3 Star Reviews for Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.39/5 Average
560 Total Reviews
Model Overview:

Pickup? SUV? How about both? The specialized Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a vehicle meant to offer the best of both worlds, which is to say the cargo-hauling ability of a pickup and the comfortable interior of an SUV. It was, in essence, an Explorer with a pickup bed grafted to the back.

There have been two generations of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. We were never very impressed by the original. Though clever in concept, it lacked in execution. The first Sport Trac was low-tech, underpowered and saddled with poor handling characteristics. The redesigned second-generation model, which debuted for the 2007 model year, was a much better package overall thanks to improvements in its power, cargo and towing capacity, and handling and comfort characteristics.

In most respects, Ford succeeded at its goal of building a vehicle that could act as both a pickup and an SUV. For consumers in need of a vehicle for hauling recreational gear or just something that can be used for light-duty trips to Home Depot, the Sport Trac should work just fine. We recommend shoppers take a look at some competing automakers' crew cab midsize pickups of the same time period, however, as they fulfilled much of the same role and offered advantages in refinement, performance and cab/body style configurations.

Most Recent Ford Explorer Sport Trac Models
The most recent generation of the five-passenger Ford Explorer Sport Trac was offered from 2007-'09. It came in a single body style: a four-door crew cab pickup. Although it shared the fundamental structure of the Explorer SUV, the Sport Trac was nearly 17 inches longer. The added length came from its longer wheelbase, which allowed room for the 4-foot cargo bed as well as plenty of rear legroom.

The Sport Trac's bed was constructed from sheet-molded composite (SMC), which was lighter than steel and wouldn't rust or dent. There were three integral storage compartments, and options included a folding cargo-bed extender and a hard tonneau cover. The bed contained a 12-volt power outlet.

Two trims were offered: base XLT and luxury Limited. The XLT's standard features included power mirrors and windows, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning and a CD player. The Limited adds larger 18-inch wheels, color-keyed bumpers and mirrors, foglights and side-step bars. Major options include a sunroof, dual-zone climate control and a navigation system.

There were two engines offered in this generation. The standard 4.0-liter V6 engine (210 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque) was matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. The available 4.6-liter V8 (292 hp and 300 lb-ft) came paired with a six-speed automatic. There was also a choice of either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

In reviews of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, we found the vehicle competent, with no major faults. Acceleration is average, even with the V8, and handling pleasant enough to fulfill Ford's target of carlike driving qualities. In addition, the cabin was comfortable and worked well enough. Although adequate in most respects, the Sport Trac wasn't outstanding in any one area. Accordingly, we'd advise consumers shopping for a multipurpose crew cab pickup to check out the Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Frontier before making a decision.

Changes throughout this generation's brief span were minor, with Ford adding the Sync system for 2008 and upgrading the optional navigation system for '09.

Past Ford Explorer Sport Trac Models
Sold from 2001-'05, the first Ford Explorer Sport Trac suffered from the launch-model blues. It was based on the old, second-generation Explorer and built around the Explorer's 4.0-liter V6 engine, chassis and suspension. At the time, we noted that we liked the vehicle's dual-nature configuration and many available features, but disliked its sloppy handling, limited towing and hauling capabilities, and subpar off-road abilities.

Changes to this generation were minor, so used-model shoppers should probably not feel a need to focus on any particular year.

User Reviews:

Showing 31 through 40 of 560.00
  • Strange Mix - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
    By -

    The 2003 Sport Trac is a strange mix. It looks good on the outside but once inside you realize that there is little or no room to reach down and adjust the seat settings or power bolsters. The door is so close to the seat itself that your arm can become trapped. Interior could use some dressing up. Even the premium 6 cd in dash sound system is blah to look at

  • Cost of ownership - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
    By -

    Several items were covered under warentee, but had to replace the front brake pads and rotors TWICE by 65,000 miles - I do not drive it hard - all highway miles. Radiator hose was sliced by a bracket in the engine. Oil cap mounting shattered at the first oil change. The hinges on the storage behind one of the rear seats snapped - again no excessive use. Love the concept but dissapointed at the experience.

  • No trust in this one - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
    By -

    Love the design, but wish Ford would have put more thought into the vehicle. Replaced three thermostats, two waterpumps, sensors, breaks and rotars all under 45000 miles. No faith in this vehicle any longer when traveling long distances. New breaks, but it squeals like crazy when attempting to stop.

  • Not quite what I expected - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
    By -

    The interior is not well designed. The door opener is ok, but the grip on the door is awkward; its hard to grab to keep the door from swinging too far, and at a bad position to close. The interior/exterior temperature gauges are small and hard to read. The message center is in the middle of the dash, but the speedo is hard to read through the steering wheel. The parking brake release is hard to reach and cramped. There is no indication on the dash as to what gear youre in. There is no way to manually shift out of the overdrive(s). The flip-over rack was bent and the locks wouldnt work. When you flip the larger back seat down, there is a big gap between the back of the seat/cab.

  • WAS GREAT UNTIL 50,000 MILES - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
    By -

    THE ONLY PROBLEM BEFORE 50,000 WAS THE INTERIOR JUST PEELS AWAY BY THE RADIO AND CUP HOLDER. THEN CAME THE $800 BALL JOINTS AND $250 VACUUM HOSES AND THE $800 A/C COMPRESSOR NOT TO MENTION HAD TO HAVE TIRES AND BRAKES EARLY. 2WD SUCKS IN THE SNOW. HAD TO WEIGH THE BACK END WITH SALT BAGS WHICH WAS GREAT ON THE ALRIGHTY BAD GAS MILEAGE.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac Reviews By Year:
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