Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

jrc346 · January 2005

1996 Explorer Sport. Sold in 2002 @ 92,000 Miles. Needed a fuel pump, new shocks, and a door lock actuator.

2000 Explorer XLT 2 year lease. 4.0L SOHC motor had to have the timing chain tensioner fixed. Gave back to dealer with close to 30,000 miles on it.

2000 Limited with the 4.0L SOHC that my wife currently drives. Has needed 2 lower ball joints and a thermostat. She is currently at 76,000 miles. I also mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was getting a lot of front suspension noise. Turned out to be the front stabilizer bar end links. I took off the bolt for each and installed 3 washers on each end link to pull it tighter together. It worked beautifully! A 29 cents fix! For the horrible roads we live on, the Explorer still remains to be very tight and quiet.

I am a Ford guy, but I am not trying to sweeten a sour grape. I am reporting all problems I recall having, and am lead to believe these are very good trucks.

fsv · January 2005

When I turn heat on, there is some sort of smell coming into the car for 10-15 minutes. It smells and feels like pulverised coal, or something similar. At times could be unbearable. Then it disappears. Sometimes I turn heat on, and - miracle - works just fine. What could it be? 2004 MM, V6, 12,500 miles, perfectly maintained. Wents position is windshield/floor.

nvbanker · January 2005

Pulverized coal, you say......that's a new one on me... I'm not sure I made it to class in Chem lab the day we did that chapter. Is that what this new yellow coolant smells like hot now? No more sweet jello smell? What else could it be though? You gotta have a leak in the core somewhere, probably a pinhole. I'd make the dealer tear into it and find out. Does it do it enough to make them smell it reliably?

ANT14 · January 2005

Fsv,

Is it the same transitioning smell as a house A/C system, when you first switch it to heat, from months of cooling? My guess it's probably the coating from the heatcore, and might take awhile for it to dissipate.

nvbanker · January 2005

It could be what ANT just said......and you could be hyper-sensitive.

fsv · January 2005

Could be. But the other six in the car say the same.

coating from the heatcore - could be. I'll give it some time. Appointment at the dealer is on the 4th of February, anyway.

emtpjimd · January 2005

I have a similar problem - my '03 XLT has a pipe tobacco smoke odor come from the heat when it is first turned on - but ONLY when it is damp or raining out. It goes away after a couple of minutes. Before I try and have it looked at, any ideas on that one? Never a scent with the A/C on or on a dry day. I've owned it since new, and I don't smoke!

stever · January 2005

It won't fix the problem but a half ounce of fresh ground coffee tossed on the carpet will mask odors for a few weeks, and doesn't outgas formaldehyde like those hanging trees.

Avoid if you're sensitive to coffee odors.

Steve, Host

hademall · January 2005

I have a 4.0 2003 M. Mountaineer that was avg. 15 - 16 mpg; I brought it into the dealer for new tires. They said there was an upgrade to the computer - since then my mpg has fallen to approx. 12.5. The car seems to run fine other than that. I spoke with the shop and they said they can't remove the upgrade to the computer - Any thoughts would be appreciated.

chuck1 · January 2005

You need to talk to the Service Manager about the "reflash" they did on your computer. Whatever it is, unless you drive pretty crazy-12.5 mpg is WAY TOO LOW. The minimum you should get is around 14 MPG in town. BTW...I would never buy tires from the dealer. There are several "national chains" where if you buy their tires-they will do free rotation and rebalance for the life of those tires. Generally, the dealers don't do this. And if they do-is it really that convenient to take the SUV to the dealer for rotation and re balances? I don't think so!

