New to Explorers - buying my first soon (used).. what to look for?

[kloan]

Hi, new here.. I've been more of a coupe driver for some time now... I've owned an '84 Rabbit, '96 Mazda MX3, '93 MX6 and a '92 Honda Prelude (just sold).

It's time to get a more comfortable, and suitable vehicle for work. One with more storage, safety, visibility, 4WD, etc.. and the Explorer Sport seems perfect. I'm looking for a used one, since my price range is limited ($3-4000). So I'm pretty much looking at '96-'99 models.

What should I be looking for as far as potential problems, things that they may be trying to hide, etc? I really don't want to end up with another lemon (the Prelude was..). While I know any used vehicle is going to have it's problems eventually, I'd like to make an informed purchase and save myself money problems down the road.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Dan Whitaker]

If you are looking at a V6 the transmission needs to be checked out.

If you go with a V8 the transmission is much better. There is not a great amount of milage differnce between the V6 or V8.

If there is around 140,000 or more miles on one you are looking at you could be looking at a fuel pump replacement in the near future. This is the milage mine went out on mine.

It left me stranded 200 miles from home & cost $700 US to have replaced.
The fuel pump it's self was $350-400

 

[Raminator157]

Look for the rocker panels rotting. Also look for upper and lower ball joints to make sure they are good. Remember, you get what you pay for. I have noticed that on the inside of the door at the bottom usually rusts and the same thing for the rear lift gate on the bottom. Somtimes these spots arent sealed correctly. I usually put grease on these places to slow down rust or prevent it. That should get you started.

 

[kloan]

Thanks for the replies so far..

Rust is a huge pet peeve of mine, I absolutely HATE rust. So those are some good points, and I'll be sure to check those areas.

Transmissions I've read over and over are problematic. Is there anything I can do to test if it's ok or is a mechanic required?

The ones I've been looking at so far have been around 190k - 210k kms, so hopefully by that point, most of the parts have been replaced that would tend to need replacing at higher mileage.. but it's still good to know what to look for.