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Comments
Funny, my two BMWs never needed additional coolant. I guess that's just Ford's quality engine work.
42k miles tranny gone
50k powersteering pump
50k squeeling noise (continues)
tires of course
These are just a few of the problems with my explorer. Now Because Ford Floods the markets with these vehicles everyone is trying to get rid of them below market value. Thus I must bite the bullet to get out of it. I guess FORD (Found on the road dead) was pretty true after all.
that SUCKS!!!!!
ace
i don't care about new vehicles sales figures. i have an exploder already. it's has been nothing but trouble and continues to be. ford placed inferior mechanicals on an inferior platform. my import suv will run circles around my exploder any day of the week, in ALL aspects. that is ford's fault, and now it is my problem.
oh, and by the way, i'm getting a "funny" feeling about with transmission again. oh well, i guess it's been 8K miles since the last one was put in at 27K miles. it's probably because i don't service it, right??? WRONG, it's because ford makes a BAD product. plain and simple. number one seeling SUV. who cares. and those of you who will talk about how many satisfied owners ther are out there.... puh-lease. there's more p.o.'ed ones at edmunds.com than ones that have anything good to say about it.
f.o.r.d., i sincerely hope that you choke on excess inventory of the new explorer.
ace
it sucks... and f.o.r.d. really sucks. nice roll-out of the '02 explorer. oh well, quality must be job 1001.
and yes, i have traded, in effect by leasing, suv's before, and no, the imports do not take the same hit that has been burdoned on the previous generation exploder. ford and firestone are to blame. plain and simple.
"so many out on the road" is simply due to blind fiath in domestic quality, which, by the way, AIN'T THERE! i would put ANY mid-size import suv up against any domestic, any day. no comparison.
good mechanic.... how can a good mechanic fix poor quality???? can he repair my transmission before it breaks? no, not befoe it is due for its service interval. or should i maybe get my tranny flushed every time i get my engine oil changed?? is that what i should do? what about those poor folks with the p.o.s. 4.0SOHC engines? should they have known, and gotten the OHV instead? the argument 'but there are so many explorers on the road, you must be an isolated occurance' doesn't hold any water. ford makes bad products, plain and simple. from the head gaskets blowing on the aerostar engines, to the bad trannies in the taurus/sable, to the rear windshield shattering on the new exploder, to the front end problems with the excursion, to the gas fumes problem with the escape, to the, to the, to the..... you get the picture. does toyota or honda have the same quantity of problems? NO, and they sell plenty of sophisticated vehicles. sure, they have isolated issues but not on virtually every model in their line.
the happy ford explorer owner forum is a joke. "only post here is you are happy with your explorer" bwahahahahahaha.
why aren't happy ford exploder owners posting there then. i see mostly people bitching. i personally don't know anyone who is satisfied with their '96 to '99 or later, exploder. that goes for rattles, rough transmission, firestone tires, windshield wiper oddities, etc etc etc....
oh, and thanks for the news flash that a new vehicle drops in value once it's been titled. i think that i heard that somewhere, once, but i just couldn't believe it.
and, by the way, most '97 vehicles haven't gone in for "a few fixes"! they have gone in for a few services, but only a f.o.r.d. loyalist would believe that a few problems are "normal". THEY'RE NOT. you actually sound greatful that you haven't had any "major" problems. you should e, you are one of the lucky. i personally have had a bad tranny (maybe twice), bad front driveshafts, non-recalled firestone wilderness at's, misc. electrical gremlins, underbody rust everywhere, bad gauges, a bad intake air flow sensor, and undiagnosed clunking from the front end. that's just the "major" stuff. i can, and will, [non-permissible content removed].
i've kept cars for 3 or 4 years and even bought used, and can't recall a single vehicle requiring more than one unscheduled, non wear and tear, need to be fixed.
ace
I'm sorry that things havn'e gone well for you, but they have for me and my 94.
Matt
"why aren't happy ford exploder owners posting there then. I see mostly people bitching. I personally don't know anyone who is satisfied with their '96 to '99 or later, exploder. that goes for rattles, rough transmission, firestone tires, windshield wiper oddities, etc etc etc...."
