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Explorer reliability

Sticks34

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March 4, 2016
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City, State
Farmington, CT
Year, Model & Trim Level
2012 Maxima
Has anyone been driving the 5th gen. past 75k ? Looking to find out how reliable they are? I like the JGC's but just keep hearing about to many problems they have. Would the Ford owners say that the Explorer is reliable in the long term?
 



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Traded my wife's 2011 xlt with a little under 60k. No major issues except for PTU leak that was repaired under warranty. Really good chance it would have gone to 75k and well beyond without any issues. Didn't sit too long on the dealer's lot that we traded it into. Probably around a week. It was a good unit...even being a first year remodel design.

No crystal ball out there to see how long a particular unit will go though. Check out true delta. They have some decent reliability data.
 






No major issues.

2011 xlt currently @ 94k miles
2016 sport currently @ 11k miles
 






So for all you folks that have a 5th Gen, How do you like it? How's reliability? Any Tranny Issues/Drivetrain issues etc? Looking into getting one but figured I'd ask here for some input on your experiences. Thanks!
 






So for all you folks that have a 5th Gen, How do you like it? How's reliability? Any Tranny Issues/Drivetrain issues etc? Looking into getting one but figured I'd ask here for some input on your experiences. Thanks!
Welcome to the 5th generation Forum.:wave:
Your thread was merged with this existing one. Check out the last few posts in this thread; Hints for a Pre-Pick Up Inspection & Used Ex. Check List
Also, Water pump failure leads to dead engine
There are several threads on the PTU issue/failure. Here is one; PTU and Water Pump failures for 2012/2016-up Explorers?
I'd say that overall the transmission seems to be reliable given the relatively few posts about failures. As with others that have posted a similar post, I suggest that you browse this Discussion subforum and the 'Search' feature (upper right) is also a very useful tool once you get familiar with it.;)

Peter
 






From my experience, not reliable at all.
Luckily all failures were within the warranty coverage, but enough for me to lose faith and deciding to sell it.
Major failures with mine under 30k miles, were front axles, heating/cooled seat motors, ETB, PTU and transmission.
 






No major issues with mine at 85000. I did replace the transmission shifter assembly myself about a year ago due to it giving the shift to park error/message. I hear there's a cheaper fix now.
 






I'm just over 81K miles with nothing major with my 14 Sport.
Normal maintenance items: tires, rear brakes, serpentine belt(last weekend), oil, PTU and rear gear fluids, filters...etc.
A few warranty items: rear toe link recall, air bag light, inner door panel separation and CO sealing and reprogramming(although I didn't have any indication of exhaust in cabin).

I expect to replace the (original) battery later this summer(little weak during extreme cold days(-20F), but never failed) and possibly front brakes(need to check them next tire rotation).
I may start some additional preventative maintenance items going forward like brake fluid, coolant, spark plugs.

Overall I'd say it's not perfect, but far from problem prone.
 






No major issues.

2011 xlt currently @ 94k miles
2016 sport currently @ 11k miles

2011 XLT lost the water pump @ 115 k miles in Feb 2018 (replaced by a 2.0 EB 2018 Edge SEL)
2016 sport @ 83k miles, so far, so good
 






I have a 2012 Explorer with 145,000 miles on it. The biggest ticket item that I have had to replace was a faulty fuel filler. This is my second Explorer my first one had 169k on it before we parted ways and that was after I had issues with the radiator, a known issue. But I would say for the most part they are reliable at least until over the 100k mark.
 






I have a 2012 Explorer with 145,000 miles on it. The biggest ticket item that I have had to replace was a faulty fuel filler. This is my second Explorer my first one had 169k on it before we parted ways and that was after I had issues with the radiator, a known issue. But I would say for the most part they are reliable at least until over the 100k mark.

Which gen was your first one?
 






My first one was a 2006, so second gen.
 












you are correct - 4th.
 






I had a 2011. It was reliable overall, but not troublefree. Turn signal and washer stalk had to be replaced. Would not shut off. Airbag connector problems. Both strut bearings failed. Rear caliper seized. Having crossed 100k recently we felt time to sell it and not press our luck with a major failure like water pump or ptu, which are happening at a higher rate than most other failures, but nobody really knows the true failure rate. My guess is it’s around 1-2%. But just a guess. Problem is they are expensive repairs, especially water pumps, which usually take the entire engine out.
 






New to the forum; what is the PTU?

Sam
 






Welcome to the Forum Sam.:wave:
Power Transfer Unit.
In a front wheel biased AWD vehicle, the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) is attached to the transmission where one of the half shafts connects, and transfers power to that half shaft and to a differential in the rear axle in on-demand AWD, or to a central differential in full-time AWD. It is somewhat like a transfer case.

Peter
 






2013 XLT has 110,000 miles and has had one dealer-serviced issued -- the infamous paint bubbling. Since then, I've changed a PCV valve and repaired a serp belt and broken tensioner (at 109K miles). That it.

The car has been dead reliable, to the point I'm having a 2018 Sport delivered in two weeks.
 






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