Hey guys, I usually hang out in the Excursion forums, but I believe y'all will be more help with this question. A guy I know is looking at selling his 2006 Explorer 4x4 4.0 (which trim escapes me at this time) with only 96000 miles on it. It is in good shape, 3 rows of seats. He said he would sell to me for $5k. Seems like an ok deal, below book value, but I really am not very familiar with the smaller Fords. What do I need to look out for on these? Or avoid it altogether?
I am looking for a good, reliable, 4x4 grocery getter that is a little smaller and more fuel efficient than the Excursion, but will still fit both kids, the wife, and the dog in with me, lol. Not really looking to jump into something I will be working on constantly. Thanks guys!

 

go to

ford explorer problems


here you will find out nothing

 

There are plenty of "what to look for" threads here, OP can scroll down a few to a couple dozen pages and find them.

On an '06 4.0 you are talking the SOHC motor. As OEM in '06, they were "ok" as the cam tensioner problem was "fixed". But it is a poor design imo. IF, and I say IF this was maintained by the book with records to prove it, AND it doesn't rattle on cold start up, the motor is probably safe.

MPGs for around town with some freeway would be 15ish.

Other issues:

The transmission. Take it out and drive it through the gears. Beware any "flare" when shifting. That is, if the rpms rise during the shift and the trans slides into the next gear like an old Powerglide, you will be servicing that trans sooner than you like. Again, there is an epic thread on those transmissions in the Ranger forum. A fluid swap every 30k seems to keep them alive.

Rear axle bearings seem to be an issue, both at the wheel and in the diff itself. If it's a howler now, it won't get better.

At 96000 ball joints may or may not be an issue, but are probably still good for a while. Check tire wear for a clue on that.

Rear parking brake shoes crumble into dust, so plan on checking those along with the pads if you give it a go-over. (drum in hat in the rear disc, you'll see it if you pull a wheel)

Price seems right. If all else is good, remember it's not going to get fantastic mileage as a grocery getter. Otherwise it could soldier on for another 200k.

 

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was looking for.

 

Be careful, my wife has the 4.6 V8 and my Excursion has the 6L, I get BETTER fuel mileage than she does.!! She gets 11-13 MPG around town and 18 on the highway.