The latest news out today is that several models of the Ford Explorer top the list in the “Cash for Clunkers” trade in program. I’ve known this for years. I was stung a little with the addition of the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models. They are my favorites as I have never had a problem with any that I have owned. I was surprised to see the Ford Escape in the top 10 sellers. That vehicle is far worse than the Ford Explorer. Maybe it will top the list in the future “Cash for Clunkers” if it ever returns.
Out of curiosity, how did you come to the conclusion that the Escape is far worse than the Explorer? The reason alot of Explorers are being turned in is that Foro sold millions upon millions of them.
I wonder how this type of data is out there already when they are having so much processing problems.
Ever wonder how late sunday night it is already known how many people saw what movie over the weekend? how do they do this? Someone should sell the Gov. this reporting system.
I think it’s something akin to exit polling on election night or Nielson ratings where a smaller group of data is collected and then extrapolated onto the moviegoing public at large.
As for the cash for clunkers thing, I’m sure the data they’ve already processed is readily available and I’ll bet that’s where the top 10 lists are coming from.
If the Explorer is leading the Clunker Stakes, it must have been a very popular SUV. Otherwise, why would there be so many of them to trade in? It seems that your post suggests there is something wrong with the Explorer or any other car or truck that is traded. If anything is wrong, it is quite likely that they are just old, very well used, and the $4500 is just the inducement people need to trade now. Other than that, why would trading in a vehicle be a bad thing? Any car or truck that gets traded is in sorry shape. Otherwise it would be worth more than $4500.
The definition of “clunker” for purposes of the program does not include reliability or utility. No quality judgements can be implied by a vehicles rating on the “cash for cluckers” tradein list.
The only thing that can be extrapolated about the vehicles from the list is that they did not get great mileage and lots of them were sold.
My 92 Explorer is on the chopping block. It’s the only way that I’ll ever see $4500.00 for it at it’s age.
I special ordered it new, my way, and it’s been my daily driver for all of it’s 140,000 miles.
Black exterior faded OE paint and peeling clear coat on repainted places.
Driver’s seat upholstery foam is disintegrating, leaving crumbs on the floor.
Driver’s side arm rest foam has long been dust, door panel cracked.
Rt front door panel pull handle shattered off in my hand.
rt rear door panel speaker grille off.
Other plastic and rubber parts will soon follow suit.
Steering is stiff on cold mornings.
Fog lights melted their power wire.
Flywheel has a few bad teeth, will soon take out starter too.
Check engine light on for fuel pump and m.a.f. sensor codes…stalls at stop signs…have to re-start…but wait,…flywheel has a bad spot 
Time for super complete tune-up
Rear main seal leak.
Rusted out kick panels( just in front of the rear wheels )
And then there’s that persistant “lifter” tick tick tick they say is cruddy valves.
Yes, I could fix her and if I don’t like the numbers on the new car , I will.
May her second incarnation be as fruitful-Kevin
What did Explorers get 17/18? thats good enough for me.
“but there aint nuthin wrong with the ray-dee-oh”
What will you fix first?
If I keep it, first and foremost, I’ll get it to run right.
Doesn’t really matter to me what it looks like if it WORKS right. Up to this point of fuel pump dying out, it was the absolute go-to truck. Friends and family call ME when theirs are breaking down.
A new fuel pump first might clear the m.a.f. code then give it a nice complete tune-up. The valve tick is more annoying than a functional problem but we’ll throw down some more cleaner, maybe two or three shots in a row to try to cure that.
While it’s in the shop we’ll look closer at the flywheel teeth and consider next a flywheel/starter/rear main seal job . It is a 4x4, so doing all those at once is more labor efficient. Right now it starts o.k… If you get to the point in the flywheel that the starter grinds wierd , you instantly let off the key then try again and it starts right up. It’s just one of those quirks ( & it has many ) that means no one else can drive it without a complete tutorial first.
Maybe next we’ll get the upholstery re-foamed and find some replacement ( LMC truck ) door panels.
Paint would be the last thing, if ever, and I’ll treat the rust to slow it down.
Suspension / brakes / tires are perfect and those ol’ foggy plastic lenses were replaced last year. In fact, if I turn it in for C4C I’ll swap out the tires for some old used junkers.
My fullsized Bronco gets around 8-9 MPG around town and about 10-12 on the highway on a good day. 17 or 18 MPG is pretty frugal in my book.
Nice master plan. You may be able to pick up a good used seat cheaper than you can get the old one recovered.
Good idea, yet the application for equivilant seats gets no newer than 1994 ( red is slightly different 93 94 ) and most of those are in the same age related condition.( It’s more a foam padding issue than surface upholstery.)
Some of the small stuff I’ll gradually do myself, the reason I say “we” in the master plan. I’m a parts man in a ford dealer and enlist the help of my techs for the big stuff. ie; I can do the plugs & wires, r&r the seat, rewire the fog lights, treat the rust, replace door panels, etc.
Aside from the potential future failure of plastic and rubber parts, it should continue to be the ‘old reliable’, albeit ugly, truck for another 140,000.
Hmmmmmmmmm… anybody traded in any “clunkers” lately that might have parts you can use (swap)?
Clunker update. After 200,000 transactions, another $2 Billion has been provided to keep the program going. Yes the Explorer IS the #1 trade in and the Ford Focus is the #1 new car purchased.
Reports have been surfacing that many of the better trade-ins are being exported to Mexico and Canada rather than being destroyed, a loophole in the C for C law…So the dealers are double dipping on these cars. Long live free enterprise!
I can’t see how someone would be happy with a Focus after having an Explorer for so long. I see by 2011 atleast, there will be a 180 on the market we saw this past summer. Millions of Focus, Yaris, Fusion, Corolla, etc, will litter the used car lots after the owners got tired of having to drive a cramp-mobile for a year or 2. Dealers will be selling Explorers, Escapes, Suburbans, etc left and right.