Gaps!!!

[usranger80]

So after looking at some photos on here of some of the other 11 Ex's I realized just how far off some of the gaps on the body panels are off on my Ex. There are some really large gaps on the door moldings that are close to 3/4" when they should not be that bad....is this something that I can request the dealer to fix? Anyone have the same issue and tried to get them fixed? I will post some pics later to show just how bad some of the gaps are.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

What's your build date?

Are the gaps the same, on both sides of the truck?

 

[usranger80]

What's your build date?

Are the gaps the same, on both sides of the truck?

2/12/2010, I will have to check if they are the same, but they are def larger than the gap settings listed in the service manual.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Do you mean 2/12/2011??

 

[Sgt1411]

2/12/2010, I will have to check if they are the same, but they are def larger than the gap settings listed in the service manual.

My build date is Jan 11th and there's no gaps over 1/4" if even that much.

They all look pretty even.

 

[usranger80]

Do you mean 2/12/2011??

no, sorry days of living in Europe cause me to write the dates backward, 2 Dec 2010 is the build date

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

An easy way to compare gaps in body panels, is with a sharp pencil and a few business cards. Use the back of the business card, and mark off the gap with your pencil. Then move to the other side of the car and compare the same location.

I like doing it this way, because I don't want a metal tape measure near the paint. If I want to know the actual size of the gap, I can just easily measure with the tape (in millimeters, not inches, more accurate). You can label the business cards; "door", "trunk", "hood", and etc while you work your way around the vehicle.

Not to rub it in, but you should have inspected this prior to accepting delivery of your new Explorer.

 

[ATLcanuck]

Dec 2 build date, I think that definitely qualifies as "early." Hopefully they have things coming together more tightly now. 3/4 inch sounds big enough that you could see it from space.

 

[usranger80]

An easy way to compare gaps in body panels, is with a sharp pencil and a few business cards. Use the back of the business card, and mark off the gap with your pencil. Then move to the other side of the car and compare the same location.

I like doing it this way, because I don't want a metal tape measure near the paint. If I want to know the actual size of the gap, I can just easily measure with the tape (in millimeters, not inches, more accurate). You can label the business cards; "door", "trunk", "hood", and etc while you work your way around the vehicle.

Not to rub it in, but you should have inspected this prior to accepting delivery of your new Explorer.

It is hard to know if the gaps are correct when I had nothing else to compare it to at the time....either way I would think if the gaps are not what they should be according to the manufacturer specs something can be done to resolve it.

 

[uniquename]

It is hard to know if the gaps are correct when I had nothing else to compare it to at the time....either way I would think if the gaps are not what they should be according to the manufacturer specs something can be done to resolve it.

Post pictures with something common as a reference. I'll snap pics with the same reference for you to compare and/or take to the dealer.

 

[cg13]

im going to pick up my explorer next week - is there a checklist i should go through and check during inspection before delivery? im kinda clueless... love to hear what some people have found that i should definately check - as well as other things most people check on any new car purchase. thanks!!

 

[backinford]

does anyone know if this is an easy fix? I noticed the liftgate on ours is about 1/4" off, not flush at the top, but flush at the bottom. how does the dealer fix this?