I am looking at getting a 2003 explorer v8 with 84000 miles on it. When I test drove it, it had rattle sound under the vehicle like a bucket of bolts. turns out that it was the torque converter. Which brings me to my question. How many of you guys that have an explorer use it to pull your stuff, and would that give it cause to give problems with the transmisions?

 

Have a 92 and 97, both tow a 16' flatbed trailer and push snow in the winter.

 

The transmissions are very tough. The thing you have to remember about any automatic transmission, especially those that tow is:
CHANGE THE FLUID

As far as the torque converter failing like that. It happens once in a while, has nothing to do with how it was driven or maintained. It is very unlikely that it would happen again.

 

I believe they are trusting like what was stated before, keep up with changing your fluid and filter and make sure you have a descent size tranny cooler, I'm not all too familiar with 3rd gens but if it doesn't have one install an auxiliary tranny cooler they aren't hard to install.