What years are the best for explorer's?

96rangerdanger · Nov 7, 2010

Buying an explorer and wondering what years are the most reliable in terms of motor, tranny etc.

gribly · Nov 7, 2010

Personally I think the '91 to '94 are the best years. They are the ones built more like a Ranger and have the TTB suspension. They're more durable and better for when you want to drive down a road that isn't maintained or get up that goat trail. They also have the OHV 4.0, which is arguably more reliable than a OHC 4.0.

I own a '91 Navajo 2-door, which is essentially an Explorer Sport. Navajos are a little sportier, and I think they look better.

On this forum, you probably won't find much love for the '95 and newer Explorers, and I personally would never buy one. They are less reliable than the older ones when you beat the tar out of them, but are better than the average SUV from those years. I still see a LOT of them on the road here.

adsm08 · Nov 7, 2010

Well, all the Explorer engines are pretty good. The 4.0 and 5.0 are both well proven, and the 4.6 has very few common issues as well.

The transmissions are another issue. The M5OD manual is a very very good transmission. The 4r and 5r are decent transmissions, much better than the A4LD in the early ones, but certainly not a Torqueshift or a CD4E.

If you want it for a street vehicle I'd look for a 95 to 2001. They ride nice, are decently optioned, but still have the solid rear axle which has proven significantly less problematic than the IRS setup of the 2002+. It is also worth noting that if you aren't stuck on getting a 4-door unit, the Explorer Sport kept the solid rear axle until it's demise in (I think) 2004.

If you want an off-roader, even just a weekend warrior, 91 to 94 is the better way to go. You can still swap in a 5.0 if you want to, but they have the superior TTB front end, as opposed to the independent setup of the 98 and later models.

4.0B2 · Nov 7, 2010

91-94. No questions asked. I'm sure everyone will agree. I'm number 2 to say it so... Sure if it's an auto, then it's an a4ld. I've never NEVER had an issue with either one of mine.

adsm08 · Nov 7, 2010

I will say, I do prefer the earlier ones instead of the IFS, but I must say that the 95 to 2001 Explorers are quite reliable when used exclusively on-road.

snoranger · Nov 7, 2010

96rangerdanger said:
Buying an explorer and wondering what years are the most reliable in terms of motor, tranny etc.

If you want the most reliable motor and trans, buy a 5.0 Ex. (96-01)
The 5.0l and the 4r70w was the best combo ever put in an Ex.

The_Dealer · Nov 7, 2010

for offroading right out of the box with minimal money i'd say 90-94, but if u are gonna drop some money in it, and have decent fab skills id say 96+ with 5.0 and sas it, plus the 95+ 4.0 doesnt have the a4ld if i recall corectly

RacinNdrummin · Nov 7, 2010

All manual 91-94. If you can find a 91-94 with a 5-speed, BW1354M, and manual hubs, you basically have a bulletproof explorer. The biggest problem with explorers is the A4LD, they are junk and always have been junk, and normally they are beat to hell in an explorer and the fluid is never changed.

Even if you just find an explorer with just a 5-speed (most navajo's are like this) a BW1354M is easily swapped in.

4.0B2 · Nov 7, 2010

I really don't understand why ppl are always hating on the a4ld.... I've beat mine a lot... And it's still fine.

RacinNdrummin · Nov 7, 2010

You must have gotten one of the good ones, they are pretty rare....

The_Dealer · Nov 7, 2010

4.0B2 said:
I really don't understand why ppl are always hating on the a4ld.... I've beat mine a lot... And it's still fine.

because they arent heavy duty enough for offroad rigors and high mileage, and when people buy a rebuilt one they use inferior parts to save money. if i ever rebuilt mine i would use parts from transmissioncenter.org (sonnax, alto, etc.) and when u use the stock high(numerically low) gearing with tall tires(33's+) they dont last. plus people dont put a good trans cooler on it, and heat kills it. also man lockup switch will greatly reduce wear on it

What years are the best for explorer's?

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