2004 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews

Great value !

Written by: MIKE E. on 03/14/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Bought in jan.2008.The only issue was a recall on transmission clunking in reverse...dealer fixed over a year ago for free, no problems since.For the price you get a lot of features and room to haul a lot of stuff on vacation, or a trip to the home improvement center.Excellent in snow even with the cheap tires I have on it right now... a lot of other vehicles were getting stuck this winter while I drove right around them no problem!Not as good as Toyota/Honda but I hear that the new Edge and Flex are now on par with them.Great overall truck for thousands less than the competitors...just do the maintenance and you should have no problems.

Favorite Features

Has a quiet ride,comfortable seats (7),lots of room for stuff,good in snow,all the toys for less(6 disc,leather,climate control,etc.)

Suggested Improvements

needs better build quality to compete with Toyota,better mpg even on v-6

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John

Written by: John R. on 03/08/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This car is the worst car I have ever owned. There is over 10,000 dollars of repairs sence I purchased this car. The transfer case went bad twice. The Shift differencial twice. Front and upper ball joints. The break system had to be completely replaced. Roters worp. The rear end had to be rebuilt after 30000 miles. The transmission slips. The rear window and locking system had to be replaced. The rear trunk plastic cracked.The leather seats cracked after 4000 miles. It rides rough. I only get 11 miles to a gallon, 12 on a trip. The speekers crack. Ford Motor company, you ought to be ashamed of your self for putting a product out like this. If it wasn't for the extended warranty I would be in big trouble.

Favorite Features

The 3rd seat.

Suggested Improvements

Give a good Ford man like me money back for this think you call a Ford explorer. I purchased new. Im stuck with it and can't do nothing about it.

0 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Best Explorer I ever had

Written by: Doug on 02/23/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This is my 4th Explorer that I have had since 1995. It is the best one yet, not that the others were problems. I bought it with 10000 miles on it and it now has 141000 miles and is going strong. I try to change the oil every 4000 miles and take care of it. My brakes lasted 75000 miles and the tires were changed at 90000 miles. At 131000 miles I got a tune up and changed the transmission fluid. A wheel bearing went out at 135000 miles. Other than that everything else in the car is the same as when I bought it. This SUV seems like it will run forever. I keep thinking of getting another 2004 with less miles, but this Explorer has been so good, I don't think I will. 21mpg on the highway

Favorite Features

Overall room inside, 6 pack CD player, quality of car, towing package. Temperature and compass.

Suggested Improvements

With this Explorer, I see no improvements are needed. If I buy another it will be a 2004 with lower mileage. Gas mileage is a concern, but when you buy an SUV, you expect the gas mileage not to be very good,

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Defective Rear Differential Design

Written by: Joetta Campbell on 02/15/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer XLT AWD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I've had the rear differential/pinion gears replaced 3 times, but the loud whine from the grinding rear-end gears continues to return after a few thousand miles. I was finally told that this is normal, and wouldn't pose a problem, but the grinding noise has now gotten too loud to drown out with the radio. My research into this problem has led me to discover it's a very common problem due to Ford's design flaw (the soft aluminum housing expands at a different rate than metal gear assembly). I've also learned the rear end will eventually seize; just pray it's not on the expressway with your children on board. After 1yr/12000 miles, you're stuck paying >1.5K for another temporary fix. Too bad enforcement of consumer protection was gutted in 2001, as the well-known rear-end design problem of these vehicles has gone unchecked. Ford should be forced to recall these vehicles, since it is a safety issue when the rear-end seizes up eventually.

Favorite Features

Looks.

Suggested Improvements

Ford should stand behind their decision to "cheap out" on the rear differential assembly, before enough disgusted owners initiate a move to educate all 2002-up Explorer owners of the true origin of this infamous problem (Google "Explorer Rear end whine") and move forward with a class-action lawsuit.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Another great Ford product

Written by: Don on 01/31/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I have owned this vehicle for over 5 years now and have had no major problems. It is serviced by my dealer every 5000 miles and washed and cleaned regularly as it should be. I have had no paint(black) or fading problems, in fact my dealer just detailed it and it looked like it did when it was purchased 5 years ago. I did have the plastic panel on the rear tailgate freeze up and crack at 52800 miles, but Ford and my dealer took care of the problem since it is a Ford design flaw.The vehicle is fun to drive and is usually the vehicle that is taken on longer trips and up until recently, we owned a full size Mercury, but this vehicle is much more fun to drive. My wife has no objection to driving.

