CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 Ford Explorer one of our worst vehicles on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2005 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
The lines rotted clean through. Not as much of a problem on a straight highway, but a pain in town driving and fueling up. Muscling this car into a tight parking spot is really annoying. 0/10 would not recommend trying this. If it happens to you, get it fixed as soon as possible. Otherwise it'll just get worse until you eventually do crash.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The lines rotted clean through. Not as much of a problem on a straight highway, but a pain in town driving and fueling up. Muscling this car into a tight parking spot is really annoying. 0/10 would not recommend trying this. If it happens to you, get it fixed as soon as possible. Otherwise it'll just get worse until you eventually do crash.
- zukana13731, Longmeadow, MA, US