2018 Explorer Additional Maintenance

[BinPA08]

Hello,

I am in the market for a used Explorer. Found a 2018 XLT with 70,000 miles for a very good price. A couple of questions.

1. Should I be concerned about buying an Explorer with 70,000 miles already on it? 2 previous owners, and first was a lease. No accidents.
2. I looked over the Ford regular maintenance schedule. But I also read about servicing the water pump and some other things I didn't see on the recommended list. Are there other things I should be doing to avoid costly repairs or issues in addition to the regular maintenance schedule?
3. When going to look at the Explorer are there any areas or things I should look at or be aware of? Things I should check that might give clues of issues in the future.

Thanks in advance!

 

[The D]

I’m new here so definitely defer to the people that have been here longer.

We bought our ‘13 xlt 6yrs ago with ~100k miles on it. It now has 152k and has only had 2 problems, the bigger of which I’m actually going to start tearing apart tomorrow(water pump/timing chains). The only other thing that I’ve had to fix, besides regular maintenance, is a leaking oil pressure sensor.

One thing you should specifically ask about is if the front differential(PTU) has been serviced or even replaced. This wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me but definitely get the fluid replaced if you decide to buy that car

Another thing to consider is if you can do any of this work yourself. I’m a mechanic so I can manage almost anything just in my driveway. If you’re not comfortable with many diy repairs or don’t have a spare vehicle to drive while you take your time with other repairs, definitely weigh the cost of a water pump replacement(“when”, not “if”) in your decision.

We’ve been very happy with our Exploder in the years we’ve had it. It is great in the snow, will mildly off-road pretty well, hauls all our kid stuff, & has recently taken to towing a small travel camper very well. Even deep into the CO mountains and up some of the more extreme passes(Monarch pass being the biggest so far), just going really slow in the right lane…

 

[Sneaky turtle]

No issues here 17 2.3 turbo at 78k i am the second owner and just had the transmission fluid serviced but yeah man gravy explorer

 

[Odrapnew]

Which engine and is it AWD?

I'd say the most talked about issues (not necessarily most common) are water pump in V6 engine and PTU in AWD models.

 

[peterk9]

Hello,

I am in the market for a used Explorer. Found a 2018 XLT with 70,000 miles for a very good price. A couple of questions.

1. Should I be concerned about buying an Explorer with 70,000 miles already on it? 2 previous owners, and first was a lease. No accidents.
2. I looked over the Ford regular maintenance schedule. But I also read about servicing the water pump and some other things I didn't see on the recommended list. Are there other things I should be doing to avoid costly repairs or issues in addition to the regular maintenance schedule?
3. When going to look at the Explorer are there any areas or things I should look at or be aware of? Things I should check that might give clues of issues in the future.

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the Forum.
I don't know if you can still get the Ford ESP warranty or not but that would be my first move. Ford ESP at dealer cost to forum members
You are aware of the water pump issue. Keep an eye on the coolant level and check for a leak from the weep hole. Another telltale sign is a milky look to the oil on the dipstick. Check the front lip of the hood for any bubbling. There is a 5 year, unlimited warranty on that. Does tire wear seem even all around?
Browse the threads in the 5th gen forum to see what other issues have the most posts.

Peter

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d skip it, especially if it was a turbo. Turbo SUV rental means it was probably hogged on its entire rental life. These are risky vehicles, even if purchased new, and maintained. They have a few common failure points, but they are also very expensive failures.

I’d definitely recommend a warranty, especially if this will be your main/only vehicle.

Read up and make sure you understand the PTU issues ( a lot of that is the negligent amount of fluid, and that it’s not changed often enough) and the internal water pump, if it has one. If they fail, they leak coolant directly into the oil, taking the motor out in a very short amount of time.

 

[peterk9]

The OP mentioned it was a lease which differs from a rental. Rentals may be more subject to abuse depending on the vehicle model but really a leased vehicle isn't that much different from a bought/owned vehicle. A leased vehicle still allows the user to buy it and the user is still responsible for its maintenance and overall condition when returned at lease end.

 

[Mbrooks420]

The OP mentioned it was a lease which differs from a rental. Rentals may be more subject to abuse depending on the vehicle model but really a leased vehicle isn't that much different from a bought/owned vehicle. A leased vehicle still allows the user to buy it and the user is still responsible for its maintenance and overall condition when returned at lease end.

For some reason I read it as rental. I would be more likely to purchase a lease.

 

[mguy13sport]

The things you should look out for are mostly mechanical as already mentioned including water pump and PTU.

The vent of the PTU is difficult to see but visible from up top and if there is any dark fluid / grime around it that usually indicates it has/is over heating. The fluid will boil and seep out the vent.

The water pump weep hole is located directly above the Alternator/AC compressor area and is visible when looking upward from underneath the car. If you see any orange fluid in this area it means the water pump needs immediate replacement.

On your test drive you want to make sure transmission is smooth and RPMs do not flare etc...

Other than that make sure all the hvac features work, tail gate motor, moonroof motors etc. Lots of stuff to break on these new cars

There is an open recall for rear suspension component failure fyi. They should have replaced the rear tie rods / knuckles.

 

[davidmmm69]

Can I ask what you are paying

 

[BinPA08]

I wanted to thank everyone for their replies. I went and looked at the 2018 and it was not as advertised. Beat to crap(hidden well by photos) and you could tell it just wasn't cared for very well.

Ended up purchasing a 2017 XLT last weekend. Long history of maintenance records and in very good shape. Had to get it inspected and also had the PTU fluid changed. Tech said transmission fluid was in good shape so I will probably have that drained and filled in the next 10,000 miles.