Ford Explorer

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Oldgator73

Oldgator73

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I am considering purchasing a used Ford Explorer. I am looking on Carvana at vehicles with less than 30k miles and under $30k. I like it has a third row seating configuration and they get decent gas mileage. Anybody have experience with an Explorer?
 
Put 213k on a '98 Explorer and it was pretty solid. Had a '92 before that. I considered buying a new one before I bought my '23 Honda Passport but maxed out Explorers are upwards of $60k-$65k now. I assume it would have the 3.5 liter V6 Ecoboost engine. That's a pretty solid engine and has had all the kinks worked out. The only issue I think they have is the timing chain. They can develop 'chain slap' over time and that can be a serious issue. Certainly get a PPI done to have it checked. Ford build quality is about average nowadays. If you can get the VIN check for any recalls at Recalls | NHTSA. Are you going to tow with it? If so, see if it has the Ford Tow Package installed (hitch, beefier shocks, ATF cooler.) I think tow cap. with the tow package is 5500#.
 
consider them for what they are, a midrange suv. Ford made some good ones and some bad ones. Probably more good than bad. They sold a ton of them so it should be easy to identify the common issues and quality of the specific year/config you are looking at.

The year, appointment level, drivetrain, etc will affect whether it was a good one or a problematic year. I know lots of people with older ones with lots of miles that are hapoy with them so the odds are good you can find a decent one
 
Chef Duane said:
Ford build quality is about average nowadays.
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In my experience that has always been the case. They had made some great vehicles and some real clunkers. My best and worst vehicles were both fords.

One f150 i owned had nothing but serious issues until the day the qarranty ran out. Then all of a sudden i had very few problems with it. Maybe ford replaced alk the bad stuff on it under warranty but that was pretty weird
 
We bought a 2018 Explorer new to replace our 2004 Suburban, thinking it would be more reliable for our multiple cross-country solo trips. Both cars have been good toads behind our DP, and both are good solo cars. The Burb has significantly more interior room. A few of our issues with the Explorer:

  • Limited/unpredictable fuel range and excessive fuel consumption while towing a small cargo trailer (see below).
  • Both puddle lights (under the side mirrors) kept falling out. They weren't covered under our warranty, and the dealer's price was ridiculous. I bought a couple on Amazon for a fraction of the price.
  • The windshield had a "pattern" that was exacerbated in bright sunlight, to the point we couldn't see through it and had to pull off the road and wait for the sun to go down. The dealer's service department wasn't able to resolve it but, when I dropped a note to the owner, they went to bat with Ford. The windshield was eventually replaced at Ford's expense.
  • The trim strips on both sides of the windshield flew apart, and are the subject of a recall by Ford. Several years later, they still haven't been replaced, apparently due to a supply issue. Meanwhile, I bought some aftermarket strips from Amazon (OEM ones are $300 for the pair, if available).
  • The tailgate would open only partially (head banger), and the lift motor (?) was eventually replaced under the warranty.
Extract from my post several months ago:

"Monday was a bit of a nail biter. Chris, who does most of the driving, turned on the fuel consumption screen, not something she normally does. Instantaneous fuel economy and overall average were both out of whack, as were the fuel gauge and remaining range (miles to empty).

Compounding this, we'd taken a slightly different route, and the GPS proceeded to take us on a very long trip in the boonies of the NV mountains; No sign of civilization, no gas pumps, and no cell service for several hours.

Before we finally hit the I-80 freeway, the remaining fuel reading kept dropping, eventually hitting '0 miles to empty', and the fuel gauge read below 0. Instantaneous fuel economy and overall average were in single digits.

When we hit the freeway, we still had 45 miles to the next gas station. We crawled along in the slow lane with emergency flashers on, and both breathed a big sigh of relief as we eventually pulled up to the first pump to fill up. That's when I found the tank still had 3+ gallons of gas remaining. Some online research that night pointed to several concurrent causes that compounded the issue, and confused the on-dash displays:

- Towing anything with the Explorer significantly reduces fuel economy, although we were only towing a small cargo trailer.

- Lots of hill climbing in the NV mountains.

- Our driver's lead foot (no surprise).

- a/c added additional load.

From that point on, I manually calculated fuel consumption between stops, and watched everything improve as we eventually got down into the valley/flatlands.

Meanwhile, I was wishing we were in the Monaco DP with its more predictable long range."
 
I forgot about the ford windshield problem. That crops up from time to time on lots of fords. I learned about it on some f150s.

Ford has had a history of certain issues including leaky window seals and bodies rotting out in specific locations such as cab corners and wheel wells. Make sure you research the specific year of the explorer you are considering and inspect the vehicle for those specific issues.

My current f350 has been very good even though it is a first generation 6.7. Only problems have been with emmissions stuff and mostly sensors, not the actual emmissions equipment and i had a leak on the rear power window. The leak was repaired at a ford dealer and hasnt been a problem since. Not an explorer but there are problems that appear across the entire ford lineup over time.
 
rvlifer said:
I forgot about the ford windshield problem. That crops up from time to time on lots of fords.
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I read numerous complaints online, but I don't believe ours would have been replaced at Ford's expense if the dealer hadn't gone to bat for us.
 
Wifey has a 2009 Explore 2wd. Previous Owner did not opt for the 3rd row. Has been relatively trouble free, mostly routine maintenance stuff.
 
Tom said:
I read numerous complaints online, but I don't believe ours would have been replaced at Ford's expense if the dealer hadn't gone to bat for us.
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Doesnt surprise me. My friend custom ordered an f350 due to his job requirements.It came in and they never called him. He was driving by the dealer and saw it for sale on the lot. Not sure how he knew but guessing he had aome special stuff on it that is rarely ordered. His salesman had to fight the one who put it up for sale. They were happy to take his deposit then when they thought tbey could get more money for it than he paid they tried to sell it out from under him
 
rvlifer said:
Congrats. Good luck with it
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I hate buying vehicles. I don’t get any joy from it. We have a 22 Prius which we like but it’s too small for my wife and I plus the grandkids to take a long trip. The Explorer is rated to tow 5300 lbs and I have a small TT with a gross weight of 3500 lbs. I have seven days to return it if I don’t like it.
 
Enjoy, Explorers are the only vehicle my BIL will own, he's had more than a few in the 27 years I have known him.
 
I don’t know if I mentioned it before but I purchased this vehicle from Carvana in Philadelphia. The purchase price was $29k and some change. Carvana also charges a non refundable $890 shipping fee. So we drove over to Philly and picked the vehicle up. Took the grandkids and they got a kick out of watching the “vending machine” process. We stopped about halfway home for dinner and when I was backing out of the parking space the backup camera activated as it is supposed to but when I placed the vehicle in drive the camera stayed on. I shut the engine off and restarted and the camera turned off but the information screen went blank. I also noticed the Miles To Empty was counting up instead of going down. The next day I got online with Carvana and explained the problem and they asked if I wanted the problem fixed or did I want to return the vehicle. I opted for the return and stated to them that it’s been my experience that electrical/electronic problems are hard to quell. They said they would pick up the vehicle the next day. I stated not only should I be refunded the full purchase price but also the non refundable shipping fee since the car didn’t even make it home before it broke. They again said I would be refunded all refundable monies and fees. A couple of days ago I received and email saying the non refundable shipping fee and the full purchase price will be refunded to my bank account used to purchase the vehicle. I have since decided I do not need a second vehicle.
 
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