Need advice: considering used Explorer, which is best

[kgsoto]

Hello all, I could your advice.

I'm in the market for another Explorer. I currently own a 96 V8 AWD that we love and has served us well. It has 240K and only just recently needed a rebuild of the 4R70W transmission, otherwise it's been a great truck. It's time to add another car to the fleet as my son is starting college and will take the 96, so I'm looking at another Explorer for my wife - she loves the 96 for a number of reasons so that's what I'm looking for. My questions are: which years/drivetrain combination are best? I'm looking at 2002-2010 (3rd/4th gen) and my searching on this forum and other sources tell me that the V6 is to be avoided, and the 5R55 transmission is also a disaster, so I've limited my search to the 4.6 V8 (which has it's own issues but seem more manageable) and the 2006 up with the 6R60 transmission. I'm focused on the drivetrain since these two components are the most expensive to replace, most everything else I can probably diagnose/fix myself.

So - is this a good place to start, or are my assumptions about this drivetrain combo off-base? What should I look out for?

 

[gdgiordano]

Hello all, I could your advice.

I'm in the market for another Explorer. I currently own a 96 V8 AWD that we love and has served us well. It has 240K and only just recently needed a rebuild of the 4R70W transmission, otherwise it's been a great truck. It's time to add another car to the fleet as my son is starting college and will take the 96, so I'm looking at another Explorer for my wife - she loves the 96 for a number of reasons so that's what I'm looking for. My questions are: which years/drivetrain combination are best? I'm looking at 2002-2010 (3rd/4th gen) and my searching on this forum and other sources tell me that the V6 is to be avoided, and the 5R55 transmission is also a disaster, so I've limited my search to the 4.6 V8 (which has it's own issues but seem more manageable) and the 2006 up with the 6R60 transmission. I'm focused on the drivetrain since these two components are the most expensive to replace, most everything else I can probably diagnose/fix myself.

So - is this a good place to start, or are my assumptions about this drivetrain combo off-base? What should I look out for?

You are 100% spot on. Just make sure to skip the 3rd gens. I personally think they are the low point of all pre 5th gens for mechanical issues period.

When looking at vehicles pay close attention to the sway bar linkages and wheel bearings. When test driving make sure they are totally cold started by you. That is when the broken exhaust stuff will be most obvious. Other than that just use common sense.

 

[michael loibl]

2008-2010 V8 Explorers are, in my opinion, the ones to look for

 

[kgsoto]

2008-2010 V8 Explorers are, in my opinion, the ones to look for

Thanks for the tip - what is it about the 06/07 that is less attractive?

 

[kgsoto]

You are 100% spot on. Just make sure to skip the 3rd gens. I personally think they are the low point of all pre 5th gens for mechanical issues period.

When looking at vehicles pay close attention to the sway bar linkages and wheel bearings. When test driving make sure they are totally cold started by you. That is when the broken exhaust stuff will be most obvious. Other than that just use common sense.

Thanks the cold start tip is very helpful.

 

[Explorer_PL]

06-07 had the old head design with the higher chance of breaking the spark plugs in them. Also 08-10 came with 6R80 as opposed to 6R60, not sure if that matters though. But yes, stick with v8 models.

 

[michael loibl]

PL took the words right out of my mouth, But I will also add that 2008 through 2010 are more likely to be in better condition and lower miles.

 

[Christobal65]

They are also fairly difficult to find as no one wanted a 15mpg 50k midsized suv during the height of the recession. This is why I have an 07

 

[gdgiordano]

They are also fairly difficult to find as no one wanted a 15mpg 50k midsized suv during the height of the recession. This is why I have an 07

Yup. Someone once told me for every 4 V6 2009 or 2010s there is one v8. If you look at ones that pop up for sale those stats add up. 60k 2010s and 46k 2009s were produced. So there was only 15k ish v8 2010s ever made and 11.5k 2009s.

What’s funny about people not wanting the V8 because of the fuel economy is they are SLIGHTLY more efficient than the V6. That is such a wives tale that a bigger motor with more cylinders is less fuel efficient. At the end of the day the pistons and what not in the V6 were actually WAY larger than the V8 counterparts in this case.

