I posted this over on Reddit, but figured on a purchase like this I'd broaden the net for answers. That and this board is more active than the Explorer subreddit.

So I'm in the market for a kinda smaller 4 door SUV. I recently had a kid and my current DD a lifted 92 F-250HD ext-cab 4x4 isn't the most practical vehicle for my wife as she's stuck in the back with my daughter and climbing behind seats and on the awful half bench. She's a trooper but she deserves a bit better. She has a 4 cyl/5 spd escape which is great but not stout enough for my liking as a DD. I would be looking at the 4.6L V8 4x4, likely EB/Limited.

Now I could easily go for an expedition which was my first plan, but I don't necessarily need something that big or thirsty, and this generation just looks damn good to me visually, but I've heard nothing but horror stories about them. And I have no desire to go newer (can't justify the jump in cost from 2-4k to 10k+), might go earlier but I'm not a fan of the bug eye front end.

I don't need this vehicle to tow or haul or 4x4 other than kid stuff/groceries/luggage if we go a trip as I am keeping my truck for work/4-wheeling.

So my question is to those who own them, is it as bad as the internet says? Worse? Have you had good experiences? Should I keep looking?

For background: I do work in a full shop, can rebuild axles and do most work myself, rebuilding engines and transmissions are something the shop specializes in more so Porsches and other expensive cars.

TL;DR is a 2002-2005 explorer worth buying?

 

I am a fan of the 2002-2005 models. I had a 2004 Mountaineer Premier V8 and a 2004 Aviator and really liked them both. I didn't have major issues with either. And even though I never was left stranded by the transmissions, I always had that worry in the back of my mind.

Considering that you don't need this vehicle to tow or haul, and it doesn't sound like you need to stuff a bunch of people in it, have you considered the Escape as well? You'll get better fuel economy with the Escape and it will be a bit easier to find parking spots for.

-Rod

 

Mostly because my wife has one, and I'm 6'2" and I 'can' fit in an escape but I'm not comfortable for longer periods of time, we did a drive from Vancouver to whistler and it sucked in the escape for me. So creature comforts and a actual frame are the big selling points over an escape.

 

Ooops, yep, I see you did mention the Escape in your original post. Sorry about missing that.

-Rod

 

I just bought a 2003 V6 back in October...bought it with 320,233 miles on the clock and I've put another 3K on it since then. It's still running quite well. My dad has a 2005 V6 that he bought new in 2005, it has about 80K on it, and it too is running very well today.

I have seen many posts about the transmission and the timing chains on the V6. I haven't read about too much trouble with the V8 but that may be because I don't have a V8 and not really paying as much attention to anything that is being posted. I can say that I've got a 2003 Mustang GT with almost 167,000 miles on it...it's kinda the same V8 as what the Explorer of the same generation has in it. It's been running very well for me; it's only needed an intake manifold and a water pump.

Another issue that seems to plague these 3rd gen Explorers is the blend door actuator, which kinda controls the temperature of the air coming out of the vents. Neither mine nor my dad's has this issue.

I'd say go for it. You ought to be able to score a decent one in your price range with maybe 100K miles on it. I got mine for $1000, put another $2500 worth of work into it to pass state inspection (brakes, exhaust, front upper control arms, new tires) and it's pretty solid. I was a little worried about the high mileage but the previous owner showed me their maintenance records and it all seemed in order.

And from my perspective, they do seem to be rather abundant out on the road. I really think the 3rd gens are the most prevalent on the roads...followed by the second gens, then the 4th gens, then 5th, then 1st.

 

The A/C blend doors are a pretty common failure with the auto A/C unit, thus getting the manual '****' controls would avoid this issue.

I would avoid the 2004 MY since "some" came from the factory with the wrong trans fluid (and I just replaced our trans w/53k miles for $3900).

The 4.0L (v6) can have timing chain issues, the 4.6L (v8) is darn near bomb proof.

My oldest has an '04 Mercury Mountaineer w/80k with v8 and AWD and it hasn't had any of the above issues..

The rear hatch trim panel tends to crack near the emblem (happened to both the Explorer & Mountaineer)

 

We have an 02 mountaineer with the V8 and just under 150K miles. We did have the transmission rebuilt right after we bought it at around 60K miles. All wheel bearings have been replaced along with tie rod ends and sway bar bushings. Given the year and mileage, I can deal with that.


