POSITIVE 2011-2013 Ford Explorer Experiences

[luvmyfords]

Purchased my '11 Limited May of 2011. Absolutly no regrets whatsoever thus far. The only drawback is that I can't feel the heated/cooled seats because of me being a paraplegic and having to use a wheelchair full time. I appreciate all the options that the limited version has to offer. The styling is bar none the best in class after looking over a few of the competitors. Had one issue with the stereo volume freezing and wouldn't increase or decrease, luckily it was in the low position or else the speakers probably would of taken some abuse.(they do anyways when Ted Nugent is streaming through the wire, ha!) No problems since the latest update. Really like the screen transition time also. The controls are easy to reach and leg & headroom for my 6'2" frame is ideal. The 3.5 V6 runs smooth and the select shift transmission glides through the gears effortlessly. I don't mean to get to winded on everything, so to make a long story short, it's a vehicle I would buy again and highly recommend to anybody who's looking for a full size SUV. Have to admit, it wasn't my first choice when I was looking for a new vehicle, the Edge Sport is what I had my eye on. It was harder for me tranferring my wheelchair in the Edge. The Explorer quickly became my first choice after the initial test drive.

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by RonJrSVCMGR

I agree! Angela is our Customer Service Rep and she does a GREAT job!

You can say that again, RonJrSVCMGR!

Originally Posted by CajunFordEx

...but Thanks for the advice.

You got it, CajunFordEx.

Originally Posted by luvmyfords

...I don't mean to get to winded on everything, so to make a long story short, it's a vehicle I would buy again and highly recommend to anybody who's looking for a full size SUV...

I’m glad you love your Explorer, luvmyfords; I wouldn’t expect anything else with a user name like yours!

Cory

[vfral1]

Owner of 2011 LTD since May 2011. Love the look and comfort of the vehicle. Have gotten countless compliments on the look/styling since day one, and it continues to this day. Had a lot of issues with previous versions of MFT/SYNC, but the current version is working pretty well. My Iphone 4 works fine as a phone with SYNC, but not for streaming music; hopefully there is a fix for that in the works. The factory NAV needs some minor tweaks too to make it on par with Garmin.

Overall, very happy with the vehicle.

[scooter3]

We picked up our new 2013 Limited last Friday. Had a hard time finding one in Platimun Tri Coat, but after a little search found one in a town north of us and the only one with the options we were looking for in 3 states. This is a beautiful ride. Love the Explorers so much this is our second. Have a 2004 EB Edition also. Have not even hit 1000 miles yet, but with it being my wifes daily driver I am sure the miles will add up fast. She absolutly loves it. Great experience at the dealer which is rare, but we got a great price. A little under invoice so we can't complain.

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by vfral1

...the current version is working pretty well. My Iphone 4 works fine as a phone with SYNC, but not for streaming music...

Overall, very happy with the vehicle.

vfral1,

Have you tried working with Rebecca (FordIVTteam) on the In-Vehicle Technology team? She’s great with troubleshooting.

Originally Posted by scooter3

...Love the Explorers so much this is our second. Have a 2004 EB Edition also. Have not even hit 1000 miles yet, but with it being my wifes daily driver I am sure the miles will add up fast. She absolutly loves it...

I saw the pics you posted in the other thread, scooter3. I love your pair of Explorers! I suggest submitting them to the “Your Stories” page on Social.Ford.com so more people can check ‘em out! Here’s the URL:

http://www.Social.Ford.com/your-stories

Cory

[RonJrSVCMGR]

Ordered our 2013 Ford Explorer the way we wanted with what we wanted in it. Got everything except the DVD headrests. White Platinum Tri-Coat, 302A package, dual moonroofs, trailer tow packag, 20 inch polished aluminum wheels.

This is undoubtedly my favorite vehicle we have ever owned. The My Ford Touch has been flawless so far. The vehicle rides quietly, smoothly and is a joy to drive. The technology blows me away. It is amazing the things this vehicle can do, ie. Lane Keeping, BLIS, Cross-Traffic alert, Automatic High Beams, Automatic Rain Sensing wipers, Park Assist (when I show people they just shake their heads that it can park itself), My Ford Touch, the Terrain Management system and all of the other gadgets I have yet to discover. My daughter loves the third row "cave" she has, including the second row "house plug". Two of my favorite things are the Second Row Power folding buckets and console, and the third row Powerfold seats. Really helps my bride fold things up without getting frustrated. Have not used the Trailer Tow package yet, but love the set-up with the 7-pin and 4-pin plugs along with the cover to keep the whole package nice and neat when you are not using it.

