CarComplaints.com Notes: 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.
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.
Be weary on disconnecting or changing a battery anymore. I needed a replacement battery, bought a Motorcraft battery. Swapped them out and the engine only cranked. It fired after a while and barely idled around 500rpm. Had an engine fail safe display. Figured no big deal I have access to a scanner, and I get codes for a bad computer and bad throttle body. I reset the computer with the scanner, nothing. Disconnect the battery for 30 minutes and try again, still the same. I call a friend at the local dealer and he does some research and found one case of the same problem. The solution is a computer reflash at the dealer. The compute loses it's keep alive memory when the battery is unhooked. About a week after the problem started I go to tow the thing to Ford and it magically started when the tow truck arrived. Needless to say I need it to drive so it hasn't been reflashed. So if you change a battery you need to keep 12V hooked to this thing at all times or you risk losing the computer memory
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Be weary on disconnecting or changing a battery anymore. I needed a replacement battery, bought a Motorcraft battery. Swapped them out and the engine only cranked. It fired after a while and barely idled around 500rpm. Had an engine fail safe display. Figured no big deal I have access to a scanner, and I get codes for a bad computer and bad throttle body. I reset the computer with the scanner, nothing. Disconnect the battery for 30 minutes and try again, still the same. I call a friend at the local dealer and he does some research and found one case of the same problem. The solution is a computer reflash at the dealer. The compute loses it's keep alive memory when the battery is unhooked. About a week after the problem started I go to tow the thing to Ford and it magically started when the tow truck arrived. Needless to say I need it to drive so it hasn't been reflashed. So if you change a battery you need to keep 12V hooked to this thing at all times or you risk losing the computer memory
- msw210, Osceola Mills, PA, US