2002 Explorer Eddie Bauer

[finiteguy]

Running ones own 'Still" does have it's benefits.

Actually the 2002 Eddie Bauer that I'm thinking of buying has the V8 engine. Doest that have the same transmision that comes with the V-6?

 

[TheExplorerGuy]

I'd say the tranny shop that did the 4 tranny swaps (3 replacements & a rebuild) for your in-laws, loves "old folks"! Are you sure your old folk, in-laws weren't really running moonshine or something with that Explorer?

Three separate dealers and the same problem? I doubt it was a ford dealer issue.



The only thing they're running is hauling my mother inlaw's fat (_!_) around....hah.

 

[Adam0694]

I'm only thinking of buying the 02 because of the low price ($5000)

I honestly just got an 02 Eddie Bauer fully loaded with almost every available option for $3200.

 

[finiteguy]

I honestly just got an 02 Eddie Bauer fully loaded with almost every available option for $3200.

Good deal! How many miles? Also, does that have a sun roof? Not sure if the one I'm getting has sunroof but I'm pretty sure it has V8

 

[Exproblems]

Actually the 2002 Eddie Bauer that I'm thinking of buying has the V8 engine. Doest that have the same transmision that comes with the V-6?

I'm not sure if the EX's with the V-8"s, have the same tranny as the V-6 Ex's. I'm sure someone else knows the answer to that question and will chime in here.

 

[Exproblems]

Three separate dealers and the same problem? I doubt it was a ford dealer issue.



The only thing they're running is hauling my mother inlaw's fat (_!_) around....hah.

Were the 3 replacement tranny's for that Ex you inherited factory new tranny's under the factory warranty or did the Ford dealerships mechanics rebuild them under warranty? Awful lot of tranny's to go thru in such a low mileage vehicle. 5 trannys and counting. On hauling around your mother-in-laws large keester, now we know what happened to all those tranny's! I wouldn't show her your comment here, or you won't be getting any of her Xmas pudding this year. Also, if that Ex ever needs another tranny replacement, better off leaving an open can of gasoline in it and a lit match and walk far away from it, far away!

 

[finiteguy]

Just spoke to my mechanic about the 02 Explorer that I'm about to buy. He say's that he owned one and it was the worst vehicle he ever owned. Everything that waspredicted to go wrong....did go wrong including the transmisson. Also, the liftgate. What is it with the liftgate. The one that i was planning on buying is cracked. What actually cracks?

 

[vipersinu2]

I would never buy an 20-05. it seems as ford fixed most of the problems by making the forth gen 06-10.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Actually the 2002 Eddie Bauer that I'm thinking of buying has the V8 engine. Doest that have the same transmision that comes with the V-6?

It is the same transmission, just with a different bolt pattern.

 

[finiteguy]

It is the same transmission, just with a different bolt pattern.

I stopped by a local transmission place and he says that they love these vehicles for obviuos reasons.... great source of income. He says that when the time comes for a re build, he charges about $2500.00 This is the Boston Ma area.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

I stopped by a local transmission place and he says that they love these vehicles for obviuos reasons.... great source of income. He says that when the time comes for a re build, he charges about $2500.00 This is the Boston Ma area.

A full rebuild can be done in the $2k area, and if done properly addresses the weaknesses of the design. If you are getting scared off by this, share the sales information on the Explorer...it sounds like a good deal for somebody!

 

[Exproblems]

Also, the liftgate. What is it with the liftgate. The one that i was planning on buying is cracked. What actually cracks?

The rear applique or rear tailgate panel just below the window pane can get a vertical crack in it, usually near the Ford badge on one side or the other. Twisting, stress from closing the tailgate panel seems to be the culprit, along with the type of sealant Ford used to attach the panel to the glass. It doesn't flex like it should. Mine cracked 8 months after I bought it. It's common.

 

[Exproblems]

I stopped by a local transmission place and he says that they love these vehicles for obviuos reasons.... great source of income. He says that when the time comes for a re build, he charges about $2500.00 This is the Boston Ma area.

$2500 seems a bit high for a rebuilt tranny for these Ex's. As of Jan 2011, a major tranny shop here in the Buffalo area, which also has National franchises throughout the country, was charging $1600 complete(1 year warranty), for a rebuilt tranny, which inlcuded a new torque converter in the price. A Remanufactured one was a bit higher in price. A local AAMCO tranny shop charges differently, they charge $850 to start with just to R&R this tranny in these Ex's, then charge for each additional new part the rebuild needs. They won't give you a full price estimate until they take apart your old tranny. Depending on how many new parts it will take to rebuild your tranny, you can wind up paying in the $2000-$3000 range. AAMCO gave the best warranty though, 3 years standard and some come with lifetime warranties, but you'll pay top dollar for that rebuild.

 

[gtbutler]

Just spoke to my mechanic about the 02 Explorer that I'm about to buy. He say's that he owned one and it was the worst vehicle he ever owned. Everything that waspredicted to go wrong....did go wrong including the transmisson. Also, the liftgate. What is it with the liftgate. The one that i was planning on buying is cracked. What actually cracks?

The cracks in the lift gate are probably in the plastic piece that is under the window glass portion of the door. This piece also holds the Ford Emblem and is pretty well documented on this forum (use the Search Forum button and search for "liftgate crack" or "rear door crack").

Here's a couple of threads about the liftgate crack.


http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233144&highlight=rear+door+crack

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213757&highlight=rear+door+crack


As for the transmission. There are literally thousands of threads on the 5R55 transmission. It was used in the 2002-2005 timeframe that transmission was used in the Explorer, Mountaineer, Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln LS, Mustang and even the Jaguar (Ford still owned Jag at that time). The transmission is basically the same with a different bolt pattern based upon what the tranny is bolting to. It gets a lot of press, and most of what people post are when they have problems (when is the last time you heard anyone outwardly tell you "hey this is great," but when something's wrong, people will yell "this is junk" to anyone and everyone within earshot). There are also ALOT of Explorers on the road. Next time you are sitting in traffic, how many Explorers do you see? During the early 2000's Ford and specifically SUV's were ruling the road. My point is that there are alot on the road, so there are more that can potentially have problems (percentage is percentage after all).

It is a 10 year old vehicle and sounds like a nice deal with low mileage. Following the instruction of others, change your fluids frequently, take care of the vehicle and it should take care of you. Also realize that operating a vehicle isn't free. You sound like the type of person that wants to explore as many of the issues so you can make an informed purchase and reduce the amount of "surprises." But sometimes "surprises" can be great opportunities, hey, after all you would have never found this forum had you not thought about purchasing that 02 Explorer...

Good Luck!!!