I'm an engineer and have been involved in quality control, quality assurance. I'm flabbergasted at how little Ford pays attention to things as of late. For a vehicle that is north of 50K here in Canada the Explorer Sport should be a refined vehicle. Now I know that a Ford is a Ford and if a person wants a vehicle that's high end you can buy an Acura or BMW etc.....
However, the types of things that have transpired over the last 3-4 years with the Explorer are completely unacceptable. The MFT debacle, A pillars rattling and flying off. Overheating issues, steering issues, electrical issues and of course my favourite, the rear hatch leak. What gets me is the offhanded approach the Ford Motor Co of Canada has taken toward these problems. Why is it that I feel like I'm bothering my Ford Rep when I try to contact him.... Why is it he didn't call me back when I was trying to get answers as to why my vehicle was leaking so profusely. I guess if you ignore a customer long enough the problem will just go away. The only saving grace in the whole process was a dealership that went above and beyond (Riverview Ford Lincoln). Quality vehicle. No. I don't think so. Would I be able to say to someone that I recommend this vehicle. Absolutely not. Not just for it's shortcomings but also for the approach Ford has taken. Applying caulking to a vehicle to stop a leak is far from acceptable as far as I'm concerned. Caulking eventually dries out. Cracks and splits. Seams move and open up. As soon as I'm able to dump this vehicle I will.
This was my second Explorer. I had a 2011 Limited before my 2013 Explorer Sport. That vehicle was a complete disaster. I guess it's my own fault for thinking that Ford would have taken some pride in their product and fixed the "little things" that make a difference. Have a look at the image below. Basic QA/QC..... Ford is missing some of the more obvious parts. Monitor, Measure and Improve comes to mind. For those who will take Ford's side I say this. Why is it that I find some of the very same issues (that should have been picked up before the vehicle was put on the market) 3 years after I bought my Limited. I'll tell you why. They failed to monitor the situation, they failed to measure, and although they have improved on some issues, (quick fixes) they have failed to improve their product. Like all big business, cutting corners at the customers expense to make some extra money is Job 1. Not quality. Do yourself a favour and spend the extra 10K to buy something a little higher end. Take your pick, just don't pick an Explorer.