Faults:

Check engine light numerous times. Fixed by replacing all O2 sensors.

Replaced Hub Bearing/ABS Sensor in front right.

Replaced Left and Right Upper Control Arms/Ball Joints.

Strange squeaking/vibrating noise coming from engine compartment. Dealer claimed it was a cotter pin. It turns out the flywheel had a crack in it and eventually destroyed the transmission causing over $2000 in damage.

Same transmission problem as described above, but caused by starter.

Replaced all shocks.

Replaced three lights in dashboard. Which is not a simple job if you were wondering.

General Comments:

I used to be a die hard Ford guy. I think I am slowly changing my mind after this vehicle. It is in the shop at least once a month for the past two years.

On a better note, this vehicle handles very well in the snow. The 4.0 engine works very well with this vehicle.

Very poor on gas mileage.

Faults:

The day that we brought the car home, the air ride system went bad, of course this was covered under the warranty.

I don't really know when, but the memory seats don't work anymore. When I called the dealer to find out about a price, I was told I would have to pay the dealer something to the tune of $60 an hour just to diagnose the problem. I decided to let it alone.

The power lumbar driver seat no longer works anymore. It probably went around 70,000 miles. I decided that I really didn't need the power lumbar seats that much anyway.

The Explorer goes through a lot of O2 sensors. It seems as though whenever the check engine light comes on, an O2 sensor needs to be replaced.

General Comments:

I wish the car had the V8 engine because when the explorer is half-full, it is VERY sluggish.

I always have to drive with the pedal down to the floor to have any acceleration.

This may be the cause of the poor gas mileage. I get about 13.5 in the city, and depending upon how fast I am going on the highway, between 17 and 20.

The Limited version comes with awesome features like the on-board computer and the rear air.

The 4 wheel drive works like a dream in the bad weather. But without it engaged, you WILL skid, even when the road is just wet.

I got this car when I turned 16 two years ago when my mother got a BMW. My parents decided to give me this car because it had 4 wheel drive and was a large vehicle.

If buying this car for a student, please keep in mind that s/he will have to work constantly to keep it filled with gas. I go through one tank per week, and with a 20 gallon tank, it often costs around $30 to fill it up. Even though it is a gas hog, I love having the extra room for all the crap that students have to haul around. (Book bags etc).