2006 Eddie Bauer - should I have buyer's remorse?

[exploration1997]

I will kindly have to disagree with your statement because I understand a little about the quality control measures that Toyota adheres to. Toyota from early on ran what is called a 6 sigma (very similar to an ISO 9001 program) quality control program and all of its vendors were required to meet that level of quality too, and as a result they have less failures and recalls. Ford on the other hand does have a quality control program, but it is not as stringent as the one that Toyota runs. So, as a result Ford had more component failures and the quality control measures of the Ford vendors in the past was left up to whatever the vendor decided to do.
*I know nothing of how the companies currently operate, but this is how it was done in the past.*

I will admit that I've generally seen Japanese cars last longer than American cars. I find Toyota's boring, but they are really good cars. Me, personally, I am willing to sacrifice some reliability and longevity for an American car because they tend to be cheaper on the used market.

 

[willied]

I will admit that I've generally seen Japanese cars last longer than American cars. I find Toyota's boring, but they are really good cars. Me, personally, I am willing to sacrifice some reliability and longevity for an American car because they tend to be cheaper on the used market.

And Toyotas are pretty darn ugly as well, so that's makes the decision to go with Ford easier.

 

[exploration1997]

And Toyota's are pretty darn ugly as well, so that's makes the decision to go with Ford easier.

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say Toyota's are UGLY. I mean, a Corolla in red is a pretty good looking chick car. And the new Camry isn't bad looking. It'd definitely blah, but not ugly.

 

[willied]

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say Toyota's are UGLY. I mean, a Corolla in red is a pretty good looking chick car. And the new Camry isn't bad looking. It'd definitely blah, but not ugly.

If you say so.

I think Toyota's design language is only getting worse as time goes on. The 4Runner used to be a great looking SUV, especially around 2000, now it just looks poorly designed. The same can be said of the Tundra, but it's even worse. And relatively speaking, the Camry is one of the ugliest in its class. If I were to buy a Japanese sedan I'd go for a Honda any day over a Toyota. More fun to drive, better looking, and still just as reliable.

 

[Laserbait]

I wouldn't worry at all. My 98 Mountaineer had that V6 (and I believe the trans was the same 5 speed auto as well). I beat the tar out of that truck, and it never had a problem.

I got it at ~100Kmiles, and traded it off at ~257Kmiles (for my 06 Mountaineer). Never even did a tune up. Regular oil changes & air filters were all it really needed.

 

[prdgyair01]

my 01 sport trac with the austrian built v6 was a great truck. had to have the trans valve body replaced at 70,000, but i towed stuff WAY too heavy for that truck. other than that, an EGR sensor, and a little rubber elbow on the EGR tube, and that's about it. at 120,000 when it was killed by an idiot running a stop sign, i hadn't even replaced the fan belt yet

 

[bryris]

Well, Ive had the truck for a month and it has grown on me. Ive driven it about 900 miles so far and have learned more of its little issues...all minor.

Brake pedal is creaky.

Has a slight whine in park, but its so minor (I am **** and hear EVERYTHING) it could just be a fluid pump in the tranny or similar.

Doors creak a little when opening and closing.

The plastic tailgate panel makes noise when the humidty is right.

The left rear wheel makes a clicking noise, one click per rotation of the wheel.

But the truck drives very nicely and I do like it. I am trying to sell my old Jeep now so I can put the money towards this thing to pay it off. Hopefully soon.

 

[willied]

The brake pedal creaking may mean you need to bleed the brakes. And I guess you could put some grease on the door hinges. I don't know what the solutions to the other problems would be.

 

[FStephenMasek]

My 2006 Explorer Eddie Bauer with V8, rear wheel drive, safety canopy, tow package (never towed anything), and no third row has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned, and I'm 55, so have owned more than a few vehicles. It just went past 150,000 miles. Here are the only problems:

1) The reports of transmission problems are silly exaggerations. Yes, mine and many others had a hard downshift to first when coming to a stop. I almost did not bother to take it in, but did so just before the warranty expired. They fixed it. I've had the fluid changed a few times since then.

2) The power lock motor on the driver's door failed, but I lock and unlock it many more times per day than most people.

3) It had the rusted brake-shift interlock switch replaced under the recall, and it was starting to fail. The symptom was that it did not want to allow the shifter to be moved from the "park" position.

4) The radiator and thermostat were replaced. My only complain was that the gauge did not indicate that it was overheating, so I did not understand what was happening when the computer went into engine protection mode and was shutting down the power output! This caused me to take it to the dealer, so the replacement was expensive. Still, I was busy, and I did not have to do the work.

5) The passenger side front door seems to have a broken part in the device on the hinge which allows the door to stay in place when partly open, as it make a bad noise sometimes when opened or closed. I'll buy a new hinge assembly or get one from a junkyard. Again, it has been a work vehicle, not just a drive to work and then back vehicle, so this is not something I can blame on the design.

6) The left rear wheel speed sensor ring broke. The new ones are made with more metal, as the originals should have been (a few cents more per vehicle, and they could have charged many dollars more without hurting sales...)

 

[bryris]

1,300 miles in, still runs well. just passed 92k yesterday.

Going to try to take advantage of the used car warranty it came with and get the brake groan fixed. I think it is either the master cylinder or the vacuum booster. We'll see. Should know Thursday.

 

[willied]

1,300 miles in, still runs well. just passed 92k yesterday.

Going to try to take advantage of the used car warranty it came with and get the brake groan fixed. I think it is either the master cylinder or the vacuum booster. We'll see. Should know Thursday.

Good to hear. Let us know what happens.

 

[bryris]

Problem fixed. Was a master cylinder. Put in a new one and pedal feels great. Cost $107 for duductible. Not bad. That job would have been 4-500.

 

[Ornery]

Can't Beat American Full Frame V8 Durability

There's a reason taxicabs, police cruisers and rental agencies stocked their fleets with the panther platform. That's all I've driven for the last thirty years and can attest to the durability. Couldn't care less if American car manufacturers can't compete with Asian manufacturers on FWD, one lung unibodies. If that's the kind of machine you want to own, by all means, buy Asian. Funny how those same Asian manufacturers top tier machines have gotten bigger & bigger, sporting V8 engines and RWD. Hell, I wouldn't have it any other way!

As far as Explorer reliability goes:

That's a little optimistic. My main concerns would be the Exhaust Manifold leaks, Radiator failure, Spark Plug replacement and Wheel Bearing Assemblies. Honestly, I'd rather have a Town Car instead, but the Explorer is pretty nice, and I'm not too worried about those few issues.

 

[Themightyquinn]

I dont care how much asian automakers stand behind their products. you will not catch me dead in the driver seat of a Toyota, honda, kia, nissan, and others. Born and raised Ford, and I will die Ford.
Anyway Bryris, I bought my 07 EB 4.0L in April 2012 with 74,000 miles. Now just over 90,000 miles. no problems with the radiators at all. Was shifting funny at about 82,000 but a tranny flush fixed that. Starting to develop a tick now with a CYL 1 misfire code. But from what I have read, it isnt that extensive of a repair, that is if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. I have relied on this truck for a lot and it has always pulled through. So no, you shouldn't have any remorse. You should be one proud Explorer owner.