2002 Ford Explorer: Regular Car Reviews

[@nwhit1]

Now THIS is a regular car

[@artistwithouttalent]

Now THIS is Podracing!

[@Monatomic86]

....but if they wanna do a supercar, or weird custom/prototype every once in a while I won't complain.

[@kitchen5203]

I can FEEL the rust spreading while watching this video.

[@trap4dafu2k0fit]

Now THIS is flat earth!

[@christianhernandez9172]

Oh so regular

[@philroodart]

“Becoming an adult is like being made the king of a country that you have no interest in ruling” is the greatest and most poetic take on the scam that is maturity that I have ever heard. Well done, sir

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

Agreed. Mr Regular always comes up with his best stuff when he reviews a turd like this.

[@112fail]

that's so accurate it hurts😁

[@cameronnorton5898]

How is the obvious reality of maturity a "scam?" Are you the same as you were when you were a kid? No, because you've matured. If maturity is a "scam," why is it weird for a 70 year old to date a 17 year old? It's weird because those are people at very different stages of maturity. That's probably the dumbest thing I have ever read. "Marurity is a scam" sounds like something a child predator would say.

[@philroodart]

@@cameronnorton5898 I don't know that I've ever seen someone go to that much effort to take something out of context. Well done.

[@initialyeet3951]

@@cameronnorton5898 out of context

[@ThatDudeinBlue]

The car I learned to drive in. 😅

[@Jack_Straw]

I'm so sorry, David

[@robbierob9639]

im sorry. It must've been hard to recover.

[@joshueidk9199]

It’s himmm👀👀👀

[@CANControlGRAFFITI]

That’s not a car just sayin

[@edgedoutmotorsports5901]

Haha I had a explorer sport 2dr. I loved it at the time!

[@MrTJPAS]

I swear, if you threw a tennis ball as hard as you could into the air from 2002 to 2004, there was a 50% chance it would bounce off a 3rd gen explorer at some point.

[@DrPizzle]

That’s still true. I drove for 5 minutes and counted 3. Didn’t see a single other 4th or 5th gen lol

[@abhayajoodha3113]

Ford Explorer, the official car of "this music is too vulgar."

[@ForcedfedFords]

Please go to SEMAs website and sign the petition to pass the RPM Act. The EPA is attacking the auto performance industry and trying to ban us from modifying our cars.

[@Jonathan-q1i]

@@ForcedfedFords Goodluck epa. Ain't gonna stop me from LS, coyote and hemi swapping everything!!

[@markmiller3279]

@@Jonathan-q1i You already can't get away with that crap in California if you expect to pass smog tests.

[@Jonathan-q1i]

@@markmiller3279 just got to know a guy that knows a guy 😏

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

@Abhay Ajoodha “I won’t have this filthy Nelly garbage playing in My Ford Explorer, that __ can’t even spell ‘here’” _[five years later, gives daughter away after she dances down the aisle to Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch”; bops head to music, sheds tear]_

[@iNoToRiOuS]

“and they sent me to camp lejeune” 😂😂💀

[@datzkar]

What the hell you’re alive?

[@dopey473]

Holy shit he's alive and watches RCR

[@nickkings2220]

Hey it's that guy who used to make videos

[@kevinfox500]

As the son of a marine, I can tell you, that is about how it really goes. We returned to that base so often, we felt like a boomerang. Had 4 cross country moves on me, before I was 10. And lived on, and around Lejeune 6 times before dad retired.

[@orcbolg1227]

What the hell

[@JRideReviewsJCSR]

That was the year I worked at Ford in Orlando. These had a recall on the hinges for the rear glass. They would just break and the glass would just shatter on the ground or on people if they shut the glass piece to hard or the whole tailgate itself. The parts were delayed from Ford so you would see and bunch of these with blue tape on hinges and or plastic wrap on back glass. Memories

[@bearworldwide101]

That middle plastic between the glass and door handle on the rear would break too. Right on the middle where that ford oval is at and I'll see many explorers with those pieces broken or a different color.

[@vexbomer]

My 04 escape had the same problem, drilled a hole through the hinge and stuck a bolt in it

[@film-john]

@@bearworldwide101 oh that was plastic? I always thought it was some shit metal literal tin.

[@angelgjr1999]

The rear trunk door had a habit of cracking too, you still see many explorers with a broken tailgate.

[@bearworldwide101]

@@film-john it's plastic I got to replace one for a friend when I was in college trying to take it off is easy putting the new one in is a bitch because you can break the plastic while putting it in and all the time the color is always off or different or you buy it new from one of those cheap China made parts in the shitty parts of town its black flimsy plastic and the molding to out the Ford Oval at.

[@pontiac_montana]

This thing is almost 20 years old and yet it the cleanest example I've ever seen!

[@briandevitt930]

SOS mine

[@OmegaHellHound543]

Mine will be cleaner than that eventually. I like mine enough to where I’m gonna restore it.

[@thegamingleo7503]

The 2005 I just bought is cleaner . Not from a rust state

[@Gutsyredcoat]

Hahaha As it rusts away......

[@omfgbunder2008]

Can confirm the engine is so slow to accelerate, its like there is a big turbo except you don't get any boost.

