Reading on Carcomplaints.com makes me paranoid./my issues

[jakedrew]

Dont know why I read up on that site, but I do. http://www.carcomplaints.com/


Some usefull info on there about common issues.

My problem is I read up on there and I get paranoid about reading all these problems with the explorer.

Let me run down my history with my bought brand new 04 xlt v8.

3k miles nail in tire( I know nothing major)

10k miles- transmission additive added for harsh shifts, CEL= computer needed to be reflashed. and new stereo installed ( had to press the seek button twice to make it switch)

25k- water pump started leaking. Replaced water pump.
(SHOP did a half as$ install and went back in the next day for a new belt that replaced the shreadded one on there which caused a chirping 25k miles later, i had to pick rubber off the pulleys).

33k limited slip in rear end wasnt disengaging. - New rear end.(just had to do with the limited slip/ not the howl)

37k- shifter had a hard time moving out of park- new solonoid part.

43k front sway bar bushings ( i did)

46k - heater worked on High only ( i replaced the 1234 dail behind the knob)

48k - ABS light on- I replaced the rear end speed sensor.
50k new tires
53k Rear end howl - Extended warranty covered the rear end TSB.
55k new battery
56k Front diff input shaft seal was leaking , /extended warranty
loose steering wheel feeling over bumps/ upper steering shaft replaced
62k Blend door actuator ( i replaced )

I am just out of extended warranty so I am on my own from here on out. I dont have a problem wrenching and these forums are awesome and saved me a ton and gave me some great knowledge.

63k Now I need a left front wheel bearing and I parked it for the summer an drive my 02 cavalier (which i dont drive in winter).


My complaint is I think I HAD my fair share of issues. I am not a ford guy really, I got a 94 taurus off my grandpa which I put a ton on miles on and it still runs great. Just did a tune up at 150k and that was it.. So I figured a 36k $ ford would be just as good.

I like the explorer, looks nice, rides nice. I can tow stuff. I have it undercoated, windows tinted and f150 tow hooks( love the way the look), bug shield , and the ford rear roof wing.
I am just about payed off on it. ( got the 72 months at 0 % as i knew i would keep it).

Part of me wants to get rid of it after reading all these problems. But I got most of the bugs worked out of it. I treat it nice and it is great in the snow. I wont get much more then 10k$ in trade in.

I just need some boost in confidence and not to worry about it.

Thanks for reading.
Jake

 

[XLT]

Sure you have had your fair share of problems but maybe its wise to stick with it. If you bought another vehicle you never really know what problems its going to give you. Atleast with the explorer you know all of the problems that have been fixed which reduces the chance of the parts breaking again in the future hopefully. Its all the better to that you almost have it payed off and maybe still have some of the warrenty left.

 

[joe doe]

i have a 2000 ex sport and i have had my share of issues too.i bought it right when it came off a 2 year lease for 14,990.00.it had only like 32,000 miles at the time .
135,000 miles later i have had my share of problems with the 4.0 v-6 ohv engine .

rear window wiper motor replaced just befor i bought it .
then i had a good run for many years ,just doing oil changes and brakes and tires .to be expected.
now recently at 135,000 miles my whole engine was leaking antifreeze at every possible spot.
had all the upper end gaskets replaced .
head gaskets'
upper plenum gaskets
intake gaskets
the water pump was leaking then too so we done a new water pump and gaskets
looked like the radiator was leaking too so i replaced that too along with a new lower hose .
then we did the thermostat too.
now after all that now my timing cover is leaking antifreeze too.so thats in my near future too.
we are going to replace the timing chain and all the guides and tensioner while we have that cover off.
last few months this thing been killing me .but i did have a long run without alot of maintenance .
we done new plugs and wires too.
i love my explorer ,but i hate the gas mileage .the v-6 doesnt get much better mileage than the v-8.
i actually think a small v-8 in this sport chassis would get better mileage and if they offered one i would buy it .
overall i still love my explorer i just hate the gas mileage .
this is my 3rd ex sport and probably not my last .i am a ford lover .
i have a ford e250 work van too.
over the years i has 3 ford mustang 5.0`s too.
oh yeah and a ford pinto...lol.....
at this point i am too far into it to turn back now .at 135,000 miles i have just about replaced anything that ails it .
still running the stock exhaust...that hasnt failed yet .big bill when it does.
replaced the alt like twice and the belt once .
now my a/c pump is starting to make noise at 135,000 so i ordered a reman one and i,m waiting to put that on too.

