Used Ford Explorer for sale near Des Moines, IA under $20,000

My visit to the Honda/Nissan dealership was quite pleasant. I contacted Luke Wandling over email, asking a few questions about a car I was interested in taking a look at. When I entered the dealership, he was right there to greet me. He was very friendly, kind, and helpful. Throughout the process, he made it easy and pleasant. In the end, I didn’t end up buying that car as it had more things to fix than I could afford. But Luke handled this news very well, and said we’d be in touch in the future if need be.

2016 Platinum. Nice SUV, comfortable, very powerful, decent fuel economy, fair build quality, but there are some things to be aware of; the AWD models have a PTU (power transfer unit) which sends power to the rear wheels. It is positioned very close to the exhaust, and the heat generated by the turbochargers literally cooks the gear oil in the PTU, causing it to fail. The unit only holds about a quart of oil, and is NOT serviced or checked, even when you have the vehicle serviced at the dealer. We had trouble with the front camera, and the recirculation actuator on the climate control. If you are considering a used Explorer, I highly recommend buying the best warranty you can! The only complaint I have is the road noise. On new pavement, it's quiet, but on all other roads it's VERY loud inside!

I set up an appointment on line then the salesman said he would have it ready outside. Our appointment was 3 days out. When we got there the car handnot been processed yet It needed work done and it was dirty. We test drove it and liked the car and the price. Also when we got there the cost of the car had gone up a couple of hundred dollars. Because I copied what we saw on line and our preapproval they gave up the price we first saw. That was nice. The car needed some work done on it and they did it for no cost to us. It took over a week and a couple of phone calls. We now have the car we expected to bring home the day we got it.

The vehicle meets al my family needs. The vehicle was within my budget. The vehicle was well maintained. The interior was we’ll kept. Love it !

Tom was great to work with. All staff was very nice. I would recommend to anyone looking for a great vehicle. I will be a return customer; )

The car meets all my family needs. We were looking for something bigger and reliable to take on trips. We are happy we our purchase. We our enjoying our new vehicle.

You guys are awesome, from Dave picking us up from the airport to Preston having paperwork ready to sign after the test drive. It was our pleasure doing business with Ames Ford.

This car was gorgeous, royal blue. It exceeded every expectation i had as far as style and comfort are concerned. We have a big family so the third row was convenient and folded so nicely when unneeded. Sunroof and moonroof. Heated and cooled seats. Heated steering wheel. It costed entirely too much in gas and had a lot of computer glitches (in display screen not performance). Transmission acted a little funny one day so I decided to upgrade. Granted It was a 2013 not brand new, but if Ford isn’t built to last more than 8 years, I’m moving on.

This is my fourth Explorer. I decided in 2018 to order the top-of-the-line Platinum. This vehicle has all the bells and whistles for a person that wants the luxury of one of Fords top models. It has Platinum leather seats that are very comfortable. If you can find today, buy it. It has the 3.5L V6 that has great power on acceleration. You can only buy a V6 now on the 2025 Explorer ST which is a 3.0L. The cost is around $60,000 Loaded.

Love this vehicle!! Went from 2013 Chevy Malibu to this 2019 fully loaded Ford Explorer. Love the navigation, hands free phone, auto bright lights and Windsheild washer, remote start, sun roofs, back up camera, luggage racks, hitch andtowing capabilities, 3rd row seating and stowing, the Ford app, the Ford warranty, leather heated seats and steering wheel, and all the safety and other luxury accessories.

2017 Ford Explorer. I love my car. It runs great but I have had battery problem and trim has blown off my car on freeway. Have not had a lot of problems with it.

The deal was pretty much trouble-free, and I got 4% under invoice pricing on the deal. I had to fly up to Granger Iowa from Houston TX to pick up my truck. So far, the truck has run beautifully with no problems. I would recommend this dealership, specially if looking for the absolute best pricing possible on a vehicle.

Love this car overall but I have only one complaint. I was putting some boxes in the rear of the car and one of the boxes must have touched the the rear seat folding mechanism as all of a sudden it tried to unfold the seats. If my grandchildren had been sitting there strapped in I hate to think what may have happened!! Wish you had coverage over the mechanism so this wouldn’t happen.

My Dad has bought 4 cars from Toms before he over he passed away. I myself have bought at least 2 as far as I am concerned Toms auto is the only place to go for a Used car! So, as you can see, we have never been disappointed. This car I bought 3 days ago is the best yet! I had a saleperson that was great! Tom Phan thank you for all your help I sure do appreciate all your help and kindness!

This vehicle is everything iv wanted and MORE! I showed up to the dealership with a price range I wanted to stick by & wanted the ability to get a vehicle that had a 4X4 button to drive through the weather in the winter. I was not only able to get these two things from my purchase but also came with lots of extra bells and whistles

They made it easy! Let me use a loaner while my car was at the collision center. Thanks Tanner!