[@calebshonk5838]

Which makes it all the more strange that they would choose to put this in the mustang.

[@dakkadakka9189]

@Johnnyislit124 that's more so the God awful French automatic trans they liked to use, I had a 02 4.0 explorer with the auto my friend picked up a 04 ranger with the 5 speed and the 4.0 engine its definitely a lot quicker then an explorer still not fast but it did pull on a another friends p71 until he hit the speed governor

[@Bartonovich52]

@ Caleb Shonk It’s not the engine. It’s the beast that it’s forced to pull. Also, it’s likely they emphasized torque in the Explorer for towing and to help with its weight vs power in a lightweight Mustang.

[@johnjohnson9431]

0 on Friday 60 Sunday morning

[@compmanio36]

@@calebshonk5838 Engine is hardly the only component that goes into how fast a car is. Mated up with a heavy vehicle and bad transmission, even the best engine can struggle to get power to the wheels.

[@bradleymeyer9775]

The official car of wearing shorts and a hoodie in single digit winter weather. 😂

[@cookingwithchefjeff]

How'd you know? 😅

[@andrewloomissstand3329]

look if i'm not gonna be outside long why dirty the pants? i got a mountaineer 😂😂

[@gregoryfreeman9073]

Really any temperature

[@hollywood21639]

My legs don't get cold you bastard. 😂

[@bradleymeyer9775]

@@hollywood21639 😂 that’s funny. Because they usually say that. I’m n all honesty though. I like Ford Explorers.

[@amateur3verything]

This reminds me of old school RCR. Not to say the new stuff isn't awesome, but it's fun to have an episode that calls back to simpler times

[@Jessecwebb]

Same. Look at the length. Its shorter than 10 minutes and almost no filler :) takes me back to 5 years ago

[@ballforlife360]

I’ve been feeling the same way, that RCR is just different now. The old videos really use to trigger some nostalgic moments like his civic reviews.

[@nuckels188]

Love cigarettes and off brand baby food

[@42luke93]

The official car of, “Goodmorning USA!”

[@thumbtak]

I've got a feeling that it's gonna be a wonderful day!

[@walkerwilliams1546]

The sun in the sky has a smile on his face

[@ObsTurdBucket]

And he’s shining his salute to the American race

[@dingleberryhandpump802]

Good Morning USA!!!

[@erod017]

Good morning U S A

[@g_hastly6892]

I wonder how many feelings these reviews have hurt over the years...

[@bobvlaudville826]

A lot

[@ZetaFuzzMachine]

Nobody wants to hear bad things about themselves, but coming back to RCR is what shows that we want to grow as people

[@kevina2052]

This engine needs to be talked down about. Three timing chains..wtf.. could go after 40k miles... SERIOUSLY?!?

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

@@kevina2052 They were pretty rough there for a while. I don’t know why there aren’t more 302 hot rod Rangers, because clean, low-mile, blown up or about to blow up Rangers with 4.0s used to be EVERYWHERE for like beer money. If I was a Ford guy, I’d have DEFINITELY built one.

[@ke1vin]

NOT ENOUGH

[@smear7331]

Having owned one as my very first car, these things were STUPID fun in the rain. Especially with the mustang GT-sourced 4.6L V8 and a 3.73 limited slip ;) man I miss that thing

[@jakethreesixty]

This thing was so common I didn't even notice their general disappearance from the roads 😅

[@Proxyyy825]

Lol they are still everywhere in roads bro

[@jakethreesixty]

@@Proxyyy825 I live in the northeast and genuinely never see them anymore. They were already rotting away like 10 years ago lol

[@Proxyyy825]

@@jakethreesixty oh makes sense. I live in Florida where cars survive longer due to no snow and I still see these Explorers all the time as well as even second generation Explorers

[@spunker88]

@@jakethreesixty Same thing with 90s and early 2000s Dodge/Chrysler minivans. They used to everywhere but you hardly see them nowadays as they've all rusted away.

[@markmiller3279]

@@Proxyyy825 Florida Man needs cheap wheels. I pretty much never see them in California outside rural areas, where anything cheap that can plausibly carry a lot is in demand. In the cities, never see them.

[@KlumSyTurtl3]

I absolutely love and appreciate how much this video nails the, "I am WAY too young for this car" feeling I get when I drive mine.

[@bearslair2010]

But they're relatively low maintenance ... except for a few things... and parts are plentiful and cheap... and lots of room under the hood if you do have to deal with an issue.

[@chiefkeef74]

Third gen Explorer: the SUV you get when you don't want a Winstar

[@insomniafun8751]

Well yeah, the damn oil filter for a Windstar sits right on top of the first cat. Which is great when you work at an oil change place, you get to burn your arm, every time (all the heat sleeves were always filthy), I have many scars, probably just overall thicker skin on my arm now.

[@Scigh-on]

does anyone want a winstar?

[@chiefkeef74]

@@insomniafun8751 windstars are fun when the transmission gives out, especially after a fuckin funeral

[@chiefkeef74]

@@Scigh-on my daily is a Freestar and honestly its better than the old Windstars

[@markoz673bajen8]

Just imagine the Explorer is wagon version of the Ranger.

[@alexcrouse]

Don't forget that if you park it in your garage with the cruise control on, it can burn your house down without the keys in it.

