Odometer fraud???

Laws are pretty strict about odometer fraud, but it is certainly not impossible. For starters, run a Carfax report on your car. You should also be able to trace the odometer certification on your car. Even so, you may find anything.

Not likely. The more likely reason is that the hood has been touched up or even had some dealer repair done in the past. As for the rear end the original owner may have beat the snot out of it or abused it. It could even be that you got the bad rear end from the factory.

If that mechanic is amazed to find rust on a 4 year old vehicle then he better never look at some of the NEW ones on the lots. I have seen rust on them before they were even sold.

You may run a CarFAX on it. That mileage is not unheardof on a 2 year old vehicle. Ford service records may also tell you something. Carfax is reasonable priced and Ford will tell you what you need to know on their records for free if you ask nicely. If you are buying at a Dealer, you can usually make provision of these reports part of the deal before you sign the dotted line.

As far as the rear going out at 54K, that is not unheardof either. If it ever had a seal leak that was ignored, that can result in failure later after the problem has been corrected. Then again, they just sometimes go out - that is why vehicles have a warranty for some period. You vehicle has OBD-II. I do not know if yours has the ability to store mileage. The dealer will have to give you that info if it does.

Rust such as you describe can be greatly accelerated by not keeping the vehicle regularly cleaned to remove road salts in areas where salts are used. Here in the sunny south, that is seldom a problem. We just have the paint delamination problem with the heat of the sun.

Lugnut

That sounds about reasonable. Brake replacement is a thing you need to do periodically. I hope you have done a lot of other maintenance to this car, like the stuff on the schedule.

What did the differential fluid look and smell like? At 54,000, you should probably have changed the differential and transmission fluids at least once, but differential failure is a little premature.

The rust bubble is probably the result of a small ding that you didn't see and cover up in time, and it grew under the paint. Again, I don't know where you are, but if it's up north where the roads are salted in the winter, you have to keep a lookout for paint damage because it spreads fast. If you're in Arizona, I'd suspect something wrong.

Could be, but probably not. I'd run a Carfax on the thing, but the things you are seeing are not out of line.

--scott

The Ford Explorer is a piece of crap and the people who buy them are generally morons. Suggest you sell and get out of that class while your problems are still cheap.

This hood is bubbled:

Because it's an aluminum hood.

Putting aluminum hoods, with steel fasteners, and steel hinges will fail all the time.

Just using the same tools you repair steel with, and then use on aluminum. Leaves a strata of steel on the aluminum, and the electrolyses starts.

It's a ford, burn it.

Oh My:

Aren't you a charming individual. Fords do suck, but did the OP know that before they bought it?

Now, add something useful, or go piss up a rope.

Not all Fords suck, but the Explorer does. The OP appears to be finding this out.

I've owned lots of cars that sucked over the years. Life's like that.

--scott

Well, not likely fraud. The makers have been going cheap on parts, even one type of modern Jeep with an aluminum Dana rear end can't keep the bearings in them, they are all defective and die from one jack lift on the differential pumpkin to change the tires. If the tire person isn't aware of this, you are screwed.

I have had to change my brakes twice by 54000 miles, (I off road) my brother in law has to change them every 10,000 or so because he city drives a loaded van.

Rust? LOL! only 'one' spot???!! Wow, it must be in good shape for 13 years old...

(from the rust belt here)

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > I have a 2004 Ford Explorer, it had nearly 20,000 miles on it when I

You may have a car that was driven in an area with heavily salted roads. Another unfortunate possibility is that you may have purchased a truck that was flooded in a natural disaster. The biggest was of course Katrina, but there have been other floods involving rivers. Those vehicles may or may not have been identified by Car Fax depending on whether it was totalled by the insurance company and whether the insurance company reported the information. Given that you are having rust problems and differential problems could be an indication it was submerged in water.

Brake replacement at 54k miles sounds reasonable.

your on drugs odometer fraud doesn't happen. oh wait read this :

Hearing set for charges of odometer tampering Saskatchewan News Network; Prince Albert Daily Herald Published: Friday, February 08, 2008 PRINCE ALBERT (SNN) -- The case of a Prince Albert man facing 82 charges related to odometer tampering is heading for a preliminary hearing this fall.

George Yannacoulias and a business named Athfort Holdings Ltd. face the same charges, which were laid following a year-long investigation by the RCMP border integrity unit.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2-5 and Sept. 8-12.

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Printer friendly Font:****Defense lawyer Peter Abrametz Jr. told Judge Stephen Carter Thursday if the matter goes to trial, his client would elect to be tried by Queen's Bench judge alone.

Crown prosecutor Dan Heffernan told the court there could be between

40 and 50 witnesses at the preliminary hearing

RCMP allege at least 40 vehicles were sold to individuals throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba with lower odometer readings than when they had been purchased by the auto company. The total sales value of the 40 vehicles in question was just under $175,000, RCMP said.