Thinking of trading in Explorer

[1995E]

Hey all,

I was thinking of trading in my Explorer. 2011 XLT and the last appraisal told me 11K at 94K miles. Is this a good deal?

I’m trying to see if it’s worth trading in at that price point. I’m also worried about the future maintenance like PTU going bad again or water pump failure. If it wasn’t for the waterpump possibly grenading in the future, I would keep it.

If I do trade it in, what is a good vehicle to get? I’m thinking a reliable car that is fun to drive that will last me 10 years with decent tech. I found that the ILX and the TLX are pretty fun with the dual clutch.

If I don’t trade it in, I was thinking of waiting until 2020 for all the redesigns like the redesigned Explorer. In that case, should I replace my waterpump? It’s pretty expensive and I only plan to keep it 2 more years. Is it hard to do yourself? Anyone know of any good guides or videos?

 

[Sixonemale]

I was thinking of trading in my Explorer. 2011 XLT and the last appraisal told me 11K at 94K miles. Is this a good deal?

I’m trying to see if it’s worth trading in at that price point. I’m also worried about the future maintenance like PTU going bad again or water pump failure. If it wasn’t for the waterpump possibly grenading in the future, I would keep it.

If I do trade it in, what is a good vehicle to get? I’m thinking a reliable car that is fun to drive that will last me 10 years with decent tech. I found that the ILX and the TLX are pretty fun with the dual clutch.

Very valid points, because as of now it looks like you'll get about $11,000 for your XLT. If your water pump fails and no engine damage, that's about $1,600. If the water pump fails and coolant leaks into the engine oil, that's about $7,000, so then your $11,000 goes down to about $4,000 and even after replacing the engine you will not get much more than the $11,000. I did a quick search on the PTU and I'm guessing that's about $1,700 repair, a pure guestimate. Even though I have less miles on my Explorer I have these exact same thoughts due to the possibility of a seized engine without warning and no fault of my own.

 

[thefranchise713]

There is no devil but fear. And that's coming from a guy who dropped a nice sum on an ESP to take me to 100k--I'm at 40k now. I need to update that signature....

That said, we know the failure points on the Ex at this point. Yes, they're pricy. But they're not surprises. If the rest of the car has been reliable, I'd put a couple of grand to the side and roll the dice. Change the PTU fluid religiously. Doesn't sound like any car has hit your "gotta have it" radar yet other than to jump to the next machine before this one does something silly.

Good luck with whatever you decide. The calculus is complicated.

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd add a fourth choice, if the worry is so great and well founded; buy a reliable 98-01 high option Explorer or Mountaineer, and sell that one now for $11k. Then wait until you find something you really like more.