Faults:

One of the impellers broke.

The radiator hose rotted away, but only after 50 years.

General Comments:

I believe that this truck is one of the best trucks I've ever owned. It's really easy to work on and has just been a great project. The 239 flathead V8 has good power and like most Fords, one can interchange Ford five bolt rims, making it easy to work on and reliable.

Faults:

This is my third Explorer in 9 years, and I do love the car. The usual/customary issues:

BRAKES have had to be replaced 2x on each car.

ELECTRONIC issues: electric windows froze; radio had to be replaced twice;

MOST SERIOUS ISSUE: SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN PASSENGER DOOR SLAMMED!!

My car was parked when my 12 year old (85 pound) daughter got into the front passenger seat and slammed the door (to get away from a dog), when her seat's side airbag deployed! Her injuries were minor, and she was OK. The car was taken to the dealership, where the service techs walked around the car, and said that it had to be a defect -- they had never seen anything like that before.

When the car's "black box" was formally inspected by the dealership, I was told that (1) there was a scrape on the front right fender (happened 3 months prior to the incident), (2) the black box code revealed "an impact," (3) the side sensors are in the front bumper, and that there was no defect! They never determined the speed of a PARKED car, nor did they take into consideration that the airbag deployment could have caused the "impact" on the black box! This is currently under investigation.

General Comments:

I LOVED this SUV, and felt completely safe in it up until this incident, but am fearful that the same situation could happen again if another door is slammed. There is definitely a problem with the airbags.

Faults:

Seats worn.

Exhaust rusted badly.

Body was beginning to rust badly, could be patched.

Needed work when first acquired, but ran like a champ after some work, very reliable.

General Comments:

Good performance for a truck. Though old it would still pass most other vehicles on the freeway.

Good reliable engine and transmission.

A lot of fun to own and drive.

Faults:

Transmission died after 44 years. Fuel pump pushrods tend to wear out quickly.

General Comments:

Believe it or not, this truck ran reliably for 44 years given only routine maintainance. It has the handling characteristics of a brick, and is low on power, but given it's age that's what you have to expect.