NOT buying a 2011 Explorer

[ExploGoldRob]

I've been a very happy Ex owner the past decade. Absolutely LOVED the EX. I've gone out of my way to boast of how good, reliable, and what an overall great SUV it's been. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned, so much that I bought it when my lease expired. Unfortunately, my daughter totalled it ( most importantly she's OK, not a scratch, and a testament to how well-built it was). But after reading & hearing about people's experiences with the troubles of the 2011, I've decided to forego any thought of it.

 

[mountaineerbeast]

Generally it's never a good idea to by a car, truck, or suv the first year it comes out because that's when all the problems show up.

We'll have to see if they car enough to go out of there way to fix the problems for the 2012 model.

Example: 2007 dodge nitro had brake problems because of drums in rear and brake line rub ( a few other problems); then dodge fixed all of these problems for the 2008 model year and it was then a great suv.

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

First of all thanks god to YOUR dAUghter is ok. Well i have owned a few explorers and had minor issue with them they were quickly taken care of. If you read carefully the issues and read in between the lines you will see that they are all mostley minor ones. You will also notice no pun intented so people are noot tech savy. You will also notice that some people expect perfection of a redesign vehicle. So when you extract all of those you will find your self with a great explorer like the ones that you have had. And what also make it great is the dealership. My dealership smith cairns ford in yonkers is awesome very atenttive, very responsive and caring ( i'm not advertising for them) so with this said go buy you explorer and enjoy it !!

 

[donm527]

Well, 2011 is pretty much gone except for whats at the dealership.

imo most of the issues mentioned were electronic with the MFT and i would say let's see what they do on the 2012. i think mechanically is a fine car and the fact that your daughter walked away from totaling an older explorer, i dont know how you could 'forego any thought of it.' if a model saved my daughters life, i'd probably want to put her in another one. of course different gens but the 2011 did get Top Safety Pick from the IIHS.

I've been a very happy Ex owner the past decade. Absolutely LOVED the EX. I've gone out of my way to boast of how good, reliable, and what an overall great SUV it's been. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned, so much that I bought it when my lease expired. Unfortunately, my daughter totalled it ( most importantly she's OK, not a scratch, and a testament to how well-built it was). But after reading & hearing about people's experiences with the troubles of the 2011, I've decided to forego any thought of it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

...and few log on to forums to rave...

I'm waiting for spring 2012, but I think the vehicle itself outweighs the issues with MFT. We may get a non-MFT just for because reasons, but the vehicle is incredible...

 

[kappaknight]

I'm waiting for 2013 or 2014... After shopping/researching the Explorer for months, I ended up with a Honda Pilot and was super impressed with its room and tech. MPG could be better...

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

Honda pilot, no comparison the ex has more room looks better, rides better fuel is better all around the ex is a win win. Ok you were guided by those that have some issues that will be taken care of, so you went with a honda who hides all there recalls and issues and pay the auto reviewers to say good things about it. And most of all you did not buy american!!! And that'S a no no !!

 

[kappaknight]

Honda pilot, no comparison the ex has more room looks better, rides better fuel is better all around the ex is a win win. Ok you were guided by those that have some issues that will be taken care of, so you went with a honda who hides all there recalls and issues and pay the auto reviewers to say good things about it. And most of all you did not buy american!!! And that'S a no no !!

That's a lot of accusations without real facts. The Honda Pilot seats 8, while the Ex. lists 7. The Ex. may be longer, but having tested car seats in both vehicles, it's pretty clear which is "bigger" and better suited for our needs.

If you got the Ex. and want to justify your purchase, that's fine. No need to knock another vehicle just cause it's not the problematic Ex. Most of what you posted is BS and not backed up by anything.

Also, what's the deal with buying American and what does it mean to you anyway? The Honda Pilot is assembled in Lincoln, Alabama - did you even know that? American jobs are being created just the same whether it's the Pilot or the Explorer. One would be a fool to think any vehicle is designed and produced 100% in America.

 

[JDJones]

I looked at most non US high end SUVs/crossovers and safety was my #1 decision point, reliability was #2. My research clearly indicated the EX is the safest crossover today; Ford made me beleive that quality is better than ever and compares with Japan and Europe.

The issues you read on this forum is 1% mechanical and 99% cutting edge technology that will get resolved. If I had a life saving experience in a model, it would be difficult not to choose it again.

BTW, the EX is 85% american parts, designed in the US, built in the US. I chose non-american cars for 15 years because of quality. Things being equal, I decided to act on what I believe today.

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

Hey i don't want to start world war 3 ! I know that their is no 100% american parts in any vehicle out there and the explorer could have fit 8 if they wanted to but they made it more comfortable for 7, so if your feeling got hurt i'm very sorry thats not what i intended. And over all what is happening with the explorer happen's with all re-design vehicle's my uncle owns metro honda in jersey city on rt 440. And i drive a ford he drive a caddy and his kids all drive bmw !! So again i'm sorry if i caused you to get upset for what i wrote sorry!

Just a happy explorer owner!!

 

[kappaknight]

I looked at most non US high end SUVs/crossovers and safety was my #1 decision point, reliability was #2. My research clearly indicated the EX is the safest crossover today; Ford made me beleive that quality is better than ever and compares with Japan and Europe.

The issues you read on this forum is 1% mechanical and 99% cutting edge technology that will get resolved. If I had a life saving experience in a model, it would be difficult not to choose it again.

