'02/'03 V8 Questions (AWD??)

[Jellysick]

Hey everyone thanks for looking. I just have a few quick questions concerning explorers in the years mentioned above.

1.) Are ALL "Limited" Explorers V8 AWD?

2.) Will AWD do me as well as a 4WD option button? I mean for deeper snow during ski trips etc. Basically is it as RELIABLE and FUNCTIONAL as a straight up 4WD option. Not like I will be doing heavy 4-wheeling like some here, but for snow, maybe some muddy conditions etc.

3.) Are there any real differences between 2002's and 2003's?

4.) Is the 4.6L V8 a better choice than a 4.0L V6? Why? Cam problems???

I REALLY appreciate all your input. I found 2 explorers today, one is '02, one '03, both limited. I need as much info as I can get on these engines with AWD etc!

Thanks again!

John

 

[Crankcase]

Welcome to the site!

I would suggest a 03 over a 02...since 02 was the first year of the new style after the redesign. The 02 might still have a few bugs.....

 

[Mbrooks420]

Yeah, I agree with Crankcase, I try to avaid the first year of any car. Not all Limiteds are V8's but more tend to be. The AWD does very well in the snow and is pretty stout. It took me less than a year to ruin the normal 4wd system in my last Explorer, and the AWD I have now seems to be holding up well. As long as you aren't doing anything serious that requires llow range you should be fine. I'd never own a V6 Explorer again due to the problems I had. Mine was older and not a SOHC however. They may have updated the t-case also, which I think was almost as anemic as the junk trannies they put in them. Those were updated, however.

 

[Jellysick]

Well put it this way, I found two explorers I am looking at. One is a 2002 Limited, with the 4x4 button instead of AWD. It has 6,000 miles on it, looks beautiful. The other is a 2003 Limited with 26,000 miles on it, AWD. They are both the same price, and I think I am opting for the 2002 with the 4x4 option instead of the AWD.

Any opinions?
Thanks again for the help!

P.S. In reply to the first year of a particular car comment, I think/hope Ford did their homework and made sure they are putting a quality car on the market from the get-go to repair their reputation after the whole firestone ordeal.
Hopefully I am right and there are no bugs...

 

[Mbrooks420]

Ford doesn't do any homework. They also don't like to fix problems they know about. Ford has been very cheap lately, and it is starting to show.

 

[Jellysick]

OK, thanks for the input on that, but what do you think about the 02 Limited I am looking at vs. the 03 Limited?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I am partial to the V8 myself, but the SOHC is supposed to be fixed now so the cam tensioners won't be a problem. They also updated the garbage trannies so you might not have any problems with it. The V8 you are looking at probably isn't worth the extra miles for the same price. If you look around for a while you will find an Explorer that is perfect for you, there are tons of them out there. You may also want to consider looking for a Mountaineer. No one seems to have any liability issues with them like the Explorer. They also don't carry the same reputation

 

[Jellysick]

Well I am actually looking at the 2002 Limited with 4x4 (NOT AWD) that has 6,000 miles on it.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I understand that. I was saying the V8 isn't a good price. I don't know if the v6 is or not. If your not sure wait. If you are set on having push button 4wd then you may as well buy it. If not wait, and you can find a v8 with less miles. I'd seriously look for a '03 no matter what. Hoping that there aren't any first year line defects is just wishful thinking. This is Ford, not Rolls Royce.

 

[Claus]

One difference is the second row seat. The '03 has a head rest and three point seatbelt while the '02 does not.