New owner of pre-owned 2018 Ford Explorer Platinum Questions

[wmoolah]

Hello All,

New owner here of a 2018 Platinum and I just had a couple general questions, ours has the big sunroof option and no roof bars/luggage rack on top. Is there any good options out there to add some roof bars the goal is to get a nice cargo carrier on top of it but concerned about weight and overloading the roof with the glass option.

Also we are at 67K miles on it and is there any major services I should be doing at 70K - transmission flush, coolant flush ect.

Thank you

 

[MrPlat]

I'd get your PTU fluid replaced. There's no telling what it looks like in there, but chances are it isn't great.

I think the roof isn't any less solid than the non-sunroof Explorers, but they're definitely more top-heavy. That's why the manual says to limit roof luggage to a certain weight that is lower for sunroof models.

 

[peterk9]

Hello All,

New owner here of a 2018 Platinum and I just had a couple general questions, ours has the big sunroof option and no roof bars/luggage rack on top. Is there any good options out there to add some roof bars the goal is to get a nice cargo carrier on top of it but concerned about weight and overloading the roof with the glass option.

Also we are at 67K miles on it and is there any major services I should be doing at 70K - transmission flush, coolant flush ect.

Thank you

Welcome to the Forum.
Your Owner's Manual has the information you are seeking regarding general and routine maintenance. The info on PTU is, however, very limited and most members here have taken to doing regular fluid changes. I believe most have suggested 30k mile intervals.
As for adding a rooftop carrier, your Explorer is limited to 45 lb. distributed equally across the crossbars/roof bars once you get them.
Also, check the front lip of the hood for possible paint bubbles.

Peter

 

[krazykarguy]

We have a '16 Platinum. I've had a Sears Cargo box with 200+ lbs of gear in it on the roof for over 2000 miles. No issues or interference with the moon roof, using the OEM Ford cross bars.

 

[peterk9]

We have a '16 Platinum. I've had a Sears Cargo box with 200+ lbs of gear in it on the roof for over 2000 miles. No issues or interference with the moon roof, using the OEM Ford cross bars.

The weight restriction has nothing to do with the ability of the roof to support it but it has everything to do with the vehicle's stability in that the more 'top heavy' it becomes the more the stability is affected.

Peter

 

[PlatinumOwner]

As far as fluids - PTU should be the number one priority, followed by coolant (because of the internal water pump), and transmission fluid.

 

[gtyates]

Agree 100% on servicing the PTU. I would also do the front and read differentials. As to carrying cargo, our 2017 has the towing package, so I purchased a cargo rack that uses the recever hitch. Honestly I don't even notice it back there since it is directly behind the truck and there is very little air drag. Enjoy your "new" Explorer!

 

[wmoolah]

Welcome to the Forum.
Your Owner's Manual has the information you are seeking regarding general and routine maintenance. The info on PTU is, however, very limited and most members here have taken to doing regular fluid changes. I believe most have suggested 30k mile intervals.
As for adding a rooftop carrier, your Explorer is limited to 45 lb. distributed equally across the crossbars/roof bars once you get them.
Also, check the front lip of the hood for possible paint bubbles.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Took your advice did the PTU and transmission but I am now starting to notice the paint bubbles on the lip of the hood. Any advice for this maybe a bug deflector to help keep it covered, eventually I’m sure it will need a full body shop strip and respray

 

[MrPlat]

You will likely need a new hood entirely. The peeling is from lack of proper preparation of the aluminum at the factory. Stripping and repainting won't help unless they have what's needed to properly prep it. You should check with your dealer to see if they'll cover it since it is a very well known issue.

 

[wmoolah]

You will likely need a new hood entirely. The peeling is from lack of proper preparation of the aluminum at the factory. Stripping and repainting won't help unless they have what's needed to properly prep it. You should check with your dealer to see if they'll cover it since it is a very well known issue.

I was just wondering what the paint warranty on this thing is if I can get a replacement covered

Also I plan on doing more preventative maintenance soon, but can’t find a good procedure for the RDU fluid change or Spark Plug change on the 2018 Platinum Ecoboost 3.5

 

[MrPlat]

Aren't our motors GDI? I haven't looked closely, as I'm still at around 30k. I did my Focus, which is GDI, and it was just like any other plug swap (minus cables). I inspected the coil pack for cracks and just put them back on.

 

[peterk9]

I was just wondering what the paint warranty on this thing is if I can get a replacement covered

Also I plan on doing more preventative maintenance soon, but can’t find a good procedure for the RDU fluid change or Spark Plug change on the 2018 Platinum Ecoboost 3.5

The warranty as described in the Warranty Guide is 5 years, unlimited mileage.

" If aluminum body panels have corrosion or rust damage, and the damage is not the result of abnormal usage, vehicle accident, customer actions and/or extreme environmental conditions, the corrosion or rust damage repairs are covered for 5 years, unlimited miles."

Peter

 

[wmoolah]

The warranty as described in the Warranty Guide is 5 years, unlimited mileage.

" If aluminum body panels have corrosion or rust damage, and the damage is not the result of abnormal usage, vehicle accident, customer actions and/or extreme environmental conditions, the corrosion or rust damage repairs are covered for 5 years, unlimited miles."

Peter

Lucky my build date on the vehicle tag is 6/18 so I’m covered till at least 6/23 .. probably even later because it starts at the date of first sale but I don’t know when that was but even if sold immediately I got time to get it in and hopefully Ford will cover a replacement.

 

[dfox52]

Hello All,

New owner here of a 2018 Platinum and I just had a couple general questions, ours has the big sunroof option and no roof bars/luggage rack on top. Is there any good options out there to add some roof bars the goal is to get a nice cargo carrier on top of it but concerned about weight and overloading the roof with the glass option.

Also we are at 67K miles on it and is there any major services I should be doing at 70K - transmission flush, coolant flush ect.

Thank you

We bought our 2013 XLT with the dual sunroof and also bought the optional roof rack/carrier which we never installed. They fit perpendicular to the roof bars. Not sure if it would fit the 2018 model. Aside from that, I'm sure that somewhere on the internet there is a seller who has something to accomodate your situation.

 

[peterk9]

We bought our 2013 XLT with the dual sunroof and also bought the optional roof rack/carrier which we never installed. They fit perpendicular to the roof bars. Not sure if it would fit the 2018 model. Aside from that, I'm sure that somewhere on the internet there is a seller who has something to accomodate your situation.

The roof rails were changed with the 2016 model refresh. 2016 / 19 Explorer Roof Racks - Totally Different

Peter

 

[TwoEcho27]

Lucky my build date on the vehicle tag is 6/18 so I’m covered till at least 6/23 .. probably even later because it starts at the date of first sale but I don’t know when that was but even if sold immediately I got time to get it in and hopefully Ford will cover a replacement.

Took mine to my local dealership. Got a brand new hood. No cost to me.