DO NOT EVER BUY A SECOND HAND 2007 FORD EXPLORER.....NO. MATTER. WHAT.

mark my words, you'll regret it sooner rather than later.

I loved this car. it was everything i wanted in an SUV. It was great for moving our kids and their friends with that automatic folding third row thingy. Edgy (dare i say rugged?), but classy, as well as practical with the leather seats and entertainment package. Afterall, i did NOT want to be one of "those people" who had a mini van with their kids and their soccer games...... besides, our family does a lot of road trips and i figured a bigger engine would hold up better to my 40 mile (one way) commute and our regular trips to Georgia. And what a nice price tag!

We just bought it at a used car lot in April 2015 with right at 70,000 miles on it, one previous owner, carfax history report and everything. It really was too good to be true. We drove it off the lot and immediately had to have the rear brakes redone, but that's ok. we dished out the $500 and got it done. we did just get a really good deal on it and the repair shop did just say everything else looked great on it!

I should pause and let you know that we did have a 25,000 mile protection plan, but hit financial hardship due to my husband changing jobs soon after purchasing the vehicle and had to cancel coverage.

2.5 months later, we shelled out another $500 on coil packs and sparkplugs at a local ford dealership.....ok.....that kinds sucks, but it's routine maintenence i guess. i mean those things need to be replaced at some point. Oh, but by the way, you have a leaky radiator. $1600.....that was a nice bombshell.

fast forward to December 29th 2015, 16,000 miles, and multiple oil changes later (did i mention we road trip a lot?) and i'm driving home from work with my 11 month old when suddenly my whole vehicle begins shuddering and check engine light comes on without any warning. But it doesn't just come on, it starts flashing. So i pull over to let her chill for a minute so to speak, call my husband, and start googling a repair shop nearby. i turned her back on and started making my way to the shop selected and quickly realize this isn't going to work so i pulled into the closest body shop i found that was fortunately right up the road from where i was...Hello!! body shop is ALSO a repair shop...derf. Anyway, he can't take me because he's bogged down, but says very casually that my engine does smell like sulfer....WTF?!?!

SOOoooooo......he directs me next door. literally next door to the Napa auto shop. i head in there and am seen immediately. the guys hook her up and come back a quick couple minutes later with the computer readings- misfire cyliner 8, faulty coil pack. Didn't i just replace those?!?! Anyway, whatever. i'll gladly shell out the $86 to get that fixed and be on my way and get the remaining ones looked at at the dealership later on. besides i have a now hungry baby with no bottle or snacks because i was just heading home. the mechanic comes back about an hour later and tells me that my coil pack is replaced, but the car is still not running and they have it hooked up to the computer again. a few short minutes later reveal my catalitic converter is glowing red and desparately needs to be replaced but the part won't be ready until tomorrow AND it's going to cost me $500. Called huband to come pick me and screaming baby up.

....THE NEXT DAY.....Catalytic converter replaced....car STILL doesn't work. Mechanics NOT sure what's going on. They are disassembling my engine because a faulty seal is suspected or a fuel air sensor.....WHAT the F*$% EVER. I just want answers, cost estimates etc.....

Monday morning. Finally the diagnosis. Intake manifold caught fire due to misfireing cylinder 8 due to failed coil pack. the interior of the manifold is (currently at this exact moment in time as of 08 January 2016) melted through. when the cylinder misfired, the manifold was filling with gasoline and was setting my engine on fire. i plan to have pictures uploaded later on.

A fire! i have comprehensive coverage on my car for such a thing! that was actually great news!

wanna talk about a "bubble bursting" moment? So. all of you out there, if you've beared through this so far, know this about comprehensive coverage on your vehicles: It covers all repairs to damaged parts caused by a fire except for the part that caused the fire. In my case, according to the assessor sent by the insurance company, the part that caused the fire was my motor. My insurance is covering about $800 of the total $5,000 (yeah that's 3 zeros) worth of damages to my manifold after my deductible. I now HATE this car and i'm ready to turn off my automatic payments and let the financial institute that loaned me the money come and reposess it....credit be damned.

I'll conclude the same way I opened

DO NOT EVER BUY A SECOND HAND 2007 FORD EXPLORER.....NO. MATTER. WHAT.

mark my words, you'll regret it sooner rather than later.

Well I want to know if there was any type of recall on this SUV that I was not informed of. My husband and I had just dropped off his children when the vehicle started to not want to run as if the truck was pulling back on us. Then a bad smell came in the truck and my husband parked the car to check inside the hood. As he opened the hood a flame shot out at him. I jumped out the truck and instantly that SUV was on fire. Does anyone know something about these trucks catching on fire for no reason? Please let me know so that I can inform my insurance company. Thank you , Natalie C.