Which years is the best to buy used?

[Libbyalex1]

My grandfather was a GM man to the core, but 4 years ago, I traded for a 2002 Explorer. The previous owner said they had installed a new transmission (I see that is a common occurrence for this year, the first for the 5 speed auto made in France). This has been the best vehicle I've had in many years; it performs flawlessly, gets 25 mpg highway at 80 mph, and never EVER lets me down. I use full synthetic in all things, and I go 10,000 between oil changes, and have for years. This V-6 uses ZERO oil between changes, and runs great with 230,000 miles and counting.

My question is: Which year do you all think would be the best to buy if I wanted a newer one with lower miles? Would you recommend an Escape instead? I only had $800 in mine, so that';s why I would like to buy another, newer one. I don't want one of the front wheel drive Explorers - (if they were any good, why would they have gon back to rear wheel drive this year?)

Your advice is appreciated.

 

[94Eddie]

My advice on the oil changes is do it every 5,000 miles, or less. The 4.0L SOHC V6s have issues with the timing chains and guides going bad and the repair cost for this is very expensive. Frequent oil changes are very inexpensive insurance to keep the odds of this failure down. IMO, the best model years to buy is the 2009-2010 Explorers/Mountaineers with the V8 engine. These V8s are very reliable and the 6R80 transmissions are also very reliable if the transmission fluid is changed every 30k-40k miles. Also, there are other improvements with these years in regard to spark plugs, wiring harnesses, higher torque rating on the transmission etc. that makes them a somewhat better choice than the 2006-2008 V8 models.

Any 2011 and newer Explorer with the 3.5L V6 has water pump issues that can result in catastrophic engine failure if the pump goes bad. Plus, the cost to replace just the water pump on these vehicles is $1,500-$2,000. If it takes out the engine then you are looking at a $6,000-$7,000 repair bill. This issue is why I went with a 2010 model.

 

[Libbyalex1]

Didn't meant to be grammatically incorrect in my title! I had heard the V8 had a better tranny than the V-6. Very hard to find, and know I know why!
I was hoping the 6 speed they installed starting in 2006 was better than the 5 speed in the 2002-2005. I have put 50,000 miles on mine, with no issues - but, as stated it's rebuilt.

Thank you for the reply and advice.

 

[94Eddie]

You should drain, change the filter and refill the transmission fluid now. If you do this every 30k-40k miles the transmission should last you a long time. Keep in mind that the 2006-2010 Explorers/Mountaineers with V6 engines have the older five speed transmission. Only the V8s for these years have the six speed.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Adding an external secondary transmission filter, and a larger cooler is recommended.

 

[Mike65]

Welcome.

 

[rustylugnut]

I don't know if I'd recommend a 4th gen explorer/mountaineer to someone who is looking for reliability. I definitely wouldn't recommend one with the v6 with ****ty timing chain guides and ****ty 5 speed transmission. They're very nice to drive, especially with the v8, but I've had nothing but problems with mine and it seems many people have similar experiences. Maybe if you can find one thats been well taken care of with lower miles. I'd definitely drive one of these over a FWD explorer, but thats my taste.
The water pump on the 3.5 is an issue but I think its somewhat overstated. They seem to be pretty reliable. Don't buy a 2011; they're riddled with quality issues.
I think 3rd gen is the most reliable, but they're all at least 15 years old now. Getting up there.

 

[94Eddie]

I suggested the 2009-2010 V8s because this is the most reliable transmission/engine combination in the 3rd through 5th gen Explorers/Mountaineers, IMO. The 6R80/6R60 transmissions in the 4th gen V8 models have been proven to be very reliable if even minimally maintained. They are much more reliable than the 3rd gen V8/V6s and 4th gen V6s with the five speed autos. I would venture that most 3rd and 4th gens with five speed trannies have had a rebuild by 200k miles. Finding one with a recent rebuild (done correctly) is the best bet for buying these models if the mileage is over 100k. The reason I specifically narrowed my recommendation down to the 2009-2010 V8s is these years don't have the spark plug issues, the wiring insulation is better, the transmissions with the V8s are beefier than the 2006-2008 V8 models and any other improvements to refine this generation over time. The next most reliable drive trains are the 2nd gens with the 5.0L V8s followed by the 1st gen pushrod V6s.

The water pump failures for any vehicle with the internal pump 3.5Ls will get worse over time and as the miles rack up on this model. It is not a matter of if the pump fails but when it fails. The real nut cracker is that most times this takes out the engine and as these vehicles get older a water pump failure will likely send them to the bone yard. There is a reason I see so many 5th gens getting close to 100k miles on them up for sale. It is likely many of these units are up for sale due to owners dumping them before the warranty runs out and not taking on the risk of paying for a water pump failure.

 

[RararTurgid]

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