04 Ford Explorer or 04 Chevy Trailblazer?

[finaliize]

Yes I know most of us are Ford guy's, but I have the choice of buying one of these two right now so the Cobra doesn't have to be daily driven.

04 Ford Explorer, 72,000 miles, private seller, Gold, $8,750 (could probably get him down) 1 owner, older guy, extremely nice condition

or

04 Chevy TB, 69,000 miles, dealership, Silver, $8,995, (probably around 9,500 after fees unless I can get them down), not sure on how many owners yet, looks to be in nice condition as well.

I've done my research and literally the field between these two is 50/50. You have your die hard ford guys and your die hard chevy guys, I hear good for both and I hear bad for both, I figured I would try here and any opinions I get here will probably strongly influence my decision.

Thanks :beer: (also it's only between these two, dont tell me to get something else)

 

[SVT F15O]

I wouldn't pay over $7500 for either one of those.
The Exploder is notorious for transmission failures and wheel bearings.
The Trailblazers like to crack exhaust manifolds and get leaky transmission cooler lines. Need to look out for a broken fork in the front differential. Make sure the 4x4 works.

 

[Matts00GT]

Trailblazers were shitty sans the SS.

Explorer without a doubt.

 

[finaliize]

I wouldn't pay over $7500 for either one of those.
The Exploder is notorious for transmission failures and wheel bearings.
The Trailblazers like to crack exhaust manifolds and get leaky transmission cooler lines. Need to look out for a broken fork in the front differential. Make sure the 4x4 works.

They are both 2WD. The bb value on the explorer is 7,300, I will offer him that, if he says no then I walk. I'm not paying 8,750.

 

[tistan]

I own a trailblazer ss. Piece of shit, get the explorer.

 

[SVT F15O]

They are both 2WD. The bb value on the explorer is 7,300, I will offer him that, if he says no then I walk. I'm not paying 8,750.

Oh wow, if they are both 2WD I wouldn't be paying much over $6,000 for either.

 

[mrlrd1]

02-05 Explorer driveline problems never end. The earlier Explorers were far more reliable. The TrailBlazers are far superior, even with their problems.

 

[Blown_By_You]

I own a trailblazer ss. Piece of shit, get the explorer.

That's way too much.

I'm not die hard Ford, I just like nicer cars. With that said, my girlfriend has an 03 Trailblazer with the 4.2L. It is the biggest piece of shit I've ever "owned". I'm constantly fixing EVERYTHING on it.. The interior is shit.. The rear wind deflector broke off. Rear window won't roll up because the cables frayed (they don't use traditional window motors, its a cable setup), transfer case goes crazy sometimes, headlights are impossible to adjust properly, it has a strange tick at idle occasionally, taillights leak, and on and on..

I must say, the 4.2L has some BALLS... It has alot of power, but mileage is shit

 

[Camaro_94]

I had an 05 trailblazer with the I6. I didnt have any major issues with it, but it didn't impress me much and I wouldn't get another one. It was comfortable to drive and had some cool features for a SUV, but it got pretty bad gas milage and some of the repairs are costly.

My friend has had a ton of issues with his V6 explorer though. I think it's an 04.

With that said, I personally wouldn't get either. Go after a F150 or 5.3l Silverado. Trucks are better anyways. I was getting 14mpg in my trailblazer. Nothing to brag about at all....

A TBSS on the other hand... At least you can have fun with it while getting shitty gas milage!

 

[black92]

Get the Explorer. I have an '02 and with the basic problems I've had, its worth it. Being an '04, you'll have less trouble and if the guy kept up on it, you'll be fine. If its a V8, it'll move nicely with minimal mods.

 

[SID297]

What kind of driveline problems are you guys talking about? The most persistent problem I know of with the 3rd and 4th gen Explorers is the wheel bearings.

 

[finaliize]

Seems like both sides are divided again even on SVTP lol, i'm leaning more towards the explorer considering it's a 1 owner, old guy, and I will pay a lot less than the TB.

 

[Camaro_94]

What kind of driveline problems are you guys talking about? The most persistent problem I know of with the 3rd and 4th gen Explorers is the wheel bearings.

My friend has had to replace the transmission, wheel bearings, and rear diff because it was making a horrible noise. And he's got a lot of electrical issues with it. It might not be common with them, but it's enough to scare me! All before 80k miles.

 

[finaliize]

My friend has had to replace the transmission, wheel bearings, and rear diff because it was making a horrible noise. And he's got a lot of electrical issues with it. It might not be common with them, but it's enough to scare me! All before 80k miles.

Location:NY

I live in FL, so snow conditions and extreme cold wont have any influence on wear, but how does he drive the truck? does he drive the piss out of it? does he take care of it? I hear of different problems with both choices but people neglect to tell me how they drive it.

