Considering an Explorer

[rjs5689]

Hey everyone, I wanted to make a post introducing myself and explaining a bit about what I’m considering. I’ve been a car enthusiast for my entire (short) life. I’ve owned three very different vehicles. I started with a MKV GTI (which I went to town modifying). I moved north and sold the GTI for a Subaru Legacy GT SpecB (also very modified). After I moved back to NY, I decided it was time to switch cars for something small, light, fun and very trackable. I now own an NC Miata, which rides on custom coilovers and has some other work done as well. It makes a great daily/commuter car and is a warrior out on the track. I throw snow tires on in the winter time; coupled with the mechanical LSD I’ve never really had any trouble in the snow (unless it gets really deep—there’s only so much you can do with 3-4” ground clearance). I’ve thought about retiring it for the winter and picking up some sort of beater.

The two strong contenders for me are: a WJ Grand Cherokee, which I really like. I also want to consider a third generation Explorer, but I really don't know much about them.

The Explorer would serve as a second vehicle for me. I’d like to keep it under about $8,000 and would plan to buy sometime mid/late summer. I'm going to limit my search to the Eddie Bauer and Limited models, due to the features on them. Ideally I'd go for a V8, but they seem to be far and few between; it looks like I'll most likely need to settle on the V6.

What should I specifically look out for with a used third generation Explorer? Are there certain common problem/weak areas? Is the engine overall very reliable (V6 and V8)? How about the transmission and drivetrain in these vehicles? I’m open to any and all advice, problem areas, cautions, etc. to look out for when shopping for a third generation Explorer.

 

[D Hook]

Read over all the stickies at the top of the page for the 02-05 explorers.

Then read all the stickies for the 06-10 explorers.

If the answer still isn't clear, do a search on transmission problems for the 02-05. Then do a search for problems with timing chains for 02-05 explorers.

I think that should answer your query.

For the amount of money your spending I'd look into an 06.

 

[Kesp4.0]

I love my 2003, and it has been an okay vehicle in terms of reliability. Having said that, I would steer clear of a 3rd gen Explorer, unless you found one with low enough miles that you could stay on top of the maintenance waaaay ahead of manufacturer recommendations and avoid the problems that tend to plague these particular Explorers. The 3rd gen Explorers are probably the worst Explorer ever sold by Ford. And I am saying this as one of the more lucky owners.
Some problems to look for (or forward to) are the cracked rear plastic 'appliqué' below the rear glass, rear (and possibly front) windows not working, rear locks not engaging, rear differential whine while at high speed or under load, the dreaded transmission taking a dump ( which can occur anywhere from ~80k-150k miles), the climate control blend door making noise and not functioning, rear window washer gumming up and not spraying, radiator leaking, check the a/c compressor for noises, various heat shield cracking, breaking or coming loose, puddle lamp lenses broken, and those are just the ones off of the top of my head.
A 2nd or 4th gen would be a better bet. As I said earlier, a low mileage 3rd gen would be great, and I love the looks and ride of mine. It's been a decent car, but there's always a risk

 

[rjs5689]

Thanks for the replies. I skimmed the sticky titles after joining, but should have read the posts inside!

I think I will look into a Fourth Gen. I'm going to read the stickies in the Fourth Gen sub-forum and do some research into one of those!

 

[Explorer0204]

I love my 2003, and it has been an okay vehicle in terms of reliability. Having said that, I would steer clear of a 3rd gen Explorer, unless you found one with low enough miles that you could stay on top of the maintenance waaaay ahead of manufacturer recommendations and avoid the problems that tend to plague these particular Explorers. The 3rd gen Explorers are probably the worst Explorer ever sold by Ford. And I am saying this as one of the more lucky owners.
Some problems to look for (or forward to) are the cracked rear plastic 'appliqué' below the rear glass, rear (and possibly front) windows not working, rear locks not engaging, rear differential whine while at high speed or under load, the dreaded transmission taking a dump ( which can occur anywhere from ~80k-150k miles), the climate control blend door making noise and not functioning, rear window washer gumming up and not spraying, radiator leaking, check the a/c compressor for noises, various heat shield cracking, breaking or coming loose, puddle lamp lenses broken, and those are just the ones off of the top of my head.
A 2nd or 4th gen would be a better bet. As I said earlier, a low mileage 3rd gen would be great, and I love the looks and ride of mine. It's been a decent car, but there's always a risk

I think this is a little over the top. I've never heard of the front window plastic breaking ever! and the puddle lamp lenses....

