New guy, looking for purchasing input

[KYccriley]

Hello, looking at buying an 05 2wd eddie bauer with 78,000miles on it. Has the 4.0 engine. Unfortunately it has no previous service records. It drove fine and appears to be in good shape for a 12yr old vehicle. Any certain " things" i should really pay attention to when i go back to look at it?
It has a couple small dings and scratches and the rear door applique is cracked next to the emblem. Dealer is asking $6900 for it.
My biggest concern is the trans, 4.0 engine, advanctrac rsc, and the sunroof. Are the sunroofs bad about leaking?
Thanks in advance

 

[extra-medium]

Timing chains are a ***** on the 4.0. The rear hatch that is cracked is pretty common. Honestly, I think $7k for a 2wd 12 year old SUV is pretty pricy, I would try and haggle with them, but personally wouldn't pay over 5k for it.

 

[TechGuru]

Run the VIN through this: http://www.txdmv.gov/standard-presumptive-calculator I would not pay more than what it says. I paid less than what it said for mine.

 

[imp]

Hello, looking at buying an 05 2wd eddie bauer with 78,000miles on it. Has the 4.0 engine. Unfortunately it has no previous service records. It drove fine and appears to be in good shape for a 12yr old vehicle. Any certain " things" i should really pay attention to when i go back to look at it?
It has a couple small dings and scratches and the rear door applique is cracked next to the emblem. Dealer is asking $6900 for it.
My biggest concern is the trans, 4.0 engine, advanctrac rsc, and the sunroof. Are the sunroofs bad about leaking?
Thanks in advance

@KYccriley
Have you owned an Explorer before? Year? 05 is last year for 3rd. generation, so one might assume the various "bugs" of a new model design were by then ironed out. As they say, the 4.0 is a difficult little monster for major service, OTOH, many have easily gone 200K without timing chain guide failure. Mine (2004) has 160K, never serviced beyond normal maintenance and is quiet as a church mouse. Still, the doomsday prophets scare me.

I would be most concerned about buying one with Advance-Trac. Very complex, and if component failure occurs, few outside of dealerships will be able to iron it out. $6900 reflects I think 2 things: Eddie Bauer, and 78K miles. Only the latter matters, to me. The cracked plastic panel on the upper hatch window occurred on about half of them; meaningless cosmetic blemish.

When you go to look: Turn key to "ON", wait, and watch the myriad of lighted icons on the instrument panel. Start engine. ALL should extinguish. This tell-tale is the first thing a dealer rep will do, when evaluating a vehicle as trade-in fodder. If any light remains on , question it. BTW, if I were contemplating buying a vehicle, bottom of the list of concerns would be sun roof leaks. Rather, pay close attention to the feel, firmness, repetitivity of shifts, initial engagements in all gears, of the transmission. imp

 

[KYccriley]

@KYccriley
Have you owned an Explorer before? Year? 05 is last year for 3rd. generation, so one might assume the various "bugs" of a new model design were by then ironed out. As they say, the 4.0 is a difficult little monster for major service, OTOH, many have easily gone 200K without timing chain guide failure. Mine (2004) has 160K, never serviced beyond normal maintenance and is quiet as a church mouse. Still, the doomsday prophets scare me.

I would be most concerned about buying one with Advance-Trac. Very complex, and if component failure occurs, few outside of dealerships will be able to iron it out. $6900 reflects I think 2 things: Eddie Bauer, and 78K miles. Only the latter matters, to me. The cracked plastic panel on the upper hatch window occurred on about half of them; meaningless cosmetic blemish.

When you go to look: Turn key to "ON", wait, and watch the myriad of lighted icons on the instrument panel. Start engine. ALL should extinguish. This tell-tale is the first thing a dealer rep will do, when evaluating a vehicle as trade-in fodder. If any light remains on , question it. BTW, if I were contemplating buying a vehicle, bottom of the list of concerns would be sun roof leaks. Rather, pay close attention to the feel, firmness, repetitivity of shifts, initial engagements in all gears, of the transmission. imp

I have not owned one before. Would like to get my wife into one, just want to figure out the better year(s) to be looking at. I would love to buy her a newer one but they are way out of our budget.

 

[Number4]

Don't assume it's okay because a dealer is selling it. Just means you'll pay more.

Biggest turnoff on these, is the 4.0. If you can't pull the engine to do chains yourself, then go with the 4.6l only.
4.0 chains = $3,500
4.6 chains = $1,200

Imagine paying the $6,900 now then $3,500 this time next year.

