Help deciding between two Explorers, and questions about reliability

[colton08]

Looking for an explorer sport to be my wife's main vehicle.

We have always had pretty good luck with cars, and have never had any major maintenance issues come up, besides the regularly expected maintenance items. (never much $$).

We currently have a 2014 Q50 hybrid (fun car, 360HP in a mid sedan) which we will replace with the explorer. Its a rebuilt, but has been issue free at 100k miles.

There are two 2015 explorer sports I am interested in, but its been a tough decision.

1. 2015 Explorer Sport (same specs as the other), 90k miles, rebuilt title. Owner bought the rebuilt at 60k miles, has photos of incident (front right end, airbags deployed) as well as all documentation of the fix. Owner has just recently replaced Water pump, Timing Belt, PTU and Rear Differential. No outstanding issues.
2. 2015 Explorer Sport (mostly spec'd out interior), 120k miles, clean title. Only issues are the backup sensors not working well, and needs a new 2nd row seatbelt. Owner has not replaced any of the parts that owner 1 has (but vehicle is not showing signs of needing it). Brand new tires.

Like I mentioned, I have always had pretty reliable cars, even the two rebuilds I have owned (no issues in my area insuring a rebuilt, btw). How reliable are the explorers? Looking through the sub, I get the indication of high failure rates at about 100k miles, but if you look long enough in any subreddit, you'd be convinced that every product or vehicle is about to explode. Is a 100ish thousand mile explorer a safe bet? Had plenty of cars in that range and never an issue, but don't wanna do something I regret. My friend is a roadside assistance and roadside tow driver and warned me that the explorer is a transmission nightmare. How true is that?

Between those two options, would the lower milage one that just took care of a bunch of important (and $$) maintenance items likely be more reliable over an accident free model with more miles that hasn't addressed those potential concerns?

I know that with cars you never know, especially potentially a rebuilt, but it does sound like that PTU is super problematic at times, right?

Both cars are bout the same price, the rebuilt being $500 more. Both are in great condition aesthetically and safe amount under local book. Both test drove really well.

 

[Odrapnew]

1. If you say you have full documentation/pictures etc. and feel comfortable with the repairs, that's good, but having a pre-purchase inspection is a must in my book on a rebuilt vehicle. Having the water pump, timing chain (assuming you mean chain) and PTU replaced is a good start. Water pump and PTU have been known to fail abruptly....but, there are those that have gone 185k+ miles without issue on similar design (my wife's CX9). I'd question why the rear diff was replaced as that's not a common failure point on these.

2. See comments above about water pump and PTU. If you need to replace water pump, expect ~$2000-$2500 bill. At 120k miles, it might be good idea to have that done as preventative maintenance. I'm approaching 120k on my Explorer and have the water pump on my short list (if we keep it much longer). PTU I think is in the $1500-$2000 range these days, but if the fluid is changed regularly, they can last a while. At 120k, I'd question if the PTU fluid is even fluid anymore (unless it has been changed). Why does it need 2nd row seat belts? What do you mean by rear sensors not working well?

Transmission failures are not common from what I know. Drain/fill fluid (not flush) is a good maintenance item to keep fluid somewhat fresh.

For comparison, I have a 14 Sport that I ordered new. We're at about 115k miles.
No major issues so far. I can tell it's not at tight as it was, but that's to be expected.
I've done PTU, trans and rear diff fluids 2 times so far. All fluids looked good both times.
I replaced front control arms due to clunk under foot (bushing wears out).
2 sets of tires, 1 set of rear brakes (fronts are original but getting down there).
My biggest gripe is rusting rear tailgate. The bottom edge of the tailgate is rusting from the inside. Only thing I can do is slow it down. I might be able to find a used one for not too much money. Probably cheaper than getting the rust repaired and repainted.
If it wasn't for the rusting tailgate, I'd still be driving it. I was going to trade it in a few years back, but we decided to sell my wife's CX9 and she'd get the hand-me-down Explorer (about half the miles as her CX9). She's still driving it and I get to drive it every once in a while. I still like the way it drives.

Oh, and you're right. Go to almost any forum and it's mostly issues reported. Most people jump on the internet when they have an issue, not when everything is going well.

 

[J_C]

The rebuilt title vehicle should cost less, and I wouldn't touch it unless it cost a LOT less because with those things already replaced, seems like it was ridden hard and put away wet. In its favor, the things replaced were done "recently" so maybe not the same level of stress that wore out the originals. Maybe.

Most vehicles are issue free till 100K mi. but not so much the next 100K+. I'd have a mechanic look over both with a fine tooth comb, and change the PTU fluid every 30K mi. or sooner still if there's a lot of spirited driving.

 

[1.8TTony]

First thing you should do is consult with your vehicle insurance representative and inquire about a "total loss value" scenario.

The rebuilt title status DOES have an impact on value percentage loss with certain insurance providers.

Let's say (theoretically) you buy both Explorers. You pay $20,000 for one and $20,000 for the other. The next day, you have them parked side by side on your driveway and your ******-bag neighbor illegally cuts a tree down without a permit. That tree falls on top of both vehicles crushing them. Your insurance processes the claim as a "total loss" for both vehicles.

Insurance is going to pay-out whatever the value is for the clean titled Explorer. If the value is $20,000, you'll get $20,000.

For the "rebuilt" titled Explorer, insurance is going to deduct as much as 50% of the value due to the rebuilt title status. So, if the value is $20,000 you get $10,000.

You lose $10,000 of that $40,000.