Regardless. I am not denying that they aren't the most reliable vehicle in the word. I've personally had good luck with them though. My 02 was running strong at 100k miles only servicing it needed that wasn't maintenance was wheel bearings.

My 04 has 64k on it and is running better than ever. That being said I bought it at 54 so I haven't had it too long.

Beyond the reliability, I rolled the 02 over in a 9 foot ditch with the windows open and I did not get a scratch on me. The drivers door hit a freaking tree and didn't budge on the inside an inch! Still closed too...mostly. I could be dead right now but I'm not so I went out and bought another. because despite their problems they are awesome.

That door smacked a tree and spun me around 180... the outside is dented but the inside is 100%

 

[D Hook]

I've only experienced a few of the things listed as possible problems since buying my 02 but have read plenty of threads on here from owners that have and have no reason to doubt their word. My 02 has been great to own, in the long run but would I buy another? Probably not. Would prefer to go for the 06 and up. I can handle the little $50-$100 repairs but those three transmissions that have gone into my explorer before I bought it would've hurt pretty bad. I'm just hoping it will last long enough for me to pick up a newer version of explorer. Love the model, just not this particular vintage.

 

[ponkotsu]

I've owned a total of 6 Exp/Mounty/Aviators. Great vehicles, fairly easy to work on, safe and a good value.

 

[Explorer0204]

I've owned a total of 6 Exp/Mounty/Aviators. Great vehicles, fairly easy to work on, safe and a good value.

All third gens? Why so many just drive a lot of miles or what??

Sorry to be so curious.

 

[esclamada]

The 3rd gens has lots of issues, the stickies will tell you.

In my case trans blew just before 80k, now at 140k the diff whine is very audible. I have replaced the bearings for this car 2x. If you're not a DIY then the repairs will cost you otherwise it's not a bad car to do a lot of fixes.

I'd stay away from '02 and 03.

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[Explorer0204]

The 3rd gens has lots of issues, the stickies will tell you.

In my case trans blew just before 80k, now at 140k the diff whine is very audible. I have replaced the bearings for this car 2x. If you're not a DIY then the repairs will cost you otherwise it's not a bad car to do a lot of fixes.

I'd stay away from '02 and 03.

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I hear that a lot... What did they change in 04 to help?

 

[ponkotsu]

All third gens? Why so many just drive a lot of miles or what??

Sorry to be so curious.

I usually don't drive the same car more than a couple years. My first was about a 1997 Limited. I've bought them all used except one was a lease. I've owned 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen. I think 2nd gen was most reliable, but 3rd is by far nicer ride. I've also owned a Bronco2 along with a bunch of other fords.

 

[Jumpjets]

I have a 2002 with 105K miles. Major repairs I've done:

-replaced transmission
-rear wheel bearings
-front wheel bearings
-front ball joints
-Air conditioner needs to be charged every couple months
-passenger front window quit working
-cracked rear plastic facia. I had it replaced, and the new one cracked too
-front CV boot failed
-airbag light comes on randomly
-sensors that tell if the doors are closed went bad. While driving, the car would randomly chime and turn on it's dome light as if a door had just been open. I just cut out and hotwired the sensors.
-Paint is flaking off in several places
-Lots of rust for a vehicle this age, in lots of places on the entire vehicle
-Brake light sensor on the brake pedal welded itself shut. The brake lights stayed on overnight and killed the battery

In it's defense, my mother was the previous owner, and she bought it new. It spent it's life in Washington DC traffic, and she did not take care of the vehicle. Scheduled maintenance was done, but it was rarely washed, and it was used as a utility junk hauler.

If I were not a handy man with a set of tools, I would have spent thousands on repairs. The only reason I own this truck is because it's paid off and I can fix anything that goes wrong with it.

 

[D Hook]

Having a paid off vehicle is great. The only reason I'm not looking for an '06 right now is because I just can't bring myself to do another car payment schedule right now. So I'm hoping (and taking steps) that this '02 will keep being a good car. I think the last transmission that was put in (by a previous owner) had the newest updates done to it to avoid another disaster like that. But if it goes, it goes.

 

[esclamada]

I hear that a lot... What did they change in 04 to help?

not that much, throttle by wire (no IAC) Still has that butt crack issue until the redesign in '06.

