On Sunday, November 4, my wife was pulling our 2004 Ford Explorer into a parking space at the local Target store when the vehicle began running extremely rough. When I arrived, I had her start the engine briefly to see exactly what it was doing. I immediately had her turn it off and had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I began preparing myself for a worst-case scenario. I called a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to a nearby Ford dealership. I should clarify that I did not purchase the vehicle from this dealership and I do not have any issues with the dealership up to this point.
On Tuesday, November 6, the dealership called and informed me that a valve spring had broken, allowing the valve to drop into the piston chamber, resulting in “catastrophic engine failure”. They said that the engine would have to be replaced at a cost of $6,650 – much worse than the worst-case scenario I had been preparing for!! Naturally, I told the service department agent that I would have to get over the shock before I could determine my options and make an intelligent decision.
Research on the Internet that afternoon revealed that there are Ford Explorer owners throughout the country that have experienced similar valve spring issues, usually when the vehicles have 40,000 to 50,000 miles on the odometer. The valve does not drop into the chamber in all cases and those instances do not require full engine replacement. I am one of the unlucky ones.
Another thing that I found to be interesting (and disturbing) is that Ford Motor Company warrants the original engine in a 2004 Ford Explorer for 36 months or 36,000 miles. However, the Ford rebuilt replacement engine that I have been quoted carries a 75,000 mile warranty. Why isn’t the better engine installed during the manufacturing process? I think we all know the answer to that question – cheaper components translate to higher profit margins for Ford.
Research has also revealed that 2004 Ford Explorers experience a high rate of transmission failures. Although we have not had to have the transmission replaced as of yet, we did have to have the transmission worked on in May of this year at a cost in excess of $600.
I have owned a number of Fords in my lifetime, but I feel pretty confident at this point that I have purchased my last. Buyers beware – do your homework before you purchase your next automobile, especially if you are considering a Ford product.
Posted by Jim Doyle 
