Bought the car used with 12768 miles on it. It is our 2nd Explorer, the first being a 1991 which we loved. About the only thing we didn't like (at first) is the way the headrests shove your head forward. We turned ours around. Maybe not the safest but much more comfortable.

I noticed a milky substance on the garage floor and suspected a rear diff problem. I took it to the dealer and they accused us of driving through streams and towing boats, none of which was the case. Maybe the previous owner did so. They rebuilt the rear with new bearings and pinion flange and all was well for about 70,000 miles. During this time the diff fluid was changed with the appropriate synthetic replacement as we used the vehicle to tow a pop-up trailer. The rear began making that tell-tale whining sound again which got worse with more miles.

As I write this the vehicle is in the shop for a second complete rear rebuild. Our '98 AWD Astro has 270,000 miles and not a single diff problem, front OR rear.

My wife’s 2010 Explorer had a rear differential failure at 65,000 miles. The Ford dealership found water in the differential as the cause. The repair manager said that water leaked into a vent on the differential. The 5 year/ 100,000 mile $1,695 Extended Service Plan she bought with the car when new did not cover the $1,352 repair with rebuilt parts. This Explorer has never been used in any situation such as boat launching or driving on flooded roads which might have caused water to enter the differential. I have never heard of a vent that could allow water into the differential. If it exists, then it is a design failure and not an owner responsibility. I am very disappointed in the implication of Ford’s Customer Service Division that this problem was caused by the vehicle operator.