How many miles do you have now?

[Justin J]

How many miles do you have now? And what major repairs have been done to achieve this?

I’m Just curious how well this generation of Explorer does, and how many miles I should expect out of it.

Initially I thought Toyota 4Runner was much better, but after reading some posts, seems it’s not necessarily better than Ford Explorer. How do you think please?

 

[Justin J]

Here is mine: 2006 Eddie Bauer 4x4, 143K now, replaced radiator and thermostat housing, as well as a coolant valve for heater and a T connector. 4 new tires around 100K. Now a wheel bearing needs replacement, which I see is totally normal and reasonable.

 

[Rcflyer330]

They can be pretty reliable vehicles. mine is a 2010 xlt v6 it has ~174k miles. repairs are front wheel bearings twice both sides, 2 new thermostats (not the housing) and its stuck open again. brakes have been replaced 4 or 5 times due to runout causing a pulsating brake peddle (it is every two years that it needs brakes and that has been happining snce 2013 or 2014 I cant remember the exact year because it's a really anoying problem i cant seem to fix and it needs front brakes again for again for the exact problem), 3 rear axle seals and one front, not related to normal wear is one of thoes rear axle seals i did not know it was leaking the fluid leaked out and it destroyed the rear diff that was the biggest repair so far, one rear ac line rubbed up aganst its self and leakedball the refrigerant outand, 2 new batteries, plugs and wires (needs them again), and lastly both front swaybar links.

oh one last not my fault repair was when i was getting the swaybar links and the second thermostat done at the dealer a flat bed tow truck backed into the rear tailgate crusing it and one of the lights to be crushed it was fixed by the dealer no cost to me and as a bonus that had the the only rusty spots visible on the car so that was fixed at no cost to me.

so besides some really anoying things that keep happening this car has been very reliable but mechanicly it is starting to show its age. i would definately have another one preferably a v8 but my v6 with all the known problems has been great.

edit
forgot to add I am on my second set of summer tires.

 

[BrownsFan42]

2007 Eddie Bauer, 4.0. 175K. I've had the occasional fixes for wheel bearings, brakes, thermostats, a blown radiator hose. Other than the parking brake not working today, the only major trouble was the transmission at about 140K. No reverse. Rebuild cost $1600 and it works fine. Then at about 170K, the transmission control solenoid went bad...another $700 to replace it. Knock on wood, the tranny is running better today than I can recall.

A radiator hose blew last month and I think it screwed up the coolant temp sensor. Replaced it myself (simple fix) with the part costing about $20.

Today's troubles include some sort of exhaust problem (the transmission guy noticed it....not a big deal), and I think i need a new ignition switch. The symptoms? Dome light goes on/off when I hit a bump, radio lights are sometimes on, sometimes off. And a new problem....the battery charging warning light comes on. I took it to Autozone today, they tested the alternator and battery, and both are working fine.

 

[MountyStan]

2007 Mountaineer 4.6. Currently 231,000. Amsoil Full Synthetic since 5k. No engine or transmission issues. Radiator at 95k. 3 out of 4 wheel bearings - driver front 3 times, exhaust manifold bolts (should have been recall), alternator 5k ago, few other minor repairs, brakes and tires plugs etc. under normal wear and tear. Overall, very reliable.

 

[Littleant]

2010 Mountaineer 4.0. 81,100 miles. Front brake brackets and pads. Rear pads. Service every 3,000 miles 5w30 synthetic and filter. Plugs wires. Trans every 20,000 miles and transfer case. Front and rear differential every 25,000 miles. Never follow Ford service recommend service intervals

 

[94Eddie]

I bought my current 2010 Mountaineer (4.6L V8) with a little over 100k miles on it and now have around 125k miles. I did a lot of maintenance work like a full fluids change, brakes, plugs, VVT solenoid (replaced while the valve cover was off) etc. Repairs include: radiator; heater hose (previous owner installed a POS Dorman part that failed); passenger side exhaust heat shield; and an A/C compressor. I knew the radiator needed replaced when I bought it so I used this to beat down the purchase price. I definitely don't regret purchasing this vehicle and am very pleased with it.