[@mercury0214]

That was fixed in a recall

[@Morasenpa]

Wait, how ??

[@reaper-ej1sx]

2002 Explorer, the Pennsylvania of cars.

[@american_patriot1776]

being from pa i dont know how to react to this

[@lunisce]

Savage

[@saturnmedia1]

@@american_patriot1776 same...

[@aSASa45454]

@@american_patriot1776 not being from pa, i dont know what its implying

[@AlHarringtonsUAV]

Being in PA, and being somewhat forced to drive this exact car, I don't know what to say about your comment.

[@Levibetz]

Ford Explorer: The official car of having it's differentials unceremoniously removed by hot rodders while it's still warm in the junkyard. Long live the 8.8!

[@jaredkennedy6576]

Nah, that was the previous generation. This one frequently gets sent to the junkyard for it's self removing differential, as long as the engine and trans don't go first.

[@Levibetz]

@@jaredkennedy6576 Self removing? Haven't heard of that one. I plan to run the 8.8 IRS diff in my AMC Eagle project (it's complicated). I think I may be able to use the guts of the explorer front diff in the eagle's dana 30 case too.

[@jaredkennedy6576]

@@Levibetz why not use a complete 95-2001 Explorer 8.8? It comes with disc brakes, limited slip, and the right bolt pattern. Pretty sure it's the right width, but the driveshaft is offset a little. The 3rd gen center section is an aluminum unit, so it does lose its backlash and preload, plus the spider gears are pretty soft.

[@mercury0214]

@@jaredkennedy6576 nope 3rd gen here with an 8.8 in the rear

[@mercury0214]

@@jaredkennedy6576 the transmission sucks stock but you rework it with the sonnax kits it’s a solid unit. And the 4.6 speaks for itself the 4.0 not so much

[@_RiseAgainst]

The official car of, the reason your TPMS light is on in every car over 6 years old.

[@5Ci0N]

Mine aren't on 🤷 I don't get it

[@g32k]

@@5Ci0N shutup💯

[@thetechloop65]

When the TPMS light is on in my Camry, and I don't care. Let them bitches explode. It's a Toyota, it'll be fine

[@dillonh321]

Firestone explosives.

[@Karmy.]

The tpms light is on in my mom's 2008 Kia Rio 5 but so is about 50 other lights

[@Pokemanic33]

Ford Explorer: The official car of calling instant ramen "Munchkin" because you don't know how to pronounce "Maruchan" no matter how many times your anime-obsessed son tells you

[@horacegentleman3296]

Don't out yourself, weeaboo.

[@Pokemanic33]

I knew how to pronounce Maruchan before I was a weeaboo

[@newstages95ay87]

​thought it was a Spanish word. I always saw it and thought it was Mexican noodles they were everywhere at my relatives in Sonora

[@charlesjessie1733]

These are a good cheap 4 wheel drive for farm use. When you use it for tools, buckets of cattle feed and will tow a smaller cattle trailer or a portable saw mill. Just put on a set of co-op mud grips and it will go almost anywhere.

[@quillmaurer6563]

1:17 "Until the time comes to dodge a deer, and suddenly they're following Peppy Hare's instructions." Now that is a next-level reference!

[@shawnprime1143]

"Smells the least like stale cigarettes and old baby food.

[@raymonds7492]

That line brought back serious nostalgia.

[@paladin_magnus]

No mention of the transmissions where self-destruction is a “when” and not an “if”??? Once that wrench light comes on, it’s all over

[@mhymyk4022]

Had that happen on my '92. Driving home from Taco Bell one day, and my transmission decides to become a 5-neutral instead of a 4-speed automatic. That A4LD is such a piece of crap

[@paladin_magnus]

On my 2006, everything was dandy until one day the car threw a wrench light and suddenly it decided 4000rpm was a perfectly fine cruising engine speed. RIP torque converter, you aren't missed.

[@kylefromhell2135]

Thats what killed my '04 xlt. Terrible design on a vehicle.

[@douchenozzlemcgee6111]

happened to me recently. Getting it fixed rn. 2004 Ford Exploder lol. love it to death though.

[@mercury0214]

@@douchenozzlemcgee6111 make sure you get the sonnax kits and it’s a unit the transmission itself is actually pretty damn solid and the torque converter is strong as hell it’s the weak ass stock pressures that limp the clutches and bands to death

[@dopey473]

This car feels like CHEAP POLISH CIGARETTES: THE SUV!

[@purpleneons]

as a Pole, this is kinda funny since some people here import cigarettes from Ukraine as they're even cheaper lmao

[@dopey473]

@@purpleneons idk i forgot what country is famous for cheap offbrand cigarettes, could be Ukraine and I'm just stupid.

[@jeffbruh3253]

@@dopey473 Iraq (probably)

[@zimman56]

I had two of these as my "first" car. Both were former cabs and were dirt cheap but my dad was a mechanic and helped me get the best ones the company was retiring so that I'd have a reliable vehicle. The first one was an 04 that actually lost the transmission, not the engine, so it was either shell out 1900 for a tranny or 1700 for another car entirely. So my 2nd was a 06 which I loved, we replaced the ECU and wiring harness on that one, it lasted me a good long while till my dad passed and I inherited his FJ Cruiser. In some ways I miss it..if only because of that awesome amount of space in the back!

