Ford Explorer

on the timing chain the is a plastic guide piece which had melted in mine which then exploded the motor, put a new motor in which as was the biggest mistake i could have made and now the trans is going out i will never buy another ford in my life because they suck so bad btw 01 explorer 4.0L

I have a 2003 explorer eddie bauer that I bought new in 03. The trucj was OK for the first year. Since that time the following has gone bad:

Paint chipping off front hood at 20K miles.
oxygen sensors gone at 20K miles
ECT sensor gone at 30K miles
ABS sensor gone at 30K miles
blew out spark plug at 60k miles (1800 to fix)
engine missing and skipping constantly
rear hatch back cracked all by itslef, dealer will not fix even though this is a common problem. 800 to fix
at 80k miles needs all new front end parts, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc...
THIS TRUCK SUCKS! I paid 38 grand for this POS and babied it./ Did all maintanence and it is falling apart. What a waste of money. QUality is NOT job one at ford.

Ford should NOT do work for NASA. My '95 Explorer went through head-gaskets, starter, alternator, two or three batteries, and a curious tendency on the part of Ford trucks for the electrical system to slowly die. One accessory after another quits: power windows, radio, rear washer, door switch, panel lights, overhead light. I saved myself a fortune by getting a 5-speed manual but now my left foot is larger than my right.

You'll get better service from a mule and wagon!! My 04 has a major transmission flaw, which Ford is aware of,  yet refuses to recall. Don' take my word for it, just google "04 Ford Explorer" and "transmission". You'll discover thousands of complains, all saying basically the same thing.

My question is, How do we get a class action suit against Ford?  Being Ford's most popular selling car for that year, it a major middle finger up to consumers.

i bought a 94 explorer 3 years ago, it had 290,000km on it and now it was 385,000 km , almost 100,000 km and 3 oil changes later (i know i know) it is still running strong, not one problem to speak of, the only money i have put into it is wiper blades, head lights, front pads and gas, its the best 3000 bucks i have ever spent. i have owned many cars, hondas, toyotas and VW's and as we speak i am looking into upgrading my explorer for a newer model. i love explorers and if you are looking into getting a suv i woulnt think twice about getting one, JARRET

My friend had one, he said that it broke down all the time.

I own a 2000 Eddie Bauer v-6 Explorer.It has 52,000 miles now and no troubles at all with it.It is Quick,nimble,and economic for a small truck(average 21.5 miles to the gallon on the highway and 18 in town), I am happy with it for now,but if Iwere to replace it ,I'd buy an American made Honda or Toyota SUV the "Big Three" automakers decided to leave their faithful workers in the lurch in unemployment lines and moved to other countries so they could take advantage of "cheap labor" and line their pockets while they try to pass off second rate (quality wise) automobiles that they can't even stand behind.I have always bought American and I still will,but it definitely won't be a Ford this time around.

2004 Explorer. Drove very nice in winter conditions with auto 4 X 4. Sold because only 15 mph on road trips driving 78 mph.

I have had an '01 explorer xls 4.0 liter V6 4X4 since it was new. Absolutely no major problems with over 110,000 miles.
Here is the glitch list. Replaced thermostat at 50,000 miles, routine belt and hose replacement at 60,000 miles. Left Side passenger door quit opening from the inside at 100,000 miles (repaired). Rear hatch latch got sticky at 100,000 miles (repaired).
Engine runs like it did when bought. It has power to spare. The automatic transmission shifts so smoothly you have to pay attention to even notice it. It four-wheels like a truck should, negotiating boulders, mud and snow with ease and the automatic all-wheel-drive keeps us safe at all times.
If you are in the market for an older explorer and find a clean one, buy it. Some people have had issues with these, but mine has been solid as a rock...

my 2004 ford explorer SUCKS. it has been in the shop to have the transmission fixed 4 times..the front end has had to be fixed, the heater is now makes a whistle, the rear leaks, the gas mileage is a CROCK... it is not my first ford. every car i have ever had has been a ford..i have had 8 fords and this will be the last..plus not to mention the value of them after you have it for a year is now a joke..the car is not even 3 years old and has under 30,000 miles....it sucks...don't buy ford...you want lemons go to the grocery...no wonder ford is in to trouble with putting these GIANT HEAPS OF GARBAGE on the road and not taking care of things or just giving you generic bandaids to hold it together until the warranty is over and then bending you over this will put you under...

