I bought an '02 Explorer EB 4.6L V8 new in 2002. Fortunately, I also bought the 100K warranty from the dealer. It's had all sorts of issues, mainly electrical but also mechanical. The GEM Module had to be reprogrammed early on when the power door locks and other bells & whistles died suddenly. The transmission started acting strange before it had 1K on it and this was attributed to the transmission having insufficient fluid from the factory. All was well for some time until a crack developed under the glass in the rear liftgate. Ford said it was because I used something other than Ford washer fluid but I know this was bogus as almost all washer fluids consist of a menthanol/detegergent combo. They told me at the dealer that if they broke the glass liftgate in the process of replacing the recall hinges, then they'd fix it, otherwise it was $250 and the price of repainting the new panel section. A Total Cop Out! Now, when it's cold, the split can be as much as 1/4" across vertically and it's since broke out horizontally.
At about 90K, the rear end started making a lot of noise, initially attributed to the tires and was subsequently narrowed down to the rear wheel bearings failing. These were replaced under warranty. While checking this out, they discovered code issue with the transmission due to funky shifting. This was determined to be a solenoid valve problem within the transmission which was also replaced under warranty. After replacing the said solenoid, the 4X4 lights started flashing and the transmission wouldn't go into 4WD. This was attributed to a failed 4X4 Control Module which was also replaced under warranty. After fixing this, the vehicle started making a strange noise and vibration when it encountered much of a grade. After riding with the dealer mechanic and his laptop-like device, he determined that there was a problem with the lube in the front transfer case. He said they'd seen this on several like models and even though there was no maintenance schedule for the front transfer case, they said that a lube replacement would usually fix it. They said that they would drain the transfer case and replace the lube at n/c if I would supply the lube, which I did at 99K miles. The old oil was like thin asphalt and yet replacing it didn't help it at all. Now it kicks the 4WD in on any sort of grade and when you let off the gas, it kicks the whole vehicle slightly sideways which is un-nerving, especially when it's wet. They've now decided that the wheel speed sensors are the culprit but since it's now out of warranty, they won't fix it for less than $500 for the parts, even though the problem existed while still under warranty and no amount of arbitration or negotiation will change their minds.
To add insult to injury, the GEM Module has totally crapped out, the auto driver seat, power seats, auto headlights, remote door locks, rear tail gate release and more. Looks like now that will cost about $600 after the mandatory $100 diagnosis charge. At the very least it's $250 to reprogram the GEM Module plus the $100 diagnosis charge. The dealer gleefully rubs their hands. I'll never buy another Ford product again. I think even Kia builds more reliable vehicles over the long haul. Ford, you wonder why you're in deep sh*t and sold off Jaguar to India's Tata Motors? Even a moron can figure it out.