 

[KYccriley]

Don't assume it's okay because a dealer is selling it. Just means you'll pay more.

Biggest turnoff on these, is the 4.0. If you can't pull the engine to do chains yourself, then go with the 4.6l only.
4.0 chains = $3,500
4.6 chains = $1,200

Imagine paying the $6,900 now then $3,500 this time next year.

Agree with ya, dealer = more money. I despise dealing with them. How hard are the 4.6 on gas? The 03 f150 i have has the 4.6 in it and 180k on the clock.
Thanks for the advise fellas,
Keep it coming

 

[imp]

Agree with ya, dealer = more money. I despise dealing with them. How hard are the 4.6 on gas? The 03 f150 i have has the 4.6 in it and 180k on the clock.
Thanks for the advise fellas,
Keep it coming

@KYccriley
How much annual mileage would you expect to put on this Ex? Reason for asking, early Gen 3s experienced enough timing chain guide failures too early (4.0L eng.) that Ford re-designed them. Thus, the final year, '05, may realistically be expected to do better in that respect. Given the low mileage, 78K, and pre-supposing 160K +/- might be realistically expected trouble-free in the guides consideration, 10 or 15 thousand miles per year would give you a daggoned many years of service. IMO, however, the asking price is high, when I consider I bought my 2004 in Apr. 2010, five years ago, for $7000 with 92K on it's clock. Problems experienced since then? Worst, failed Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid, replaced Solenoid Module myself for under $300. More minor, Fuel Pressure and Temperature Sensor failed, replaced myself for about a hundred bucks. The vehicle continues to run most acceptably. imp

 

[KYccriley]

@KYccriley
How much annual mileage would you expect to put on this Ex? Reason for asking, early Gen 3s experienced enough timing chain guide failures too early (4.0L eng.) that Ford re-designed them. Thus, the final year, '05, may realistically be expected to do better in that respect. Given the low mileage, 78K, and pre-supposing 160K +/- might be realistically expected trouble-free in the guides consideration, 10 or 15 thousand miles per year would give you a daggoned many years of service. IMO, however, the asking price is high, when I consider I bought my 2004 in Apr. 2010, five years ago, for $7000 with 92K on it's clock. Problems experienced since then? Worst, failed Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid, replaced Solenoid Module myself for under $300. More minor, Fuel Pressure and Temperature Sensor failed, replaced myself for about a hundred bucks. The vehicle continues to run most acceptably. imp

Roughly 20k + or - a year. Wife has a 2011 chevy traverse we got 2 years ago with 50k on it. It has 100k on it now but we arent running back and forth from hospital and dr as much with our son now. ive always been a ford guy but my wife had to have a traverse. We have had trouble with the power steering and are ready to get it gone while it still has some value. I turn my own wrenches on my trucks, im just not a fan of all the newer electronic stuff. The companies just dont make them like they did years ago. Seems like prices go higher and quality goes down.
I know the explorers arent gonna get great fuel mileage. Im okay with 18+ out on the highway because most her mileage is interstate.

 

[KYccriley]

Anyone have insight on the 4.6 engine and the years it was put in the explorer? How are they on fuel?
My fx4 f150 with the 4.6 gets 13ish around home and 17 on the hwy....

 

[TechGuru]

Really for $7000 I'd get a 4th gen. Or at least a 4x4.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=458489717

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=458916122

 

[KYccriley]

Really for $7000 I'd get a 4th gen. Or at least a 4x4.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=458489717

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=458916122

Im considering both...hard to find a 4th gen with 100kish miles for under $13k within 200miles of me.
We dont really need 4wd as just more stuff to maintain. Also fig the 2wd would get a tad better fuel mileage

 

[imp]

Im considering both...hard to find a 4th gen with 100kish miles for under $13k within 200miles of me.
We dont really need 4wd as just more stuff to maintain. Also fig the 2wd would get a tad better fuel mileage

@KYccriley
It would. But just a tad. If 4WD is not mandatory, eliminating the headaches expressed b y at least half of the respondents here regarding 4X4 problems, drives one to consider 2X4. imp

 

[WaterBrat]

To answer question about fuel mileage. My 05 EB 4.6l has 138,000 of which I put 66k in the last 4.5 years. My guess is still has the original spark plugs. I live on a pot hole filled dirt road about 2 miles from the hiway then 8 miles to town.. On the hiway I get 20.5 MPG cruising at 1800 RPM (maybe 60 or 61 MPH) in town I get between 13 to 14.5 MPG depending on how much time is in town and how much getting back and forth to the hiway.

Hope this helps.