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.
We were on mountainous roads of Eastern Tennessee when the headlights started dimming along with the interior lights. Then both sets of lights went out for about 2 seconds while driving. It was scary. Our mechanic back home had replaced the multifunction switch and said the problem was the headlamp assembly. We are currently waiting on the part from Ford.
Update from Aug 13, 2014: Since the headlamp assembly was replaced, we have had no more issues.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
We were on mountainous roads of Eastern Tennessee when the headlights started dimming along with the interior lights. Then both sets of lights went out for about 2 seconds while driving. It was scary. Our mechanic back home had replaced the multifunction switch and said the problem was the headlamp assembly. We are currently waiting on the part from Ford.
Update from Aug 13, 2014: Since the headlamp assembly was replaced, we have had no more issues.
- smcleanhands9, Durham, NC, US