In all honesty, I had grea experience with both of my ford vehicles, one being a 1994 ranger and the other one 2009 focus. Both held up very well and never left me stranded. Ranger had 130k when purschased, focus was new. However, I would hope that you do your homework on this car. Look up KBB and NADA first. Make sure that whoever you buying this car from has a maintenance record and look for major repairs. Most cars require a major tune up at 100k, look up and see what the manual calls for at 100k service and then see the service receipts that seller provided. No evidence of service records would be a deal breaker on this one for me. Lastly, ask the seller if you can take it to a mechanic of your choise and just gauge his/her reaction. If they hand you over the keys without hesitation, take it to a mechanic and have him/her really inspect the car and have him/her take it for a test drive. On the other hand, if the seller hesitates or assures you that their "in house mechanic" checked it over and refuses to let you have the car inspected well then that should be your second red flag and I would steer clear.
Bottom line, I traded my focus for a beater, I figured I was going to save money by not having a monthly payment. Now, I am not saying that about your potential explorer but keep in mind that labor costs add up reel quick. I am looking for my 3rd car in the six months period after going from one pos to another and now I am back to financing a newer car. Please do your homework and I wish you the best of luck on your next vehicle purschase