1992 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer 5.0 (E40D)

Summary:

Beautiful and WORTHLESS!!!

Faults:

(E40D) 4 speed automatic transmission had delayed engagement.

(Ford AOD) replacement trans failed completely.

Exhaust manifold castings are poor at best. One cracked.

Very low HP for an eight cylinder. A Chevy 4.3 V-6 has more.

Gets between 9 to 12 MPG.

Power windows will fail.

General Comments:

Cool looking SUV. Looks great in my yard. Too heavy to be a decent 4x4. It is slow and turns on a stack of quarters.

There has yet to be an automatic transmission that would last in these things. The old c-6 can be made to fit, but will cripple your engines ability to run without the electric transmission to communicate with it.

If you are thinking about getting one of these things, don't! Unless you buy mine that is.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th April, 2010

1992 Ford Bronco XLT 5.8 - 351 CI.

Summary:

Buy the ticket, take the ride..

Faults:

Rear differential was a big headache. I serviced it through the dealer. Initially, they could not diagnose it. They claimed to have test drove it and checked it. I had to bring it back a few blocks after I left the dealership because I immediately heard the problem. I really was disappointed in the dealership. I've never been back for service. This occured at 75K mileage.

I run my Bronco pretty much stock. It has been trouble free most of the 5 years in my possession.

Serpentine belt and battery at 80K. The battery is the highest they have as this beast uses a lot of power.

Master break cylinder at 100K.

I've had a bit more oil burning and coolant leakage through the past 20K. Nothing major.

The leather drivers side seat is wearing out, but the vehicle is 16 years old. Hard to find these seats anymore.

The worst I've had is trying to get tree sap off of the finish. Once it drys, good luck.

A lady rear ended it getting off the freeway one day. I was concerned as I got out to check the damage. There wasn't any!

General Comments:

The car handles very well. I changed the tires out and put on wider Goodyear's.

The 351 Cleveland, V8 has phenomenal pick-up. At 5150 lbs., it still moves out like a demon. Amazing torque, will tow a small house.

Just a really strong and reliable vehicle. It goes through gasoline at a pretty fast clip, but the 30 gallon tank gives you more time in between fills.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th June, 2008

28th Jun 2008, 05:05

30 gallon tank x national average $4.04=121.20 per fill up. And you say it uses gas? And burning oil and leaking coolant at 101,000? And it started around 80,000? That doesn't sound very built Ford tough. Then again, every Ford I've ever had with a V8 had the same thing happen. That's why I made a wiser decision and switched to Buick with no problems.

16th Feb 2009, 11:43

The toughest engine Ford built, period. I held the it to the floor with intentions of blowing it up, but it wouldn't. It just knocked and eventually came outta it. That was 20k miles ago. It has 170k now and runs like a top. Supposedly the Eddie Bauer edition has a roller rocker motor. Posi rearends and this truck is unstoppable. I literally have put this truck thru hell! I still drive it today with no problems. Maintenance is the key.

8th Mar 2009, 22:35

Changed it for a Buick? LOL come on now. A Bronco for a Buick. Weird. 5.0 351 4.9-6 are great motors if you maintain them right, and even if you don't they handle stress better than any GM vehicle.

9th Oct 2009, 15:24

The engine in your Bronco is a 351W not Cleveland. These didn't come with Cleveland engines.

1992 Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer 302ci / 5.0 liter

Summary:

Good truck in the big picture, with minor details marring the picture

Faults:

Passenger power window not operative (bought vehicle this way).

Power locks failed about a month after purchase.

Original radio was non-operative (bought vehicle this way).

Headliner is sagging.

Many, many interior squeaks and rattles.

Air conditioning was non-operative (bought vehicle this way).

Minor tears in leather seats (bought vehicle this way).

Overdrive off button has failed.

Leaking power steering (a common affliction of these trucks).