GOOD LUCK!

fsv · January 2005

is 300 miles on 20 gallons in mixed driving, which is merely highway. So, I average 15mpg too. And, as I stated previously, I drive like Miss Daisy's driver. I guess, MM are just gas burners. People saying they are getting 20 IN THE CITY - I doubt reality of these stories

chuck1 · January 2005

This is a 4,500 lb. vehicle. They are not going to pull 20 mpg in town-no way. You miles-per-gallon at 15 mixed is right in there. As I stated previously, I have always got 20 MPG HIGHWAY at 75 mph. I have done this at least three times.

explorerx4 · January 2005

chuck1.. it is kind of stange i get my best miles on long, but high speed runs too. i have v8 with tow package.

chuck1 · January 2005

Mines a V6 !

-Chuck1

explorerx4 · January 2005

i still think mu eplorer eb looks great after 2 1/2 years. i mean clean or dirty. right now, it is trashed on the outside.

no more fords · January 2005

My 03 explorer has now had a new ring and pinion at 24000mls and a complete rear end hub to hub at 36000mls. The second was covered under ESP I reluctantly paid the deductable then called ford and asked for a refund of the $50.00.I was told I should be glad i bought the ESP or I would have paid $1647.00 for the repair.I cant understand why acompany that spends millions to get customers in their dealerships wont spend$50.00 to keep one who has bought 3 new fords since 1999.

svofan2 · January 2005

ANT, a couple of shows (Detroit and LA) have come and still don't see any news anywhere about the Explorer 2006. At this point I ma undicided about the Explorer or the Expedition, it seems that the later already has must of the "goodies" expected in the 2006 Explorer...will we see anything by April's NY Auto show?....will the Explorer 2006 be available towards the 4th qt of 2005?....I ask you since you seem to have a "Ford crystal ball" into the near future.......thanks in advance...

ANT14 · January 2005

We saw the Explorer Sport Trac and where that is headed and what's to be expected of the vehicle. When I return from vacation, I'll be able to give you a production date. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I believe 2005 is a short run year for it, before introducing the new one, or I believe it's 2006 has a short run, with a spring '06 introduction for it. As I stated, I'll try to look for the specific time period.

svofan2 · January 2005

Thanks for your reply..I will look forward to your info on the Explorer 2006...like I said I am still undecided about the 2005 Expedition..have a great vacation

tuneguy · January 2005

Hey ya'll

If you own a 03 Ford Explorer get ready to have you rear end replaced on a fairly regular basis. I bought mine new 16 months ago and I put a few more miles on per month than most. The first replacement went in at 28000...they paid. The latest one went in at almost the same mileage 58000...I paid. Ford service was unsympathetic at best but the parts rep at the dealership was a little secretive but more than a little informative. The Nashville dealership I bought it at is one of the bigger ones in Tennesse but he told me mine was the 47th in 2004 that he had ordered. Ford is naturally silent about the problem because any TSB or recall will cost them. I'm in the music business with a major label deal so I'll make my noise where I can.

Steve

stever · January 2005

Well, it sounds like you're in a good position to give Ford your two cents (or is it .26 cents?).

Good luck with the latest replacement.

Steve, Host

tuneguy · January 2005

Guilty as charged

Steve

02xls · January 2005

What? I can not believe that one single dealer in one city replaced 47 rear ends in Explorers in 12 months. I thought according to many who post on this forum that the rear end whine problem was minor. Some on this forum know people who have a whole fleet of these trucks with out a single problem. Man, I guess this particular dealership just got a bad batch of Explorers. Everyone remember this problem is not Ford's fault, it's their supplier! All sarcasm aside if you buy or own a 02-05 Explorer you better purchase an extended warranty or when the rear end fails you will pay the price.

benderofbows · January 2005

OK Mr. Sarcastic, see if you can follow me here. I will attempt to spell out for you what has been briefly discussed before.

It's generally agreed that only people who are strongly opinionated post messages about their vehicles online. And, people who have problems are more likely to be strongly opinionated than those who are merely satisfied. I bet for every one driver on here complaining, there are 20 more out there racking up the miles on their Explorers, happy as clams. But then, that's the story with nearly every single car on the road.

