The Ford Explorer Sport Trac Was Too Ahead Of Its Time! 

Fords greatest feature ever is that keypad on the drivers door. Wish other manufacturers would do it also.

That Cologne engine is bulletproof. I've pushed 3 of them (from new) to well over 250K miles without opening up the engine. 1 went to 375K and is still running for the 2nd owner.

The second Gen Sport Trac with the 4.6 V8 was the nicest set up. As just a daily driver, the Adrenaline was a very good looking truck!

My 07 still is running strong with 242K miles. Very useful and practical trucks.

I currently have a 2004 Sport Trac 2wd with 55k miles. I bought six years ago with 14k miles. I wanted a vehicle that could tow a small trailer and haul people comfortably. This truck popped up on market. It fit the bill and has proven to be an excellent vehicle that is comfortable and reliable. At 16 mpg it is a bit of a gas hog. Not my dream vehicle, but beats the hell out of spending $70k on a new truck.

Wish more trucks had this giant back window that went all the way down.

The "trucky SUV" wasn't that popular 20 years ago but is now based upon the recent popularity of the small 4 4 door pickups today.

I owned a 2002. Had almost 300k on it. It was a great little truck u v. Loved the back window! And fold flat back seat. It also had the flip style hard top tonneau cover. That would flip both ways. Depending on which way you wanted it open.

Ford learned from this when making the Maverick. They found out the 4ft bed was just a bit too short for what their customers wanted to use it for. A tad over 4.5ft was the sweet spot. They did not make it a mid gate due to requiring the cab to bed support to offset the lack of structure. This made the bed look even shorter which was something that the avalanche struggled with. Ford also waited until they had a powertrain that mostly matched the towing utility that these customers wanted while getting crossover fuel economy. The Sport Trac was very thirsty by comparison.

So cool to see you guys highlighting a Sport Trac. I had a second generation Sport Trac with the V8. I loved that truck. It was awesome road trip vehicle, we took it on many vacations. Withe the folding cover over the bed, we were able to store everything we needed safely and securely. We towed two small sail boats on a trailer with the V8 had no problem getting down the highway. The best thing was the folding rear seats, it allowed our dogs to ride in the back and look out the rear windows. Thanks guys for bring back some fun memories.

In 2005, purchased the last year 1st GEN. Mid-level and paid right at $21,000. Traded it for the last year second GEN 2010. Paid $27,000 for that although listed for $34,000 (great recession pricing). They ran on gasoline or this new E-85 ethanol. She was named Ethel and Ethel II. Both trucks fit into a garage. And in 2015 when I traded in the last one in I cried at the loss. FYI, my 2022 Maverick is just like the Sport Trac… only instead of mileage in the teens they’re now in the 40s 50s (hybrid, of course). So yes, it was 20 years ahead of its time. Thanks for the video.!!!!!

On the Maverick today, if you put the bed down halfway as designed to carry drywall and such, your rear camera just looks down at asphalt so not that much has changed. There's also the same amount of lettering on the sides for 4x4

This is my daily driver. I never liked the look of them but we happened to get one at a good price and I can not believe how reliable it has been. 270k miles and still going strong. Unfortunately it seems like manufacturers don’t build vehicles to last anymore

Loved my '01 4x4. They were part of the Firestone debacle...got a brand new set of tires after about 10k miles on the original Firestones. Sold it to my neighbor's kid with 80k miles and he still has it with 185k miles on it.

Me and six friends spountainously bought a 2001 version together for our exchange semester in Hawaii. It had some oil-leaking and brake issues but worked just fine. The bed comfortably fits 4 poor students, and we absolutely loved every mile of it (until it overheated and almost caught fire in the middle of Waikiki). Definitely the most lovable car ive had!

I had a 4wd 5speed that was an absolute gem. Loved that little truck so versatile

9:36 - The US was just getting accustomed to crew cab pickups in the early 2000s, especially compact crew cabs. Frontier, Tacoma, and S-10 all had a crew cab that initially sold in small numbers. The Dakota did, too, but it was larger. It wasn't a new configuration - other countries had them for years before the US, and the US had them mainly for fleet buyers. When the compacts grew to mid-sized in the mid-2000s, the crew cab was the new norm. We now struggle to find regular cabs.

My daughter and her husband had one of these and they loved it.

Funniest and most accurate thing ever said by anyone at TFL: 'Storage for teeth polish and hair extensions for Roman'

Crazy you guys did a video on these just as I was starting to look into them. Thank you so much!

