'02 Explorer Sport Trac: 302k mile update

[14Accent]

Ok, so it's not an update per se, but I think lots of people here will appreciate the longevity of the vehicle in the title. It belongs to a friend of mine, I've known her for years and maintained it for the past ~150k miles. The truck was leased new by her grandfather, passed to her mom, an finally given to her years ago. It's taken her through college, grad school, and now she uses it in her line of work and PACKS miles on. 3,500 mile oil changes are once every month and a half, 2 months tops. Nothing fancy, it gets bulk 5w30 and a jobber filter every time.

The only major repair in all these miles has been the transmission, it kicked the bucket around 200k (give or take) and I tossed in a 100k unit out of a Ranger. Haven't touched the fluid since. It's had the infamous 4.0 timing chain rattle as long as I can remember, it's never gotten better or worse. It's just there. I must say it runs like an absolute top. Never a CEL, never a hard start, it just runs and runs.

Other than the transmission, it's been basically bulletproof. I've done the basics: suspension parts, wheel bearings, pads and rotors a handful of times, etc. Thermostat housing once. She recently had the valve cover gaskets done by someone else (who did a terrible job, by the way, but I was busy). The encoder motor smoked the 4x4 control module way back when, but a new motor and used module fixed it for $100. Alternator once. Plugs and wires once. It's never had a water pump, or A/C compressor, or even a belt tensioner. Almost forgot, I did have to replace the pinion bearing in the rear diff, but that was cheap.

I've always had a soft spot for the second generation Explorer. Especially the 5.0 versions. Yes, they're a pain to work on but by god if they aren't good trucks. Unfortunately, 90% of them up here are gone. Rot destroys them from the suspension up.

This thread came to mind due to the friend and I switching vehicles so she could drive to Duluth and save some fuel. I drove the truck to work to do an oil change and patch a tire, and was amazed at just how good it still drives. Sure, it's not terribly comfortable, but overall it's very drive-able. The seats are still comfortable, the trans shifts like butter, it tracks dead straight down the highway. It does have a TERRIBLE stereo, however! I'm impressed with the old girl all things considered.

Anyone else have a personal connection to a high-mileage daily driver?

 

[379KITTY]

I do, 2005 Cobalt bought new now at almost 301K miles. Nothing repair wise until around 240K. Alternator, heater core, O2 sensor, trans shift solenoid and finally water pump at around 290K. Original fuel pump, A/C system, window motors etc. My wife calls it the Energizer Bunny. I honestly can't tell a difference in driveability, A/C performance, trans operation, idle etc. from when it was new, Even has original wheel hub bearings - ABS sensor wire finally broke on left front turning on the light. Bearing is quiet and smooth - not gonna replace it for that.

 

[A310]

Great to hear her getting great dependability out of an older explorer.

 

[exranger06]

Thanks for sharing. I'm a big Explorer fan too. My first car was a 1994 Explorer, which is now my mom's car and is still going with over 220k miles. My dad bought it way back in 1996, so there are lots of good memories growing up with it. It's always been a very reliable, tough truck. It's really showing its age now though and probably doesn't have much longer. My mom thinks it's going to die any day now, but she's been thinking that for the last 8 years or so! It just keeps chugging along. Anyway, that truck is the reason I'm a Ford guy and an Explorer guy, and it's the reason I bought my Ranger, since the 1st and 2nd gen Explorers were basically the SUV-version of the Ranger. I have the same 4.0 SOHC in my Ranger as your friend's Sport Trac. I also had to replace the thermostat housing. It's a common problem. I installed an aftermarket aluminum housing that solves the problem permanently. I don't have any timing chain noise, but I only have 77k miles so far, and mine has the updated parts that should be good for a long time, hopefully forever.

I also briefly had a 2nd gen Explorer, a 1999 given to me by my brother in law. Unfortunately it was in bad shape when I got it and wasn't worth fixing, (219k miles and not maintained well, had many things wrong with it), despite my best efforts at reviving it. I parted it out to recoup the money I put in it and scrapped the rest. I pretty much broke even and I still have a pile of parts from it I'm still trying to sell lol.

 

[maxdustington]

Those first round body exploders were really popular in the 90s. Did they all rust out or were they crushed for having 90s fuel economy?

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Those first round body exploders were really popular in the 90s. Did they all rust out or were they crushed for having 90s fuel economy?

I heard they were the #1 most destroyed vehicle in Cash for Clunkers. I still see them all the time though.

 

[Jarlaxle]

My wife did...she had a Jeep Cherokee Pioneer that she got for $50 with a bad engine. We replaced the engine (note to previous owner: they run better with COOLANT), and she drove it...and drove it. At the time, she was doing over 100 miles a day commuting, sometimes working 6 day weeks, and her Grand National was down an entire summer due to body damage (sideswipe while parked), then (a week after getting it back) a blown transmission and no funds to replace it. (Hence the 6-day weeks.) She got it with high miles (280K) but the body was perfect. (It was a southern truck.) It had the old GM 2.8 V6...which we replaced with a crate 3400 long-block. After that, she drove it...and drove it...and drove it...and drove it...and drove it.

In the ~8 years she had it, she put 200,000+ miles on it, including 3 round trips to Florida and one to Kansas City. It was sadly scrapped due to structural cracking in the unit body with 523,000 miles. She still misses that Jeep.