I'm not debating how much of it is mechanical vs. tech. Of course when you have the entire vehicle being controlled by its tech, you really don't want any of it to fail while you're cruising on the highway. The Ex. may have a number of great safety features. Guess what, the Pilot is the same way. I'm not going to collide an Ex with a Pilot to prove which one is stronger, but I am confident if an accident were to happen, we would live through it in the Pilot just the same.

Again, what I said above is that I'm waiting for the 2013 or 2014 model year - when these things will hopefully be resolved. 2011 was a short production year and I highly doubt many of the main complaints like the rain noise, fan issues and MFT would be resolved for the 2012 model year. If they got Apple to design the in car computing I may reconsider it... but for now, I am going to wait till these huge waves of MFT complaints die down.

The Ex. was my top choice for a new SUV/CUV for the longest time but I didn't want to pay the early adopter premium only to have it go back in the shop for a number of design flaws. The reason we even considered it was because we were having our first baby this month. I honestly cannot fathom how we would have handled trying to take care of a 2 week old while bringing the car in every few days to fix one thing or another.

I do hope Ford address the issues with you guys sooner than later. I welcome the competition between the manufacturers as the consumers will be the winners if they all try as hard as they can.

 

[kappaknight]

Hey i don't want to start world war 3 ! I know that their is no 100% american parts in any vehicle out there and the explorer could have fit 8 if they wanted to but they made it more comfortable for 7, so if your feeling got hurt i'm very sorry thats not what i intended. And over all what is happening with the explorer happen's with all re-design vehicle's my uncle owns metro honda in jersey city on rt 440. And i drive a ford he drive a caddy and his kids all drive bmw !! So again i'm sorry if i caused you to get upset for what i wrote sorry!

Just a happy explorer owner!!

I'm not upset at all - just a bit peeved at the misinformation. I know people can get really emotionally attached to their vehicles and it's not my intention to say the Ex. sucks or anything. I got the Pilot but I'm still monitoring this forum - mainly to see how good/fast Ford is at addressing the issues. I would love to own the Ex. but again, I need it to be reliable - a bit more reliable than it is now.

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

Kapaknight, con grats, on the new addition to your family. God bless you and yours !!!

 

[kappaknight]

Kapaknight, con grats, on the new addition to your family. God bless you and yours !!!

Thanks! She was actually born a month ago. =) Came a week early.

 

[dco43054]

But after reading & hearing about people's experiences with the troubles of the 2011, I've decided to forego any thought of it.

Here's my analogy - Log on to a motorcycle forum and read about final drive failures for BMW motorcycles. You'd think they wouldn't be able to sell any of them anymore.

Are there lots of problems with My Ford Touch. Yep - most of them are minor. A couple people have major issues.

Other than the minor issues I have with MFT, I love my new Explorer. But it is a totally different vehicle than the prior versions. Lower ground clearance, better towing capacity, etc, etc.

 

[Lucille]

Regarding purchasing a "first year" or "new release" vehicle - I bought my Volvo XC90 SUV the first year that came out. (that was one of the years that Ford owned Volvo). And I never had any problems with that car. My son is driving it now.
So I guess I never even thought about not buying the Ex on it's first year out. Actually, I was excited!

Kappaknight - I know people that have the Honda Pilot, and like it very much. I looked at it the year I got my Volvo. I think I remember it as being a more economical purchase? And very roomy too.

Maybe the OP should reconsider since they'd be getting the 2012 anyway. Especially considering his daughter's experience.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

I've been a very happy Ex owner the past decade. Absolutely LOVED the EX. I've gone out of my way to boast of how good, reliable, and what an overall great SUV it's been. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned, so much that I bought it when my lease expired. Unfortunately, my daughter totalled it ( most importantly she's OK, not a scratch, and a testament to how well-built it was). But after reading & hearing about people's experiences with the troubles of the 2011, I've decided to forego any thought of it.

Did you ever re-read you own post? Silly logic, if you ask me. Your decision. The little glitches with MFT/Sync will be resolved with the 2012 and beyond model years.

Very glad to hear your daughter is A-OK!

This is my 4th Explorer in 8 years. If you liked your prior Explorer, you'll love the new one even more. Mine is a very early build (November and less than #6,000 off the line). No issues here. Two Sync updates.

Tell me what other American Made SUV is in the same class as the new Explorer? NONE, IMHO.

Re-read your post. And reconsider.

 

[ExploGoldRob]

Appreciate the replies, thank you. As much as I've loved (and still do) the Ex, I'm dismayed at the apparent glitches in the new model, for all the money they want for it. Perhaps sometime down the road. But... for the time being anyway, I've gone out & bought another used Explorer !! Hope to enjoy it just as much !! (Psst, don't tell anybody, it's not gold color, though.... )

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

But... for the time being anyway, I've gone out & bought another used Explorer !!

SMART. Very smart.

 

[ExploGoldRob]

Did you ever re-read you own post? Silly logic, if you ask me. Your decision. The little glitches with MFT/Sync will be resolved with the 2012 and beyond model years.

Very glad to hear your daughter is A-OK!

This is my 4th Explorer in 8 years. If you liked your prior Explorer, you'll love the new one even more. Mine is a very early build (November and less than #6,000 off the line). No issues here. Two Sync updates.

Tell me what other American Made SUV is in the same class as the new Explorer? NONE, IMHO.

Re-read your post. And reconsider.

May I correct you ? I didn't "like" my Ex, I "loved" it ! It's just that I'll probably wait a little, to see if they get the glitches out. But I just HAD to get another, ergo a nice used one for now. And I concur, there is no other SUV that's as good as the Ex, not even foreign (which I would NEVER buy, irregardless). Thanks for your kind words.