Faults:

The only real major thing that has gone wrong with the car is that I the rear wiper motor failed at 29,000 miles and I got it replaced.

One minor defect is that the driver's side overhead map lite doesn't work - it's not the bulb, but the electricals within. The Ford dealership here in Honolulu has not been able to repair it.

General Comments:

Now, I've read the other reviews on this 2000 model year Explorer. I am being honest here when I say that I have not experienced any of the major mechanical or electrical problems that others have witnessed. I am either blessed - or perhaps I'm the exception! I have the fully loaded package, right down to the powered leather seating, sunroof, and compass/thermometer gauge (like I really need that in Hawaii). And YES I do take this truck off-roading - no rock climbing, but we do have some poor trails that literally beckons for SUV's to travel on. And I drive off-road with a set of BF Goodrich's, with no modifications to the suspension - kept everything stock.

By the way, I have used synthetic motor oil in it (AmsOil 10W-30) and an accompanying AmsOil oil filter from the very first day I owned it (after I drained the stock fill, of course). Being synthetic, I have run the same oil and just changed the oil recently at 30,000 miles. No leaks, either, contrary to what a lot folks think of synthetic oil getting past the seals.

I also fill up with 87 octane fuel from Chevron, religiously.

I'm keeping this Explorer - it rides well for a truck, no interior defects (save one), and has cost me little to maintain.

Faults:

The "Check Engine" light has come on twice. Each time it came on, I took it to the dealership and they re-set the light. The dealership could not give me the reason the light came on either time.

The driver's side automatic window lowering switch has stopped working.

General Comments:

You can hear and feel air blowing through the inside door handles.

There is a lot of road noise.

The cup holder is positioned very awkwardly.

The lumbar support in the seats is minimal. Long distance driving is quite uncomfortable.

The air conditioning works extremely well.

Gas mileage is less than I would expect. The car gets about 20 miles per gallon on the highway if you're not running the air conditioning. Around town, the car gets between 15 and 18 miles per gallon.

Faults:

The rear wiper works about half the time. When it does work, the blade only clears 25% of the window.

The serpentine belt snapped at 36,100 miles. Turns out the water pump froze and had to be replaced too. ($500)

General Comments:

Generally a good vehicle. My problems occurred while out of state on vacation, which added to my frustration.

Faults:

The rear window wiper failed at 30k and was replaced under warranty.

Front brake pads were replaced at 55k -- but I consider this to be normal wear.

Of course, all of the tires were replaced as part of the Firestone roll-over debacle. No complaints here -- I got new tires free!!

Some stalling problems fixed by a thorough cleaning and servicing of the throttle body injection assembly, about $50 in your local shop.

General Comments:

Excellent vehicle.

I purchased it used, a former lease / rental and was worried about how well it would hold up. Well, I've put over 40k miles on it and it runs great with minimal problems.

Keep in mind that the 2000 model had the solid rear axle, unlike the 4 wheel independent suspension you see on new Explorers, so these older models ride like trucks, which is what they are...

Also, even the upgrade V6 which is what I have, does not deliver a tremendous amount of power or torque, so would not recommend towing or drag strip racing. However, I'm satisfied with overall performance, but consider the 5.0L V8 if you need more power.