What to look out for on 95 explorer

[colinc]

I've found a great deal on a 95 Limited in Oxford White with 41,000 original miles. It's a 4x4 with all options. What should I look for along the lines of common problems with this model year? Any help you can give me is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[mdrut]

Crawl under it and look for bent broken or missing suspention parts..Also look at the floor pan and oil pan and exhast pipe, I know mines bent all to hell...hehe

 

[RU MAN]

TRANNY TRANNY TRANNY, make sure that the trans is shifting like it should. Test drive it again and pay close to tranny. Trust me on this one. Also make sure the engine is completely cool, and then start it with the hood up, and make sure its not knocking, or pinging. Other then that buy the damn thing, you will love it.
lata

 

[dgammon]

I've had my 95 Limitedfor just over a year, and I've been well pleased. It's a good riding comfortable vehicle, and I've had little problem. I did have a front suspension part break. I can't remember the name of the part, butIjust got a notice from Ford on a recall of the same. Am gonna try to get them to reimburse me for the repair.

Yesterday I drove over the mountains to NC in the middle of a snowstorm. The 4WD Auto worked great. I might have felt a little bit of a slide once, but I'm not sure. The 4WD activity is completely transparent to me - that is, there's no sensation of being in 4WD. I just drove carefully and my Explorer plowed right through it. Good Luck.
Dan

 

[yob_yeknom]

I have a '95 and have been pleased with it.
things to check:
front differential seal
rear axle seals
make sure it goes into 4wd auto and 4wd low

Those have been the pain-in-the-a$$-to-fix problems I've had. Mine does have 90,000+ miles though. Also difinitely check out the tranny. If all is good BUY IT!! You'll be glad you did!

 

[Stephen]

Another thing, run the VIN at www.carfax.com its well worth it.

 

[01EB5.0]

i would try to find out the maitnance history if possable to see how it was taken care of.

 

[kps36]

The tranny in these is the 4R55E (not the greatest, but a damn sight better than the A4LD). Agree, check the maint records. Also, run the VIN thru CarFax, unless you know the guy and the history. The only unexpected prob I have had in 2 years is the serp belt tensioner fell, yes fell, off. Oh, yeah the AC compressor went out a year ago and I short belted it, it still is. But AC on all Fords SUCK ! Run the AC thru its paces and observe, listen for potential problems, If the AC goes, it is not cheap (my estimates range from $800-1300). And make sure the recall for the sway bar links has been done, but if it hasn't, I suggest ordering the set from Jegs, for 1/4 the price and a MUCH sturdier set.
If you decide on getting it, with 41K you can then proceed to do the mods people have listed here, and replace all fluids with syns.
Mine has been a good runner and fairly dependable.

 

[Tommy2000]

And a 96?

I am looking at a 96, LTD, with about 106,000 on it, and wondering if these are the same things to look at as well...I did a carfax, and it looks like it was first a ford fleet vehicle, and then a lease vehicle, and then sold at an auction, and then sold at another car lot...they are asking 11k for it...I have not driven it yet, but the sales guy says it is really clean (of course he would) and that the power steering pump was bad but they were replacing that...what gears are in these, and what is the deal with this 4 X 4 AUTO...?! Wouldn't that suck for offroad???

Any info appriciated...

 

[kps36]

11K for the 96 is, IMHO, about 2K too much. same stuff to look out for there too, but more so b/c of the 100K miles. I would stay away from that one. The Fleet-lease-auction-sale history is very curious. Yeah for off-roading the 4x4auto isn't too great, more for inclement road use. The 4xLow is pretty decent. There could be any number of gears in that, but considering it is a LTd I would guess it is not going to be higher than 3.73, if that. Same on the sway bar links, it was for 95-97s.

 

[yob_yeknom]

I think the auto 4wd is the best thing ever! It has faired pretty well for me off road. Being able to set it and forget it during bad weather (don't have to put it back in 2wd to go over dry pavement) is great.
$11,000 is way too much for a '96 Limited with 106,000 miles. I paid $9,900 for a '95 XLT (basically same vehicle, different year) that only had 83,000 miles on it. That included a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty on the engine, drivetrain, A/C system, and fuel system. That was also before all of the mess with the recalls caused a decrease in the resale value of the Explorer.

 

[01EB5.0]

i would say $11 grand is too much for a truck with 106,000 miles. the limited does have the air ride suspension on all 4 corners (which would be nice) and the computer thing in the center. Also it has different seats and the premium sound system. i would look for an eddie bauer or limited with a bit less miles for the same price. try classifieds2000.com or yahoo classifieds. i bought my truck from an ad I found on yahoo classifieds. if you want any more suggestions or advice let me know!