Used 2005 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews
Helpful hints
Mother of 4 and have a third row seat and loving it. Gas mileage is the same as most minivans so why not look sporty while driving and have enough room for 8 people.
Meh
We bought our used '05 explorer in late 2006. It is an XLT model with the V6. It does NOT have four wheel drive. So far,it has been an okay form of basic transportation. The interior is boring. Ditto for the exterior. As time has gone on, more things have broken on it,but that's what happens with older cars,so you can't quite say it's a money pit. The fuel economy is below average but not appalling. The worst parts are clearly the ride and the A/C. In Florida,the A/C is the most important feature in any car. Also-the CD player randomly swallowed a disc and won't spit it out. This was an attractive car in '06 but now you would probably be better off setting fire to your money.
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,99919 mi away
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $3,49924 mi away
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $4,950220 mi away
Lemon
This is our second Explorer and unless we get one for free, our last. The transmission went out at 35,000. The 4WD computer failed at 40,000. The bearings are bad at 45,000. The back hatch has cracked. It has been a miserable money pit. Had we had much other choice in small V8 we would have selected differently. Ford needs to really upgrade quality and reliability in this model.
Now Scared and Confused
Bought my 2005 Explorer XLT in 2006 with 18K miles on it. My wife drives it for the most part and only has 76K in Jan 2014; it is and has been the PERFECT vehicle. A Utah to Texas trip once a year and normal driving in the city. Prior to reading some of the horror stories below I slept well at night but I will toss and turn tonight. I bought it expecting similar reliability as I did with my '93 F-150 which gave me 225K miles before I sold it but will now look over my shoulder. I do maintain it religiously though, hopefully that explains my experience I can only hope.
Paint Peeling
Do not buy a 2002-2005 Ford Explorer. Had I read the reviews on the internet under "peeling paint" I would not now own the vehicle with peeling paint along the front hood. It is bubbled and peels off in sections the size of 50 cent pieces. It looks terrible. Mine is not peeling on top or back (YET) but many, many are. The company refuses to do anything about the peeling problem. There are even some articles saying it is about the paint oxidizing and causes it to peel. Still no help from dealerships or company. A five year old car should not be peeling- -no rust the paint is just falling off in chunks. It looks awful! Never will buy another Ford!