Thinking of Buying a Ford Product?
     You better do your homework.

    I have the unfortunate honor of owning a 1998 Ford Explorer XLT.  I have owned GM, Toyota, and  Nissan vehicles, and this Explorer is the biggest pile of dung that I have ever owned! 
    This 1998 Explorer listed for over $30,000 (I paid about $26,000) and you would think that this popular SUV would be mechanically reliable, right?  WRONG! With only 25,000 miles on this heap, it has been in the repair shop almost as much as it has been parked in my driveway.
     Within the past 10 months my Explorer has had the following:
          1. Recall for faulty speed control cable.
          2. Recall for faulty hood latch.
          3. Repair of rearend main seal.
          4. REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE!
     If #4 above shocks you, think how I felt while my new Explorer sat in the dealership repair shop for more than a week.  I was very careful to maintain my Explorer with scheduled oil & filter changes and used only the recommended oil.  And I never used this vehicle for anything other than normal driving, no towing and no offroading.
     Needless to say, I will never buy another Ford product, and if you are thinking about a new Explorer I encourage you to save yourself the trouble.  Go buy a lemon at the supermarket, ... you can't drive it, but at least you can make lemonade or something while your friends with the Explorers are driving rentals!