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[rjs5689]

I have a 2002 with 105K miles. Major repairs I've done:

-replaced transmission
-rear wheel bearings
-front wheel bearings
-front ball joints
-Air conditioner needs to be charged every couple months
-passenger front window quit working
-cracked rear plastic facia. I had it replaced, and the new one cracked too
-front CV boot failed
-airbag light comes on randomly
-sensors that tell if the doors are closed went bad. While driving, the car would randomly chime and turn on it's dome light as if a door had just been open. I just cut out and hotwired the sensors.
-Paint is flaking off in several places
-Lots of rust for a vehicle this age, in lots of places on the entire vehicle
-Brake light sensor on the brake pedal welded itself shut. The brake lights stayed on overnight and killed the battery

In it's defense, my mother was the previous owner, and she bought it new. It spent it's life in Washington DC traffic, and she did not take care of the vehicle. Scheduled maintenance was done, but it was rarely washed, and it was used as a utility junk hauler.

If I were not a handy man with a set of tools, I would have spent thousands on repairs. The only reason I own this truck is because it's paid off and I can fix anything that goes wrong with it.

We've had our fair share of American, German and Japanese cars in my family, and none of them have needed that caliber of work, especially before 105k!

I think this generation of Explorer might be a no-go for me.

 

[ponkotsu]

We've had our fair share of American, German and Japanese cars in my family, and none of them have needed that caliber of work, especially before 105k!

I think this generation of Explorer might be a no-go for me.

It don't think that is typical. Other than the transmission servo bore issue, most of us have very few issues up to 150 - 200k. My Aviator hat 145k when I bought it. The rear wheel bearings were bad, which isn't uncommon at that mileage. I rebuilt the transmission because it was getting a bit sluggish, but still going strong. I've done a fair amount of work on it, but mostly because I'm a perfectionist and it's as much a hobby as a vehicle.

If you read this forum, you would think the 3rd gen Ex is the worst vehicle ever made. That's because people come here to get help with their vehicle. Keep in mind that Ford made millions of these things.

The transmission is the big one though. Most will need a rebuild between 100k and 200k.

The positive side is, they are pretty easy vehicles to work on. I had a coworker that had an alternator go in his Odyssey van. Ended up costing over $1k because a bolt stripped out and they had to disassemble the entire front of the engine to repair it. Most modern front wheel drive vehicles require engine removal for just about anything beyond a tune up. I'll stick with standard engine layout.

 

[Jumpjets]

That reminded me. The alternator failed as well. Luckily I was able to limp home on battery power. I was able swap in a new one for $60. It took like 5 minutes. Very easy.

In light of all my repairs, I can't fault the exploder. It has been abused for 12 years as a work truck in a very harsh area.

 

[esclamada]

That reminded me. The alternator failed as well. Luckily I was able to limp home on battery power. I was able swap in a new one for $60. It took like 5 minutes. Very easy.

In light of all my repairs, I can't fault the exploder. It has been abused for 12 years as a work truck in a very harsh area.

even if you don't abuse it, it's still prone to fail.

I've worked with different kinds of cars and the domestic cars (ford,gm and chrysler) were the most non service-friendly cars to work with. Things were just placed on top of one another. Among the best service-friendly cars/trucks were the german made cars (bmw/mercedez notably) and toyota. They were just designed to be service-able.





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[esclamada]

It don't think that is typical. Other than the transmission servo bore issue, most of us have very few issues up to 150 - 200k. My Aviator hat 145k when I bought it. The rear wheel bearings were bad, which isn't uncommon at that mileage. I rebuilt the transmission because it was getting a bit sluggish, but still going strong. I've done a fair amount of work on it, but mostly because I'm a perfectionist and it's as much a hobby as a vehicle.

If you read this forum, you would think the 3rd gen Ex is the worst vehicle ever made. That's because people come here to get help with their vehicle. Keep in mind that Ford made millions of these things.

The transmission is the big one though. Most will need a rebuild between 100k and 200k.

The positive side is, they are pretty easy vehicles to work on. I had a coworker that had an alternator go in his Odyssey van. Ended up costing over $1k because a bolt stripped out and they had to disassemble the entire front of the engine to repair it. Most modern front wheel drive vehicles require engine removal for just about anything beyond a tune up. I'll stick with standard engine layout.

sounds like a half-ass job rather than an issue with Honda. I haven't done any major work in any honda besides oil change basic suspension work. I do find the engine bay accessible for repairs though.


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