Bought this car in 2019 as my daily driver. It has enough space to transport my large and was very reliable until about 160,000 miles. Gasket seal and O2 sensors failed causing me $800 in repairs. Not super expensive, but like the previous review says check to see if there are any open recalls. Currently at 230,000 miles and still driving. If you follow the suggested maintenance schedule you'll be fine. If not, you'll be in for some trouble.

This was the absolute best experience I have had buying a car! Jordan, Alex, Mike and James were top notch professionals! From my first phone call to being handed the keys, their help was the best! They kept in touch by calling, texting and emailing! They made it very easy on my end when it came to paperwork and even walked me through some steps. Being a disabled veteran, this was a huge help!

I have owned Toyota and Honda vehicles for years. I love the space and comfort of my Ford Explorer. However I'm at 68k miles and just had to have my transmission rebuilt. If I didn't love the comfort and ride of this vehicle so much, I would trade it in tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed and praying this vehicle will hold out to 200k miles.

Mechanic Tristan is top level performer. Always my go to at Karl's Chevrolet. Highly recommend. Always able to work me into his schedule. My favorite Mechanic for cars/trucks.

I love my ST all except for seating. I’m just not a fan of European style seating soo we had an upholstery shop up grade them. Sooo much fun to drive! Great gas mileage considering I’m a lead foot. And when needed you can put a full 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back.

Great service Samantha was absolutely wonderful we love our new F350 I would highly recommend Granger motors and be sure to ask for Samantha.

I have had several Explorers all have been great vehicles. My newest is only a couple years old. I also still have a great running 26 year old with almost 200k miles. Never had a big or expensive problem with either. I can say the same for the BMWs, Mercedes and Infinity’s I have owned…Once these expensive vehicles warranty expired everything but their engine seemed to fall apart. My Fords are reliable and never break down (knock on wood) Not flashy like the imports but solid.

I was looking for an SUV for my daughter and stopped by Kars to test drive a few cars. The first one was a little rough but we found a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer that we really liked. The staff was very friendly and gave us a competitive price. We have only had it a week but so far it is a nice car. I would recommend this dealership if you are looking for an older car for a pretty good price.

Very comfortable,very smooth and quiet ride and has all features I was looking for. It was clean even under hood. Owners manual and both keys present and wipers were even replaced before I left lot.

I was in town only to drop off my daughter at ISU when the check engine light came on. It was late, but they worked me in and addressed the problem. This was amazing and appreciated service, as I had a multiple hour drive back home. Thank you!

This is my 4th Ford Explorer over the last 20 years and I am very happy. Every time I upgrade is nicer in every aspect. I am glad that after so many people telling me to just go to another style and company, I made the right decision.

Was a bit surprised at the location being an all indoor showroom. They have a lot of as-is vehicles for sale including a few newer, high-end sports and muscle cars. It is a walk-in environment with staff centered in the middle waiting to help you. They were a bit busy at the time, but they accompanied us with the buying process.

Came right to my home, and completed recall notices on my 2021 escape and my 2010 fusion. Excellent service. John was very personable, was here when he said he would be. Would highly recommend.

Good experience, very nice handling and easy to manipulate all the features. Mine is the limited version and it is really a nice and enjoyable car. Not sure it’s the in 50 plus years of driving but it is darn close.

This was by far the best car buying experience I've had in 30 years! Each person I interacted with was informative, courteous, and non-pressure. It started with a contact with the online sales person, whom I met in person at the time of pick-up. Adolfo was a true gentleman and took the time to investigate every question for me before making the nearly 4 hour drive. He provided pictures and a summary of their standard inspection report details to back it up. Though the Sienna van was higher mileage, it was a recent trade-in and impeccably maintained. By supplementing the CarFax details, I was convinced this van should be safe and reliable for many more miles. Ultimately, we got a great pricing, too -- probably in part because many folks avoid higher mileage vehicles. Signing the paperwork with Adolfo was straigtforward, clear, and efficient, and then I finished up with a few more signatures with the finance office, which was also quick particularly because we didn't need financing. Honda of Ames provides the buyer a flash drive with all completed paperwork so I don't need to scan these for recordkeeping later. Such a nice touch! Not to mention, they have a comfortable waiting area and a nice indoor kids play area so my little ones were constructively occupied. In all, we were at the dealership probably about 90 minutes including test drive. I've been at dealerships for literally a half a day before! So, even though it's 4 hours from us, I'll be tempted to make Honda of Ames my go to source for car buying. Keep up the great work, and thank you!

Best selling SUV EVER!! Sooth riding! Dependable. Great gas mileage. I love the Explorer. I have had 5 and love everyone of them! There is no other way to go!