12th May 2006, 05:42
I own a 1998 Ford Explorer 4WD. I can safely say it will be the last one I EVER own! Here is a list of things that I have had to or am still dealing with:
At 50k miles the Transcase Motor went out and had to be replaced by a Ford dealership - still does not work right because it is responsible for shift into 4WD.
At 75k miles had the engine replaced despite regular oil changes every 3k to 5k miles.
At 90k the automatic door locks started going bad. Ford dealership repaired them, as of right now the driver door lock and the rear right passenger door lock are non functional.
The 4WD has never worked right - Several Ford dealerships and several independent shops have worked on it at the cost of lots of money and it is still broken. Contacted Ford World Headquarters in Detroit, MI and they turned a deaf ear stating that "that is the way it works"
As a previous commenter stated the car rattles like crazy. I have had sound baffles put in, additional foam stuffed in almost every crevice, the frame greased and yet the chattering does not go away.
This car has been a money pit. My wife liked it because it looked good and had a lot of bells and whistles. I have had to deal with the mechanical side of it since we purchased the car.
My word of advice to anyone reading this is DO NOT BUY A FORD PRODUCT. I too wanted to be patriotic and buy American hence the Explorer and my other vehicle happens to be a Taurus. That is a story for another day!
12th May 2006, 11:22
And you're sure your Explorer was even made in America?
You can be patriotic and "buy American" by purchasing a Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Isuzu, or countless other makes.
12th May 2006, 15:15
People often don't know how to take care of a transfer case and complain when it craps out. You have to use it occasionally to keep things lubricated and keep metallic shavings from collecting on the bottom. You also have to perform fluid changes as well.Finally, you can't put it in 4x4 high and go over 40mph without possible damage to the transfer case and the gears.
14th Jul 2003, 22:09
I have a 1998 Ford Explorer 4 wheel drive which I bought used at 50,000 miles. At 70,000 miles I have had to spend $l.700.00 on repairs to the Transmission. I was informed that the l998 model has a problem with the 2-3 flare in the 5R55E. The auto shop told me about the article about the transmission problems with this vehicle, in the June 2003 issue of Gears Magazine, which you can pull up on their web site. I hope this information is helpful to anyone with this year Ford Explorer. Lorraine.