I might be buying a 2002 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition

[cwebs]

Just want to know what the major problems and defects are and if I should purchase it?

Its a 2002 with 117,000 miles on it

 

[Varsity]

Honestly I don't know or think there's any "defects" with the 2002-2005 (3rd gens)but I know there are some minor nuisances like the cracked tailgate panels or I've heard the gear shift can be tricky. A little searching on this forum should bring up a thread or two on the subject. However, it all depends how the truck was treated before you. I mean, if the owners took care of the truck, you probably won't have many problems or issues. In the unfortunate case you do have a problem, this site will have a solution for you anyways. Good Luck with the truck if you do end up buying it, I love Eddies.

 

[Robsbrd99]

The transmission costs between $1500 and $2000 to rebuild. If you can afford this, then go for it.

 

[Vette76]

Let me put it rather bluntly....if it's a SOHC V6...don't! These things have some serious...and I mean serious...inherent engineering and design flaws.

It appears that most owners loved their 02's...as I did...when they were new but these model years are really a throw away vehicle once they run over 100,000 miles. I had to have the transmission replaced just a little over 100,000 miles. I never towed anything with my vehicle and had the thing serviced like clockwork at the dealership. Shortly after I spent the $2500 on the transmission, within several hundred miles my left bank cassette tensioner exploded and it basically screwed everything up inside the engine.

Not only do my local Ford dealers not want to work on it (they tell me they'll charge me $3500 to 'give it a shot' without any warranty of the work) but it would be easier to find hen's teeth on top of a four leaf clover then it has been to find the special Ford tools that are needed to work on it myself!! I literally have had to design and fabricate my own tool to take off the camshaft because no one at my local dealerships can even locate a tool to compress the valve springs. This tells me that there isn't much of a commitment to fixing these things.

We've also chased an electrical problem where the darn thing wouldn't start. I've spent around $500 on at least 3 separate occasions to have the dealers 'poke around' without avail. The doors won't close (power locks) when it happens and in most cases most of the electronics like the speedometer and door ajar chime go haywire.

I could go on but my point is that these were great original owner vehicles but as they approach 100,000 miles, pass on them.

 

[cross6]

Honestly I don't know or think there's any "defects" with the 2002-2005 (3rd gens)

LOLOLOLOL WHAT?


Timing Chains.
Rear ends.
Tranny solenoids/valve bodies.
Blend doors/Recirc doors.
The list goes on.

 

[Varsity]

LOLOLOLOL WHAT?


Timing Chains.
Rear ends.
Tranny solenoids/valve bodies.
Blend doors/Recirc doors.
The list goes on.

Aside from the timing chain, no one I know has had any of those problems, which is alot because my whole street is littered with 3rd gens.

 

[tower]

Aside from the timing chain, no one I know has had any of those problems, which is alot because my whole street is littered with 3rd gens.

Lucky groub you know.

I like my X but to say it does not have known issues would be incorrect.

 

[LONO100]

good info on the 3rd gens. i wanted to buy my neighbors which is a 4wd EB. i wanted to swap its drivetrain with my 03 trac (which is a 2wd soon to be locked in the rear) and turn the EB into a street truck, but i couldnt find enough info on how feasable this would be. i have the room and a spare ride if i did the swap so i was ok in that sense, but after reading about vette's tranny problem, thats probably why my neighbor doesnt drive his around and would sell it for so cheap to begin with.