even after all that i still love my explorer and i would buy another . it never left me down .even in a foot of snow.

ps-i have the 4by4

 

[jakedrew]

ya, every car has it's issues. I could trade it in on a chevy truck and it could be the biggest POS ever. My dad has a 03 z71 with twice my mileage and it gets used like a truck and he has only minor issues. He takes care of it pretty well though.


My extended ford warranty ran up at 60k/ or last November . I hit November first. I felt I broke even on what I payed for the extended warranty. Which could be a good thing.

 

[rhauf]

62k miles and just normal wear and tear problems. i see nothing there to worry about, all cars have some issues.. particularly ones like flat tires, warn out tires, and needing new batteries.

whats with the "im not a ford guy" thing? i don't really understand why people think it's necessary to point out that they don't actually "like" the car they own, to a bunch of other owners of the same vehicle on an online form.

 

[jakedrew]

only reason I got a ford was my grandpas 94 taurus. That car has been great to me so I got a new ford expecting the same treatment. I personally think some of them problems I can see having over 100k miles, but the normal tune up/ wear and tear items I havent even really touched yet besides a air filter and soon to be fuel filter ( dealer did one at 30k).


Ya, I should have left that "ford" part out, sorry. I am on other forums And understand. I am a GM guy at heart, but I do like my 2 ford products I own. I enjoy learning about them and with out this forum, haha, i dont know what I would have done.

I dont want to turn this post into a ford bashing. Gm's have more then enough issues too. Not worth arguing over. sorry.

I was just posting about my issues and my thanks to the forums. Just wanted to get some advice about my idea of getting rid of it. But I just go through a phase here and there when reading stupid sites like car complaints.

Basically people come to the internet to talk bad about these things. Rarely you hear about the GOOD stories from explorers.

 

[XLT]

Rarely you hear about the GOOD stories from explorers.

Thats so true of any vehicle. But hey. You dont have to bleed blue to be part of this forum. As long as you dont bash ford on here people dont have a problem. But i think you are allowed to complain a little.

 

[jakedrew]

haha ya.

 

[rhauf]

only reason I got a ford was my grandpas 94 taurus. That car has been great to me so I got a new ford expecting the same treatment. I personally think some of them problems I can see having over 100k miles, but the normal tune up/ wear and tear items I havent even really touched yet besides a air filter and soon to be fuel filter ( dealer did one at 30k).


Ya, I should have left that "ford" part out, sorry. I am on other forums And understand. I am a GM guy at heart, but I do like my 2 ford products I own. I enjoy learning about them and with out this forum, haha, i dont know what I would have done.

I dont want to turn this post into a ford bashing. Gm's have more then enough issues too. Not worth arguing over. sorry.

I was just posting about my issues and my thanks to the forums. Just wanted to get some advice about my idea of getting rid of it. But I just go through a phase here and there when reading stupid sites like car complaints.

Basically people come to the internet to talk bad about these things. Rarely you hear about the GOOD stories from explorers.

thats cuz the "good" is no fun to talk about..

on that note, my '93 with 215k on the clock runs solid every day and has been great. i tow with it, drive the hell out of it, offroad it etc, and it runs like a top still, most reliable vehicle i (or most of my family) own.

 

[MrQ]

If you look on the front page of my registry you will see all the things I have had to do to my Explorer to keep it running.

Some days I just want to haul off and whack it with my sledge...other times, I can't imagine having any other vehicle. It's certainly not perfect, but I have put it through a lot in nearly 2 years of ownership (feels more like 5) and it is an amazing vehicle.

You can obviously see I am in a "love my truck" mood.

 

[jayton]

Most of the posts on carcomplaints.com is for the cracked plastic panel on the outside rear glass. Sure it is annoying, but it doesn't really effect the reliability of the truck.

In my lifetime, I have owned 3 Fords, a BMW 325i, a Honda Accord, a Toyota Camry, and a Pontiac Grand Prix GT. By far, my 2002 Ford Explorer is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned in my life.