Hi ace10. I am very happy with my 98 XLT V8 AWD with 42k. I have had no major problems with my explorer to date. No rattles. No transmission problems.....NADA! I am short of abusive with my explorer. I take it to the Pismo dunes, off road through creaks and into the snowy mountains of the Siera Nevadas. Guess what? I post in the happy ford explorer forum. You obviously didnt research. Speak for yourself and not everyone else. It is unfortunate that you are having problems. My advise to you is dump your explorer, buy a foreign SUV, and post in the appropriate forum.
ps. Anything made by human hands is bound for errors. Yours obviously more than mine.
mattrichter- as i mentioned.. the '96 and later exploders are very problematic. yours is a '94. please pay attention to what is being said.
zman3- ditto, except that your is a '95
smily1- yours is powered by a v8 from the 60's. plenty of time to figure out how to make it works reasonably well. it also has a different tranny and awd system than the 4.0's.
also, what didn't i obviously research? i saw tons of explorers on the road and thought it would be a good vehicle. little did i know that it is a rolling piece of junk. if you have a "happy" forum, then why are you posting in here?
now back to the subject. ford and firestone have screwed those of us who are fed up with our exploders.
by the way, i also have a '98 qx4 which has had exactly one problem, and was fixed so quickly that it didn't even bother me. and to those of you who will say that the infiniti is in a different class, you're right, it works, and works well. the f.o.r.d. price was within within $3K too.
ace
i made one post, stating the facts about the pathetic resale value of relatively new exploders. this began a discussion, or argument, depends on how you look at it.
why do i bother to post here? for the simple reason that i have been screwed by f.o.r.d and firestone. my asset has been impaired. i have no recourse against either company. this is my only opportunity to vent against a situation which i feel is wrong.
as i stated earlier, i already own an import suv, as stated earlier, it runs circles around my exploder. plain fact. it rides better, is better offroad and it is more reliable. i CAN form a reasonable opinion as to the relative quality of my domestic versus import suv.
so if you have a problem with exploder bashing, then may i suggest that you not follow a forum entitled "perpetual ford explorer woes 2". i have gotten some useful information from this forum in the past, ragarding some of my numerous troubles. you're in here looking for a resolution to the creaking and groaning on your exploder. my exploder creaks, groans and rattles too. sometimes it sounds like a metal ship crashing through a reef. but guess what, in my instance, the noises are pretty minor compared to trannies, driveshafts and electrical maladies.
yes the exploder is made by humans, but so are other, much more reliable import suv's. can anyone name a major make of vehicles which suffers from such constant and widespread quality issues? i named but a few of the well-known recent f.o.r.d. cases in an earlier post.
ace
Go Explorer!
"i'll say what i want, when i want."
But seriously, I enjoy reading and sharing information about the explorer whether it be good or bad.
You said:
"this is the PERPETUAL FORD EXPLORER WOES II forum. not the saisfied/brainwashed ford explorer forum.
I will make this very clear. I am not manufacture loyal. I research products not manufacturers. I am in no way standing up for ford as a company. You can read in prior posts from me that I dislike how ford operates as a company. "brain washed" is a rather rediculouse thing to say.
you said:
"I saw tons of explorers on the road and thought it would be a good vehicle." (now who sounds like they were brainwashed?)
I hope your next purchase is based on research and facts instead of the above.
Your voice has been heard and I would be as irate as you had I purchased the troubles that you did. Just responding to your own words.
I started this topic about 2.5 years ago when I was the unfortunate owner of a 98 XLT V8 lemon. What a horrible heap it was! Mine was in the shop over 30 days in the first 3 months of ownership, and was slated for many more. My dealership (Stone Mountain Ford) was a joke, and Ford showed itself to be a company with absolutely no redeeming qualities. They tried to stick me with a dangerous, valueless headache, even going so far as to try and "fix" the "independent vehicle inspection" for the Dispute Settlement Board. From my own personal experience and talking to many others like myself, I can confidently say that Ford isn't as interested in quality control and customer service as they are in profit. Just look at Ford's history of obfuscation, denials, and coverups in cases about vehicle safety, etc.
I will never make the mistake of giving ANY of my money to Ford and its related companies (jaguar, volvo, mazda, etc.). If you are considering buying one of their products, please think harder!
That this topic is in its third year, going strong, should give you extreme pause!!
Thanks
I can't believe that they have built this supposedly macho car, for big guys like me (I'm only 6'1"), and didn't give me the protection I need and fully expected. Everyone else shorter than 6' gets protected! Is this some form of retribution against tall people? Was the designer bullied in his youth or something?
Seriously, is anyone aware of the safety issue here and if Ford is doing anything about it?
For those of you who don't know about it, there is a warranty extension on the 1997 and newer explorer SOHC engines. The SOHC has 3 timing chains (two in the front and one in the rear) and in order to service all three, the engine must be removed from the vehicle. If the TC fails, then the engine will make a dieseling sound as it is slightly out of timing...
Has anyone else have a repeat of this dieseling since the recall upgrade?
If anyone else has this problem (again) pls let me know...