I had 2 of the Gen 2 Sport Trac’s at one time, by far the most reliable Vehicles I’ve ever owned and that’s with both the 4.0v6 and 3v4.6 .. my V8 is the Adrenalin version.. Member of the Sport Trac owners Group 🇨🇦

Man I loved the era of "SUVs with beds" Maybe its because I was a kid at the time, but the idea of the Avalanche, Sport Trac, and Subie Baja all just had this massive appeal to me. They still do, which is why i am really interested in the Santa Cruz and Maverick.

My great aunt and uncle have one of these in forest green. They bought it new 20 years ago. They go on long road trips in it and normal repairs as rubber components age. They got a matching camper shell that is very attractive and decorated it with cool bumper stickers along the years to different events, cities, and State Parks.

I’ve been thinking about Sport Tracs recently. While they were weird in their day, a body on frame truck with SUV amounts of room up front and a small bed in back would sell like hotcakes today. For sure ahead of their time.

In my area, $5k would buy you the most rusty crusty example with 200k+ on the odometer. My father-in-law has had one since new, which he uses to put his boat in and out of the lake and to ferry his dog around (back seats folded flat, with a blanket covering them). He's put about 35k miles on it, and constantly has people walking up to him wanting to buy it.

I think the bed extenders are a great idea. To say you can't use it because a new truck has a rear camera is ridiculous. People are getting too carried away with all this tech crap. We never had it before and managed just fine

Had a 2001 2WD.Absolutely loved it. Gave it to my son when he went to college and sadly he managed to seize the motor up. Wish I had one today, especially the 4WD models.

Speaking from experience, some Uhaul locations won't rent a trailer to you due to it being an "Explorer". I loved my Sport Trac but sadly it wasn't 4wd, so it was sold at 230k miles right after I replaced body mounts haha!

I had a 02 5Spd Manual RWD and 2010 Adrenalin AWD V8. They were both awesome. The Cheapest and Most expensive. I used that rear window to haul so much trim and lumber. My 02 did roll in an accident.

My dad had a 2007 version of this. It was a beauty and I was in love with it! Thanks for the video 😀

They were sometimes equipped with the Wilderness AT's. I was an apprentice at Ford around this time, and I removed a few sets from these things when new. You forgot to mention (or maybe didn't know about) the center body mount recall. I did one or two of those and didn't much care for the job, LOL. I quite liked these and I wouldn't mind owning one.

My mom had a 2005 auto RWD. She bought it new and had it for 9 years. She loved it. Only sold it for better gas mileage with a 2014 Focus manual. She sold it to someone who lived in town. A month or so later my dad drove by the scene of an accident with her old Sport Trac involved.

My dad owned the first and second gen both were 4x4 v6 and were fantastic for everything we used it for from camping to hauling our boat. They were great as a midsize truck thing lol

I had a 2001 ford explore sport trac and I really liked it. Never had any issues other than normal maintenance. Only reason I sold it was because I got to the point where I was towing a lot and really needed a full size truck. I miss it from time to time though.

Ive had my 07 sport trac since Nov of '23 ( appx 5 mo.) and I love it. It's a comfortable ride, decent mpg on the highway and has hauled its fair share of lumber and other materials in the bed. I added a ladder rack to increase the storage and hauling space and it meets all my needs

Love the Sport Trac, especially the Adrenaline

Still see them driving around. Very well designed and had a lot of features that were useful.

I have an 02 like that it’s got leather interior and it’s amazing I got it in 2021 for $3800 and it had 94k on it the person that had it before me was a little old lady. I didn’t drive very much and took really good care of it. It’s amazing

Those trucks never got the recognition they deserved. They were driven into the ground in some parts of the region I live in.

I wish you guys were in Minnesota, I have a 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Adrenaline Version, very good condition, V6 4.0 Cologne with AWD, sunroof, leather, power sliding rear window, all bells and whistles, and 160k miles, never used the bed so composite bed in mint condition. Love the comfy ride, I wish you were here and can review it. 👌🙏🙏 great vehicle! Adrenaline version looks sick! 🔥

I did a prerunner setup on mine with long travel shocks n tubular arms with 2wd manual. Even regeared it was slow and got same MPG as Silverado. Built a rack for roof top tent. Bed extendor was a must have!

I have a 2004 Sport Trac with 160K bought new and kept clean. Daily driver despite having other vehicles. Every time I go to Ford dealership, someone ask if I want to sell it. No way buddy can't find anything like this anymore. Love it. It's not just a truck its family!

