1992 Explorer XLT 2WD with 215,000 miles and over $10,000 of repairs. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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1992 Explorer XLT 2WD with 215,000 miles and over $10,000 of repairs.

stanlam

Member
Joined
January 5, 2011
Messages
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City, State
Los Angeles, CA
Year, Model & Trim Level
1992 XLT
I purchased my Explorer 19 years ago, brand new for $21,600 out the door. Since then I've added over $10,000 of repairs. These are repairs and not the regular maintenance. I'm curious on what other people have spent on their aging Explorer. Here are the things that broke in the last 19 years on my 1992 XLT 2WD....

Transmission -total rebuilt
A/C compressor (when it was replaced, it wasn't a genuine Ford part) - broke twice
A/C line leak
Radio - broke twice
Wiper motor
rear ABS
Master cylinder
brake calipers
1 driver door hinge - I think it's because I open and closed the door to many times.
1 Power window motor
power mirror - driver side only
driver arm rest
driver seat belt buckle
rear differential (total rebuilt)
starter - broke twice
both battery cables
muffler - total replacement
shocks - all new shocks
water pump
air fan
ignition key holder (not actual key, but the thing where you put the key in and turn) - broke twice
idle aire control
radias arm
lower brushing
check engine light (I don't know what they did to repair it, it was under warranty.)
blower motor
power steering pump
fuel gauge
battery gauge
lock all/unlock all button - passenger side only
idler pulley
shift handle misalignment - If you want to drive, you have to put it not exactly on D, more between D and N.

The strange thing about my car is the engine still works great. I never had it repaired or replaced yet and I always do my oil changes at 6 month to 1 year. (Not the regular 3 months myth that people believe.) I also use regular oil, not synthetic.

Please post your stories. I know one thing for sure, I'm not buying another Ford.
 



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You also need to realize, that was only the 2nd year of the 1st generation of these trucks... they are gonna have their flaws like any other vehicle. I've found Ford to be troublesome but I've seen my truck outlast many other 'better' vehicles.
 






Bought my 94 3 years ago with 120,000 on it.

intake gaskets
radiator and hoses
steering box (leaking)
shocks
radius arm bushings
front wheel bearings
tires
front brakes and rotors
plugs and wires
axle U joints
$1500 in body work to repair rust
rear shackles (rusted out)
4 speakers,all falling apart
tranny flush
diff fluids changed
front U joint in drive shaft
battery
I think that's it.Here is a photo from 2009 and this fall.:D

before body work
004-1.jpg


after
002-1.jpg
 












Bought my '94 4x4 in '08 with 115K miles on it. It now has 145K.

Replaced A/C compressor with a used '96 unit.
Replaced radio with a factory Ford cassette deck from a '96 T-Bird (didn't work when I got it)
Replaced front rotors and pads
Replaced rear wheel cylinders and brake lines
Replaced valve cover gaskets
Replaced Plugs/Wires/PCV valve/Fuel Filter/Air Filter
Flushed cooling system

And that's about it. It still needs a vacuum modulator valve for the tranny. And it needs a bath right now. It's been muddy around here with all the snow and rain lately.
 






Since then I've added over $10,000 of repairs. These are repairs and not the regular maintenance. <snip> Here are the things that broke in the last 19 years on my 1992 XLT 2WD....

Transmission -total rebuilt
A/C compressor - broke twice
A/C line leak
Radio - broke twice
Wiper motor
Rear ABS
Master Cylinder
brake calipers
1 door hinge
1 Power window motor
Power mirrors
Driver arm rest
driver seat belt buckle
differentials (total rebuilt)
starter - broke twice
both battery cables
muffler - total replacement
shocks - all new shocks
water pump
air fan
ignition key - broke twice
idle aire control
radias arm
lower brushing
check engine light (I don't know what they did to repair it, it was under warranty.)
blower motor

<snip>

The bolded items are indeed regular maitanance items. And some of the others could have been due to lack of proper regular maintanance (transmission, differentials). The shocks alone, you should be almost done with your 4th set at 215,000 miles. And the starter- starters wear out. Driver's arm rest- after that many years and miles.... it's gonna see some wear, especially depending on how it gets used. Radius arm- could very well be bolded.

You bought it new for $21,000. Put $10,000 in maintanance into it over the years. Drove it for 19 years and 215,000 miles- and it's still running. Sounds like a decent deal to me.
 






I agree- that list for 200k+ miles is not bad. Stuff breaks. I don't know of any vehicle that you're going to drive for almost 20 years and not replace most of that stuff.
 