 

[Christobal65]

That's only half true the V6 with the 3.55 typically gets better mpg than the V8 but the V8 typically gets similar mileage to the V6 with the 3.73

 

[gdgiordano]

That's only half true the V6 with the 3.55 typically gets better mpg than the V8 but the V8 typically gets similar mileage to the V6 with the 3.73

I thought in 2009 and 10 to save costs ford only offered the 3.55 with the V8 reguardless of towing package.

 

[Christobal65]

V6 tow package in 2009 & 2010 still had 3.73 axle ratio. The V8 went to only 3.55 in 06 as the short 1st gear of the 6spd made up for the taller final drive ratio.

 

[gdgiordano]

V6 tow package in 2009 & 2010 still had 3.73 axle ratio. The V8 went to only 3.55 in 06 as the short 1st gear of the 6spd made up for the taller final drive ratio.

https://www.ford.com/services/assets/Brochure?make=Ford&model=Explorer&year=2010

Page 11 on there doesn’t mention a fuel economy difference. Kind of odd. 3.73 would obviously change it but I kinda would have thought ford would have to disclose the difference

 

[Christobal65]

I think they are only required to post the most common configuration for each engine/drive configuration (4wd and 2wd). You'll notice the F150 which has about 5 axle ratios to choose from only lists 2 ratings for each engine, one 4wd and the other 2wd. About the only time they certify a particular option package is when they chase mpg numbers with a very specific configuration. Ford did that with the Focus on what I believe they called the SFE trim.

 

[michael loibl]

Keep in mind we are talking about a 5% difference in gearing between V6 with and without tow package. On a highway cruise that 2,000 RPM without tow package would mean 2,100 RPM with tow package at same road speed. Not a huge difference

 

[Christobal65]

Keep in mind we are talking about a 5% difference in gearing between V6 with and without tow package. On a highway cruise that 2,000 RPM without tow package would mean 2,100 RPM with tow package at same road speed. Not a huge difference

Yeah but it makes a bit more a of a difference than you'd expect.

Anyways my ideal 4th gen would be a 09-10, V8, 4x4, tow package, Eddie Bauer/ limited for the info center, dark interior, light exterior, manual 3rd row seats.

 

[Mart1n]

3rd row manual seats, I agree. Keep away of the electric ones that break as soon as you look at them funny.

As for V8 vs V6, I had both. V6 a bit more fuel efficient, way smoother. V8 way more powerful. It all depends what you need.

 

[dacaur2]

I think you are making a good choice avoiding the v6... I bought a 2010 v6 becuase everyplace I read that they had solved the transmission issues that have plagued them for years.... Nope. Bought it at 89k, and at 112k my transmission went, Thanks ford for my first and last of your brand..... Just did a front wheel bearing last week.... Fords horrible design turned what should have been a 45min job into a swear-fest that only ended when I removed the entire knuckle and used a 20 ton press at work to press out the bearing... But I digress.. tl:dr, if you are set on an explorer, get the v8....

 

[thebrakeman]

4.6L V8 means 3rd or 4th gen.
6-speed means 4th gen ('06-'10).
Get the newest you can find/afford. And don't forget to include the Mercury Mountaineer in your search. Explorer V8 may have been hard to find, but I higher percentage of Mounties were V8 AWD. We love ours, and all you miss is the low-range. You can still lock the center diff if needed for sand or snow.

Yes, '09-'10 will avoid spark plug and other issues, besides simply being newer. Be careful about 2008. It was actually an '08 mid-year change when they changed the head & plug designs, so you want at least 2008½. If I remember correctly, with the head and plug design change, the visual clue is that you want the plastic coils to be brown. I don't think the coils actually changed, only the color.
Black coils '06-'08 is the old design. If you can confirm that the plugs have already been changed, then hopefully, they converted to the 1-piece plug, and you should be fine. If plugs have not been done, on a 10-12 year old '06-'08, avoid!!
Brown coils '08-'10 is the new design, and the sweep spot. That would be a good find, especially if under 100,000 miles.

 

[Mart1n]

According to the statistics compiled by Lemon-Aid, 2006 is not recommended (too bad for me!) for the Explorer and 2007-2010 are average.