I have owned either a Mountaineer or Explorer since the mid 1990s. Overall, they have been very reliable vehicles. The only times I was stranded was when the passenger side catalytic convertor fell apart and another time was when a tensioner pulley seized up. Out of 27 years of ownership of these vehicles I don't think this is a bad track record. If you can get a V8 model of the 4th gen, 3rd gen or 2nd gen you lessen the potential issues you might see. The 4.0L SOHC engines require frequent oil changes (3k-4k intervals) to have a good chance of being reliable for the long term and the 5R55 transmissions (are in all 3rd gens, 4th gen V6 models and maybe some 2nd gens) are just a bad design. They fail quite often. All this said, these vehicles are probably no worse than most others. IMO, the most reliable in the 3rd/4th gens is the 4th gen V8. They have a reliable engine but more importantly they have a very reliable transmission. The 6R60/6R80 six speed transmissions are great. With regular maintenance the 4.6L 3V engine and 6R60/80 transmission will typically run without catastrophic failures for 200k-300k miles, and beyond.

 

[Justin J]

Anyone has the powered 3rd row seat failed? The gear in the drive has no protection built in and fails easily.

 

[07EddyB]

2007 V8 model at 132K - I bought it in 2008 at 19K so I've had it most of it's life.

• Shortly after I bought it warranty took care of LF bearing, leaking master cylinder, new grill since I had chrome flaking off.
• Fast forward to 79K nothing but normal maintenance to this point
• Spark plugs at 79K - maintenance really
• 84K new bearing RF
• 96K new bearing RR
• 98K first new radiator - replaced upper and lower hoses at that point and the thermostat.
• 100K first new passenger side exhaust manifold two broken studs - one removed one still broke
• 100k new wye for the heater hose to the rear
• 101K new alternator - rebuilt
• 102K follower failure - one intake on the number 1 cylinder - replaced follower polished cam lobe - cam still good
• 103K new bearing LR
• 104K transmission pan drop and filter replacement - shuddering in overdrive at low RPM but could still be considered maintenance
• 105K front sway bar end links
• 106K new bearing LF
• 109K new heater control valve
• 112K rear sway bar end links
• 116K second passenger side exhaust manifold
• 118K new spark plugs - maintenance really
• 129K new struts front and rear
• 130K second new radiator
• New ignition switch and a blend door actuator - I remember doing them but didn't write them down.

Lots of maintenance items in between like fuel filter, transfer case fluid, front and rear diff fluid, brakes, etc. Of note, I'm still on the original coils.

 

[Justin J]

2010 Mountaineer 4.0. 81,100 miles. Front brake brackets and pads. Rear pads. Service every 3,000 miles 5w30 synthetic and filter. Plugs wires. Trans every 20,000 miles and transfer case. Front and rear differential every 25,000 miles. Never follow Ford service recommend service intervals

If I remember correctly, Ford recommends front/rear differential every 150K, LOL

 

[94Eddie]

If I remember correctly, Ford recommends front/rear differential every 150K, LOL

Ford recommends a lot of maintenance intervals that shouldn't be followed. Especially for the 4.0L SOHC engines and the 5R55 transmissions attached to them.

 

[explorer1007]

2007 V8, 230K bought in 2010 at 59k. Replaced bearings five times in three of them, one is still the original. Replaced radiator once. When I first bought it I had to go to dealership 4 times (maybe 5) to fix weird issue turned out to be clotted fuel filter since the maintenance was never done properly. Currently I have ATF leak...not sure how it gonna end.

 

[94Eddie]

2007 V8, 230K bought in 2010 at 59k. Replaced bearings five times in three of them, one is still the original. Replaced radiator once. When I first bought it I had to go to dealership 4 times (maybe 5) to fix weird issue turned out to be clotted fuel filter since the maintenance was never done properly. Currently I have ATF leak...not sure how it gonna end.

Check the sleeve for the main wiring harness. This is a plastic piece that can crack and has an O-ring that can leak. It is a pan down repair so you also get a transmission service with this as a byproduct of the repair. This sleeve is located in and upper rear passenger side area of the transmission. Or it could be a pan gasket leak. These are the two most probable locations for leaks with the 6R60 transmissions.

