hi guys im going to look at a 97' explorer 2 door 4x4 with the 4.0 xlt for my brother. it has 121,000 miles on it. are there any common problems with these trucks? what should i look for? how are they for reliability. any help would be appreciated

-Justin

 

I bought my '98 Explorer within the past year, it has the 4.0 SOHC engine with an auto. The only problems I have had to date are:
1. The radio display which was fixed for less than $100
2. The blend door, dealer wanted $1000 to fix, I fixed it for less than $10. Super common problem, if the one you are looking at is broken, you can probably get a better price. They knocked $1000 off of mine because of it.
3. Just started throwing the check engine light with a lean condition in the passenger side bank. This is also apparently a common problem, I am still working on it though so I don't know how much to fix.

Mine now has 116,000 miles and I have had no issues with reliability. I think in '97 they had both the ohv 4.0 and the sohc 4.0, either way I think that they are reliable (my dad's '95 Explorer has the ohv motor and he's had no trouble with his)

 

i have a 98 sport with 107,000 miles,probably the most reliable vehicle i have owned,just your regular wear issues,but nothing major.(ex-chevy guy)

 

thanks guys. also how do you know if it is an ohv or a sohc? does it say on the engine. it seems very well maintained and clean. the guy wants $3800 for it. is that a fair price? do they normally only have one leaf spring in the rear? the o.d light on the column doesnt work but it does throw it in and out of overdrive is there a bulb that i can replace for that? when i tried out the 4x4 i could not feel it kick in like i can on my 2000 psd. do these not have hubs that lock and unlock? the 4x4 light comes on the dash but i couldnt feel it.

-Justin

 

The plastic cover on top of my engine shows "4.0 SOHC" $3800 seems like a good price to me, I'd check it against kelley blue book before buying at that price though.

Mine has multiple leaf rear springs, it does have the tow package though, I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

My "OD Off" light is on the right side of the dash, not on the shifter like it is on my pickup. I'm sure it's changeable, but I'll bet it's a pain to get to the bulb.

Mine does not have hubs that lock or anything like the automatic hubs that you have to back up so far to unlock them. I can't hear anything when it shifts into 4 high, but it does. I can hear a clunk when I shift into 4 low. I tested the 4x when it was snowing last winter and was surprised at how smooth the transfer case shifted.

 

look at your vin# also,if it has a X it is ohv,if it is e it sohc.i think it is the 8th digit i believe?

 

The 8th digit of the VIN confirms the engine type, 05ranger is right on that. I can also conform that the plastic engine cover on my SOHC has "4.0 SOHC" stamped right on there; top of the engine, you can't miss it.
Mine also has the multileaf springs and air suspension (but it's UK spec so that might be one of the few differences).
It SHOULD have auto locking front hubs unless they've been replaced by Warn manual units or similar. Some say they've had problems with the auto hubs but they're an easy fix, mostly they freeze because of lack of use and are easily cleaned out and a good soak in light oil frees them right off. I reckon most people who switch to Warn hubs never try this fix.
Although 4x4 engagement is very smooth, it is VERY evident that you're in 4x4 if you're on pavement with heavy steering feedback when you turn slightly (be CAREFUL doing this as a test, you can bust a driveline).
You will hear horror stories about a timing chain problem on the SOHC and issues with the 5r55e 5 speed auto but don't let it put you off. Like everything else, this vehicle needs proper maintenance; Make sure the one you're looking at doesn't have any problems and you can keepit that way pretty easily.
Check it drives nice and doesn't "flare" (rev up) between gear changes or slip (allow the revs to rise without the road speed rising) in any gear.
Check reverse gear, especially backing uphill if you can. Reverse is often the first to show a problem in this trans.
Make sure that the engine starts and runs sweet, and doesn't have any rattles at idle when warm. Some do rattle a bit on cold startup but it should go straight away as the oil circulates.
Other than that, my preference is to make sure EVERYTHING is serviced as soon as I get a new vehicle even if the seller says it has just been done. Use good quality filters and the right oil (many people here have quite fixed opinions about their oil preference. I use a semi synthetic sold here by GM dealers at very good prices; our little GM subcompact did 120,000 very hard city miles on this oil without any problems at all and it didn't use a drop when we traded it 2 weeks ago) and either get the tranny flushed and change the filter or do it yourself with the method explained in this forum.
Then it's just a matter of keeping the maintenance up to scratch and you'll have yourself a very reliable truck.
Enjoy!

 

I have a 97 Eddie Bauer (will never get another Eddie one) I had to replace the transmission due to a problem with the Overdrive, and the automatic Air Conditioner unit died a while ago. The car has 130K miles on it and runs really well for a 4.0 liter.
I will problably expend a few more dollars on it prior to expending lots of money on a new one. So $3,800 for a nice Explorer is no bad.

 

I Have A 97 Exp. Sport Pur. New. Have 65000 Miles On It. Garage Kept And Babied. The Xmission Slips When Going From D To N To Reverse.xmission Shop Says This Xmission Was Bad From The Get Go???? Ford Used A Xmission From A Diff.model Vehicle???? Any Truth To This.i Might Be Willing To Sell Mine.everything Works Fine Except For Above. No Rust Except For Where U Step Into Vehicle.call Me For More Info. 773-373-0031 Or 312-835-1780 Thank You Jam Jam

 

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