I have gotten so many comments about the vehicle itself, the medium stone interior is a huge hit with everyone that has seen it. The ambient lighting awes them and adds a nice touch to the interior. Even putting wallpaper on the My Ford Touch is a nice touch.

Thank you to Ford and their employees for making such an AWESOME Explorer.

[ynig7676]

A road trip in this vehicle will erradicate any & all buyers remorse.
We sold our old SUV and qualified for the A-plan (my sis just started at the plant) so we loaded this Ex. Here's the highlights of the roadtrip:
- Real-time fuel economy was cool--we averaged 24.4 mpgs
- Sirius radio made the 13 hour drive fly by. Dealer gave it to us with no antenna, so all we had was our iPhones and Sirius.
- Lane assist and Adaptive cruise control stole the show hands down. You'd be suprised how draining it is to constantly hit the brakes and resetting the CC. One person cut in front of us and the vehicle did everything... it hit the brakes, matched their speed and went back to my previous setting when they drove off... I DID NOTHING (except steer through curves and lane changes... the lane assist did 100% of the fine tuning)
- Hands-free phone control was great... along with the rest of MFT.

We felt safe the entire trip.

Since we've been back, I've installed splash gaurds, rear bumper protector, cargo area protector and the antenna. Black Beauty is looking great!

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by RonJrSVCMGR

...This is undoubtedly my favorite vehicle we have ever owned...

I have gotten so many comments about the vehicle itself, the medium stone interior is a huge hit with everyone that has seen it. The ambient lighting awes them and adds a nice touch to the interior. Even putting wallpaper on the My Ford Touch is a nice touch.

Thank you to Ford and their employees for making such an AWESOME Explorer.

I absolutely love reading posts like these, RonJrSVCMGR! Why not grab an Explorer badge?

http://www.Social.Ford.com/grab-a-badge/Explorer

Originally Posted by ynig7676

...One person cut in front of us and the vehicle did everything... it hit the brakes, matched their speed and went back to my previous setting when they drove off... I DID NOTHING (except steer through curves and lane changes... the lane assist did 100% of the fine tuning)
- Hands-free phone control was great... along with the rest of MFT...

ynig7676,

It looks like you loved your trip so much, you can proudly wear the “Road Trip” badge:

http://www.Social.Ford.com/grab-a-badge/road+trip

Cory

[blizzardx]

Love my X but had power steering go out twice.in dealer for fix.

[MikeFreas]

Our 2012 Limited AWD has about 14k miles on it now and, minus a few issues, we love the car. It's comfortable, quiet, and get's good milage for such a large vehicle. The updated MFT has been flawless though we do have trouble with voice commands still. It's a well built truck that does everything we ask of it. Next month will be our first towing experiance so I can update when we return.

[kdohan]

We just bought a new 2013 XLT this weekend...and so far, so great!

The ride is impeccable on 18" wheels...I'm used to 20" on my F-150, so was worried, but was pleasantly surprised.

We got the full on-board computer with this XLT, and again am impressed....between ride, road noise (practically none), and leg room (three kids that seem to grow an inch every day), we have NO complaints!!

[gdecamp]

Just back today from a 500 mile trip. The only problem I had was with voice prompts, the day we left for the trip, using the NAV. We got it to work somehow while driving. Not sure what we really did to get it back and not sure how it disappeared in the first place.

The Explorer was pretty awesome after that. Comfy as can be and a pleasure to drive. Wound up getting 20MPG for the whole trip and some was in the mountains of Pennsylvania where I know we burned gas. I was getting almost 23 before I hit the mountains so for 4 days we messed up the MPG average because of the terrain not the car.

All in all was a pleasure to drive and we now decided to drive to Florida in February and take the dog. We could fly but want to visit friends along the way and the flights wont stop just to let us off! I also have to add the NAV was flawless, got us right to he place with no issues at all (except for above).

I've certainly bitched before when I had problems but also want to say it was a pleasure to have the Explorer on this trip!

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by blizzardx

Love my X but had power steering go out twice.in dealer for fix.

I’m sorry I missed your post, blizzardx; I wanted to check in to make sure this was fixed. Please don’t hesitate to send me a PM with your contact info, mileage, dealer details, and VIN and I’ll escalate to your regional Customer Service Manager.