Another thing........you may not be able to get full coverage for a rebuilt titled vehicle. Some insurance companies won't allow it while some others will. And IF they do, your insurance premium will be higher. Example: My son bought a wrecked Dodge Viper. The car was a "total loss". He had it repaired. And a salvage title was issued for the car. My USAA Insurance wouldn't provide full coverage for his car because of "altered title status". My insurance rep then told me that my son COULD get full coverage thru Triple AAA Insurance, however the title will have to become "rebuilt title status" and the premium will be higher.

The difference between "rebuilt" and "Salvage" title status is as follows:

Salvage Title.........Pass brake, lamp and smog inspections. That's it, that's all. Drive the turd.

Rebuilt Title=Pass same inspections as above + Repairs are documented. Repairs are performed at a facility which employs I-CAR certified repair technicians. An I-CAR certified repair technician performs the repairs. A representative from BAR or an envoy for BAR (usually the I-CAR repair shop supervisor) monitors the repairs and documents the repairs which have been done. Once completed, the vehicle will have to be taken to a BAR facility and inspected, the noted and picture documentation will be taken into consideration. If everything's good, a "rebuilt title" status will be awarded.

 

[FruztalProjects]

Looking for an explorer sport to be my wife's main vehicle.

We have always had pretty good luck with cars, and have never had any major maintenance issues come up, besides the regularly expected maintenance items. (never much $$).

We currently have a 2014 Q50 hybrid (fun car, 360HP in a mid sedan) which we will replace with the explorer. Its a rebuilt, but has been issue free at 100k miles.

There are two 2015 explorer sports I am interested in, but its been a tough decision.

1. 2015 Explorer Sport (same specs as the other), 90k miles, rebuilt title. Owner bought the rebuilt at 60k miles, has photos of incident (front right end, airbags deployed) as well as all documentation of the fix. Owner has just recently replaced Water pump, Timing Belt, PTU and Rear Differential. No outstanding issues.
2. 2015 Explorer Sport (mostly spec'd out interior), 120k miles, clean title. Only issues are the backup sensors not working well, and needs a new 2nd row seatbelt. Owner has not replaced any of the parts that owner 1 has (but vehicle is not showing signs of needing it). Brand new tires.

Like I mentioned, I have always had pretty reliable cars, even the two rebuilds I have owned (no issues in my area insuring a rebuilt, btw). How reliable are the explorers? Looking through the sub, I get the indication of high failure rates at about 100k miles, but if you look long enough in any subreddit, you'd be convinced that every product or vehicle is about to explode. Is a 100ish thousand mile explorer a safe bet? Had plenty of cars in that range and never an issue, but don't wanna do something I regret. My friend is a roadside assistance and roadside tow driver and warned me that the explorer is a transmission nightmare. How true is that?

Between those two options, would the lower milage one that just took care of a bunch of important (and $$) maintenance items likely be more reliable over an accident free model with more miles that hasn't addressed those potential concerns?

I know that with cars you never know, especially potentially a rebuilt, but it does sound like that PTU is super problematic at times, right?

Both cars are bout the same price, the rebuilt being $500 more. Both are in great condition aesthetically and safe amount under local book. Both test drove really well.

I had a similar situation buying an Explorer for myself.

1. 2014 Ford Explorer XLT, rebuilt title, 80,000 miles. I have pictures of the incident. Liftgate rear ended. Passenger side air conditioning doesn't work, it blows just hot air. Door trims were coming apart, Ford has a free fix for it so I wasn't to worried about that. Windshield was cracked.
2. 2015 Ford Police Interceptor Utility, clean title, 130,000 miles. Absolutely clean vehicle, well maintained, we ultimately ended picking up this one. I did have to replace the water pump recently costing. E $3,100 after replacing belts. We got the vehicle so cheap, I wasn't necessarily to upset about it.

Ultimately, I'd pick a vehicle that has a clean title, regardless of what happened. Secondly, try to get a vehicle with the water pump already replaced, that maybe a hard one for you. Personally, I wouldn't go for any of those two vehicles with the problems they may have in the future, especially the first vehicle, unless you can get them for real cheap and are comfortable repairing it.

 

[1.8TTony]

The rebuilt title vehicle should cost less, and I wouldn't touch it unless it cost a LOT less.

A rebuilt title is just as good as a clean title........and in rare cases it's actually better. Allow me to explain.......

Let's say you have a Jeep Liberty. There were many safety "recalls" for Jeep Liberty vehicles. Let's say you're Jeep Liberty was rear-ended. Wrecked. "Totaled". You want to keep the Jeep Liberty.......so, in order for it to get back on the road with "rebuilt title" status, it needs to not only be repaired properly, it also needs to have all the active safety recalls addressed.......versus......simply going out and buying a clean titled Jeep Liberty with none of the recalls taken care of.

 

[J_C]

^ Rebuilt is not just as good, significantly decreases the vehicle's market value.

This isn't really subject to subjective interpretation, it is actual market value reduction, typically between 20% and 50%, even higher for luxury sedans.

I don't even understand your suggestion that it's somehow better than if you had a non-rebuilt title Jeep Liberty, because if getting recalls taken care of was important to the owner then it would have been done and still could be.

You didn't mention the sale price of these vehicles, but ballparking, I'd figure the rebuilt title vehicle is worth about $3K-$4K less. If it weren't for the odd market right now, I'd put it closer to $5K less.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Colton08.
One other thing to check is the front lip of the hood. These hoods are known for getting corrosion (paint bubbles) since the aluminum hoods were not prepared properly at the factory. You are beyond the 5 year warranty to replace them.

Peter