I still have my second generation ford Sports truc. I like that back window feature. I have so many great memories with my truck. I Love it .

I had a 2001 Sport Trac with a 5.0 302 Windsor swap and a ton of modifications from Summit Racing. It had over $15,000 in modifications from summit racing. Had a built motor. Race line wheels, a 3 inch lift, and a booming sound system!

Don't forget the SVT-inspired Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin! It didn't have the powerplant of the concept vehicle, but it did have the body kit, etc.

I am the third owner of a 2001 sport trac. It only has 135,000 miles on it and it is in very good shape. I have had it for 7 years and id say that it is the best vehicle that ive ever had.

The regular Sport Trac wasn't much of a looker, but the Adrenalin package made it look pretty darn nice 👌

I had a 2004 Sport Trac. Bought it used with 106k miles - sold it 6 years later with 186k. Incredible little baby-truck! Only major repair was front control arm replacement at 150k miles. Only sold it because I needed more interiour space.

I had an 05 SportTrac and loved it. Really miss that vehicle.

My dad had a 2003 xlt sport trac and he got it to 315k miles before the timing chains or something blew the motor

My 01 still running strong and beautiful as ever!

The biggest problem with the sport trac was the lackluster automatic transmission. This would still be considered an RBV aka ranger based vehicle as the front suspension was in fact similar to the 98 later ranger and it used the same powertrain. When the explorer was redesigned in 02 that became its own platform and the sport trac followed design wise around 2006 iirc. Even then it still shared the 4.0 sohc with the ranger. In regards to the exploder debacle, Firestone wasn't the problem, it was ford running lower tire pressure to make up for less than desired ride quality. A nearly hundred year partnership was thrown away because ford didn't want to take responsibility for their screw-up. That said I'd love to have one of these especially if it was equipped with a manual.

I made a mistake on my earlier post about the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The one I am trying out for a few days is a 2001, not a 2008. Still told to go for it. I got the truck to use yesterday and will be taking it out later today.

I LOVE SPORT TRACS I really wish i got my hands on one but my 2nd Gen XLTs will do! I've only ever seen these sell over $4000 because of how niche they are. the Gen 2 Explorer platform is wonderful. It's peak explorer. I miss when SUVs were truck-based platforms, and this one takes it to a new level of course.

I had one of the as a K9 unit in the navy. Enjoyed it. Drove well and went forever. Far more reliable than the Chevy Impalas and Tahoes most base security had.

I had a second gen with the v8 4x4, it was a super solid truck

I've had my 2010 sport track for 4 years. It's a pretty good truck. I didn't know the back window rolled down. Thanks for showing me that

I would definitely buy one. Especially since it has the roll down rear glass, and that cage thing is a good added on feature since it is dual function. But I, too, love a lot of these early 2000 pre millennial cars/trucks. 👍

I had a 2001 purchased December 2000 with the 4.10 rear end. Loved it and still one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.

I really wanted a Sport Trac when i was in high school.

My dad had a green 2003 2WD Sport Trac. He bought it new & drove it for over 13 years & over 300k miles with no problems. It was the most reliable vehicle he ever owned as it still had the original engine & transmission which still shifted smoothly. He eventually replaced it with a new 2017 Honda Ridgeline that he's still driving today currently with 130k miles which has been reliable as well. My friend who buys & sells cars all the time, had a 2001 Manual Sport Trac a few years back which was the first & only time I ever saw one.

I had both the first and second generation. They remain among my favorite vehicles. Definitely a Swiss Army Knife of a vehicle. The storage bins in the bed of the ‘07+ were great. The Tonneau was strong enough to stand on. The tie down hooks on the side of the bed were fantastic.

I had the 2 door explorer sport (not sport Trac) and it was a bulletproof machine. Dead simple to maintain and surprisingly capable! I feel like the ford Maverick is the "spirit animal" of the sport Trac... Everything you need, nothing you don't.

The biggest problem these had in Iowa (noticed the Okoboji cap) was that they didn't qualify as a "truck" and were taxed like a car, so total cost of ownership over 10 years was significantly higher than an F-150.

I have a 2005 4x4 with 87K. It's a great little truck.

My uncle had one of those with the 4.6, he was a big avid hunter and got this because he lived in the city. When he passed my aunt sold it and i was in my early 20’s but i wish i could have bought it now in my mid 30’s. im a truck guy i have an 86 chevy c20, 98 gmc 1500, 2009 duramax and ive also had many other gm trucks but I kinda loved that sport trac for some reason. Probably because i did love the old guy and he was always bragging about it haha.