Favorite Features

Heated seats, fold down rears seats that make a flat cargo area, keyless entry system, home link garage door opener, dual temp control, adjustable pedals, tire pressure monitor, reverse sensing system, running boards

Suggested Improvements

Improved fuel mileage. I get a whistling noise(wind) at higher speeds when cross members are connected to roof rack. I think it is more prevalent because vehicle has moonroof. I do not use the roof rack,therefore, I removed the 2 cross pieces

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Great SUV

Written by: VA4WD on 01/30/2009

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer XLS 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Bought this Explorer in Jan 2004 after looking at Toyota Nissan and Chevy. The 2004 Explorer had the others beat in many categories: excellent handling on curvy roads yet smooth riding over bumps and rough roads, V6 has great oomph in town and on the highway, well laid out dash and interior, very attractive and durable cloth seats on the XLS model. Having owned this Ford for 5 years it has been a very reliable and faithful companion. Warranty repairs included a transmission fix a rear differential leak, no more trouble out of either after the initial repair. After warranty repairs have been to install a starter as the old one was slowing down. Thanks Ford for making a great SUV!

Favorite Features

Handling. V6 has pep and power. Roominess. Interior appointments and finish. Styling. Safety. Canopy air bag

Suggested Improvements

Diesel or hybrid model

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Beautiful-if you don't stand too close!

Written by: disappointed on 12/30/2008

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer XLS 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This SUV has some real problems cosmetically. The paint begins to peel after a few years, the panel on the liftgate cracks for no reason other than a bad design flaw, and the black trim on the doors fades and cracks after a few years. The worse thing about all of this is that after selling someone this SUV for $30,000, Ford will not stand behind one of their most expensive products and help the consumer out, especially when the design flaws and defective paint jobs are Ford's own mistakes. As far as reliability, I have had no problems yet, but the transmission is pretty clunky, and will probably not last as long as it should. We had a 2000 model that needed a new tranny at 44,000 miles.

Favorite Features

Roomy backseat and cargo area, and the SUV is beautiful if you're not standing close enough to see the paint and trim problems!

Suggested Improvements

Liftgate has already been redesigned on newer models, but Ford needs to make sure their paint jobs are worthy of a $30,000 SUV.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Junk

Written by: John on 12/10/2008

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I purchased this car new. It is now December of 2008 and this car has seen the dealership more than my driveway. Ford has put a bad car out on this one. I love my dealership, they have done everything possible to make me happy but the product that Ford put out will make me go onto to GMC or other.

Favorite Features

Exterior temp control, 5th seat interior room

Suggested Improvements

Door hatch cracked, breaks, rear end, transfer case, transmission, front differential, leather seats cracks, body rust, gas mileage, 11 miles to a gallon, front jumps when in wet grass. how about everything

2 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Sleek and powerful

Written by: jrappy87 on 11/22/2008

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer Limited AWD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Overall, I love this car. I love the roar it makes when you floor it! it feels like i have so much power. The AWD is a great feature and is fun too floor it in the snow. The car is so sleek and awesome looking. I have the chrome rims, chrome running board and chrome roof rack. Just watch out when you floor it the MPG goes down a lot! It is fun if you floor it long enough to watch it go through all the gears! There is no winding noise when you get up to 6 RPMS its actually a cool sound like a whistle. Everyone should get this car!

Favorite Features

The DVD system is great for watching movies. It's so much fun driving it in the winter! The sound system is great and has nice amount of bass. I like how all the controls for the climate control and radio are on the steering wheel.

Suggested Improvements

Better gas mileage. Also I wish there was an option to control the strength of the heated seats, all this is is an on/off button.

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Fit for a scrap yard

Written by: Mike on 09/04/2008

Vehicle

2004 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

After owning mostly Honda and Chevy vechicles, I thought I would try a Ford Explorer since I liked the look of them. Bad choice on my part. What a hunk of junk. The transmission went at 17k, rear differential needed repair at 25K. Too many things to list here. Its sold now, and I bought a Honda Pilot. All my Hondas (a 95 Civic, 2000 Accord, 2004 Civic) have been worth every penny. This Explorer I was almost willing to pay someone to take. Don't settle for this kind of quality people. There are better vehicles out there, and Ford doesn't make them!

Favorite Features

Interior, heated leather seats, 4X4

Suggested Improvements

Everything. Go to Japan and learn how to build a car!

1 out 4 people found this review helpful

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