In 2004, Ford sold 340,000 Explorers. There are over a million of the new body style (which you love to trash so much) on the roads. This 340k in 2004 accounted for about 12.5% of all of Ford's sales.

Here in my state the "larger" Ford dealers sell between 250 and 1,000 total vehicles per month (on average). That means each one sells between 30 and 120 Explorers per month for a total of 360 to 1000 Explorers per year.

The industry average for miles per year on a passenger car is about 12,500 (and that's conservative!) So, figure that almost every Explorer sold in 2002 (or in 2001 as an 02 model) has about 37,500 miles on average. And, 2002 Explorers were on the lots in March of 2001! So that number is most likely conservative as well.

So, what does all this mean? How does this make sense? Here's how. Let's say the dealership in question, being described as a "larger" dealership, sells about 300 cars a month (again, on average, of course). If 12.5% of their sales were Explorers, they themselves put almost 38 of them on the road each month.

If they started really selling them in April of 2001, this one "larger" dealer could very reasonably have 800 POTENTIALLY affected '02 and '03 vehicles on the road, all of which are on average right about 37,500 miles. And according to some in this forum, these rear ends are only good for about 30k.

47 rear ends in one year, out of 800 vehicles in service just from that dealer, is less than six percent, or one in 17 vehicles. That's my main point, and a point that has been made over and over. The Ford Explorer is one of the best-selling vehicles around (for good reason). There are millions of them on the road. So, numbers like this one, that got you all sarcastic, really don't seem so big when you look at them in perspective. If we were talking about a vehicle that doesn't have so many examples on the road, that would be a different story.

And, don't forget, like I have posted earlier, I am not saying that there is no problem. I have posted before that I know Ford is investigating both the gearset and the fluid used. I just want to show that these problems are much more minor than some people in these forums make them out to be. There is no need to buy an extended warranty (if you weren't going to otherwise) on a 6% chance that something will fail. And yes, I do beleive it is a supplier problem. In fact, I think that they probably used several suppliers, and that is why the problem only exists in a small percentage of the rear ends, instead of with a large portion of the vehicles produced.

nvbanker · January 2005

Very well spoken, bender. Exactly what's going on here.

tuneguy · January 2005

FYI

The parts guy at the Nashville Ford dealership said that's how many had been order. Not sure if they were actually done at that dealership or by a third party mechanic. I had my second one put in by a shop that was a little closer to home.Didn't feel like giving Ford the money.I have own a number of vehicles in my 30 years of driving both 2wd and 4wd and I have never, never had to replace one rear end in any vehicle before this Ford. My father-in -law is getting a lot of mileage out of "I told you so" and I can't get back in to a GM product soon enough

tuneguy · January 2005

That's interesting math in a hypothetical situation but does little to alleviate my concern that this in fact an Explorer issue> Dealerships are not seeing the same rear end issues with this frequency from other models. If you want an eye opener look for a similar number rearend complaints at websites thatdealer with other makers. Trust me this isn't paranoia

02xls · January 2005

Sounds like Fuzzy Math to me. I love how you pro-oval guys try to spin this problem into some minor issue. Ford sells so many Explorers because they are less expensive than many of their competitors. They cannot provide the quality of many other makes so they drop their prices with rebates and low finance offers. You get what you pay for. Ford also sells many of these trucks in fleet programs with rental car co. and Gov't programs. I guess Ford does not mind to lose 6% of their Explorer customers by not stepping to the plate and doing something about the rear end issue. You would think if you have built something over a million times you may be able to fix an obvious problem and make it right. Guess Ford can't.

benderofbows · January 2005

I love how you anti-oval guys try to spin a problem that you had into something big that affects everyone (except that in reality, it doesn't). Further, you have nothing on which to base your claims. I love debating you because you never bring any good supportive material to the discussion; just inaccurate information, unfounded claims and scare tactics. You make it too easy! Where is your proof that more than 6% of Explorers are affected? Don't have any? Aww.