[@dragonshardz]

"Man, this therapy stuff is GREAT!" Sir, this is a Wendy's.

[@wyleeelpuppo4868]

I don't get it.

[@CheapskateMotorsports]

@@wyleeelpuppo4868 look who didn't watch the video

[@zacharyengland1102]

@@CheapskateMotorsports who?

[@Ihatelimousines]

@@zacharyengland1102 Joe

[@rinku5707]

Oh I've been waiting for this! A 2001 Explorer Sport Trac was my first car. College graduation present/hand-me-down from my aunt. No tow hitch and a rigid hard to remove tonneau managed to turn it from a light truck thing to sedan cosplaying a truck. I hated that thing, started falling apart the second I started driving it. Fuel pump went out, alternator went out, gushed oil, got an AC leak in the dash(so no AC in Florida yay). In it's final act of spite it broke down on the busiest bridge in my area. Started researching cars, found this channel, and now I have a Honda Fit. I've had it almost a year and I am still shocked at the novelty of having a car consistently function properly.

[@shanweeboy]

I remember how this car represented the 2000's for me. This depressingly brand era of rounded edges and plastic blobs. Things existed with no substance to them but people were for some reason glad to pay through the nose for it.

[@mat2000100]

I liked the round 2000s look.

[@Misericorde9]

In NJ they were strongly associated with people who did not know how to drive in winter and thought 4wd would make them immune to the consequences.

[@Riptor1998]

Late 90s and 2000s vehicles look terrible, especially the ford trucks starting with the 98 year they look way too feminine

[@myroc1]

And in the round 2000s era nobody liked the 80s cars because of how squared off they looked. In 5 or 10 years Gen z will buy them up for more than they sold for new, just to chase some nostalgia and remeber simpler times.

[@markmiller3279]

@@Riptor1998 Cars do not have gender, ever. Curvy cars come and go. If anyone actually compared, they'd find that Explorer mostly has very straight lines, far straighter than anything sold today. Straight lines were easier to make.

[@cadman10000]

What I'm most impressed with is the lack of cracks in the rear hatch trim.

[@trap4dafu2k0fit]

02 Explorer, the flat earth of suv's.

[@innocentoctave]

"It's like bottling the feeling of plans being cancelled when you didn't really wanna go." Chapeau, mon brave.

[@superstar64]

Microsoft Internet Exploder, the official browser of "I still have a Pentium 4." Wait, wrong explorer.

[@chipbush0111]

Pentium 4. When you to heat your apartment without owning a heater.

[@GarrusSimps]

@@chipbush0111 honestly tho lol.

[@llbrkvb]

Any Mac with a PowerPC G5 hold my beer

[@realpillboxer]

Glad I'm not the only one that references IE and Ford's model with this term. It does make me insufferable, though, so, it's a trade-off.

[@compmanio36]

@@chipbush0111 Pretty sure that was the Pentium D. The absolute top of the scale of "OMG my computer is on fire".

[@user-nc9ml1rj6u]

I have one of these as my extra vehicle. An 05 limited. It’s got 240,000 and it literally won’t break. Love my third gen!

[@CountryCornerGarage]

What engine does yours have?

[@user-nc9ml1rj6u]

@@CountryCornerGarage 6cylinder

[@PrairieDad]

"Someone who talks really fast for fear of leaving a gap large enough for someone else to talk." I know so many of those people.

[@Xaevryn]

Dude there are two of those at my workplace and they don't talk to you they talk *at* you so we try to partner them up all the time so they're so busy talking at each other instead of bothering someone else. No shit I had one of them talk non-stop with no gaps I could use for over half an hour while I had my headphones on, hat on with brim firmly tucked down, and while staring at my phone. Holy shit take the fucking hint.

[@danielgoodman3578]

@ThePatUltra I understand this point of view, but I know partly it's because I will frequently take too long to get to the point.

[@elijahheyokanobody3550]

oh know they just hired one of those at my job...fuck

[@Psalm116_]

The commentary literally couldn’t be anymore on point. Well done. I enjoyed every last second.

[@kacewhite4746]

I remember owning the previous gen exploder and it caught fire when a homeless person threw a lighter into the cargo bay and torched my mom's old books and the whole thing went up in flames, at 2am. I still have the bike lock we got out of the wreckage. Lovely thing though.

[@kevina2052]

Sounds..amazing👍

[@drjustin84]

i’m sorry man

[@ronindebeatrice]

I just wanted some change man. She had two bags. I could have sold one of those bags.

[@DavidFlores-jn1yg]

This is still one of my favorite trucks ever. I miss smaller front engine rear wheel drive suvs.

[@austinreeves9112]

SUVs now aren't even real SUVs. That's why I hang on to my 2000 mercury mountaineer, explorer with a mercury badge. It has a 4.0 V6 and my grandma bought it new and I got it when she passed, I'm 32 now and still hanging onto it. Don't let people tell you these trucks suck.

