“When purchased, had tape on wires under hood saying ‘Help Me,’ ” wrote a Ford Explorer Sport Trac driver, who spotted the note presumably scrawled by the previous owner.

“They assured me it was just a joke, nothing to worry about. (But) the vehicle backfires, drives like a standard — bucks when taking off.”

It’s not often former owners will forewarn prospective buyers about their trade-in. But suggestions that the Sport Trac might be troublesome shouldn’t come as a surprise, given its origins.

The original Explorer — rated the worst vehicle on carcomplaints.com’s PainRank algorithm and the most traded-in model of Obama’s Cash for Clunkers program — begat the Sport Trac as a compact four-door utility pickup tailored for weekend warriors.

CONFIGURATION

Having noticed Dodge’s “mid-size” Dakota pickup selling well, Ford dared lightning to strike twice by building a compact crew-cab truck on the bones of its popular Explorer sport utility.

New in 2001, the Sport Trac aged suddenly in 2002, when the re-engineered Explorer arrived to erase memories of the previous SUV that allegedly rolled over on its Firestones too easily. The first-generation Sport Trac retained the old Explorer’s suspension and running gear through 2005.

The new-for-2007 Sport Trac finally adopted the improved Explorer chassis, boasting structural rigidity 444 per cent better than the old model (whose Ranger-derived frame might have resembled cooked linguine). Mercifully, an independent rear suspension replaced the solid axle.

From the B-pillar back, the Sport Trac differed from the Explorer with its 43-cm longer wheelbase, along with larger rear doors and a 4�5-foot pickup bed made of composite plastic, capable of carrying 650 kg. The bed accepted a weather-tight, lockable tonneau cover and optional bed extender that accommodated longer cargo with the tailgate down.

Inside, the five-seat cabin was a little cramped, but nicely appointed — with the exception of the odd, rubberized floor covering. Owners also commented on the weirdly shaped door latches, which were supposedly ergonomic but tricky to find. The rear seats folded down to accept muddy pets and tools, and a power-assisted rear window was offered.

There were two available engines: the base 210-hp SOHC 4.0 L V6 and optional SOHC 4.6 L V8, good for 292 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. The six-cylinder worked through a five-speed automatic transmission, while the V8 featured a new six-speed autobox.

Rear-wheel drive was standard. Optional was Ford’s Control Trac four-wheel drive, which could be left engaged on dry pavement and included low-range gearing. Antilock disc brakes and antiskid control with rollover sensors were standard.

More features became available for 2008, including Microsoft’s Sync system, which allowed voice control of cellphones and MP3 players. But sales evaporated and the Sport Trac bit the dust after 2010.

ON THE ROAD

The Explorer has always been weighty for a mid-size SUV, and the Sport Trac was no better. That a V8-powered model could sprint to highway velocity in just 7.5 seconds was exceptional for a porky 4�4. The iron-block V6 took a more leisurely 10-plus seconds to attain 96 km/h.

The independent unequal-length-control-arm rear suspension improved the truck’s stability and handling — cited as factors in the old Explorer’s propensity to tip. In fact, drivers reported the first-gen Sport Trac was banned from towing trailers by some rental firms. Repeat owners lauded the new model’s smooth ride and secure handling.

What they didn’t like was the truck’s voracious thirst at the gas pump. Fuel consumption was poor — typically 17 L/100 km — and that’s for both the V8 and the ancient V6.

WHAT OWNERS SAY

Many owners liked the Sport Trac’s everyday utility, unusual profile (especially the Adrenalin), all-terrain capability and 2,408-kg towing capacity. Unfortunately, the Kentucky-built truck displayed some mechanical faults that had migrated from the closely related Explorer.

Total transmission failure is nowhere near as common as it was in the old Explorer, but it can exhibit hard, abrupt shifts that owners say is addressed by reflashing the TCM or replacing the mechatronics. Usually.

“They eventually reprogrammed the transmission, which worked for a while, but it’s acting very jerky again,” reported one owner online.

A coolant leak may develop in the radiator; Ford has a new radiator and a powertrain control module (PCM) software update to address this issue, which includes revised cooling-fan operating parameters.

Other setbacks, in small numbers, include bad transfer cases, worn wheel bearings and universal joints, seized spark plugs (V8) and corroded alloy wheels.