I agree- that list for 200k+ miles is not bad. Stuff breaks. I don't know of any vehicle that you're going to drive for almost 20 years and not replace most of that stuff.

Haven't you ever heard of people say they drove a Toyota or Honda for over 200,000 miles and never had a problem but regular maintenance? I can't say these people are telling the truth, but I hear it often.
 






I purchased my Explorer 19 years ago, brand new for $21,600 out the door. Since then I've added over $10,000 of repairs. These are repairs and not the regular maintenance. I'm curious on what other people have spent on their aging Explorer. Here are the things that broke in the last 19 years on my 1992 XLT 2WD....

Transmission -total rebuilt
A/C compressor - broke twice
A/C line leak
Radio - broke twice
Wiper motor
Rear ABS
Master Cylinder
brake calipers
1 door hinge
1 Power window motor
Power mirrors
Driver arm rest
driver seat belt buckle
differentials (total rebuilt)
starter - broke twice
both battery cables
muffler - total replacement
shocks - all new shocks
water pump
air fan
ignition key - broke twice
idle aire control
radias arm
lower brushing
check engine light (I don't know what they did to repair it, it was under warranty.)
blower motor

The strange thing about my car is the engine still works great. I never had it repaired or replaced yet and I always do my oil changes at 6 month to 1 year. (Not the regular 3 months myth that people believe.) I also use regular oil, not synthetic.

Please post your stories. I know one thing for sure, I'm not buying another Ford.

I've done almost the same repairs I have 336K miles on my '91).. But as a total DYI it cost me way less then $10K.
Add rear Brake line , Ball Joints
 






And some of the others could have been due to lack of proper regular maintanance (transmission, differentials). The shocks alone, you should be almost done with your 4th set at 215,000 miles.

Regarding the transmission, that was repaired at 130,000. I was pretty diligent on changing the transmission fluid since it was obvious when to change that. It's not like engine oil where most people think it has to be changed every 3 months, when the instructions says 6 months. My other cars states to change the engine oil once a year. (This is regular oil also, not synthetic.)

Regarding the differential, I don't think I changed that fluid. Actually I don't think it's suppose to be changed. I don't remember changing differential fluid in any of the 5 cars I've owned. I do remember the mechanic that repaired it for me stated that he has never repaired a differential on a Japanese car, it's always the American cars.

Regarding the shocks, I purchased the top of the line, lifetime warranty with labor from Montgomery Wards. I've only changed these one time. I remember I wanted to go to Montgomery Wards to have them inspected it since it would be free to replace, but they closed down. Sucks!!! I don't know if I need to replace them again, the mechanic who repaired my brakes last week didn't say anything to me.
 






94 Eddie Bauer 4X4
268,632 miles
Bought in 05 with 202,000
Parts replaced:
*Transmision (Twice)
*Front auto hubs (coverted to manal)
*Rotars/drums all around, new calipers
*Ball joint
*U-Joints
*Radius Arms
*Radius arm brakets n bushings.
*Shocks
*Rear end axel bearings/seal.
*Rear brake cylinder.
*Waterpump
*Alternator
*Belt
*Rewired burnt wireing harness
*New computer
*Rust repair
***About to be a mojor list this coming spring and summer. Completly redoing close to everything. Engine, bodywork/paint, interior, frame......and anything else i need to do.

Not to many things i have needed to do. All of this is normaly everyday wear n tear promlem s that ive replaced. I love my Sploder and wouldnt sell her for anything. No matter how moody she can get.

"I dont call her problems problems......its her just charecter"
 






Have I heard about Toyota quality, yes, and I have a 2007 Camry. I've put on an alternator, 2 wheel bearings, new JBL audio control unit, 2 fuel injectors, and the trans was acting funny when I put it away for winter. It's a 2007 with 70,000 on it.

Everything is mechanical, they all have nuts and bolts. Some stuff has crap designs, like the Explorer armrests, the lack of drainage on rockers, and the cam chains... No manufacturer is perfect.
 






Shocks wear out. Even lifetime warranty shocks. Montgomery Wards?!?!? Whoa.... that takes me back. Shocks typically wear out every 50,000 miles. Or at least their performance has degraded to a point that they should be replaced by then so you don't have your wheels looking like basketballs bouncing up and down in the wheel well as you drive down the road- I'm sure you've seen a car doing that before.

Differential fluid isn't much different than engine oil. Yeah sure, it's thicker and it smells nasty, but it's function is almost the same- to lubricate and cool. And just like engine oil, it's lubricating properties deminish over time and after many heat cycles. It gets dirty and worn out and needs to be replaced from time to time.

