I currently drive a 2019 Honda civic EX. I enjoy the vehicle but I’m needing a 4x4 with moderate towing capacity for winter driving and my landscaping business. My eyes are currently set on a 2014 ford explorer sport. It checks my boxes for drivetrain and towing capacity but it’s also extremely fast (for a full-size SUV) and luxurious. It’s got 110,000 miles for a price of $12,500. Is there anything I should know before pulling the trigger? Any vehicle in the same price range which is explicitly better?
I’d stay away from anything made by Ford that has a turbo. Nothing but problems. That v6 itself is good, but the turbos don’t last. The PD one town over got rid of all their turbo explorers and switched to non turbo models due to always having them in the shop.
The transfer case tends to self destruct. It doesn’t hold much oil, and what little it does have evacuates through the vent pipe. Proper fluid checks and maintenance can keep this from happening by keeping an eye on the level, but no one ever checks their transfer case. You can also add a long hose to the vent pipe to keep it from happening.
At that mileage, it’s probably going to start leaking from the water pump soon. Expect a few thousand to change that pump out. The entire timing chain has to come off to access the pump.