97 explorer why buy

[shouldv1]

I'm home for Thanksgiving and my Dad takes my 3 yr old boy and I out to the farm to check out the tractor collection. There sits a '97 Explorer that is part of an estate he's handling. Owned by a 95 year old lady, recently placed in a nursing home. Truck is a V8, leather,AWD, 55k. He says the value has been placed at $3500. I start doing research and the reviews of these are terrible. I need a vehicle for kid hauling, winter driving, but cannot afford to have it in for $1000s more in repairs. I drive a '91 E150 inline 300 for work and love it for it's reliability. Tell me why I should/should not buy. Thanks for input.

 

[Riddle_Rob]

Wow some good value on that. Not worth it IMO. All depends really. I'm in Ontario, so 97 Explorers are all rotton and go for $500-1000 fully loaded and all have about 200k KMS on em.

 

[section525]

Sounds like you've done some good research. That motor/tranny combo is probably Ford's worst ever!

 

[Cozmik]

It's 11 years old and barely broken in. A vehicle that under used is bound to cause problems once you start DRIVING it. A lot of the seals are probably shot from lack of use. May be wrong, you never do know.

 

[96eb96]

Also, BTW, the V8 /4r70w trans/ AWD is the best drivetrain you could have on these trucks.

Check for major corrosion on the: Steel Brake lines, starter brush, shackles, power steering lines...not deal breakers but worth a second look

Make sure the heat works well, they have issues with the blend door that year. Listen for creaking noises as you move the heat selector from hot to cold, make sure air temp matches your setting.

If you buy the truck, there are a few things you should do to the trans. You could do them easily yourself or bring it in. First is to change out the fluid to Mercon V.

 

[gijoecam]

Sounds like you've done some good research. That motor/tranny combo is probably Ford's worst ever!

Huh?? Yeah, because 5 liters and modular 4.6s are so rare, right?

Also, BTW, the V8 /4r70w trans/ AWD is the best drivetrain you could have on these trucks.

Ditto!!

IMHO, if the price is set at 3500, I might give them that for it. I certainly wouldn't get into a bidding war for it though...

-Joe

 

[JoeMahma]

Sounds like you've done some good research. That motor/tranny combo is probably Ford's worst ever!

Is this sarcasm?

 

[shouldv1]

When I read a reply that states "Fords worst eng/tranny combo" I believed it. Why, or why not. I need more input. How about electrical issues, timing belt and tensioner, axles, diffs, full time AWD, gas mileage.

 

[section525]

Is this sarcasm?

Fo shiz!

 

[96eb96]

When I read a reply that states "Fords worst eng/tranny combo" I believed it. Why, or why not. I need more input. How about electrical issues, timing belt and tensioner, axles, diffs, full time AWD, gas mileage.

There are issues with the heat blend door as I mentioned. It breaks, heat stops, and there are redneck fixes on the board to get it working. The real fixes involve either removing the dash or taking off parts of the A/C system. I think pretty much every ex will have this issue.

no timing belt, I don't think ford has any timing belt products (maybe one or two, but not on the ex). You should replace the idler and tensioner pulley when you get the truck(they do fail), not much harder than changing the belt, and they are maybe $20 each.

The AWD system is pretty maintenance free..If you don't hear any remarkable noises you should get at least 100K more miles out of it at 55K. I would change the fluid in the tcase though, its very easy. The diffs are Ford 8.8s, and we all agree quite heavy duty. Rarely one will implode, but usually at MUCH higher mileage or because water got in. Again, it won't hurt to change the fluid.

Ball joints do wear out, but if they check out fine you should be good to go till at least 100K+. Of course it depends how and where you drive.

Again, the trans in there is pretty bullet proof (4R70w), It goes into other cars and on other forums people abuse the crap out of it and have gone to 200K miles (Its in thunderbirds and we are not easy on them). There is a TSB to update it with some simple things that I highly suggest you do though. You can go even further if you want to drop the valve body and make it practically ideal, but its fine with the simple improvements too.

The 5.0L is a proven engine since the early 60s, I can say I had one go in another car (85 crown vic) go to 240K until a timing gear broke and it jumped time. The new engine probably has a stronger one, and I know many 5.0L exes with 150K+ on that engine. Not saying to do this but I didn't know much about cars with that engine, and I did things like run with low coolant and mix up spark plug wires, and the damn thing ran for many miles. It is a very stout engine, had good compression till the end.

I know I shouldn't say this here but some of the V6 explorers have issues. The 4.0L SOHC has a timing chain issue serious enough to possibly remove the engine if you have it on the rear chain. The V6 5R55E trans has some major issues too, definitely not as durable as the V8 unit.

 

[brianjwilson]

I'd buy it if it checked out okay.
I just sold (about six months ago) my 97 Explorer 4x4 4.0L auto with leather for $3000, and it had over 100k miles on it.
Of course I'd aim for 2500-3000, all depends on the condition. With only 55k miles I wouldn't be afraid of it if there are no major leaks. It's not like a 95 year old has been four wheeling and driving hard, the balljoints and everything are likely in great shape. You have some common annoyances like turn signal switches, some people have the blend door issue (I never did on my 97 ex or 98 ranger), but overall every explorer/ranger vehicle I've had has been extremely reliable.

 

[shouldv1]

Thanks all for the help, sounds like it's worth a test drive. I had been looking at 4cyl manual wagons; Subaru, Camry, Volvo, all with 125k+ for roughly the same price. A few more questions. Does the rear seat fold down flat, is it split, is there 6 feet with it down? What about fuel economy? My E150 (IL300/auto/overdrive) gets 11/14, loaded. Again, I appreciate the responses.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Rear seat fold flat, 70/30 and I'm thinking there is a little more than 6 feet between the hatch and the front seats. I'm thinking a lot of the horror stories you are reading are from the 4.0 Sohc, and the V6 transmissions. The v8/4r0w combo is pretty reliable. As far as major problems, the most common have already been mentioned, the ball joints and the blend door issue. What state is it in?