My math is not fuzzy. And at least I can back up my claims. I accurately showed how the number in question (47 rear ends ordered by a large dealer in one year) is extremely low when you consider how many vehicles there are on the road, and how many were sold by that dealer.

Ford sells so many Explorers because of a combination of desirable attributes, the least of which is a low price. It's domestic competitor, the Trailblazer, also has heavy rebates. By your logic that must make General Motors poor in quality as well huh? Have you even read the Edmund's review of the Explorer? You know they picked it as "Editors Most Wanted Midsize SUV Under $35K" for 2004, right?

Ford does provide the quality of many other makes. In fact independent research organizations which study the automotive industry, such as JD Power and Consumer Reports, rate Ford as average (compared to all makes) in quality/reliability and the Explorer itself average as well. Both ratings are improving over previous generations.

They are doing something about the rear end issue. Read the TSBs. They are trying to determine the cause of the problem. Do you think they made millions of rear ends themselves, or had suppliers? Do you think they had just one supplier, or chose not to put all of their eggs in one basket? If one assembly line in one supplier had a problem, that would explain why only (roughly) six percent of vehicles over 30k miles are affected. It would also explain why it would take some time for Ford to determine the source of the problem (fluid mixture, gearset, etc).

Most importantly, the level of service (or dis-service) you get, on any issue, is going to vary from dealer to dealer. The service manager and the owner/dealer ultimately decide whether or not to fix something and at what cost to the customer. It is not Ford, Inc. who isn't stepping to the plate; it is some of the dealers. I know my dealer would replace my rear end (even after warranty) if I showed them the TSB.

benderofbows · January 2005

We just turned in our leased V6 AWD Mountaineer after 35 months/38000 miles and besides the seat track that needed to be replaced, the thing was solid as a rock When you sell 400,000 +/- units per year on a particular platform, you're bound to have a few problems, but they are a good bang for the buck and I would have to say from reading other forums, much less troublesome than some of the other offerings in this class. -#2020 by cubes Oct 15, 2004

I'd also like to chime in. Our 02 V6 AWD Mountaineer has been rock solid. - #2021 by troyben Oct 15, 2004

So far our [02] Exp has been just fine, no problems whatsoeverThis is our 3rd Exp and we fully intend to buy another one - #2036 by roger341 Oct 18, 2004

like [nvbanker], i'm big explorer fan.... it's not perfect, but it's the best overall vehicle i've ever had, as far as overall satisfaction goes. - #2016 by explorerx4 Oct 13, 2004

My 2003 Premier MM V-8 has 52k miles. To date no major repairs or issues. - #1966 by tjf2000 Apr 27, 2004

4.0 in first 02 explorer went 65 -68k, dont remember exactly, with no problems at all just routine maintenance. I now have another 02 with the 4.0 engine is 32k and has been trouble free too. - #1917 by dondilio Mar 31, 2004

Did I miss anybody? I'm sure I could have gone back farther and found a ton more.

Anybody else out there have over 30k and want to share experiences?

pnewby · January 2005

'02, bought Mar '01, 37k, 1 trip to the dealer, my fault when I let the oil change place convince me to use a bottle of "fool injector" cleaner it caused the check engine light to come on, other than that, no problems, Just bought a Freestyle, but will replace this Explorer with a new Explorer in '06 or so. This and our previous '96 have been the best vehicles ever, the worst 2 were a 94 Jeep Wrangler and a 78 Olds.

