holy crap... I found this thread while looking for tips on what to look for when looking at 02-03 explorers. I was planning on heading to a dealership this week to look at a couple, but after reading this I'm scared out of my mind. I had done my researching at edmunds.com and they highly recommended the explorer and since my current '03 ranger hasn't given me any problems I thought I'd be safe. Are they really that prone to problems as this thread makes it seem?
I'll chime in.
My 2002 V8 AWD Explorer Limited purchased new in May 2002 just clocked 90,000 miles. So far I have replaced: Tires (@50K miles - $400) Battery (@ 5 1/2 years - $80) , Brake Pads (@ 78K miles - $150 incl. turning the rotors), Front wheel bearings (80K miles - $350) (only one of the two required replacement), Rear/Aux Heat/AC blend door actuator motor (@89K miles - $90), and the 4x4 control module (@ 86K miles - $150). Excluding the normal wear items, that is about $400 in repairs over almost 6 years and 90K miles. Not too bad, and in no case did the vehicle stand us or need to be removed from service for more than a couple of hours (I do my own non-warranty repairs and maintenance).
My rear end has had the infamous whine since nearly new and has not gotten worse or better - we usually don't notice it. The tranny was reprogrammed and flushed at 30K miles under warrantee. There is some very small corrosion on the hood (aluminum), and some trim pieces have faded in the sun. Other than that, it is like new.
There are some known problem spots, some of which are expensive (e.g. transmission), but like many cars the majority of items requiring attention are not expensive.
All that said, some people get lucky (myself included) and some have big trouble with them. I cannot say what a technical comparison of the Ex with other similar vehicles would reveal.
This is not a "chatty" or overly social web site, although I like and have lots of respect for lots of the folks on here. I come here to track repair problems to aid me in maintaining mine. Therefore, it will appear from reading this site that all Explorers are bad; however, as was pointed out, people come here to vent and to get help (BTW, the guys here can fix anything - you would be amazed, I know that I am).
To date, this has been the most trouble-free and utilitarian vehicle we have owned (out of 25 or 30 cars). Of course the tranny may fall out tomorrow, but it doesn't seem like that is imminent. It has never stranded my wife and never caused me or her to feel it was unsafe (if so, it would be gone tomorrow, and that includes stranding her).
As a comparison, my brother had a Chevy Blazer that was absolutely the anti-Christ, as reliability and expensive repairs go. One difference may be that he did not maintain the Chevy religiously. I would advise owners of Explorers to stay up on the maintenance at all costs. If you cannot be sure of the maintenance history of a used one, I would be very suspect and go to great lengths to check it out.
Your results may vary. Good Luck.
