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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
My advice is to buy one with a V8. The transmissions in the 2002-2005 Explorers/Mountaineers are not very reliable and the ones with the 4.0L SOHC V6 has issues with the timing chain guides falling apart. This isn't nearly as much a concern with the V8s as they are very reliable with good maintenance being done to them. A transmission replacement runs $2.5k-$3k and an engine replacement runs $3k-$4k. It is not uncommon for these two problems to arise before 200k miles are reached. With 140k miles on it I wouldn't buy it unless they can prove the transmission has been replaced with a reputable remanufactured one and not a rebuilt one. If not the odds are very good that you will be replacing the transmission soon. A lot of people dump them because they know the transmission is going out. Also, people will dump them because they know the timing chain guides are broken and an engine replacement is imminent.
I suggest you look for a 2006-2010 V8 model and preferably a 2009-2010 model if you can find one. They have a much more reliable 6-speed transmission and the 3-valve V8 has a good bit more power and gets better gas mileage than the 2-valve engines in the 2002-2005 models.