02xls · January 2005

BOB, I am not sure what you are trying to prove with your regurgitation of old posts here. Look back on this forum and Problems & Solutions and there are several posts regarding the rear diff. whine/howl and Fords inability/unwillingness to correct it. My favorite time was when Ford was telling customers the noise is normal! So all anyone needs is a copy of a TSB and they can get repairs paid for out of warranty? Tell me how with all your concrete proof that is done or is it on .01% of the Customers, Half the time, only on Tuesdays at small dealerships?

benderofbows · January 2005

Don't put words in my mouth and takes ideas out of context. Please pay attention to my posts. Again, I never said that no one has had problems; I simply proved that a SMALL % of owners have had such problems. I also never said that "all anyone needs is a copy of a TSB and they can get repairs paid for out of warranty." You must just be a chronic over exaggerator. That explains alot!

Anyways, to answer your questions: You claimed the rear end problem was wide-spread, and that Ford has poor quality, so I showed examples of happy owners with trouble-free vehicles. You also insinuated that because a few people have had problems getting good service at their dealers that Ford, Inc. does not stand behind its product. I was showing how a good relationship with a dealer can go a long way. Experiences vary from one dealer to another, and Ford Motor Company really has little to do with how John Doe is treated by an employee at a privately owned dealer that might care less about customer satisfaction. This happens to people at dealers for all kinds of cars, everywhere.

Your biggest exaggerations, the ones that got me started, are when you say that every Explorer will develop this problem (you told me for certain that mine will) and that people should either buy an extended warranty or buy something else. That is just flat out ridiculous advice. And every time I see you post some such exaggeration that is along those lines, I am going to continue to PROVE that you are wrong.

02xls · January 2005

BOB there is no need to get angry. "I know my dealer would replace my rear end (even after warranty) if I showed them the TSB." Maybe I need to be a bit more specific with you, my question is how can you show a TSB and get a problem repaired out of warranty? Also I am not sure you have proved anything except your dying dedication to Ford and their great Explorer. Tell us again about your DOT buddy, I love that story.

benderofbows · January 2005

I have worn out my brake pads at 13,500 miles (not used to driving something so heavy!) and my dealer is going to replace them (and turn the rotors if necessary, they feel a bit warped) free of charge. I blew out one of my speakers, and they are going to replace it free of charge. Most dealers would try to say "brake pads aren't covered under warranty, they are wearable items" and "there's nothing wrong with your speaker/what did you do to it?" But mine is going the extra mile. I have, out of curiosity, asked my service advisor about the rear end problem. She admitted they have had a few replaced but assured me mine was ok. Thats all I need; IF my rear end was to fail, say at 38,000 miles, Id just remind her that I had asked them to check mine out and she'd said it was OK. Im sure they would help me out. I have an excellent relationship with them, they take very good care of me, and I intend to continue giving them my business in the future. I even get loaner cars without asking if they have mine longer than they said they would.

I havent proved anything? I presented enough of an argument that the problem is very limited and that Ford overall and the Explorer are reliable, while you can't show otherwise.

nvbanker · January 2005

Bob's not getting angry - he's just responding, as I am to the constant irrational onslaught of missles leveled against the Explorer with emotional and unfounded accusations. Bob quoted data and facts, he was responded to with no data, no facts. That gets annoying. I've owned a lot of Explorers and Mountaineers, and not only because they're good values, (note, not cheap, I buy the highest end ones they make, loaded up) which they are, but because I believe them to be the best designs on the road overall, ahead of the rest by years at a time. Allow me to elucidate, since this ISN'T the problems forum....

1991 - Explorer introduces the 4 door SUV to the world in a package that has the spare under the car, has room for 5 adults, is affordable in 4WD, with a low range, amazingly rugged for the price, but not as rough as a Jeep is. It was bigger than the Jeep, smoother, more refined, easier to operate, drive and more powerful. Better for trips, more stable. Better all around except for tough off-roading. If you want to crawl rocks, get the Jeep. It made old news of the Cherokee instantly, as well as the S-10 Blazer and took the market away permanently, (so far). As it turned out, it was a darn dependable truck, tough as nails, I still have a 94 Eddie Bauer with 140,000 miles on it with the original everything on it, trans, engine, and it all works fine having been abused terribly.

