1992 Ford Explorer XLT from North America - Comments

We have a 92 Ford Exploder also!! Currently in the driveway for sale! For real cheap!! We got the black tar leaking from the steering wheel too! I think it's from the sun melting the bonding agent under the leather casing of the steering wheel! We just put a steering wheel cover on it!!! Problem solved! Our rear view mirror also fell off, from the heat I think! Our transmission is shot, no longer have overdrive, just drive and it shimmies a lot! Somebody come buy it!!!"

Wow!! A 16 year old car with a shot transmission and shimmy!!! That's a really great deal!!! Putting a cover on the leaking steering wheel is really a novel approach!! They sell the glue to remount the mirrors to the windshield for a couple of bucks!!! I can't wait to come and look at it!!!

The steering wheel leakage is common. Mine does it and yes I put a $12.00 cover on it and avoided a $75.00+ wheel replacement. Shoot at 155,000 miles a little goo from the wheel is nothing.

I'm considering buying a '92 2WD Explorer which my wife will use for a 25 - 30 mile commute daily. The shop who has it just pulled the engine and replaced heads, seals seals on transmission, and a lot of other things including new tires all the way around. The truck has 87,000 miles on it and the engine came from a 97 Explorer. Everything seems to work OK, although I can't feel the overdrive shift in at 45 mph. He says it is. Says it will get 16 mpg. I have talked him down to $1850 and I'll have to replace a cracked windshield myself. What do you guys think? Runs OK, cold AC. has good power.

Dan.

In regards to the last comment, this is just my opinion but:

1) It sounds like this '92 Explorer has been kind of cobbled together. I would be leery of buying something that has been so trashed as to need so much work. I would also be leery of the mixing and matching engines. In short, this thing sounds like junk, and sounds about $1,500 overpriced.

2) With gas prices what they are, you would be throwing money away to buy something that only gets 16 mpg for a 60-mile round trip commute. That is $300/month on gas. You could do a lot better, and I mean a LOT better! For $1,850 you could find yourself an old Ford Taurus or Escort, or Dodge Neon and get +30 mpg.

I have a 92 Explorer.. I love it.. we just replaced the motor as the old one was leaking anti freeze with 368,000 k on it. Cracked gasket. New one has 60 k on it..

The body needs work, but I feel safe in this baby. Prime example, hit black ice two days ago, swerved hard left and hit a rock hard snowbank head on.. no control. The only damage is the black PLASTIC skirt in the front is loose on one side.. had I had my little Taurus, I would be doing frond end work.. my daughters neon-scrapping the car.

So I guess I am going to replace my two rear panels and I am good to roll for a few more years!

:)