My parents purchased the vehicle from a shop, which reconditioned the vehicle after it was totalled by the original owners. Several weeks after the purchase the transmission "exploded" while shifting out of park on the hill outside of our house. At the time I did not own the vehicle and I use the term "exploded" because I go only by the description provided by my brother and sister after the incident. However, the area outside of our house which might be called "ground zero" provided significant evidence of a detonation of destructive power. However, to be fair to the old girl, it was used for the first ten years of its life primarily as a mule for a 25 foot boat. Also, from what I have read the four speed automatic transmissions are prone to failure at mileage in excess of 100,000. The repair cost for a rebuilt transmission ran about $1,800 I believe.
My parents also replaced the passenger side radius arm bushing. I believe that cost about $200.
Since I was donated the vehicle by my parents in 2004, as a winter beater ('79 Firebird in the summer), several more things have failed.
The radius arm bushing on the driver side has deteriorated resulting in a "loose" feeling in the front end and a popping sound when the brakes are applied and released. This is caused by axle-wrap, which is annoying, yet not serious, and is nothing I will be paying to have fixed.
The four wheel drive is inoperable. Failure of the shifter motor on the transfer case is common due to a deteriorated internal stop gumming the connections. However, after removing this and rebuilding it myself I unfortunately determined that this was not the problem and instead the auto locking hubs were destroyed. Another item I will not be fixing. 4X4 does work if in dire need, however, it is not pretty.
Several other small common items have needed to be repaired or replaced since I have owned the vehicle:
Brakes: front and rear, entire exhaust system, starter (twice), a stuck thermostat, rusted transmission lines (in and out), and the oil pressure gauge failed (A few scary days until I resolved that it was just the oil pressure sending unit).
Also, there is the standard Ford Explorer copyrighted extreme rocker panel rust. Also a little rust on the roof and lip of the hood. However, the floors and wheel wells are surprisingly spotless.
The 1992 Ford Explorer is no rocket ship. In fact my first impression of the vehicle (ignoring the bright red interior) was "I could probably walk faster". However, it holds its own on the highway.
What it lacks in speed it makes up for in comfort and quality. The seats are tremendously comfortable and the dash lay out is pleasing and functional. It shifts smoothly, vision is excellent, space is ample (the rear seats fold flat, there is not one blemish anywhere in the interior, and nothing has cracked, fallen apart, or failed. It has style and still shows as it did when it rolled out of the factory in '92.
The gas mileage is poor, however, normal for its age and weight, and the 4.0L Cologne V6 is an excellent engine that has never once let me down.
I occasionally beat on the vehicle, as I feel it is my civic duty being 18-21 years of age owning the vehicle. However, I regularly change the oil (synthetic) and check all fluids and tire pressure regularly.
It may sound as if this car has been nothing, but a nightmare, however, the annual cost to own it, including the 3000 purchase price my parents payed, sums up to less than what they say one should expect to pay in new car payments or used car repairs. Also, it's still going strong and I expect it to last me through college... so long as I do.
Problems to look out for if you own or are planning on purchasing a first generation explorer:
Failure of the 4X4 due to the power motor on the transfer case (can also help you score an explorer for cheap if you know what to look for).
Rust evidence on the rockers, window motor failure, radius arm bushing failure, and clogging of the mass air flow sensor (if getting very poor gas mileage or rough idling)
Wow! I can relate very much to this review. my explorer has also had similar problems, but how the reader titled, it does "grow on you". although I do have another vehicle that has replaced it I still completely miss driving my explorer on a daily basis.
Wow! I too have had all the same problems with my Explorer. I can add to the list with the brakes going out at 40,000 miles and the intake manifold gasket having to be replaced. Now have to replace the transmission. Owned it since 1993 and it's still a good ole SUV with 142,000 miles on her. Will pay the repair bills and drive it into the ground to avoid car payments. I'll miss her when she finally dies tho.
I have a '92 Brown 4x4 XLT Explorer, and I would not trade it for the world. I get EXCELLENT gas millage for its size and class, and I love the thing to death. My parents bought it in '92 towards the end of the 92 season production run in May (so I occasionally have to order '93 parts to fit) when I was only half way past 3. I still remember the day we picked it up... But enough with the nostalgia.
16 years and 120,000 miles later, the world has been decent to her in someways and very harsh in others. For example, it snows a lot here, so the trademark rust showed up early. This was combated through its ENTIRE life by a lifetime Ziebart warranty that required them to fix all rust that came through. (I have a feeling they cut it back to the 10 years now BECAUSE of Explorers.) But it has also been garaged its ENTIRE life as well.
Other problems include: air con system getting a leak in it, and thus failing. (Thanks to Al Gore I can't get this fixed cheaply as it was the last year for R-12. (deemed an environmental hazard.) So it will cost $1,800 to get it fixed, and have the r-12 contaminants removed, and have it put back in.)
One new hood thanks to rust through.
Two new four wheel drive transfer cases due to failure... But Ford seems to have gotten it right this time as it has lasted the longest yet, and shows no sings of stopping like the others have... (Oh, I miss the days of getting out in the cold and snow, and banging on it with a sledgehammer...)
Rust throughout body panels. But thanks to a warranty we finally just let lapse we had most of it repaired.
We replaced both of the radius arm bushings. There was an immediate difference in that it not longer made loud squeaking and popping sounds as you turned corners and especially went up inclines or driveways.
A coil pack failure that seems to be a weak point for Fords across the board. We almost thought the truck was done for the night it happened, (the truck stalled after jerking a few times and the would not start to save its life) but we towed it home, and found out it was a simple fix.
Oil gauge messing up. (On a 1,600 trip to Florida.. That was fun)
Transmission needs work. Its in great shape, but its rated WAY below what it should be, and the factory clutch is WAY too small. It's a manual, which I love, but why Ford used a Mitsubishi tranny is WAY beyond me.
But that's about it. We never had any REAL serious problems out of the thing, and its been an EXCELLENT truck. I REFUSE to let it go, and will rebuild the engine myself if/when it comes to that. The ONLY thing that will end up stopping it, is if someone else hits it, and damages it to where it will no longer run. It's a good truck, and I deem it worthy.
Good comments,from your readers, I've had the same problems with transmission, tie rods, windows, 4x4. However I let a local Ford house do my work and they have done a great job.
I have 150,000 miles on this SUV. It gets 21 mpg, no oil usage, with Goodyear tires it rides great.
It ate my cassette mon. so I'll get a CD, no cassettes players sold here.
I would not trade this for a 2001 Ford Escape,, went to Wolf Creek, colo., and had no troubles.
Don't buy a used one, unless it's in great shape. I spent $3,000 last year, restoring this SUV, it just keeps going.. lck...
Bought mine new in 1992. The exhaust rusted out several times but now it is a Midas exhaust so it gets replaced for free every other year or so. The Oil Can Henry shop in Sierra Vista drained the transmission oil and "forgot" to replace it so I burned up the transmission at 0200 hours on Highway 10 in the middle of the desert (no a fun experience). Otherwise, this has been a great vehicle. I have 168,000 miles on it and it sat for three years while I was stationed in the Netherlands. I can get 24 MPG on the highway if I drive carefully but only about 16 MPG city driving no matter what I do. Burns no oil, has lost some power, survived two good crashes, on my fourth set of tires, rides as rough as a tank.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site