In 1995, Ford was first out with the first V-8 mid sized SUV in their Explorer. Ok, you could only get it in 2WD until 1997.

In 2002, Ford was first out with the Explorer that had independent rear suspension and a folding flat rear 3rd seat. Now, everybody has copied it. But only Toyota has put a V-8 in this class of SUV along with Ford.

Ford and Toyota are really the only two car companies who innovate their products to this level in the world. Toyota does it a little better and more consistently. They are slower though. And they cost more. That's why I buy the Fords. If Ford really do start missing the mark badly, I'll start buying Toyotas. Nobody else gets in their much, IMO.

So, Ford contracts out with about 5 or 6 subs to build the pumpkin for their independent rear suspensions on their Explorers, and buys lubricant to their spects for them. One of the subs builds a substandard pumpkin, or one of the subs sends substandard lubricant, and a large number of the Explorers experience rear-end whines or failures. It takes a long time for the Ford engineers to figure out what's going on. For a long time, the dealer personnel deny that anything is wrong, because they just don't know. Lots of them are morons, you know. When Ford finally gets it, they start replacing some of them, but some of the replacements are from the same supplier, so they have repeat failures. They have to start batching the failures and replacement failures, and identifying and sourcing and it can take a year or more to identify who is causing the problem. Then, the lawyers step in. Do we cancel the contract? Sue them? Do they settle? Meantime, we're making cars, we need differentials, we need fluids, we need more of them, because we have failures, we're now short of them, because we just quaranteened 20% of our supply, and we need our other suppliers to make up the difference, we're short cars, we have 20,000 Explorers sitting in the snow in Kentucky with no differentials in them because we're short, and in case you didn't notice, Ford isn't flush with cash at the moment, we really need to sell the trucks, it's a big seller for us.....

This isn't as easy as it looks..... If you're pissed off, go buy a Pilot. As for me, my 94 Explorer is running great, no whining. My Mountaineer just blew a transmission. My dealer fixed it in one day, gave me a Town Car to drive, no charge. It's great again, I'm very happy with Ford. What more can I ask. And the rear end is still fine in that car. I've never had one go bad yet.

02xls · January 2005

I am not saying this will happen to you, you seem to have a good relationship with your local dealer. I also took my 02 to the dealer while it was under warranty for them to fix an unrelated problem. I asked them to look at the rear end while it was there because I had heard about the diff problem. They, like your service advisor told me everything was fine. They told me there was no charge to check out the rear diff. and nothing was noted on my reciept. When my truck developed the obvious whine it was out of warranty and I was told for $1200.00+ they would replace it. When I questioned them about the prior visit and them supposedly checking the diff. I was informed that there was nothing noted in my records to indicate that I had a problem prior to the warranty expiring and I would be responsible for all charges. You may want to make sure that you have some documentation on this rear end check from your dealer. TO: NV-You guys are 100% correct in the fact that I cannot throw a bunch of facts and figures out there. I am only telling you about my personal situation and dealings with both Ford and multiple dealers in my area. Of course it is foolish to assume that all redesigned Explorers will develop rear diff problems however, I do believe that there is no way to know how many will and how many have and the owners do not know it. My 02 at 72K finally developed a constant growl like a bad wheel bearing it was actually the rear end on its last leg. If only a small # of these trucks are affected I still do not understand why Ford will not correct the problem and at least offer some sort of assistance to the owners of these bad apples or pumpkins. These trucks have been on the road since 01, how much time do the engineers need? Innovation is great, but if you can't get it to work what good is it?

nvbanker · January 2005

" Innovation is great, but if you can't get it to work what good is it?"