Originally Posted by MikeFreas

Our 2012 Limited AWD has about 14k miles on it now and, minus a few issues, we love the car. It's comfortable, quiet, and get's good milage for such a large vehicle. The updated MFT has been flawless though we do have trouble with voice commands still. It's a well built truck that does everything we ask of it. Next month will be our first towing experiance so I can update when we return.

It’s awesome you’re enjoying your Explorer, MikeFreas! Are you used to talking to your ride yet? I’m sure Rebecca (FordIVTteam) on the In-Vehicle Technology team can give some tips on the voice commands. She speaks “machine!”

Originally Posted by kdohan

We just bought a new 2013 XLT this weekend...and so far, so great!...
We got the full on-board computer with this XLT, and again am impressed....between ride, road noise (practically none), and leg room (three kids that seem to grow an inch every day), we have NO complaints!!

Congratulations and welcome to the forum, kdohan! I want to see pictures!

Originally Posted by gdecamp

Just back today from a 500 mile trip. The only problem I had was with voice prompts...

The Explorer was pretty awesome after that. Comfy as can be and a pleasure to drive...

gdecamp,

Thanks for sharing your road trip, gdecamp! See above for Rebecca’s info for help with voice commands. BTW, you’ve earned your “Road Trip” badge:

http://www.Social.Ford.com/grab-a-badge/road+trip

Cory

[sunshineford]

Received delivery of my 2013 XLT 2 weeks ago. Platinum white, leather, tow package, MFT/Nav, 6cyl. Absolutely no issues, great ride, no problem with MFT. I have an Apple I Phone 4s. Works perfectly. I use the verbal commands over trying to touch the screen while driving. Love the backup camera. Fit and paint perfect. Quiet, steady ride, no wind noise. So far, I love this vehicle. Driving it at various speeds, steady firm acceleration and being gentle on brakes in prep for trip coming up in a few weeks. Tons of storage, beautiful layout of instument panel. Ford has a winner with this vehicle. Had a 98 exp for a few years, no comparison.

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by sunshineford

Received delivery of my 2013 XLT 2 weeks ago. Platinum white, leather, tow package, MFT/Nav, 6cyl. Absolutely no issues, great ride, no problem with MFT...Ford has a winner with this vehicle...

Congratulations and welcome to the forum, sunshineford; it’s awesome you’re loving your ride! How about posting some pictures?

Cory

[JohnnyDop]

I took delivery of my 2012 last Sept and since then I have only gone on routine 3.5 hour trips to my in-laws. Last week I returned from our longest trip yet. We went to Maine (6hrs each way) and I must say it was fun to be in the car. The Select Shift tranny is butter smooth and although I would love to have Adaptive Cruise is was easy to adjust my speed according to traffic using the steering wheel buttons. The cruise control mph selection is a great feature!

MFT (haven’t upgraded yet since my 2.11 works fine) performed great and the NAV was especially impressive when it displayed Traffic Alerts along my route. This was especially helpful on the way home when it alerted us to tons of traffic along the way.

Here are some other features that really make you feel like you are driving a 2012 vehicle with modern tech features.

-BLIS is amazing. Couldn’t imagine another car without it.

-The Exit info (Food, Fuel, Lodging) the NAV provides is awesome. I guess the next level from that would be that it would tell you which gas stations are at each exit and their prices along with the names of food and lodging places. Come on Sirius, I know you can handle that.

-Travel Link features are great. Fuel Prices were helpful and the weather map came in handy when we were about to driving through a heavy band of rain.

-Overall design of the instrument cluster and graphics on the two LCDs are very sleek and crisp. Almost Apple like.

Overall I’m very pleased. Great job Ford!

[sunshineford]

Still thrilled with the Explorer. Bought it Weathertech mats and cargo liner. Taking daughter to college with it, and using all available space. Incredible how much will fit in the cargo area with the 2nd and 3rd row seats down. Have to read the book and figure out what "breadcrumbs" are in the navigation screen. Still has features we haen't used yet.

[TxRanger351w]

Just completed a 3,636 mile road trip. That was the odometer reading to the digit when we pulled back into our driveway. You can see the actual route we took here: https://www.myscenicdrives.com/road-...b-e6cd57b9f36c

We averaged 22.2 miles per gallon which was phenomenal considering we were running 75 - 80 mph out in the open, with the 10% grades we climbed causing the V6 to flex its muscle. It was such a joy to be comfortable while cruising down the road. The dual moonroof was really awesome when we were driving through some of the canyons. Instead of "look over there" we'd find ourselves saying "look up!!"