 

[Camaro_94]

Location:NY

I live in FL, so snow conditions and extreme cold wont have any influence on wear, but how does he drive the truck? does he drive the piss out of it? does he take care of it? I hear of different problems with both choices but people neglect to tell me how they drive it.

He gets his oil changes regularly and doesn't beat the shit out of it... And usually keeps it on paved roads, but I think he's just cursed because he has always had horrible luck.

 

[VenomousDSG]

You're on a Ford site asking if you should get a Ford or a Chevy. Hmmmm LOL

 

[mrlrd1]

What kind of driveline problems are you guys talking about? The most persistent problem I know of with the 3rd and 4th gen Explorers is the wheel bearings.

As far as the 02-05 4 doors go:

Front wheel bearings fail, alot. Rear wheel bearings fail, alot. Both are known for completely separating.

The only problem the front diff has is from the pinion seal that leaks (near 100% failure rate). Sometimes you see an axle leak, but they're not common. The front diff is good as long as you keep fluid in it, it will last longer than the rest of the truck! :lol1:

Transmissions are junk. Built in France. PCM calibrations, fluid issues, clutches, hard parts, solenoids, etc. Everything fails, alot. V8 torque converters come apart and rattle like mad. Anytime you see a Ford transmission without a dipstick, avoid at all costs!!

Rear axle is shit. Every part of it. Seals leak, all of them. Carrier bearings fail regularly. Gear whine. All due to flex from the weak aluminum case. The solid axle 8.8" is excellent. The 06+ Explorers use larger bearings with an additional pinion support = no problems.

Rear wheel bearings are especially fun. They press into the knuckle. Often times seizing in place. Don't forget the cost of new parking brake shoes while you're in there ;-)

NONE of these problems are solely due to lack of maintenance, abuse, or weather conditions. I've made these repairs on a vehicle owned by a Ford FSE. They're total junk, but keep me busy...

 

[SID297]

As far as the 02-05 4 doors go:

Front wheel bearings fail, alot. Rear wheel bearings fail, alot. Both are known for completely separating.

The only problem the front diff has is from the pinion seal that leaks (near 100% failure rate). Sometimes you see an axle leak, but they're not common. The front diff is good as long as you keep fluid in it, it will last longer than the rest of the truck! :lol1:

Transmissions are junk. Built in France. PCM calibrations, fluid issues, clutches, hard parts, solenoids, etc. Everything fails, alot. V8 torque converters come apart and rattle like mad. Anytime you see a Ford transmission without a dipstick, avoid at all costs!!

Rear axle is shit. Every part of it. Seals leak, all of them. Carrier bearings fail regularly. Gear whine. All due to flex from the weak aluminum case. The solid axle 8.8" is excellent. The 06+ Explorers use larger bearings with an additional pinion support = no problems.

Rear wheel bearings are especially fun. They press into the knuckle. Often times seizing in place. Don't forget the cost of new parking brake shoes while you're in there ;-)

NONE of these problems are solely due to lack of maintenance, abuse, or weather conditions. I've made these repairs on a vehicle owned by a Ford FSE. They're total junk, but keep me busy...

Now that you mention it, my parent's Aviator had the front pinion seal fail. It's getting new front wheel bearings this week.

Do you have a laundry list like this for the 06+ too? I'm specifically interested in an 09 AWD V8.

 

[HEMIHUNTER]

I wouldn't buy from a dealer in your price range.
Private owner all the way.
Explorer.

 

[black92]

I bought my Explorer with 67,000 miles on it and it now has 150,000 miles. I've replaced one front wheel bearing, one rear wheel bearing and have had the transmission and transfer case rebuilt. The only major problem now that's been on going since I bought it is the rear end howls and has a small pinion leak. It's been like this for the last 5 years and I changed the rear diff fluid to 85W-140 and it quieted down. The rear leaking is very minimal and I change it every other oil change and it's never been a problem. I have never had any issue with the front pinion seal leaking and I wouldn't say it's common from what I've seen/read.

Changing the rear wheel bearing was cakewalk for me because I simply took the entire hub off and had a shop press out/replace the wheel bearing for $25. The front wheel bearings are very easy but just take time.

I'm getting ready to overhaul the driveline because I want to lower it a little and just bring everything back up to speed. Getting a CAI UDP's and reworking the tune some more. Goal is to hit 14.99 in the 1/4. Mine is a V8 4x4 and I just filled up yesterday and I'm averaging 16.5mpg going about 70mph with a 40 mile round trip.

Here's some pictures of mine to push you towards getting the Explorer

And a video to show what a 70 series Flowmaster sounds like and racing an '05 Mustang with full exhaust, cams, cai and tune...