No good at all, my friend.....

keeferb · January 2005

We are looking at an '05 XLT Sport with the V8 and 3rd row seat. The third row isn't a 'must', but it would certainly be a nice feature to have. However, the one thing we noticed was the cargo area is much more inclined when the 3rd row is folded down versus the non-3rd row model. I'm just wondering if it affects the cargo area 'usefullness' at all. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

al330i · January 2005

I have an '05 XLT with the 3rd row. The 3rd seat definitely does NOT fold totally flat. It is not terrible though. You just need to be more attentive as to how you arrange things back there. We are able to go to Costco/ BJ's and still load everything with no problem. I guess it depends on your needs. If you are constantly loading a lot of small stuff back there that tends to move around alot, then it may get a little annoying. As for me, I like the versatility of being able to seat 7 when I need to (even though it does not happen very often), and being able to have alot of cargo space when I don't. I have the truck two months now and I am very happy with it.

benderofbows · January 2005

Don't forget that besides having a flat cargo floor, the version without a third row seat also has two fairly good-sized storage compartments under the floor. I find these to be very useful for all kinds of things. For instance I have jumper cables, flashlights, first aid kit, air compressor, cargo blankets, bungee cords, rope, even a floor mounting bicycle rack, etc. all neatly tucked in these things, out of sight where the don't slide or rattle, and still have plenty of room left over.

It depends on how much stuff you want to permanently keep in your vehicle, what kind of cargo you think you will have to transport on occasion (and how often), and how many times you think you might have 6 passengers.

semooc · January 2005

I have the 3rd seat.I really didn't want it, but ended up with it. It's not much of a problem with the incline. But, BOB makes a good point. I miss the storage area for the stuff I like to carry around. I have to store it on the floor between the 2nd & 3rd seats. The couple of times I needed to use the 3rd seat, it was a major pain. There's not a right or wrong here, it just depends on what fits your lifestyle. I wish I didn't have the 3rd seat, but not because of the incline.

keeferb · February 2005

Thanks for all the feedback. I never thought about losing the storage compartments with the 3rd row. We have an infant and 80 lb dog, so 90% of the time we just have the car seat in the second row and the dog in the back. So I wouldn't say the 3rd row is a necessity, but might be nice to have on those few occasions. It also seems like most of the V8 XLT's that I've seen usually have the 3rd row. I'd actually prefer the V6 since I commute 50 miles a day, but it seems like most people recommend the V8 if they had the choice.

Decisions...decisions!

benderofbows · February 2005

Don't worry about fuel economy, it is equally bad, lol! The V8 really doesn't use that much more gas than the V6. EPA ratings are 15/20 versus 14/19, I think. Surprising I know, but I think it is because Explorers are heavy and are not aerodynamic at all, and the V8 does not have to work as hard. Actually, the argument could be made that in certain "real-world" situations such as towing or moderate acceleration, the V8 would have the same or better mileage (would not have to rev as high).

Additionally, the V8 is smoother and provides better acceleration, but the V6 is thought to be more durable.

ANT14 · February 2005

That is correct, I recommend the V8 since the V6 uses just as much gas anyways. The V8 is a better designed engine overall, and much smoother in the NVH dept. Also helps trade-in time since used car buyer's usually like the larger engine for their needs.

benderofbows · February 2005

ANT, what do you think about the V6 having a reputation as being more durable?

ANT14 · February 2005

Not saying it isn't reliable, but overall the V8 will last longer by far with much less maintenence headaches over the V6.

It's like the 3.0L Vulcan V6... It's bulletproof overall, but a dog in design and performance.

nvbanker · February 2005

Who ever said the V-6 was more durable???? That's the first time I have heard that. A fine little mill it is, but that Modular 4.6L V-8 is a hellova workhorse and I'll put my money on it anyday.

explorerx4 · February 2005

is a big reason i bought an explorer instead on an expedition. smaller than most minivans, holds just as many passengers.

the not completely flat floor is a non issue 99.9% of the time.

ANT14 · February 2005

Even the Freestyle's (not STAR) it's rear floor has a bit of an incline when folded, although not major.

Ford Explorer Mercury Mountaineer 2005 and earlier

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