The car rode extremely smoothly. My 14 month old was a trooper on the trip (maybe having to do with a tablet and movies). Our highest altitude was 9,400 feet.

The only gripes - we still have the buzzing from the A-pillars. I've had it in twice. The other area of concern is that the engine temperature was normal, but it seemed that the front of the car was getting rather warm at high altitude. I have never driven at altitude, so not sure if this is normal due to the lower air pressure?

And we crossed 20,000 miles approximately 25 miles from the house. Are we considered an "old" Explorer yet?

[FordCustSrvc]

Originally Posted by JohnnyDop

I took delivery of my 2012 last Sept and since then I have only gone on routine 3.5 hour trips to my in-laws. Last week I returned from our longest trip yet. We went to Maine (6hrs each way) and I must say it was fun to be in the car...Overall I’m very pleased. Great job Ford!

I love reading posts like these, JohnnyDop; I’m glad your trip was so great!

You’ve fulfilled the experience to grab the “Road Trip” badge :



http://www.Social.Ford.com/grab-a-badge/road+trip

Originally Posted by sunshineford

Still thrilled with the Explorer...Taking daughter to college with it, and using all available space. Incredible how much will fit in the cargo area with the 2nd and 3rd row seats down. Have to read the book and figure out what "breadcrumbs" are in the navigation screen...

You’re going to be one of the coolest parents there, sunshineford!

The “breadcrumbs” are probably left over from the “sammich” you had earlier.

Seriously though, check in with Rebecca (FordIVTteam) on the In-Vehicle Technology team. She gives some awesome tips (and maybe “sammich” advice, if you’re nice )!

Originally Posted by TxRanger351w

Just completed a 3,636 mile road trip...The car rode extremely smoothly. My 14 month old was a trooper on the trip...

The only gripes - we still have the buzzing from the A-pillars...

I’m glad your 14-month-old was pleased on the trip, TxRanger351w!

I want to help on silencing the buzzing noise; please send me a PM with your credentials (VIN, contact info, mileage, and dealer info) and I’ll escalate to your regional Customer Service Manager.

Cory

[redcloud]

I bought a 2012 Explorer Limited about three weeks ago. Originally opted for a 2013, but when I got home my wife told me it HAD to have the sunroof and she didn't like the blue color. So the dealer did some searching and found a white one with a sunroof that could be delivered in time. We basically picked up the Explorer, loaded it with gear, and took off on a trip for the weekend.

Things that impress me:

• Design, build quality, and interior. This vehicle is handsome, is well put together, and has a very, very nice interior. Everything is within reach and works like it should.
• Very comfortable road vehicle. We did an 8-hour drive, over the mountains and through the woods, and the Explorer was exceptionally comfortable for a family of four (teenagers) and luggage. No grumbling from the peanut gallery.
• The MFT system is cool. I love the phone interface and the Sirius weather map.
• It is quiet on the road. What a joy over my previous vehicle.
• The fuel economy was a surprise. We drove over mountain ranges and up to 80 mph and still got 22 mpg. How awesome is that?

Things that annoy me:
Yes, a few things annoy me.

• The MFT system crapped out on a Sunday morning in Jackshon Hole, WY. We finally found a phone number for Ford and after turning things on and off, the helpful women at Ford told us it would have to go to a dealer (Good luck with that on a Sunday in Wyoming). After asking a few questions, she said they'd pull the power to the system for a reset. So, I found the fuse and pulled the power, which reset the MFT system and it started working again. Whew! Day was saved. I do hate the Microsoft periodic maintenance updating, it isn't a frigging laptop and I doubt Chinese hackers are trying to change my HVAC settings.
• What's up with the high beam head lamps? Okay, I'm used to European cars and e-code lamps, but the high beams on the Explorer are near useless. Low beams are great, but high beams add very little. Too bad I live in the land of wide open spaces where high beams are a way of life.
• The brakes could be better. Okay, maybe it's a euro-sportscar snob thing, but I'd like more positive brakes. I did want to get a 2013 Explorer Sport, but the dealer couldn't tell me when one would be available. Perhaps that would have fixed my impression of the brakes.

I've added a Weathertech cargo area mat over the (folded) third row seats. Nice piece of kit.

Overall, this is a very nice vehicle with tremendous room, great features good driving qualities, and a great interior. Thanks Ford!