus. My husband leased a Taurus a year or two later and had absolutely no problems with it the entire time he had it (about 80,000 miles). Meanwhile, I was warned by Toyota of an "oil gelling" problem that may occur if I followed the recommended oil change schedule. And I had numerous other smaller problems that took me to the dealer, as well as poorly designed interior features (seat belt, cup holder and vanity mirror) that broke within a couple of years of light use.
#22 of 22 My 2006 Ford Explorer is Junk by davestr Oct 21, 2009 (5:44 am)
This message is for those that may ask the question about whether Ford Explorers are junk. This is a company car and is taken in for service on a regular basis. Junk issues as follows: 42,000 Miles - radiator replacement 72,000 Miles - front wheel bearing replacement 86,000 Miles - radiator replacement 109,000 Miles - transmission replaced 133,000 Miles - radiator replacement - service informed me that Ford acknowledged problems and issued a corrective action bulletin with dealerships. When I buy my next car Ford, GM and Chrysler will not be on the list of choices!!!

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