Looks still very neat and solid all around with a mileage like that. Build quality from that era imo hard to beat, you see that in many manufacturers. 1500 to 2500 would be a steal for that one.

I bought one (2004 4x4) and it’s been a wonderful little truck to me in a market where a comparable frontier or Tacoma is 2/3 times the price these are little underrated gems

Not a Ford guy, but I've always liked these. My neighbor has one he uses for his mobile pressure washer company. It's rough, but very reliable

My 2002 ST XLS I bought in 2009 at @ 60K is still running strong in 2024 w 166K. I call it my transformer truck cause w the tonneau and bed extender plus hitch w accessories, I can move everything I need to like gravel, dirt, couches, mattress, people, a household 4 times and lumber. So great is it I just bought another but w more oomph - a 2003 XLT 4WD w 163K on it. Am sure they will both keep running great w all the TLC I can muster.

I had one of the first 2001 Sport Tracs built. It did have Firestones and I got a free set of Michelins due to the recall. Also had the fuel system completely replaced under warranty. It had many more issues and I got rid of it after warranty expired. Most of the issues were likely worked out after the first few months production. Still see them on the road.

My Dad almost bought one...he liked the short bed with the flip cage..test drove one..never did buy it

The Adrenaline is definitely the one to have. Body colored cladding (instead of two tone) and the 4.6L V8 and AWD. @6:25... Yes, it did. Ford just didn't admit it. The only admitted some vehicles did, but every Ford light truck with Firestones had the problem. Example, my Mazda B4000 (Ford Ranger) had Firestone FR480's. I was religious about my tire pressures being correct (inflated to the number on the door jamb). However, I still had one (LF) delaminate and put a giant dent in my driver's side rocker panel. Ford and Firestone both refused liability. My insurance paid out over $2k to fix it.

I have a friend who had taken his Sport Trac after his motor had some electrical problems he took a crate V-8 and changed his transmission and as far as I know he still has it. I haven’t seen him in a while since he’s moved out west to Nevada. He did change the tires and wheels just because he wanted to. He used it to haul parts and after the motor swap it got better gas mileage. I tried to buy it but he told me he was going to keep it till he died, they’re great trucks in my opinion.

I bought a 2002 Sport Trac used in 2003. It was green with tan leather seats. I had until mid-2008. The next owner drove it for almost 15 years before it finally croaked.

Had one of these for a long-term test car back in the day. It's like a mini-Lincoln Blackwood - no bed and a cramped cabin. The answer to a question nobody asked...and nobody bought,either

I have a 2005 XL version (base?) that I bought from the original owner a couple of years ago. It has about 180K miles on it. Some of the paint is started to flake off, but in pretty good shape otherwise. I haven't really done much off roading in it, but that 4wd sure gets thru our Colorado snow real well.

I've always kind of liked these. I owned an Explorer from this generation and it was really cool. It was a 2000 with a 5.0. A truck version always appealed to me.

The bed extender had a great bonus feature. when the tailgate was up and it was folded in, the space between them was a great place to put gear so it didn't slide around. In fact, it was perfect for 5 gallon gas cans. I personally think the concept should be available for all trucks from the factory (I am aware that aftermarket ones are available for most trucks).

Put 280k on mine and it was still running well when I got rid of it. Outside of routine maintenance the only two things I replaced were the alternator at around 225k and the thermostat around 200k. One of the best and most practical vehicles I've owned.

I had a 2007 and I loved it with the exception that it was a gas guzzler. 14 mpg avg.

My 2019 Tacoma has the exact same bed extender and my backup camera is on the tailgate. Whenever I use the bed extender I get a spectacular view of my rear bumper.

A couple of things, my 2020 Ranger had a bed extender, and quite useful, even just for tossing groceries back there. My dad has a 2007 Adrenaline with less than 70,000 kms on it, that is a super cool truck.

At 19 I wanted a mustang. Got a sport Trac. No regrets

I got mine for 2,500 after my jeep died and it has been the best vehicles I have seen from the 2001-2005 era that I have experienced so far!

I remember when this was new, thinking it was an awkward-looking, pointless truck with four 4-doors and a tiny bed. 20yrs into the future, it's what most truck buyers buy because they have kids and don't actually need the utility of a real truck. Now people like me who need a small truck for truck things have slim pickings.