 

[96eb96]

Thanks all for the help, sounds like it's worth a test drive. I had been looking at 4cyl manual wagons; Subaru, Camry, Volvo, all with 125k+ for roughly the same price. A few more questions. Does the rear seat fold down flat, is it split, is there 6 feet with it down? What about fuel economy? My E150 (IL300/auto/overdrive) gets 11/14, loaded. Again, I appreciate the responses.

Cross any Subaru 2.5L engines off your list. I would take even an SOHC v6 explorer any day over that. The 2.2L is great. They have serious head gasket issues, and the engine has to come out to repair. Camry have engine sludge on some engines, you have to be careful. Do homework on Volvo wagons from the late 90s..I doubt you will buy.

The V8 ex is definately worth a look. Gas mileage..well I would say you will do high teens low 20s on the highway and streets..hmm..maybe 13ish..Again YMMV.

 

[CHEESYPOOFS]

yea the 4.0 and the auto trans sucks. the 5.0 is one of the best engines ford used as far as reliability and endurance. i have a 98 with 231k miles on it and my friend Cory has a 97 with 200k+ and ive heard of alot of people with explorers and mustangs with over 300k on their 5.0 engines. The 4R70W is a good high stress trans.My dad is a realator and thus does a ton of driving. he put 146k miles on it in a bit over 4 years. then i got it. i drive my explorer hard every day including driving it at the drag strip and ive never had any tranny problems. infact im planning on putting a shift kit in it next year. for 3500 id go for it as long as the normal stuff checks out. hell even with a few basic repairs u can still get alot of miles and years out of it.

 

[96eb96]

yea the 4.0 and the auto trans sucks. the 5.0 is one of the best engines ford used as far as reliability and endurance. i have a 98 with 231k miles on it and my friend Cory has a 97 with 200k+ and ive heard of alot of people with explorers and mustangs with over 300k on their 5.0 engines. The 4R70W is a good high stress trans.My dad is a realator and thus does a ton of driving. he put 146k miles on it in a bit over 4 years. then i got it. i drive my explorer hard every day including driving it at the drag strip and ive never had any tranny problems. infact im planning on putting a shift kit in it next year. for 3500 id go for it as long as the normal stuff checks out. hell even with a few basic repairs u can still get alot of miles and years out of it.

Ford would have so many more happy customers if they put the V8 trans in all the exs. They could have had a bell housing adapter for the V6. If they could do it for V6 tbirds and mustangs I don't see why not for the ex.

The 5R55E and the version that followed is not a great trans, even the 4R55E is better from 95 and 96. Why you may ask? Cause the 5 speeds utilize parts of the 4 speed transmission at twice the rate of a 4 speed (to make 5 gears) like it was originally designed for. How do you make 5 gears? Just actuate 2 parts of the trans during some shifts!

Its not a strong trans to begin with, and has other valve body flaws. At 75K miles some parts are aged at 150K miles. And there are other weaknesses too. A local trans shop told me V6 explorer trans help keep him in business. He said even with the best maintenance and fluid changes there are risks for early failure.

The 2002+ sealed 5R55W I believe is one of the top complaints on many auto complaint sites. It lacks a dipstick, and ironically it needs to have a very precise level of fluid. It is also an A4LD family member which isn't a big plus in its favor.

Ford must have lost thousands of customers due to those POS trans failing at low mileage. Another $100 in the price of the ex wouldn't make or break any sales. Should have been 4R70Ws in all these units. When I read a legit complaint on an auto site I know there are probably 1000 others who will never report it.

And then you have the SOHC engine nightmare. They had a 7/70 recall I believe, on some(but not all years) but none of those engines are covered now. I love Ford and own many of their products but I wonder sometimes how they make such bad decisions.

Again, any used car has risks but it is important to know about issues that are even acknowledged by Ford and have such costly solutions. Hate to see Ford stock trade at $2 share, but this post can explain some of that. Ford can have the best product in the world now, but someone who had a $3000 engine or trans repair at 55K is a customer lost for life to Toyota or Honda.

End Rant!

 

[gijoecam]

Again, any used car has risks but it is important to know about issues that are even acknowledged by Ford and have such costly solutions. Hate to see Ford stock trade at $2 share, but this post can explain some of that. Ford can have the best product in the world now, but someone who had a $3000 engine or trans repair at 55K is a customer lost for life to Toyota or Honda.

End Rant!

As an employee, I feel obliged to defend the company... No manufacturer is any more immune to deficiencies in their vehicles than Ford is... ALL manufacturers have issues that result in recalls and special service bulletins. The more vehicles you make, the more potential short and long-term issues you may have. When I see Ferraris and Porsches on the NHTSA ODI web site along side Ford, Nissan, and BMW, you know it's not a brand issue.

Examples? Thousands of them... See 96EB96's post above to name a few... We won't talk about Chrysler's 2.2 and 2.5L motors that ate water pumps every 30-50k...

Every manufacturer has its issues. But with regular fluid changes and normal maintenance under normal driving conditions, there's absolutely no reason why ANY Explorer shouldn't see 200-300k miles easily. Yes, a certain percentage will have outstanding issues along the way and fall out of the fleet a little earlier, but overall, it sounds like the original poster's possible vehicle would be a good contender.

IMHO, the 5R55E does a much better job than any 4-speed could. There's a reason everyone's coming out with 6 and 7 speed transmissions now... they're more efficient. Yes, they are more complicated, but overall, they add efficiency to the powertrain.

-Joe