The best S.U.V. on the market
Nothing has gone wrong with this vehicle.
One of the best vehicles I've ever owned, I plan on keeping it as long as possible. My only complaint is I wish the gas mileage was better.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st September, 2002
This particular Explorer might be a lemon
1. Bad ball joints that were replaced under warranty @ 25,000 miles.
2. Wiper blades would come on by themselves. A faulty switch was replaced under warranty.
3. At 55,000 miles the air conditioner bearing froze up causing the vehicle to stall and could not operate until repaired. (Extended warranty covered this repair with a $100 deductible)
4. At 62,000 miles, the torque converter malfunctioned and a problem with the timing belt occurred nearly simultaneously, once again stranding me 120 miles from home. (Extended warranty covered these repairs with a $100 deductible)
After the minor repairs of wipers and ball joints, along with the recalls on the Wilderness tires, I felt pretty confident in the vehicle's performance. Since the most recent problems have occurred, I no longer trust the vehicle on any trips longer than 50+ miles from home.
I have always maintained the vehicle according to the manufacturer's vehicle maintenance schedule and don't understand why this vehicle happens to be breaking down so often. I am extremely grateful that I purchased the extended warranty at the time I purchased the vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 6th August, 2002
Very good looking, but unreliable
Fuel gauge doesn't register empty, dealer had replace 3 fuel pumps so far.
Paint problems, repainted once. wiper motors replaced twice.Catalityc converter already replace once at 24000 miles.
Sway bar came apart.
Truck like ride, very jumpy.
The cabin is very confortable and spacious. Good power engine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 22nd June, 2002
A waste of money!
The day I drove my vehicle from the dealership my tranmission leaked. After 3 attempts to "fix it" they had to replace the transmission and drive-shaft.
Front rotors had to be replaced.
Recalls on the hood latch and cruise control cable.
Windshield was making a whistle noise. That had to be fixed.
The rear wiper motor shut down... again to the dealership.
Tires...
My vehicle was serviced 8 times in a 11 month period. Wrote a letter to Ford and their response was... "As long as the dealership is fixing it, there is nothing for Ford to do."
When do the trips to service end? When does Ford stand up behind its product? Answers we may never know.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 27th November, 2001
Overpriced and depreciates too quickly
Stalled after starting on cold mornings.
Rear wiper sometimes fails to work, usually when it's raining.
Surges when trying to accelerate.
Dealer requires multiple days to correct the simplest things. Never fixes a problem on the first visit.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 13th October, 2001
Hasn't been bad as a first SUV
Recall for tires (done before we got it).
Recall for the hood catch (done before we got it).
Rotors have warped. Took to Sear and had them skimmed - only cost $60CDN so not too bad.
Overall not too bad.
Engine revs a treat out of overdrive, but you can watch the gas guage fall! Overdrive is more economical, but tends to gear it a little strange.
Can feel a little top-heavy and the suspension is not very forgiving.
The interior is dull, lots of grey plastic and the seats look very basic. Leg room in the rear seats is quite poor. Not many refinements, but the air con is very effective. Masses of storage room in the back.
Having to get the oil and filter changed every 5000kms is a real pain though.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 29th September, 2001
A tough and agile SUV, not sacrificing ruggedness for comfort. Although it still has annoying quirks
When I went to look at the vehicle at the dealership, there were Firestone Wilderness AT's still on it. I was quite worried so I got advice about checking the pressure every week to make sure it was at 28-30psi. But I bought the vehicle that night, and they said that I wouldn't have the new tires for a few weeks; But, the next morning, some tires arrived and I was on my merry way. Big thumbs up to the dealer for that!
Although I've had my Eddie Bauer for a few days now, I've got some good points and bad points.
The 5.0L V8 has that deep and throaty growl most Mustang 5.0L owners recognize. Its low down torque can make the vehicle glide effortlessly up steep hills. It also is not a slouch. If I need to pass someone on the highway or freeway, getting past is easy as pie. But the downside, is I'm only getting 14.8 mpg at best, and I've already went to the pump yesterday (Saturday, September 1, 2001), and I only took delivery on Thursday (August 30, 2001).
Interior appointments are plentiful. The Bose Premium Stereo System has no limits whatsoever to how loud music can be played, and the stereo is quite straight forward for the "Techno - Illiterate". Only thing I noticed, was the Radio Data System. I set mine, but I had to go through a bunch of sub menu's just to turn it on! In my other car, a 2001 Chevy Impala LS, Radio Data System is automatically turned on when an Radio Data System frequency is detected, and Radio Data System can be painlessly turned off with the touch of a button. Ford really needs to re-work that part of their system.
The leather seating arrangements are quite impressive. The leather seats have been designed the same way their predecessor's were when the very first Eddie Bauer Explorer came out in the early nineties. The seats are very comfortable. The coushiness is to a bare minimum, but this does not sacrifice comfort. Fore and aft support is top notch, and lumbar can be adjusted at the touch of a button.
Even I being someone who knows his way around computers and gadgetry, was baffled at first while trying to set the computer controlled climate system. I had to walk through the steps in just turning it on. Was not straight forward at all. Thumbs down to that.
My truck was equipped with All Wheel Drive and Limited Slip differential. The ride was quite bumpy going over bumps, and it seemed like you could feel every little one 10x worse, but what do you expect in a raised platform with big tires?!
In closing, if you're going to be towing a BIG trailer, the 5.0L V8 is for you. It's tough, and better on gas while towing than the 4.0L V6. Mainly because the torque of the V8 doesn't need to rev higher to pull the weight. As the V6 does. But for daily city driving, I don't recommend the V8. You'll notice that you will be making regular twice per week trips to the pump.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 2nd September, 2001
Try a tune up. I went from 14.7 to 16.3mpg in my 5.0L AWD Eddie Bauer. Doesn't seem like much, but it saves more money then you think.
I only get 11 mpg in my 97 Explorer, and I drive good.
You should be getting the better part of 17 to 20 MPG... IF... You keep no less than 34 PSI in all 4 tires. Rotate every other oil change and make sure you get them balanced - don't just rotate them yourself. One low tire will affect MPG's and may even make it feel like it needs an alignment by pulling to one side. I've found that on the highway it's best kept about 65 MPH with an Explorer. Over 68 to 70, and the ride gets real choppy. It will also help in your MPG's to make sure your air filter is clean (replace at least once a year). Spark plugs should be gapped properly as well, and should be done every couple years or so.
6th Jun 2003, 14:19
Found the review very informative, as like this person I have had many of the similar problems. I have 1 year left on my lease and I will not be buying it out. Also thank God for buying the extended warranty.