I bought the 2005 with 100,000 and thought I paid to much. Nope after 7 months not at all that engine doesn't burn a drop of oil.

Correction. The Sport Trac was based on the third and fourth generation Explorer, not the second generation. The second generation Explorer was the one with the eggcrate grille and somewhat rounded headlights.

This is the early version of a maverick!

Had one through highschool and college, it was an awesome pickup

Just bought a 2004 Sports Trac and its not the top of the line version but still nice. First thing out of the hat was a bad engine with high miles. This engine is the upgraded pushrod 4.0 engine to an OHV version which required two chain drives front and rear to drive the valve train. This one had the rear chain guide bad and other issues. Being it was the rear one, that requires you to pull the engine also. So the first thing was to buy a used engine to replace this one. I did buy one with 100k less miles and had to replace the guide on this one also. It did turn out to be a good engine and runs great. The overall truck itself is very nice and has plenty of power. Its rated at 210 HP. Plenty of room in the rear seats also. I think I will like this truck for fun and usefulness. The short bed will do most anything most will need. Overall its a nice little truck.. It is built on a Ranger base, btw and has the same dash controls as a Ranger. I just had a 2000 Ranger before I got this one.

I have an 03 that I absolutely love. Great little truck

I absolutely love those. The 2nd gen is cool but the 1st is just awesome looking. They are very well built too. The only downside is the 4.0 SOHC V6 which uses a multiple timing chain design and is kind of a PITA to work on. But these things are still awesome. I feel like the new Maverick, in a way, is kind of like the unofficial replacement to these, albeit with a unibody design and a 4 cylinder.

I purchased a 2002 new, still own it. It’s 2wd with leather interior pwr seats, white exterior it has 275K miles and still going strong. I’d buy it again if they still made them. Ours came with Goodyear Wrangler tires when new, Michelin LTX when I replaced them. It still has the original transmission but it’s tired, the engine runs like new.

my 2001 EXPL SP TR rocks the ramp. Thanks for the review

I had one for a while, a 2002 XLT auto. I thought it was pretty cool looking and a decent idea for packaging. Unfortunately it drove VERY poorly. There was nothing wrong with it mechanically, it was just clumsy and lumbering, and didn't offset that by having an even remotely decent ride. The back seat was also VERY upright and not adjustable, so long trips sucked for human rear seat passengers. The storage cubbies behind the seats were quite useful, at least. The 4th gen Explorer, which was the basis for the 2nd gen Sport Trac, drove much better than the first three generations of Explorer (and, of course, the 1G Sport Trac), so the 2G Sport Trac probably was just fine, but I never got the opportunity to drive one.

My dad has a 2007 Limited Sport Trac with the 4.6L Modular V8 3 valve has over 310k kms. He's had it since 2006. Gets okay gas mileage. Its awd all the time rear wheel dominant with independent rear suspension. My cousin has a 2002 Sport Trac 2wd with the Manual trans. The engine did pop a timing chain at 330k kms typical for the 4.0L engine. They ended up putting a used engine in and still running today. Over 360k kms on the body

I had a 2003 as my first car. It was a great little truck. The short bed never stopped me from hauling what I wanted to. I actually managed to drive a good 45 minutes with a large hot tub in the bed. The transmission died after 235k miles because I started getting ambitious with how much weight I towed

I'd trade my high mileage '05 4X4 Colorado LS for that truck or even a later model and never look back. As I've said before, a lot of folks in our rather rural area purchased Sport Tracs because they could not find a Ranger (NOT the current Ranger). Many of those Sport Tracs AND Rangers of the era are still on the road as daily drivers today. As for the tires, as a college student I had a set of first generation 500s mounted at the Firestone dealership in my hometown on a Saturday. Six days later the left rear literally exploded on I-85. I took the tire back to dealership where I WAS BLAMED for the failure! I then took my car to a "discount tire" dealership in Charlotte, NC and had the remaining three tires replaced with the brand (a Japanese brand) and the spare which was of the same Japanese brand since the Firestone dealership had, thankfully, refused to sell five 500s the previous weekend. Those Japanese tires NEVER failed, and the spare was still, unused, in the trunk when I foolishly traded the car six years later! I have not purchased a Firestone tire since 1974 and never will again. If I were to purchase a vehicle, new or used, today and it had Firestones on it I would drive, slowly and carefully, to the nearest Cooper dealership have them all replaced!

Great video gentleman!