[@hyudlet2289]

Thinking bout buying one, my mother owned one new and it trucked on for 300,000 miles before the transmission went out​@@austinreeves9112

[@futurepastnow]

I had a 1992 Explorer. This is a huge improvement on that. Also the solution to the deer problem is to put a brush guard on the front and don't bother dodging them

[@Bartonovich52]

Thing about the 1992 is that it had the pretty bulletproof pushrod 4.0 and though it was luxurious at the time, there wasn’t a lot of things to break. It was basically a Ford Ranger in drag.

[@asdffasdf809]

Well, everything except the automatic transmissions and the automatic hubs that end up working only every fourth time it’s warm out. I loved my first-gens.

[@superadventure6297]

At least slow down or you'll get an antler in your radiator

[@shannonmcatee9610]

Ik 3 ppl who shit wrecked deer w theirs 😂😂

[@futurepastnow]

@@Bartonovich52 The engine was good but the AC compressor seized up twice, the transfer case failed twice, the wiring in the door and steering wheel caught fire repeatedly, the CD player jammed, the power windows failed, the horn didn't even work and by 2005 it was more rust than truck

[@tortron]

Got one of these for free last year because otherwise it was off to scrap. New radiator, welded up the rust at the front of the roof, $400 garage paint job and its like new. Waiting on the death rattle but till then send it. Towing is great! Foot down, more noise, more fuel consumption, no extra speed

[@crabyman3555]

getting this thing for 500 dollars you definitely can't complain.....a lot of car for the value lol

[@vonhellsing6406]

For $700 I bought a 1992 Chevy G20 van back in 2009. It was fun to tune the engine, and haul stuff.

[@IanDunbar1]

I sold my '05 Explorer two years ago for about $400. Mine had more rust though.

[@jaredbennett4761]

24 transmissions later

[@Bartonovich52]

A lot of liabilities you are buying there. You’ll find that with a lot of things-especially as they age-that you can get a lot more for less because the cost of maintaining the more will greatly exceed the purchase price. Take motorhomes. You can find a 20 year old fully decked out Class A for CHEAP!! But can you store it? Can you fuel it? Can you afford commercial truck parts and prices when something breaks? Can you afford to take it to an RV park? Because that’s the only place it will fit... only to get turned away because they have a policy of no RVs older than 15 years to keep Cousin Eddie out. Any wonder they become rolling meth labs. Take airplanes. A lot of new pilots get wide eyed when they see the price of a old twin like a Baron or Aztec or 310. Less than the serviceable Cessna 172 they should buy. Never mind that they are going to spend more than the purchase price every year in maintenance.. and then add expensive insurance (especially if you are a low time pilot) and fuel burn three or four times as high all so that you’ll arrive 5-10 minutes before that single on a 100 NM hamburger run because preflight checks and traffic patterns.

[@DustinB855]

Right cheap! I got my 99 limited for 700 2 years ago still going!

[@alaricpaley6865]

The moment you made the tire pop noise, a switch ad came on with that snap, the transition gave me whiplash

[@Atoronz]

I appreciate you guys for this one. Two, long and fairly intense chapters of my life were spent behind the dash of these trucks. "It ain't what you do, it's the way how'd you do it," never really applied here. They served their purpose and I've become a better man for it. Nothing but gratitude... That I've moved on to better days.

[@TrentGreene24]

This feels personal 😭😭i had 3 of these. Loved them so much even though the rear end was awful. Each one, anytime i hit a bump the ass end would swing out.

[@101Volts]

I don't understand how that bump thing would happen. I've driven a 2005 for a few years, and it never happened to me. Then again, I always drive with at least 40 PSI in the tires.

[@SGTASTER]

Had an 04 XLS and it was terrible about doing the same thing on the bumpy highway.

[@dutchking9440]

I had a supervisor in the Navy who had one of these. And you described him perfectly 👌. I could only picture his face the entire time in this video.

[@robertdavis32]

My folks leased an ‘02 XLT back in the day and other than a flat tire it never did anything out of the ordinary. I missed that car once they turned it back in Fast forward to this year and my Aunt decided to sell her ‘04 Eddie Bauer after nearly 15 years of ownership. I scooped it up for a really good deal and it’s now my second car/project car. Can’t beat a 17 year old car with under 150k miles and 4WD

[@matthewlawson3657]

A 2003 was my first car, V8 4x4 Limited trim with 200k miles. Lasted about a year before trans of course goes out. Best first car ever

[@OmegaHellHound543]

Had the same problem with mine. I got my transmission replaced, and still going strong at 185k

[@EV6CrashCam]

My grandmother a blue with beige cladding V8 one of these. Fully loaded with leather and rear climate control. My grandfather left it in neutral, got out, and it eventually rolled down the hill that their house sits on. Totalled by a tree.

[@Erisblackstone]

This feels like a throwback episode.

[@tomokokuroki2506]

Yeah it's actually funny.

[@exxusdrugstore300]

@@tomokokuroki2506 Sadly accurate

[@naturenerd6521]

I'm a GM guy, but FL Forestry was using these and got over 250K miles since they run their vehicles into the ground. I've been stuck in the woods many many many times in these. Not so good off road because they have poor ground clearance and it's hard to mount a winch

[@druginducedfeverdream1613]

Now do a Tahoe. One that hood dudes clap out. The one that has bass loud enough its setting off car alarms and the local geology lab has a richter scale wiggling just a little...