I do all my vehicle work myself, and sounds like you could do the same, which is very beneficial!


All in all, it has been a great vehicle and I would buy it again if I had to make that decision.

 

So side question...is that whole blend door issue just specific to the auto/digital HVAC unit? Or can it happen on the HVAC system with the manual controls altogether?

If the manual controls do not have this issue at all, that's a bit of a relief for me since mine (and my dad's) have the manual switches. I was worried I was gonna have to face this at some point.

 

My 2004 had a broken recirc door, and it let cold air from the cowl area bypass the heater core and would freeze out the passengers. I manually stuck it to permanent recirc under the dash and made it stay that way. Much better now. It has manual controls. The blend door actuator just died on my buddys 2008 sport trac with manual controls. I believe nobody is immune to hvac issues regardless of generation or controls. That said, I have had far less trouble from our 2010 after 110k miles than the explorer...lots of improvements to things.

 

The auto a/c opens/closes the blend door constantly to maintain the set temp. The spring is real strong and the motor uses a plastic 'joint' to move the door. There are some good videos that show the ordeal involved to replace the door, as well as the 15 min free fix (seperate the duct from the blower and slip out the door which has fallen onto and now blocks the blower from being able to move any air).

The manual a/c does *NOT* have this problem.

 

I've got an '02 Mountaineer. It's been pretty good. I've got the V8 and AWD. At 90,000 miles I have recently replaced the ball joints, and while there, I did the tie rod ends. Seems like I have a wheel bearing starting to hum, so I'll be doing them next. It also recently broke a rear spring, so I got them on order to replace also. Other than that, I've had none of the transmission issues or hvac yet and it's got the automatic climate control. I think sometimes people read too much into the issues. There is more of these vehicle on the road than almost any other vehicle ever made. Most people won't post in a forum until they have a problem. Considering that, how many do you think are running around with 100K+ miles trouble free? I have noticed quite a price jump when looking at an '05 to an '06 model.

 

This.

It is probably the best indicator of a vehicle's reliability. Just look around when on the road and see what's most prevalent. I think I mentioned it in my earlier post but the 3rd gen Explorers seem to be all over the place when I'm out and about. I don't see quite as many 4th gens out there.

 

Here's my experience with my '04 EB Explorer 4.6l V8 (130,000 miles)...
All 4 wheel bearings shot @ 100,000 miles
Upper ball joints @ 100,000 miles
Rear coil spring broke
Transmission has an intermittent 2-3 pause/hard shift
Drivers side seat recliner handle broke
Overhead console mounting bracket disintegrated
Both sun visor brackets disintegrated
CD's are stuck in radio and won't come out
Volume **** on radio only increases volume "loud"
Heated seat on passenger side won't turn off
No heat in front or back of vehicle
Rear hatch panel cracked
Tire pressure sensor light comes on in cold weather


My '96 Explorer was such a better built vehicle. Just my 2 cents!

 

Tire pressure sensor light comes on in cold weather ?it will as the tire pressure drops in cold weather try bumping up the pressure about 5 pounds in each tire ( including spare if it has a sensor )and you should be good

 

Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance.

These are great SUVs, I've worked on more then my fair share and driven quite a few of them. They can be the most dependable vehicle you have ever owned, or a money sink. It depends entirely on weather the Maintenance was kept up.

Now you never really know what the previous owner did to take care of the vehicle or if they ever did at all. So you want to do the usual checks when looking at a used Exploder. Even if its from a dealer, assume its never been cared for. If you have a mechanic friend take them with you, they will know what to look for in a lemon.

That said the biggest problem I have experienced with these is their transmissions. They are unforgiving. Most people don't think about changing their automatic transmission fluids or filters and have never heard the word "Transmission service" in their life. It is a big deal and for Fords it is a regular maintenance item.

Check the fluid when you look over the vehicle, It should be a nice redish color. Not brown or black. Smell it! If it smells burnt walk away. The transmissions filter has probably never been changed and that transmission most likely isn't long for this world.

Aside from the large amount of uncared for transmissions out there they are strong dependable trucks. Like all vehicles they do occasionally suffer from sensors going bad and need occasional maintenance. But they arnt terribly expensive to maintain. Easy to work on yourself. If you have Youtube and a small tool kit, and if you keep up with their maintenance they will last you a good long while.