Posted: 11/19/2013 3:17:27 AM EDT
| Looking at buying a 2003 Ford Explorer xlt 2wd with 82,000 miles on it. I was able to test drive and thoroughly inspect it and aside from some scratches on the door from being keyed it appears to be well kept. Asking price is below what comparable suvs in the area are going for. So please tell me what your experiences are with 2000s era Explorers. |
| My wife's '98 with a 4.0 SOHC has over 265K on it. I had the transmission rebuilt at a little over 200K. It's had one water pump, one exhaust system, pads and rotors, normal wear items. It's been a good truck, and she's definitely gotten her money's worth out of it. |
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I like the 3rd gen Explorers. Got an 02 with 200k on the clock. I bought it in 08 in near new condition with 90k miles. 4.0L v6. No problems with it. I have had to do the passenger side rear bearing. The drivers side now needs to be replaced too. I plan to drive it until the "wheels fall off".
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I like the 3rd gen Explorers. Got an 02 with 200k on the clock. I bought it in 08 in near new condition with 90k miles. 4.0L v6. No problems with it. I have had to do the passenger side rear bearing. The drivers side now needs to be replaced too. I plan to drive it until the "wheels fall off". I had a 93....I drove it until 2008...the frame and the body literally began to fall apart from rust...otherwise I would still have it. Only had 130k on it. The best vehicle I ever owned. 
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I just traded in a 2000 SOHC 4x4 Limited with 337k. It still ran OK, but the rust was out of control, to the point where the back hatch couldn't be opened. I think the potential problems vary by engine and transmission a little, but mine was a far more reliable truck than it had any right to be.
I did put a junkyard transmission in at 260k, but it gave 30k of warning signs. Other than that, nothing expensive: wheel bearings, tie rods, intake O-rings, etc, all at pretty decently long intervals. I still have a thermostat, a rebuilt half shaft, factory shop manuals, and maybe some other stuff. |
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I leased a 2001 for the wife, no issues. Then I leased a 2004, tranny went at 30k, replaced under warranty.
My Brother in law owns 2 transmission repair shops & loves Fords, he says they all need transmission replacement around 85k, So be very very careful purchasing an explorer with 82k! |
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Quoted:
Looking at buying a 2003 Ford Explorer xlt 2wd with 82,000 miles on it. I was able to test drive and thoroughly inspect it and aside from some scratches on the door from being keyed it appears to be well kept. Asking price is below what comparable suvs in the area are going for. So please tell me what your experiences are with 2000s era Explorers. Have an 04 XLT. Runs great but beware the transmission. |
Brother has a 2003 with 250k miles on it, we've owned 4 so far, I rolled one, others had 150k when we sold them. Our current one has 105k and I would take it anywhere up until last week when it was rear ended by a drunk driver  . Routine maintenance, brakes after 100k, wheel bearings, tires etc.
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| I drove a 1997 to 208k with minimal major maintenance. I now own a 2004 with 116k. AC shit out on me with the latest one @100k, but that has been the largest expense to repair so far. Very reliable vehicles. Unless you absolutely need 4wd, buy the standard 2wd v6, that will be nicer on your wallet for gas and maintenance costs. |
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Mine (and as far as I know, all of the 4.0 SOHC) had a 5R55e, google will tell you lots of stuff about it.
It started having Torque converter slippage problems, where, at first occasionally, then constantly, it would fail to relock up the TCC when hot (after it unlocked when you hit the brakes). That throws the P1741 code. I put a valvebody with a TCC modulator sleeve repair in it, but it was either too late, or irrelevant. The final straw was driving in a snowstorm during which I couldn't pull over and restart to get the TCC to lock up...so the ATF got really hot. It failed pretty spectacularly in terms of smoke, noises and not shifting a couple weeks later. To be fair, it did drive 50 miles home under its own power to the transmission shop, trailing smoke the whole way 
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| I have had 5 Exploders. The Limited with air shocks I advise against unless you are in a warm climate. My favorite was the '93 with 5 speed and manual lock-out hubs; sold it to a friend and is still cross country worthy with a bunch of miles on it. My wife's '97 Sport is damn peppy with a 4.0. All my Explorers have had over 200k before selling. The '97 is still in use and the one I trust when driving on ice. Ball joints can be VERY expensive.....1000+ bucks. Bad roads!. Unless you have one that is loaded with a lot of electrical crap combined with bitter cold weather, your maintenance will be standard up-keep. I will probably get another. |
| I've had two. A 2002 and an 2008 now. The 2002 had 100k when I traded it in for the '08. Got 6k on the trade. The '08 had only 24k on it when I got it 3 years ago. Both went to regular trips to the high desert. Love the Explorer. Don't care much for the 5th gen Explorer, but we'll see... |
| I have a 1993 and a 2003 explorer. Love them both. The 93 made it to 270k or so before it was in a wreck but I'm keeping it to fix up. My 2003 has been fairly reliable, with 158k on it. Be sure to check that both rear windows roll down. Also check for front and rear wheel bearin noise. Be sure to test drive it and see if the transmission shifts smoothly. Turn on both the heat and a/c and hear for any clicking noises under the dash. The reason for this is that the blend door actuators in this generation tends to go to hell. Listen for noise from the rear differential when driving over 2000 rpms. Good luck |