[@drjustin84]

those tahoes were great though, one of the few good GMs of the last 4 decades

[@GodFootDaddyG]

Missing some key details here. Late 90s Tahoe that has Texas edition truck rims fitted to it, most likely stolen the week before.

[@alanmoore78]

@@GodFootDaddyG from yet another late 90s Tahoe two zip codes over, and they forgot one of the center caps, because their cell phone buzzed in their pocket and they thought they were being tased. Again.

[@yeahyourerightheresmystupi5352]

With wheels that compromise 15% of its output

[@edpoe4622]

Ghetto tank

[@control2791]

*2002 Ford Explorer: A car so normal they cast it in "Diary of a Wimpy kid" as the family car*

[@stevefrench6733]

There is a difference between holding court, and taking it hostage. This is why I subscribe

[@blindsandwich3099]

Ford Explorer: the official car of “I should have bought a Tahoe”

[@MichaelMiller-rg6or]

Or a 4Runner

[@angelgjr1999]

Eh they’re decent. A cheaper option.

[@Aezetyr]

The official car of: "trying to talk to me when I have headphones in". Nearly spit out my coffee.

[@james2042]

Fun fact the 4.0 in this is the anscestor to the current 3.5 ecoboost in the F150 and the 3.3 that is the base engine for the f150 as well as the 4th gen explorer, that 4.0 V6 has been revised 4 times as well as getting turboed. Ford really did get their mileage out of that engine architecture. Also the 4.6 V8 was an option for this and really was the best engine to pair this with because despite only being .6 liters bigger, it had much much healthier torque.

[@mahj]

"Following Peppy Hare's instructions" took me a sec. Brilliant!

[@ZombieOreos]

Was literally playing star fox before watching this

[@GarrusSimps]

@@ZombieOreos bruh if you haven't yet, you should search up A fox in space.

[@wigletron2846]

@@ZombieOreos I was playing it 20 years before this review

[@blairbuskirk5460]

Barrel roll Fox.

[@ZombieOreos]

@@GarrusSimps oh I have! Shit is fire! Still waiting on episode 2

[@nicknyaa]

I know you probably get these comments a lot but my mom had a 05’ Explorer XLT and that’s the one car I remember the most of all the cars she had. Like it’s just when you get old enough to start remembering things. It was a great SUV, and she went on to get another in 2017

[@OzarkHaus]

Happy Monday, let's rejoice in early 2000s middle class, and late 2000s depression

[@NotSoHandyCarGuy]

Happy Monday, Ozark. The 3rd gen explorer is for stubborn, middle-age balding men, who have families, but still want to seem like utilitarians. They are too set in their ways to see that American cars from this era are very bad decisions. "I only buy american..."

[@raymondlegorreta3269]

My best friend got the family explorer but it was the high trim V8 model. Actually really nice for long hauls and has the power to move the gargantuan mass

[@jimmynickelz]

looking at the rust and salt damage and sayin, "there's no stopping this". Yup

[@sethbenton813]

I owned a 98 Explorer. As an early 20s man, it was the best. My ride, my camper, my shaggin' waggon.

[@kitchen5203]

I can tell this is gonna be good. These things are a pain to fix coolant leaks on

[@_RiseAgainst]

Cracked Intake manifold?

[@kitchen5203]

@@_RiseAgainst mystery leak that eventually was thermostat and radiator

[@kingofbrutaltheocracy9201]

Thermostat housing was plastic and a pain to change.

[@Misericorde9]

From what I’ve gathered certain Ford truck platforms are quite adept at rerouting slow coolant leaks to places far from their point of origin.

[@KnightsWithoutATable]

When the Firestone OEM tire exploding problem first showed up, I first heard about it on a radio news segment as I was driving. Rights after the 10 minute news segment ended, an ad for Firestone tires came on, screaming about the "blowout sale" that they were having.

[@robertmuller787]

We had an 03 explorer for 10 years, it was a great car for the amount of time we had it. Traded it in on a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and regretted it.

[@GeekSHO]

"So you gotta Van Damme the accelerator into the firewall and wait for the kickdown." This is beautiful.

[@ndrwparmer2]

The 2004 Explorer Eddie Bauer was my first car. I loved it, but I had to tape over the volume knob because if you breathed on it the volume would INSTANTLY max out

[@deathpony698]

omg the volume knob issue

[@OhPhuckYou]

Haha My Expedition also did that, but the opposite way. Steering wheel buttons were the most effective way to change volume.

[@robertdavis32]

This is exactly why the one in my ‘04 is about to get snatched out

[@THE-xp3hp]

All radio units from 90s were trash they dont last

[@SGTASTER]

I had an 04 that if you tried to turn the volume down it would turn it up.

[@ViperSpec25]

4.0 in the lighter Ranger / B4000 and a five speed into a 4.10 rear gear was surprisingly peppy. Also later in the base Mustangs. Always felt like a dog in slush box equipped heavy Explorers, especially the later ones like this. They never really solved the timing chain rattle. Just made it less bad.

[@kicksledkid]

Ford Explorer: The TV station fleet truck none of the senior staff ever drive

[@ngrinshift4383]

The second gen was the one with the notorious Firestone problem. They redesigned the rear suspension to be independent and thus try to regain some of their customer's trust (with the gen 3). Alot of people blamed not just the faulty tires but also the rear solid axle suspension design.