Boyfriend is a Chevy man. Dad is a Ford man. I feel that every truck ( and no it's not derived from the Windstar....It comes from the F-150) no matter what brand will do the job you need done. The Explorer, I think, got a bad wrap on this site. The one thing some people don't realize is that your vehicle takes care of you like you take care of it! Who knows how many of you thought you bought a sports car, or didn't opt for the 4by, but took it 4 wheeling anyways. Then they wonder,,,,why doesn't my $25,000 dollar truck work? Guarenteed that repairs have to do with the owner/operator. Be nice to your explorers!!! I love the Explorers, there awsome vehicles, versitale and sexy.

Its not a bad car to drive for a gas guzzler. However, my family has owned two of these, and they have a lot of mechanical problems(which I hear is a common problem with Ford). They are expensive to maintain, and Ford cars just dont seem to hold up as well as others.

Do these come with roof flaps?

Good car until you drive in one! Smooth Ride and good looks but safety is an issue.

Ford need to re-engineer the design of the Exploder before they can claim that this year's model is the "best one yet." On second thought, this probably is the best one, and that isn't saying much.

I have owned 4 Eddie Bauers over the past 12 years. I just lost my present one due to the hurricane. I have test drove all the others within the 30,000 price range that had what I am looking for in a SUV. Sunroof, V-8, 6 CD changer, satallite radio, no 3rd row seat, roof rack, and the best is the keyless entry on the exterior door, Cannot find that in any other within 12,000 more. I have had every color it seems but I still this auto SUV gives me the best bang for "my" buck for the extra's that are important to me.

Awesome truck no problems strong 6cly american made!

I have never had a problem in my 4 years of owning my car. It is the best car I have ever driven and is great for cruising around. Plus it has plenty of room for all my friends and the numerous trips carrying items to and from college (Wisconsin to Florida).I have over 100,000 and still running like a dream. Great for the winter too.

after 72,000 miles, we have never been stranded. our 1999 4 door was under a recall when we bought for the speedometer cable. 3 other problems under warranty only cost 2 weeks at the dealer total. but for 25 grand, this glorified ranger was not worth the money.

chevy rules

We bought the car new in 96. It worked good for about a 3 or 4 year period of time, then it seems like every single thing on the car broke. It was just problem after problem for about a year period. After some huge bills it stabled out a bit (probably about 4 or 5 major fixes). I took it off-roading and it worked great. The 4 wheel drive is awesome. This truck has plenty of power for what we do with it (mainly towing our boat). Now, I'm still not sure if it's problem free...because on the last trip i took it on it had the check engine light (and all the fluids were good) then it turned off halfway through. FORD=Fix Or Repair Daily...but now since we've practically replaced every part, hopefully it will work for a little bit longer. I do like how it drives though.

Its not the best midsize SUV, but still an excellent choice. A strong V6, 7 passenger seating, and 4X4 for under $27,000 is a great deal. Their not as good as the old version at going off road. The old version had average cargo room- the new version has plenty.

We thought we were upgrading from a Windstar to an Explorer. With 2 kids in carseats and a dog, we have no room! The 3 person bench in the rear seat is not big enough for 3 people. We are squashed! FORD really gets ya if you dont choose a 3rd seat option from the beggining because now we cannot add one, our truck was not equipped structurally for it. That is so lame and inexcuable. There is no room in the front to move around, or place a purse, etc if someone else is in the passenger seat. The cargo area is big, but that is about it! Odd shaped plastic pieces continually fall apart from under the seats in the back. This isnt even 6 months old and we already need all new shocks as well. Very deceiving from the outside. After a couple of weeks, we wished for our old Windstar back, this is waaaay too small and seeming cheaply made.

I finally got wise and traded my Jeep Grand Cherokee in for a 2002 Explorer Limited. I will never own anything other than an Explorer. But I can say one thing...I would rather drive a Volkswagen than that piece of C**P Jeep.

Very high quality car. I've driven an Explorer since I started driving in 1997 and there have never been any problems whatsoever with the car. The engine is powerful and the ride and suspension are excellent. It is a very stable truck; you can drive at high speeds and feel nothing. Most trucks start riding rough after you pass 80 m.p.h., not the Explorer. Also, Ford makes way better trucks than any of the Japanese car companies. Those cars as a whole seem to drive like tin cans compared to American made cars, which are the best in world, and I'm not just saying that because I'm American. Nationalistic pride certainly does plays a role!

Very nice vehicule. It doesnt resembles the previous one, and it rides on Michelins. Awesome cornering, great ergonomics, good acceleration, and above all very safe. If you ask me for recommendations, buy one. A year and a half and over 60,000 miles in it and it still runs like the first day.No problems to report.