 

[DblCircles]

2006 Mountaineer V8 206K miles, bought in 2012 at 72K. I've done all the major work myself in the last 2 years but overall it's had a radiator at 201k, transmission fluid changed at 190k because of a torque converter shutter(similar to hitting rumble strips), both front wheel bearings like twice and new front axles at at 195k due to leaking seals and age. I replaced cylinder 8's exhaust valve roller follower because the bearing seized and I actually left it alone for 10k miles because it sounded like an exhaust manifold until I sent her to 6k rpm and it was knocking loose, lifter is soon to follow when I have the energy. Normal replacement stuff like brakes and control arms, new wheels because Michigan weather finally corroded the aluminum enough to annoy me filling up every week. Spark plugs every 70k and coils at like 170k. Steering angle sensor just last week because of codes from a fault. Timing components are still tight as could be with no slap and I use Motorcraft or Mobil1 when its out of stock every 3k miles.

 

[D Hook]

Just turned over 170,000. Had 140,000 when I bought it about 7 years ago. Radiator replaced and exhaust manifold leak fixed, plugs replaced as condition of purchase from Lexus dealer. Since then have done one rear wheel bearing, both fronts, a blend door replacement, alternator and a muffler. Other than tires and regular lube maintenance, that's about it. Also did a pan drop on the transmission due to converter shudder a few months after purchase. Runs smooth.

 

[Justin J]

Is the exhaust manifold leak issue common to V8?

 

[Leonard CdeBaca]

How many miles do you have now? And what major repairs have been done to achieve this?

I’m Just curious how well this generation of Explorer does, and how many miles I should expect out of it.

Initially I thought Toyota 4Runner was much better, but after reading some posts, seems it’s not necessarily better than Ford Explorer. How do you think please?

I have 299750 miles on my 2007 Explorer Sporttrac limited 4x4 4.6 V8. I had to replace my original Fuel Pump and Motion sensor .

 

[AARONAS]

How many miles do you have now? And what major repairs have been done to achieve this?

I’m Just curious how well this generation of Explorer does, and how many miles I should expect out of it.

Initially I thought Toyota 4Runner was much better, but after reading some posts, seems it’s not necessarily better than Ford Explorer. How do you think please?

105000MILES, REBUILT TRANSMISSION AT 102K MILES , NEW PLUGS AND COILS, FRESH FLUIDS ALL AROUND - THE REST BEING THE USUAL WEAR AND TEAR ITEMS AS SEEN IN ALL CARS/SUVS. 2008 EXPLORER LIMITED 4X4 4.6 L V-8 3 V.

 

[Wildings]

How many miles do you have now? And what major repairs have been done to achieve this?

I’m Just curious how well this generation of Explorer does, and how many miles I should expect out of it.

Initially I thought Toyota 4Runner was much better, but after reading some posts, seems it’s not necessarily better than Ford Explorer. How do you think please?

I have a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer 6 cylinder, same as Explorer I have been told. 115,000 miles. Just replaced engine due to cracked block from rapid overheat. Thermostat housing or plastic manifold failed. Need to do front wheel bearings. All else good, very satisfactory vehicle.

 

[t99eddieb]

Here is mine: 2006 Eddie Bauer 4x4, 143K now, replaced radiator and thermostat housing, as well as a coolant valve for heater and a T connector. 4 new tires around 100K. Now a wheel bearing needs replacement, which I see is totally normal and reasonable.

1999 Eddie Bauer 4x4, 286K now. Also replaced radiator and thermostat housing, Blower motor, 3X alternators, Plugs/wires, 6X batteries, 5X sets of tires, 3X mufflers/exhaust rusty pipes, 3x O2 Sensors, 2X struts, 2X rear shocks, 2X rear diff oil changes, Radio, Ujoints, LED dash lights, HID conversion, Rear Sub. 2inch lift with shackles, and a partridge in a pear tree. Also need a pinion bearing or entire rear end due to noise. but I give up. Gonna drive it till it literally implodes or I can find a way to retrofit/convert to a cheap electric one day.