2005 Ford Explorer Reviews - Page 2 of 2

Nothing has gone wrong with the vehicle.

I bought this car with 33,000 miles for $13,000. It is a great vehicle for the money. It goes through the snow well, and feels safe and comfortable to drive. We get about 21.5 mpg on the highway.

I enjoy the visibility from the driver's seat. The seats are comfortable on long trips. The second row seats quickly fold down to open up a large area for hauling things.

I'm very happy with our purchase.

The leather seats cracked quickly. The dealer replaced two of the seats (driver seat and right rear) under warranty.

Three months after purchasing the vehicle I received a notice from Ford that the wrong transmission fluid was added at the assembly plant. I was requested to bring the vehicle in for an additive to correct the problem. The notice that I received in the mail indicated that this was their last attempt to notify me of this defect. Ironically, I only received 1 notice regarding this matter.

The transmission shifts are rough at times. Particularly between reverse and drive.

The Explorer is great for a family who needs an SUV for weekend errands.

This vehicle was approximately $10,000 less than a new Toyota 4 Runner. Perhaps the Toyota would not have had the minor issues I mentioned above but with a $10,000 differential in price the Ford was a great buy.

The flex fuel option on this vehicle interested me when I purchased the vehicle. However, like most people when I used ethanol my mileage suffered dramatically.

If you purchase the vehicle make sure you get the towing option. It was less than $200 and you get a larger receiver and a nice wiring package.

Defective drive shaft caused roaring vibration at highway speeds. Dealer replaced drive shaft under warranty.

At around 15000 miles the rear differential starting whining, a common problem with 02 to 05 Explorers. Dealer rebuilt rear differential under warranty. (TSB 05-12-6)

Do Not Use Curse Control At Speeds 35 mph or Less, the Engine Will Shut Down! Luckily my wife didn't panic when this happened. I have seen many complaints on this and apparently Ford can cure this with a $120 PCM flash.

Overall this is a very nice truck. The four wheel drive system works well in snow. This rig makes many trips to the slopes during the winter without any problems.

Gas mileage is what it is... 16 mpg in town, 20 mpg highway.

3rd row seating works well even for teenagers and medium sized adults.

4.0L V6 makes good power, seems stronger that its rated horsepower.

Weather stripping behind the wheels fell down making it very loud inside.

The truck has a lot of wind noise in the cab. Also it is very drafty. I feel cold air all the time.The wind seems to blow through the door.

None so far.

There is a problem with the 60/40 split rear seats. The seat on the driver's side rear will not fold over due to the sub-woofer being mounted underneath.