I have a 1999 Explorer Sport. I even custom ordered it in 1998 to get exactly what I wanted. Before this, I had Toyotas and Hondas and refused to purchase an American vehicle. However, I liked the look of the Explorer and thought I would give it a try. What a HUGE mistake that was! I have had it in the shop more times than I can count on two hands. The customer service is terrible and it is the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. As soon as I am able, I plan to get rid of it!!! Don't purchase a FORD...it stands for Fix Or Repair Daily! I will go with a Toyota or Honda next time!

Always been a gmc/chevy man and always will be, But I tow my boat (chevy motored) with the 1997 Ford Explorer xlt V8 because GM didn't have a vehicle at that time that had a v-8 without being huge for my wife(primary driver). I have the 5.0 and love it. 19 mph on the highway, who knows mpg in the city. Two things went haywire in the 65K mileage since I owned it. Dead battery after about a year and rt side fog light burned out twice. The only other complaint I had was hairline paint cracks in the channels on the roof but no-one could guarentee that they could fix it due to it being a seam between top and sides.It only shows up when you wax (every 6 mos.) I'd buy another one, especially now that they have independent rear suspension. Sport Trac looks like and even better combo. I'll stick to chevy motored boat though!

i have one and it drives smoothly on dirt roads and on paved roads it's an all around great vehicle!

I have some friends who used to own one of these before it got recalled.Not a very nice experiene. I personally do not like the shape.

Not that I'd even consider giving Ford a second glance, but after the Firestone fiasco I wouldn't touch an Explorer with a ten foot pole. I personally would avoid the thing at all costs.

Part of a great automobile is its service record. My Ford Explorer has been in the shop 3 times for 3 different problems - all significant. Crappy service departments and ongoing problems with this vehicle that has 20,000 miles on it will send me to another car maker as soon as I can justify unloading this one!

We bought our first one in 1990 and traded it only because we moved to a very hot dry area where the sun shines most of the time. That Explorer was black--too hot here. Changed to frosty mocha in 1994 and it is wonderful. We have had no problems with it at all and have 75,000+ miles on it. We would have bought another, but they have limited the knee and leg space under the steering wheel and my husband no longer fits. So we had to go to another SUV (didn't want anything bigger in the Ford or any other line.)

Here is a vehicle that is just Okay. The ride is great on smooth roads, but it feels like the thing will shake apart on some of the gravel roads on which I drive. The gas milage for a v6 should be better than 16. I had a van before, and the explorer only offers the illusion of cargo capacity. 4 people can ride comfortably, the sound system is great, and the one I have has leather option package, and that is nice enough. It has plenty of pickup. Yet, I know there is something better out there, and after having a van I am constantly disappointed on how little I can get in the Explorer.

The tire problem bothers me. If it weren't for that, I'd rate it a 5. It's fun to drive and I love mine.

I drove one of these recently for a couple of days and actually liked it more than I thought I would. In general I'm not a big fan of the oversized SUV's that crowd the streets these days and for the most part do little more than carry baby strollers and diapers from Starbucks to Starbucks. But I have to admit it was certainly a comfortable ride, very smooth, good acceleration, and overall very stable feeling, (of course I didn't stray any farther than secondary roads so that doesn't say a whole lot). I did however tow a little under 2,500 lbs. of stuff behind me on a trailer and it was certainly more stable at highway speeds of up to 75 mph than other vehicles I've driven with similar loads behind them and it didn't experience that constant herking and jerking that other trucks fall prey from the shifting weight of the tailer. So even though I still wouldn't buy one because I'm not a soccer mom and therfore would feel left out I can appreciate it's utilitarian side and give it a 4 spot.

Waiting to see what shakes out between the Explorer and Firestone,,,is the Explorer a great vehicle if mounted on Michelins?...or is the Explorer part of the problem... Can you imagine having one Grandfather the CEO of Ford and the other the CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone?

Very nice vehicle. Beautiful styling, comfortable seats, great sound system and great reliability. The optional engine delivers plenty of power, I would recommend it over the base engine. Ride is a bit stiff, and door handles are known to break.

Except for Automatic transmissions and problems with the 4 wheel drive motors, everytning fine, Oh, and the door handles are notorious for breaking.

The best SUV for your money. Affordable, dependable, and a good look. Great for anyone.

Explorers are a great SUV. They are nice and roomy. They drive great and I think everyone should have one.

Awesome truck! Lots of power! Drives smoothly.

Some people think the Explorer is a truck??!! It's more like a glorified mini-van! A nice car for women.

First things first-- the Explorer is a truck, not and "SUV". The newly designed 6 cylinder engine gives you all the punch you need and the truck feels solid underneath you. It really is the best truck in its category.

Best SUV on the market.

It is kind of shaky riding over uneven roads. Feels like it is going to tip over.