The only problems I have had are suspension issues, and suspension parts are supposed to wear out. Especially since I have 170k miles! I have had front wheel bearings, upper ball joints, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings go bad. All very minor fixes. I also have had an issue with rough 4-3 downshifts when accelerating at higher speeds for the last 60k miles. That issue has not gotten any worse over that long period of time, and it is probably just as simple as a new solenoid pack in the trans to fix that. I have the rear end hum, but have gotten used to it. I also have paint peeling on the roof. None of those issues effect me getting from point A to point B.

The Explorer has NEVER had problems with:
-power steering pump failure, like my BMW did
-leaks around the sunroof or door weather stripping like my Mustang, T-Bird, Accord, and BMW did
-transmission failure, like my Mustang, Grand Prix, and T-Bird did
-A/C issues, like my Accord, Camry, and BMW did. In fact, the refrigerant in my Explorer is the same that was added at the factory, never once needing a recharge.
-had an oil leak or burned oil, like my T-Bird (302 HO), Camry, Grand Prix, and BMW did
-Exhaust falling apart, like my Mustang and Camry did
-ignition issues, like my Mustang, Camry, and BMW did
-interior trim falling apart, like my BMW


I could go on and on with listing all the problems that my other cars have had that my Explorer is exceptional at. These are just a few that I thought of off the top of my head. I am very grateful for my Explorer, the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

 

[jrford]

Basically people come to the internet to talk bad about these things. Rarely you hear about the GOOD stories from explorers.

So true and they made 1.3million 3rd gens. . . .a lot still running.

Looking over your list comparing it to ours (wifey's DD), '04 V8 AWD w/3.55's opens - the history is very similar to ours.
12k - Trans TSB
15k - Rear ABS
42k - new front bearings, nothing really wrong, chasing ABS faults.
43k - ABS Master Cyl Sw.
50k - Battery
53k - Transmission Rebuilt $1600, internals self destructed (might be due to ragging on it). . .
70k- Battery/Alt the little ones liked watching movies camping which i think killed it.

reason for keeping
NO PAYMENT - priceless
Frame still solid
Engine runs strong
quiet
no drips or leaks

and with the help of this forum i hope to keep it a long time.

 

[jakedrew]

^ i can totally agree with what you are saying.

Kinda weird we had a few of the same issues.

 

[jrford]

jake,
just curious, where when built?
If i remember off the top of my head ours is a St Louis build March of '04, might be sisters?

 

[carcomplaints]

Basically people come to the internet to talk bad about these things. Rarely you hear about the GOOD stories from explorers.

It's true and carcomplaints.com is one good example of that. The entire site is run by driver-submitted complaints and the hope is to be able to educate car owners about problem trends, recalls, average cost to fix, etc.

The Ford Explorer is one of the most commonly complained about vehicles on my site, but based on your list of repairs there is a lot of just normal wear and tear issues. The one thing I would advise keeping an eye on is that tranmission, since problems related to that are among the most costly to fix.

Also, while not necessarily a major issue, the rear panel tends to crack on a high percentage of these vehicles and that has definitely upset a lot of people since Ford refuses to acknowledge the problem.

 

[Attacking Mid]

The best advice I ever heard from an auto mechanic friend.... buy the car you want to drive. All cars have problems, and if you bought the car only because you deemed it reliable, you're eventually going to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you truly like the car, somehow it's easier to accept its faults and failures.

I drive a BMW. Believe me.... I know about faults and failures!

AM.

 

[Robsbrd99]

I found carcomplaints.com about a year ago and have looked at it every now then. The question I have is, I've noticed the number of 02 trans failures go way up in the past year and the 05 failures stay nearly the same. Is there a difference in the 02 and 05 tranny?

 

[jakedrew]

jake,
just curious, where when built?
If i remember off the top of my head ours is a St Louis build March of '04, might be sisters?

ya it has a st louis proudly made sticker on the windshield .

 

[guilateen]

peace of history,many roadtrips, great family vehicle, shes like a puppy:many headaches,time and money invested, but when shes old and gone youll be wishing for one more day.besides if your asking why keep her, (u r still in love with ur ex.)