1996 Ford Explorer Limited review from North America

The day that we brought the car home, the air ride system went bad, of course this was covered under the warranty.

I don't really know when, but the memory seats don't work anymore. When I called the dealer to find out about a price, I was told I would have to pay the dealer something to the tune of $60 an hour just to diagnose the problem. I decided to let it alone.

The power lumbar driver seat no longer works anymore. It probably went around 70,000 miles. I decided that I really didn't need the power lumbar seats that much anyway.

The Explorer goes through a lot of O2 sensors. It seems as though whenever the check engine light comes on, an O2 sensor needs to be replaced.

I wish the car had the V8 engine because when the explorer is half-full, it is VERY sluggish.

I always have to drive with the pedal down to the floor to have any acceleration.

This may be the cause of the poor gas mileage. I get about 13.5 in the city, and depending upon how fast I am going on the highway, between 17 and 20.

The Limited version comes with awesome features like the on-board computer and the rear air.

The 4 wheel drive works like a dream in the bad weather. But without it engaged, you WILL skid, even when the road is just wet.

I got this car when I turned 16 two years ago when my mother got a BMW. My parents decided to give me this car because it had 4 wheel drive and was a large vehicle.

If buying this car for a student, please keep in mind that s/he will have to work constantly to keep it filled with gas. I go through one tank per week, and with a 20 gallon tank, it often costs around $30 to fill it up. Even though it is a gas hog, I love having the extra room for all the crap that students have to haul around. (Book bags etc).