It's obvious when to change transmission fluid? Really? Not in my '97. Ford tries to say it never needs to be changed. I'm not buying it. No automotive fluid that is intended to lubricate and cool should be left in for the life of the vehicle- unless you measure the life of the vehicle as when the vehicle dies due to that fluid being bad.

I've also never changed the differential fluid on a Japanese vehicle- well, excluding the fluid in a FWD automatic Japanese car. But never a truck. But I've also never worked on a Japanese truck.......

If you think a Japanese car is where it's at, then by all means, go buy one. I used to have a '91 Mazda 626 (traded it with 197,000 miles) and I knew that car very well from all the times I had it apart.
 






If you think a Japanese car is where it's at, then by all means, go buy one. I used to have a '91 Mazda 626 (traded it with 197,000 miles) and I knew that car very well from all the times I had it apart.

I had a Mazda RX-7 Turbo, it was terrible also. I heard only Honda and Toyota are good.
 






Have I heard about Toyota quality, yes, and I have a 2007 Camry. I've put on an alternator, 2 wheel bearings, new JBL audio control unit, 2 fuel injectors, and the trans was acting funny when I put it away for winter. It's a 2007 with 70,000 on it.

Everything is mechanical, they all have nuts and bolts. Some stuff has crap designs, like the Explorer armrests, the lack of drainage on rockers, and the cam chains... No manufacturer is perfect.

I would not agree with Toyota being infallable. Are they good? Yes. Are there as many cars of most other manufacturers out there that exhibit as few issues as some Toyotas? yes. Are there as many cars of most manufacturers that have as many issues as some Toyotas? yes. I don't think (especially in 2011) that Toyota is better than anyone else.

The other issue is that it sounds like you're having your work done by a shop- not that that's bad, but you're at least doubling your costs by doing so. By that theory, if you had $5,000 in repairs to the truck, after the first 3 years (say a standard warranty) you're looking at $26 per month on average to keep her running not including gas or oil. If someone said they'd give me a vehicle that I could drive for 19 years, and only spend $26 per month per month for 19 years and everything would be fixed, I'd be all over that. Even at shop prices- $56/month in average monthly ownership repair costs is incredibly cheap compared to a new car payment. :)
 






Honda makes decent cars, but the still have problems.07 civic (non si ) engine blocks crack at random.They mad the blocks out of cheap material.The newer k series engines have timing chain tensors fail due to no lube at cold start.I could go but i wont.iirc the diff fuild on your exploder should be change at 30k as well as the tranny,and the coolant.All manufacturers have problems with the cars.I would some that list up to basic things that would need to be changed over time.Think of how many times the window went up and down.Imo the ploder sounds like its not taking care of like it should.Last time i check you change your oil every 3k due to the fact that the additves put in by the oil company break down.All fluids have a change interval.One more thing look at an owners manual it will have under normal or server driving, no one drives under normal because that would mean you dont drive when its cold, hot, up hill, in town, down, ect.Imo that truck has served you very well.end rant
 






I had a Mazda RX-7 Turbo, it was terrible also. I heard only Honda and Toyota are good.
Find a Honda Odyssey owner with about a 2004 Odyssey. Ask them how many times their transmission has been replaced. I think the early Honda Ridgelines had the same problem.

A friend's mom's Acura TL got a new transmission- less than 100,000 miles on it.

In 2010, Toyota recalled over 14 million cars worldwide.
 






Find a Honda Odyssey owner with about a 2004 Odyssey. Ask them how many times their transmission has been replaced. I think the early Honda Ridgelines had the same problem.

A friend's mom's Acura TL got a new transmission- less than 100,000 miles on it.

In 2010, Toyota recalled over 14 million cars worldwide.

That wasnt just the odyssey it was the tl, cl, and the v6 accord.They all shared the same trans for the most part unless you opted for the auto-stick.Ask a civic owner how much oil the oil burn becuse the valve stem seals are shot and need to be change at 60k.
 






Anyone ever tried to do a brake job on a Honda/Acura? Goodnight! The one I did used what's called "The Honda Captive Rotor". Basically, the rotor is bolted to the hub. To get the rotor off, you have to remove the upright from the vehicle, remove the bolts on the back side of the rotor, install a machine screw, and hammer the crap out of it. So this basically takes the front brake job, an easy shade tree mechanic DIY job on any other vehicle, out of the picture for a lot of DIYers.
 



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there are some tricks to that one been there done that.the civic's have to use less screws in the front that are a pita.Thankfully they dont have to go back it they are only there to hold the rotor on during the manufacturing process.
 






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