General Comments:

This truck is a good "little" truck. Although these little things listed above have failed, the truck is, after all, well over a decade old and these are normal wear and tear items. Incidentally, after the a/c was rebuilt, it now blows colder than any a/c system I have ever experienced. Mechanically, it has been rock solid reliable, needing only gas and oil to keep on chugging. In fact, only 2 weeks after purchase it made a 1900 mile trip with absolutely no hiccups.

The exterior is one of my favorites. As modern trucks go, this is in my humble opinion the best design I have seen. It is at the same time handsomely approachable yet rugged, with a "ready for anything" look. Kudos to Ford here.

Driving the truck is relatively sedate. I will admit that not being a fan of electronic fuel injection and other computer controls on vehicles, I was dubious about the drivetrain; luckily, it has proven me wrong so far. The 302 ci or 5.0 liter V8 is at the same time smooth and silent yet sufficiently quick to give this truck surprising punch. On the aforementioned trip, even traveling up hills with a 1000lb load in the back, temperatures pushing 100* outside and the a/c blasting, it had no trouble pulling the grade over the Sierras and then again over the Rockies. The downside of this is the gas mileage which averages 13.5-14mpg with the hardtop in place, and 12.7-13mpg with the hardtop removed. For reference, this is 85% in town driving, judiciously using cruise control and driving for mileage. Out on the open road, 18mpg is not unheard of. The other problem is that all the emissions equipment plumbing makes maintenance more difficult, although it is still relatively simple compared to most more modern vehicles.

Handling is better than I had expected; the truck is top heavy, but it is still very stable. Steering is light by today's standards, but heavy by mine, and strikes a nice balance, though it may be a little lacking in feedback for some. Throttle steer isn't forthcoming, but neither is a huge amount of understeer. The short wheelbase gives it an amazingly small turning radius (smaller than some economy cars), yet maintains stability even at high speeds. However, the ride is middling to poor, due to the 4x4 suspension tuning and short wheelbase. Its relatively short length (about the same as most midsize sedans, ie Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, etc), combined with the absolutely superlative turning radius also make it easy to park once you learn the boundaries of the bumper.

The interior is well-designed, roomy, and attractive, but is middlingly constructed out of embarrassingly cheap plastic - obviously the bean counters got their way in here. Still, it is exceptionally straightforward and includes full instrumentation, which is a big plus. The only other niggling feature here is the wiper control stalk which takes some time to get used to; I preferred the dash mounted switch as I had previously on my '68 Mustang. One nice touch is the Eddie Bauer logo emblazoned on the seatbacks - it is done subtly, but gives a classy air to a pair of extremely comfortable seats, especially with the power adjustible lumbar support courtesy of an air pump and a small air bladder in the lower seatback. Cargo room is abundant despite its lack of length; when we were moving, I fit about 1000lbs of stuff without even having to fold up the rear seat for more room, and the truck handled it almost like it wasn't there.

Off-road, it is sufficiently capable of handling just about anything that most owners are apt to throw at them. From experience, the suspension can take quite a licking without even looking back. I suggest looking for a model with manual shift transfer case and manual locking hubs, like mine, for the best reliability; the automatic 4x4 system was somewhat rushed and was accordingly under-engineered and unreliable.

One neat thing about it is that the rear roof section is removable, but get a friend to help lift it off - it weighs about 120lbs. Store it on 2x4's. With the top off, it's actually very pleasing; the remaining roof over the front seats protects you from direct sun, but you still get a nice little fresh air draft, and the look of the vehicle sans top attracts a fair amount of attention.

Other things I wish Ford had done:

- I wish the fuel filler were on the passenger side - less chance of dinging a door.

- Eliminate the annoying door beeper that beeps even when there is no key in the ignition and the headlights are off. I fixed this myself in about 5 minutes, however.

- Easier top system, perhaps even a soft top. Also eliminate the Torx bolts that hold the roof on. 8mm x 1.25 bolts in two sizes can be substituted for easier removal / installation of the top.

- Made the roller cam setup available sooner; better gas mileage and torque are available with this system.

Overall, though, this is a nice, versatile, even fun to drive truck that represents a great value if you can live with the gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th May, 2006