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.

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 in '00
'New' frame in the works for '08.  Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build
Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

On Feb 7, 4:26 pm, aael...@gmail.com wrote:

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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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.

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=8895ea24-d2b
0-4358-9e22-8c32ad385f93