[@bfbcping]

Ultimately, it was that the tires had a recommended PSI, and Ford needed that to be a lot higher to make up for the weight of the vehicle. It was really Ford's fault.

[@DiscoBallGaming]

The official car of the Walmart Rent-A-Cop

[@666cemetaryslut]

With thin blue line and 2nd amendment stickers on back.

[@TheTarrMan]

My father had a Wagoneer with those same Firestone tires and they popped on him too. I wasn't in it when it happened but the whole side wall came off while he was driving. The Wagoneer was okay. (My Mom was almost the one driving but felt tiered so my Dad did.) I remember looking at it in the back and seeing the clean split all the around the tire right where the side-wall meets the tread.

[@eatingsteakisfun]

Explore my FINANCIAL OPTIONS.

[@biznatcho7]

and then EXPLORE MY JACKSHAFT

[@benzlover55]

@@biznatcho7 so we can go to BROWN TOWN

[@16TheGotohell]

I owned a 99 exploder. In one month of ownership it had 2 bad o2 sensors, bad maf, exhaust fell off, pulled to the right so badly that I was told I needed new front everything. I took it off the road and bashed it though the woods for 3 months. When it was time to send it to the junkyard I started it and bounced Rev limiter for minutes. Honestly over 3 minutes of rev bounce. It ran out of gas and didn't blow up. It was a terrible car with some good memories.

[@16TheGotohell]

As far as steering goes it was an old Ford so power steering never worked when I owned it.

[@aaronguerrette]

Welp. I'm 40, a father of 2, I drive a 2005 Ford Exploader 4.6L Eddie Bauer. Fully optioned. Perfect vehicle for those who don't need to commute 50 miles one way to the office.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

That’s odd, I’m the same everything, age, kids etc. I have a new 4Runner I commute 65 miles each way.

[@saturnone354]

Eddie Bauer? Now that's sooooo fancy

[@milespi5556]

I used to have an 02, 4.6 2 valve. I liked that engine. Ill share a trick, if your cats go bad. Fix the vacuum leak, get rid of the burnt cats, straight pipe it, and the second oxygen sensors put a spark plug extender between the pipe and the sensor. , the computer will think the cats are working and the check engine light will never come on. I assume the same will work for any heated 02S.

[@donl9571]

How is your HVAC holding out? I've had all three failures in mine (blend door, recirculate door, directional selector).

[@aaronguerrette]

@@donl9571 never an issue for me. It just hit 120k this week.

[@DefendYoungstown]

Fun fact: you can't rent a U-Haul trailer in one of these. It's another byproduct of that "exploder" thing.

[@480JD]

Ahhh, well that explains why I couldn't rent a car hauler a few years back.

[@DefendYoungstown]

@@480JD another interesting wrinkle is that the clerk that explained it to me also told me that he technically didn't even owe me the explanation. He said that according to corporate policy, once they're told you have a Ford Explorer, "the conversation is over". So you could potentially be left standing there wondering why they aren't renting to you or why you're suddenly persona non grata.

[@480JD]

@@DefendYoungstown I was trying to book it through the website so I figured it just had something to do with the towing capacity or something. All I wanted was one of the car dollies.

[@alanmoore78]

@@480JD They just banned Explorers, period...if you even try with the newer 2006-2010 generation (like the 2008 I have), it still comes up and says "U-Haul has chosen not to rent behind this tow vehicle based on our history of excessive costs in defending lawsuits involving Ford Explorer towing combinations. This policy is not related to safety issues. This is an unusual circumstance for U-Haul-we have built our success for over 60 years by saying 'yes' to our customers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are committed to working with our customers to find alternative options to help with their move."

[@alanmoore78]

@@480JD the even more ridiculous part is U-Haul will GLADLY rent you trailers if you have a Mercury Mountaineer. Never mind it's the exact same vehicle except for trim and extra chrome everywhere.

[@SAMPLETEXT285]

As someone who was in bctc autobody for 3 years we indeed called these ford exploders

[@redcar7399]

The first gens during the 90's came from the factory with only 26 psi in the tires which is a major factor that went into tires blowing out at highway speeds

[@ericbuist8218]

That may have been the second gens; my first gen says 30/35 front/rear on the door sticker.

[@trailoverland6462]

in it's own style, this show is noticeably getting better. This was really well done.

[@bentenxl]

My grandpa had this. Every year from California to Nevada. One time we took more people so he packed everything in the trunk in a way to where i could sit down in the trunk and i did. With my Dsi. And chocolate milk. Miss you grandpa.

[@zachhatten261]

Extra R E G U L A R. It's the Wrangler Jeans of SUVs

[@haroldingpatrick1924]

Jesus I’m getting old! I bought a 2003 XLS trim new and still have the window sticker, MSRP of $28,105. I think it went out the door for between $25K and $26K. I almost bought a Honda CRV for about the same price out the door IIRC(lower MSRP but they didn’t need cash on the hood to move units), but the road noise on the Honda was horrific. By the standards of SUVs at the time, these rode, handled, and braked well, and were quiet too. Slow and thirsty. . . I don’t think I could get it over 20 mpg. I got rid of it in 2006 for a Subaru Forester that was by far the worst car I have ever owned. I still have the window sticker for the Subaru too, $23,666 MSRP.

