Used 2001 Ford Explorer Sport for Sale

I had never owned a Ford before purchasing the Explorer, and I had no idea what to expect. My last car was a Chevy Blazer and in comparison this car has given me very few problems in the 100,000 miles I have put on it. It has never left me stranded and my maintenance repairs were always reasonable. The only thing I noticed were the little things that would break, such as the rear windshield wiper or the automatic door locks. However I would prefer these kinds of repairs over more costly engine issues. I still have the original radio and the electrical system seems very solid, I haven't had any issues with weather-stripping either. I was very impressed with the style of the sport model, it had a futuristic feel to the dash gauges and lights for it's time. The seats were adjustable in th... (more)

Story

I loved taking this car up to the mountains and driving in the snow! This suv handles quite well in rough weather!

Pros

I love how high you sit in this suv, not a problem seeing over parked cars on the street. I liked having a rear windshield wiper, and again I loved the fact that the maintenance was reasonable, did not nickel and dime me to death.

Cons

Little things do seem to break here and there, the fuse for the dash kept going on for awhile and the power windows and rear wiper broke.

2001 Ford Explorer Sport - Great vehicle if you are lucky.

Overall, the performance and features of this vehicle are good. The gas mileage is not that bad for a small SUV. The interior cargo room is good with plenty of room in the back for larger loads. It does, at times, run a bit on the hot side, seems to be common for the vehicle...not limited to just mine. So if you live in areas that have hot summers and "stop and go" traffic, it can be an issue...just something to consider. It's not my daily driver. It's more of weekend project hauler: construction material, garden supplies, etc., and for that, it works great.

Story

I live in the south, and we had a major winter storm with lots of ice. I am the only one with an SUV out of my friends. I was getting them to and from during the storm. It's not the best in ice, given it's not the four-wheel drive model, but it still holds its own.

Pros

It's comfortable and has great head room and leg room while still having good capacity in the back to haul stuff. Short or long trips, it remains a comfortable vehicle to be in.

Cons

The timing chain is not well designed. If you buy used, I'd advise making sure it has been replaced. The guides that hold it in place are known to fail. If they fail, the engine needs replaced. It's a major flaw, which is expensive to replace yourself. This is really the only con I have with the vehicle, but when it's two–three thousand dollars to replace it, it's a major con. Also had the fuel pump fail three times in five years. The entire fuel tank needs to be removed to replace this.