DonnyHacker Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 There is a pretty clean used 2003 Sport Trac near me that I am considering buying. Are there any known issues or concerns with these vehicles? Sorry if this is an old and/or oft repeated question, I'm not too familiar with Fords. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyHacker Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 13 minutes ago, akirby said: Where are you located? Plano Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) Hello DonnyHacker sir, nice find! Probably the biggest technical issue with 1st generation Explorer Sport Trac is the 5-speed automatic transmission (5R55). Servo bore and valve body are known to wear out quickly. During your test drive, pay close attention for any shift "flares" and slipping. Also, if the Overdrive light in the instrument panel blinks while driving, it may be symptomatic of servo bore and/or valve body issues. Also, timing chain guide and tensioner failure was a common issue for the 4.0L SOHC V6 engine. Ford did update the tensioner with a more durable design by 2003. Still, doesn't hurt to pay attention to any rattling noises from the engine as described here. https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2011/03/rattle-noise-from-primary-chain-drive-on-ford-4-0l-sohc-engine/ Best wishes! Edited March 29, 2020 by rperez817 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyHacker Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 In this case, they told me that the engine and transmission were both rebuilt about 80K miles ago. The entire vehicle itself has around 300,000 and I have not seen it in person yet. You can check the advert out here: https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/d/plano-2003-ford-explorer-sports-trac/7098378399.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Sounds like a good deal regardless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rperez817 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 1 hour ago, DonnyHacker said: In this case, they told me that the engine and transmission were both rebuilt about 80K miles ago. The entire vehicle itself has around 300,000 and I have not seen it in person yet. You can check the advert out here: https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/d/plano-2003-ford-explorer-sports-trac/7098378399.html Thank you DonnyHacker sir. I agree with akirby that it looks like a good deal. Definitely one of the better kept 1st gen Explorer Sport Trac I've seen. I'm down the road in Fort Worth. As with any used vehicle, be sure to do a through pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic if you're interested in moving forward with this deal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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