25th Apr 2026, 15:56
This is the original reviewer providing an approximately 1-year update for my 2017 Ford Explorer XLT. Current mileage is now 75,727. Since the last update, I had the oil changed three times, had the air filter changed, as well as the cabin air filter for the first time, and also had the transmission fluid changed at 75,287 miles.
The cabin air filter was something of an embarrassment. Now, I have rebuilt several small-block Chrysler engines, replaced axles, U-joints, do my own brakes on '70s vehicles. What I'd like to try to convey is that I don't consider myself a dummy when it comes to cars. However, I took some bad advice in watching a YouTube video showing how easy it is to change the cabin air filter on my Explorer and it turned out to not be easy. In fact, I broke my glove box in the process and ended up having to have the dealer change the cabin air filter and repair the glove box hinge that I broke. This taught me that there is really nothing on my 2017 Explorer I can do myself. This was my first new vehicle and as it stands, likely to be my last new vehicle as well. If it's already at the point where I can't fix anything myself, I have no intention of adding even more modern annoyances involving electronics, the dreaded kill switch, and information harvesting that come with newer vehicles. Case in point, for work I recently rented a Ford Expedition and the entire dash was LCD TV screens for all the cameras on the thing, the steering wheel trying to fight me with the lane assist, constant verbal reminders to keep my hands on the wheel. No thanks.. Data harvesting is a sensitive point with me and thankfully, my XLT came with the very small LCD screen, still with physical buttons and knobs, and equipped only with Sync1, not Sync3. When I bought it, I expressly wanted this particular vehicle because it did not have the large infotainment screen. At that time, people thought of them as some kind of status symbol but I rejected that and now the pendulum has come back to people missing those buttons and knobs. I also seem to have gotten lucky in my selection of the 2.3L Ecoboost. It doesn't have the wet timing belt like the 1.8L and it doesn't have the internal water pump like the V-6.
Last Fall we took the Explorer on a 5,400 mile road trip across the Central Plains and out to Yellowstone and Glacier National Park. It performed great the whole way and got some great gas mileage. One tank achieved 29.8 mpg, which frankly amazed me. It would have hit 30 mpg except for a stretch of small town traffic lights.
At 75,000 miles it may be beginning to show some wear finally. When I took it in for a state inspection, the dealer said the rear upper control arm bushing was so worn, and that the rear shocks were leaking so badly that it wouldn't pass. This seemed suspicious to me and as soon as I asked to see the car, suddenly one of these shocks was just fine and the other was barely leaking any oil. They tried to demonstrate how bad the control arm bushing was and one guy was trying to twist on the wheel so hard that the whole vehicle was rocking and I still couldn't see any movement on that bushing. The dealer recently changed hands and I think they were trying to drum up a little business to the tune of $1,500. I said I'll call you later, boys, and went to an independent mechanic that works on my '70s cars. I asked him if those concerns were legit and he said he had no qualms about passing it as-is so it was ridiculous to claim it was unsafe. Still, it's a glimpse into the future that it will require some repairs.
I still really like the Explorer and after 9 years, it looks like my plans to keep it forever are working out. It still feels like my new car and I still think of it as such. I expected this vehicle to see me into retirement and it looks like it will.
20th Apr 2025, 17:08
This is the original reviewer providing an approximate 1-year update for my 2017 Explorer XLT. This will be a short update because since the last review I have only put 4,244 miles on the vehicle and nothing much has happened during that time. The odometer now reads 66,992 miles. There have been so few miles this past year because I put nearly 8,000 miles on my 2010 Cadillac DTS plus a couple of thousand on the 2013 Toyota Tundra, so they are taking strain from the Explorer.
One of only two maintenance items during the past year was that the air filter was changed. I was a little embarrassed at how black the filter was and it made me realize how dependent I have become on the dealer keeping track of the maintenance schedule for the Explorer. I had always prided myself on keeping up my own maintenance on my vehicles and had my Haines Manual always in hand. But with the 2017 being a new car and too complicated to do anything with myself, I have fallen out of the habit of maintenance altogether except for when it goes to the dealer for an oil change. I'm not sure I like that. At any rate, the air filter should have been changed long before it was.
The other item was that I finally bought a new set of tires at about 65,000 miles to replace the originals. The originals were Michelins and they gave good service, though to my surprise the dealer said I should not have been able to get so many miles from them. I replaced them with Firestone LE3s, which are also on my Tundra. They work well on the Tundra and also on the company car at work, a Chevy Suburban, but I'm not sure they work with the Explorer. From the first, I noticed that the tread seemed to grab grooved pavement and make the front end wander a little. The dealer may have messed something up because now there is a vibration that was not there before. The same dealer also failed to securely re-attach an engine shield when they changed the oil and after feeling a vibration, I found it hanging down by the last wingnut. They've done a good job before, so hopefully that was a one-off thing.
I expect things to continue to be okay for the coming year as this vehicle still has relatively low miles. I bought it 8 years ago practically to this very week. It still seems like a new car to me. I believe it will be the last new car I purchase. It was also the first new car that I purchased.