Ford Problems

It looks tough but it's really a softie.  Rightly or wrongly the Ford Explorer is much maligned, tarnished by being the vehicle that brought the mighty Ford Motor Company to its knees and hastened the end of Aussie Jac Nasser's time as head honcho.The Explorer was America's third-best-selling passenger vehicle and its top-selling four-wheel drive. But it started popping tyres and several people died in the resulting accidents.Ford blamed the Firestone tyres fitted to it; Firestone blamed the Explorer. It was a mess of monumental proportions, not helped when the Explorer became known as the Exploder.  But when it arrived here, it entered a quite different market.Model WatchThere were three models at launch: the entry-level XL, the XLT mid-range and the Limited, which came with everything.  Power was provided by one of two V6 engines, depending on your choice of transmissions.The five-speed manual had a 4.0-litre overhead valve unit that supplied 119kW at its peak.  If you chose the five-speed auto trans, you'd get a much more modern alloy-headed single overhead camshaft engine that offered 153kW at 5250 revs and 339Nm of torque at 3000 revs.The big news with the Explorer was its Control Trac full-time four-wheel-drive system.  It's not so new now, but the Explorer was the first model sold here to offer an intelligent electronically controlled on-demand 4WD system that apportioned drive to the front and rear wheels as needed to maintain traction.The suspension on the first Explorers was a combination of independent front with a solid axle slung on leaf springs at the rear. Brakes were discs at all corners, with the assistance of ABS, and additional safety from dual airbags.The range-starting XL came with cloth trim, aircon, power steering, limited-slip diff and four-speaker sound.  The XLT also got central locking, leather steering wheel, power driver's seat and power mirrors, windows, and sunroof.The Limited got alloys, auto aircon, CD, leather trim, roof racks and traction control.  The US-coded model arrived in 2000 and with it came many equipment updates before it was replaced in 2002 by the all-new UT.In the shopGenerally the Explorer is sound, though its driveline is suspect under heavy load, as when towing.  The thing to remember is that the Explorer was built as an SUV for the US market, and while its size suggests brawn, it's really a bit of a soft-roader at heart.Owners' viewsJohn Thompson has had two Explorers, and both have been used for heavy towing around the country as he's gone about his work on the V8 Supercar trail.  The first was a manual which he says wasn't up to the job of towing and he had to replace the clutch, which was the weak link.His latest, a 2001 XLT, is an auto which until recently has been faultless, but at 128,000km the auto trans had a meltdown, requiring an expensive rebuild.  In his view, the auto isn't strong enough to do the heavy towing he needs it to do. He'd never own another one.Lawrie Dughetti owns a 2000 US Explorer Limited which had 6500 km on it when he bought it.  Overall he says it has plenty of grunt and every luxury he could ever need, but he rates the finish and feel of the plastic as ordinary, and the interior is too tight for three adults in the rear.Problems have been fairly minor and overall he's happy with it.  Bob Lorich bought a new XLT Explorer auto in 1999. He has since travelled 140,000 km and had no problems worse than a faulty thermostat at 95,000km.He often uses his Explorer for towing and rates it highly. It gets about 12 litres/100km on the highway at 110km/h. Even when fully laden and towing, it still manages about 18 litres/100km.  Julianne Gould and her husband bought their Explorer to visit family living a long way away.She says they have had a few hiccups, but Ford's service has been tremendous.  They say it has plenty of get up and go and there are no problems towing a trailer. They chose a manual for fuel consumption, which is heavy around town but good on the open road.The bottom lineWell-equipped and solid around-town soft-roader that can handle a bit of bush bashing but doesn't like heavy towing.Look forSmooth, comfortable ride around townCapable off road, with smart electronics for assistanceAvoid if you do heavy towingTroublesome clutch on manualUndersized automatic trans can mean troubleWwell equipped with standard features

In the mid-1960s the Ford Fairlane was unrivalled for luxury motoring.  Holden tried to match the big Ford, first with the Brougham, then with the Statesman, but neither threatened the Fairlane's domination. But by the mid-1990s, when the NF Fairlane came on the scene, the Statesman had clawed its way into the lead, and the Fairlane was battling back.Model watchThe 1995 NF followed the traditional Fairlane formula in that it was based on the current Falcon, in this case the EF.  Ford invested $220million in the EF in an effort to make up some ground lost to Commodore as Holden sales recovered from the disastrous '80s, and spent a further $30million on the long-wheelbase models once the Falcon was up and running.The NF used the same front-end sheet metal as the EF Fairmont. The result was that the NF was shorter in the nose than most previous Fairlanes, but it still had the roomy rear seat, and large boot, which were seen as the key features of a local luxury model.  All up the NF Fairlane was 98mm shorter than the car it replaced.For the first time Ford adopted what it called a "High Jewel" effect, which meant more chrome and stainless-steel trim, and clear turn-signal lamp lenses. Central to the theme was the bright chrome grille, which combined with bright window mouldings and numerous chrome strips for sparkling highlights.Inside there were new trim fabrics and make-believe woodgrain panels. There was a long list of features, from improved audio systems and a CD stacker to climate-controlled airconditioning, cup holders and a driver's airbag.Based on the Falcon as it was, the NF Fairlane got the same mechanical improvements as the EF Falcon, which meant more responsive handling. The suspension was the same combination of wishbones at the front and live axle with Watts Linkage at the rear, but in the Fairlane it was tuned more towards a refined ride than sporty handling.When you bought a Fairlane you expected a smooth ride and didn't necessarily worry about handling precision, but despite its obvious bulk the big Ford still handled quite well. It was quite well balanced and went where it was pointed. Bigger brakes, in the form of thicker front and larger-diameter discs, with ABS, resulted in a firmer pedal feel and boosted braking performance.Buyers could choose between Ford's fuel-injected single overhead camshaft 4.0-litre six, which gave 157kW at 5900rpm, and 357Nm at 3000rpm, or the optional 5.0-litre V8 which boasted 165kW and 388Nm. Both engines were coupled to four-speed auto transmissions to ensure smooth progress.  Ford released the NFII in 1995 and with it came an airbag for the front-seat passenger, along with a number of other detail improvements.In the shopWith the same mechanical package the Fairlane suffers the same maladies as the Falcon. Both engines are reliable and the 4.0-litre six works well on gas, but they can suffer head-gasket problems.Fairlane drive lines are also reliable – the auto hangs on well into the high 100,000km and the diff is tough. Listen for diff noise on high-kilometre cars.  Problems with electrical components can be frustrating and the Fairlane can suffer similar electrical gremlins to the Falcon.Fairlanes, particularly if privately owned from new, are usually well cared for by fussy owners and these are the ones to seek out.  Others, which might have come from the hire-car business, will be showing high mileage and should be treated with caution.Check the history of ownership to determine if the car has been in the hire business, and the service record to ensure that the car has been serviced according to Ford's recommendations.RivalHolden VS Statesman Price 1995-1998 $14,000-$24,000