So sorry to hear that.

I did consider the Explorer late last year when we found ouselves in the hunt for an SUV. After test driving the Chevy Trailblazer, which we really liked, The Explorer rode well....like a truck and the dash rattled like crazy on slightly uneven pavement. I asked the sales guy if the tires were overinflated and with grim look on his face, I decided not to follow up on the question I just asked. I gave the sales guy a second chance and this time we test drove an even "older" unit of a congressman who traded in his 05 Explorer for an Expy. Wow, talk about rattles and squeaks and this happened after we test drove the Honda Pilot.

So we ended up getting the Honda Pilot(now a month old). A lot dearer, of course, but the Explorer didn't really do well as far as (international) reviews are concerned. Info from the internet helped me reach this decision. The Explorer really looked sharp, but my wife and I also looked at the resale value 5 years down the road. Knowing friends who previously had Fords, the resale at the very least, was "not good".