Thanks
test the bearing... jack up the questionable side so the wheel runs free, then grab the top of the tire and try to move it back and forth. if you can detect movement, the bearing is the most likely suspect... a good one should have movement in the hundredths of an inch or so when warmed up, and you shouldn't be able to see or feel that. if you can really SEE the tire move toward and away from you, things are dangerously worn (or the wheel is loose on the hub)... but a worn bearing, that you should feel as a "thunking" sort of loose.
Thanks
moving the truck into my garage. The next day it was gone. Are there any other symptoms when these tensioners act up? (ie: does the engine run rough, stall?) Can you drive the truck with this noise or does it have to be towed in? I'm between a rock and a hard place with this one as I don't feel the vehicle is reliable. My dealer has the attitude that when they hear the noise, they will fix it. yeah right. Thanks for any input on this problem.
One thing I don't understand is how the extra $6000 - $7000 can be justified for the EB or Limited. The XLS 4WD with the sport group has power everything, cruise, tilt wheel, CD player (the standard one that sounds great), the same 4WD system as the XLT, EB, or Limited (3 modes, computer controlled AWD, 4WD, or 4WD low range), the same 4.0 6cyl and 5 speed auto as the more expensive ones, the same standard tow package (built in hitch receiver and wiring), the same roof rack, good looking 16in. alloys, running boards, tinted windows, very comfortable standard cloth seats, and the same good looks.
Granted the EB has a certain look that I like but I could not justify the extra $7000. The XLS has everthing I need. Just my opinion.
Likes:
1. good power from the 4.0
2. good exterior appearance
3. good ride quality (for a truck)
4. it's an American made SUV
5. comfort level of the seats
6. interior room (I'm 6'3" and when I have the
driver's seat adjusted to my comfort level
and when I get in back behind the driver's seat my knees just graze the seat. Something I could not say for the 2001 or most other midsize SUV's.
7. the under floor storage compartments if you don't opt for the third seat.
8. That new car smell and feel.
Dislikes:
1. The white paint had rail dust on it. (white buyers beware. It can only be seen on very close inspection. It will look like very small dots of rust. The dealer acknowleged the exsistance of this problem on white cars and it is at the dealer right now being taken care of under warrenty. Removal of this is best left to a professional ie. labor intensive.)
2. more wind noise than I expected at highway speeds. (75mph speed limit here.)
3. a transmission that shifts sluggishly from 2-3 and 3-4 under very light acceleration. It does not have this problem under moderate to brisk acceleration. The dealer is also looking into this.
4. a rattle coming from the middle of the dash near the windshield. Also being looked into.
5. an intermitant "raspy" sound from the engine at certain loads and RPM's. Also being looked into.
I'll post again soon with the results of the dealer service.
I had a 1985 Bronco II some years ago that I bought new and I loved that truck but it was an absolute heap compared to this one. How far ford has come with their mid size SUV's.
lisam1120@aol.com
Good luck
The engine was made in France
The tranny was made in Germany
The plastic was made in Mexico
The Tires (depends on what you have)
Michelins - Europe (France, Germany, England)
Firestones - Either Wilson, NC or Quebec, Canada
Dunlop - England
General - Canada
GoodYears - USA
Hope you enjoy your ride. See you back here when you have more problems with it.
Also, the new car smell lasts for a couple of months and comes from the glue.
-- replacing liftgate (@46K--luckily, under Ford recall)
-- replacing brake rotors (@50K)
-- rebuilt transmission (@80K)
-- new fuel relay switch (@ 90K after 2 months of never knowing if truck would start after being parked for ANY amount of time and several lunchtime tows to the mechanic after Ford couldn't diagnose)
-- brake jobs, brake jobs, brake jobs
Other than that . . . now has 170K and seems to have "settled down." Oh, the 4WD works intermittently, but thats OK-- didn't want it anyway.
So we're hanging on for as long as possible-- hope to replace in 2002 if our luck holds. Won't be getting another Explorer or Ford product. Dealerships' service departments were worse than poor-- now use good independent. But point of this was-- I thought we had a lemon until learning of others' problems-- think we'll be checking out Saturn's 2001 offering!
http://www.auto.com/industry/iwira25_20010425.htm
If you're going to make a point please try to offer something beside what is basically useless data.
i think that you may have little or no basis in what the reality is regarding the p.o.s. ford exploder. read the posts. three engines, miltiple transmission, people thinking that they have a good explorer even though their wipers go beserk. puh-lease.
ace
If every car was so perfect and built without flaws why make new ones and have different makes and models
i dispute that notion that a majority of the discussion are about problems with vehicles. most are labeled this versus that or a generic title. please take an actual look. reality will set you free.
f.o.r.d. sucks!
ace