[@kylesoler4139]

The car that destroyed one of the longest running company partnerships. Oh shit it was the second gen, my bad.

[@yes3929]

wasnt that the 2nd gen?

[@42luke93]

@@yes3929 It was the first generation I thought with Firestone tires.

[@yes3929]

@@42luke93 ah okay

[@spicytsunami775]

@@42luke93 I think it was the second generation

[@engineer_alv]

@@spicytsunami775 it was the 2nd gen. Comments like the OP are the perfect example of what Mr Regular said about most people not actually knowing the context of the nickname "Exploder"

[@holdingrocket6253]

I have an 03 explorer xlt with the 4.6l v8, and my god has this car been through everything, from an engine rebuild to a transmission rebuild, engine got rebuilt at around 160k miles and the transmission got rebuilt just recently at 179k, this got has been with me simce 1st grade all the way to the end of highschool and now its been handed over to me, yes the gas milage is horrble some where around 14mpg combined, but trust me when i say this thing has no trouble whatsoever bringing a smile to my face, 240 hp with almost 300 foot punds of torque is plenty to enjoy this car to its fullest, i love how i can hear the engine growl whenever im idling its become abit of a meme between me and my wife

[@gwilled_cheese_882]

My dad used to have a 2003 and my grandmother used to have a 2002 at the same time. I grew up in the back seat of these explorers. Neither of them were reliable at all once they hit 160k, which is why my dad and grandmother both sold theirs.

[@kyrosmike]

Mine was awesome: fuel return line fell off, tie rod separated on highway, hood latch failed and smacked windshield, Ford said don't use cruise control may start a fire, the tires tread separated, and rear diff exploded towing 2000lbs------ BEST CAR EVER!

[@THE-xp3hp]

🤪🤪🤪🤪

[@derekveech966]

hahaha the Marine Corps skit is great!

[@joshkern2042]

According to my buddy who worked at bridgestone, the engineers at ford are who ordered the tires, Bridgestone told them that they could potentially have issues, and ford ignored them for some reason. He almost lost his job because of the scandal and refuses to drive a ford from now on, its unfortunate that the tire ocmpanys are who got slandered for it, but when it goes across 2 seperate companies but its the same car it seems like it would have been obvious

[@reallysuperfathog86]

‘SPLODER!!! Haven’t heard anyone talk about these disasters in a while

[@MyLifeThai371]

My co-worker has a 2002 Ford Explorer with 379,000 miles. He bought it brand new. Original engine, but he did put a brand new transmission in it at one point. He said that thing is like a tank and built to last, unlike these new vehicles.

[@MTLoveridge]

The official car of middle aged moms driving with their phone strapped to their left cheek.

[@FCV0511]

"and suddenly they're following Peppy Hare's instructions." A golden line for sure! I really wish the generation of Explorer after this one had a column shifter option.

[@alanmoore78]

Every time I drive my wife's 08 I reach for a column shifter that is never there.

[@RyanMoran1992]

I always thought these looked kinda... good? I like the look of it

[@infiniteincongruence]

Me 3. I dig it.

[@Pbairsoftman]

It looks kind of comfy, honestly. Reminds me of home. Dunno what that says about me

[@christophers.4007]

I agree. I owned a 2002 XLT. To me it still is the perfect looking pavement queen SUV, and definitely the best looking Explorer. The new ones are just too huge and bulgy looking.

[@Arrozconchopsticks]

It's a handsome looking design to this day, the design aged well. They aren't always taken care of though.

[@mitchellclark8409]

This was my first car! And the car I taught myself to drive in!

[@danielponder690]

I’m glad Roman had a breakthrough at the end and he’s seeking help. :D

[@GTASAKI3T]

I feel like this is the Official Car of CIA Agent Family Man

[@97cadillac]

Forgot to mention every explorer from that gen has the plastic broken from under the rear window around the blue oval. Every-one of them. Go look. Lol

[@Classycar]

Trust me I know all to well it's just due to a bad design

[@Ratkill9000]

The refresh is 2005 had this fixed. The Mountaineer and Aviator of this generation had that issue. But 2005 and up did not fortunately. Sad they ditched this body style after 2010 and went with a unibody transverse Fwd bullshit setup.

[@Classycar]

@@Ratkill9000 I have an 05 explorer and I have the broken plastic back panel

[@nasonguy]

My 03 isn’t cracked. But the 4wd doesn’t work unless I reset the computer.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Kinda like the plastic tailgate protector on EVERY F-250 and F-350 from that same era. The paint from the blue ovals, too, they’re just a dull, chrome-ish oval.

[@peatyxxjxxx1494]

Exploder name started with second gen. My understanding was it had to do with oil pump issues. Also two sides to every story. The firestone recall was partially if not mostly Fords fault. The recommendations for proper tire inflation were incorrect. Tires would pop due to under inflation.

[@dodecahedron1]

it was both of their fault, firestone's tires had design flaws that made them more prone to tread separation while ford tried to cheap out on fixing its rollover issues by running its tires at lower pressures instead of widening its suspension and lowering its center of mass which made the tires run hotter increasing the risk of tread separation