Better off to trade that Exploder in , since everyone I ever knew who had one had problems with them when they got older (5 or more years ) . Sadly they're not built to last long term without incurring nagging problems . Typical of certain domestic models .

I know this is the garden forum, but we really don't need fertilizer like this here, in this corner.

"Better off to trade that Exploder in , since everyone I ever knew who had one had problems with them when they got older (5 or more years ) . Sadly they're not built to last long term without incurring nagging problems . Typical of certain domestic models .

I own a 2002 Ford Explorer. Yes I had to replace the rear wheel bearings, and of course did the brake pads, rotors, and e-brake shoes all at the same time.

My Ford Explorer is by far the nicest car, and most durable car that I have ever owned. Plus few that I have worked on (30 years as a professional technician) has matched it's level of quality (almost 6 years removed) from it's date of purchase.

Cars break and need serviced. Parts do wear out. The nameplate has nothing to do with it. Nine's comment is so biased it clearly needs to be called out as so. Remember I work on EVERYTHING. When it came time for me to buy a car that was All Wheel Drive, could tow 4000lb+ and needed to last me 300,000 miles, and maybe 20+ years only one was deemed capable of such service. My Ford Exoplorer is right about the first 1/3rd of that expectation and is living up to everything I could have hoped for.

Unless nine wants to claim he has never known me, he needs to withdraw his comment.

Since when did I claim to know everyone with an Explorer and why should I withdraw a comment based on honest observation ? For the record a family member had one and when it was 6 years old it developed an intermittent starting problem that even stumped the techs at the local Ford dealer . Rather than deal with yet another problem on a vehicle that she drove a mere two miles to work she traded it in on a Camry with 17k on the clock - 6 years later , not a single problem with it . A friend had one (2 year old used) and after 2 reliable years and a year and a half of constant problems traded it in on a Ranger which is still going strong with over 200k . A guy at work bought one new that was a total lemon from the get go and eventually worked out a trade with the dealer he bought it from on a full sized Ford pickup that he's been happy with -save the rattles from the rear half doors on the extended cab . I also know people who've had Explorers for 3-4 years , liked them and traded them in on new Explorers . So that's where I conclude that they develop problems with long term ownership .

Not everyone is a mechanic who can fix their own vehicles and based on Sharon's problems posted here in the past , I'd say she and her husband are in that category . These car companies make an average of 14k on every one of these suvs sold , cutting corners with parts outsourced from the lowest possible bidder . Why would they build them to last a long time with minimal problems ? That wouldn't be in their best financial interests , but as a mechanic it would be in yours . And frankly from what private mechanics charge these days , it costs about the same to take that vehicle to a dealer . Who actually fix the vehicle when scheduled and don't let it sit around for days untouched after an appointment has been scheduled well in advance !