Explorer Navigation Tracking Problem

[916sp]

Sure! They wiped everything and unplugged my vehicle so that it was a full reset. Evidently from what the Service Director was saying, their manual doesn't explain to go to that level.

The guy that came down said that it seemed that my indexed (and cached) music contained some otherwise unreadable music in it, which might be some MP3s that I got from a Chinese phone that I imported some years ago (the tags and the like are all in Mandarin), or an app, but they weren't sure. They asked me to wipe my phone (it's an iPhone 5) and see if that was the cause (they said once it caches the 'bad data' it needs a full reset again. The downside was that it was connected via Bluetooth so I think that it could have snagged some bad data at some point which is unfortunate and this morning it did lag again on boot up (but only for 2 or 3 minutes as opposed to the normal 10 - 15 minutes).

I'm going to see if it gets any better, but the director said if it fails again he will reply my APIM for a 2nd time to see if that helps any. When I was using my rental Toyota Avalon it sync'd up with my phone just fine and had no issues, so I'm a bit skeptical of it being the iPhone or my music being hard to read honestly. :/

MTF this coming week. On a good note, they did put the fix in for my exhaust leak smell into the cabin, hope that is fixed! that'd be a win in my book at least.

Thanks a lot for sharing. Please keep us posted whether it works now or not.
My car goes back to the dealer tomorrow. They called today and told be to bring it in. Maybe there is hope.....

 

[justjim_pia]

My Explorer is at my dealer today for a short list of issues including the navigation tracking problem with MFT3.5.1 and the A4 maps. The IVT team on this forum has been silent on this specific issue, I hope my dealer can sort something out since vacation time is coming up and the navigation system is critical to have in a few of the big cities we are headed to this summer. I'll post with whatever the dealer figures out.....I've done the master reset and it didn't help.

 

[broken strut]

My Explorer is at my dealer today for a short list of issues including the navigation tracking problem with MFT3.5.1 and the A4 maps. The IVT team on this forum has been silent on this specific issue, I hope my dealer can sort something out since vacation time is coming up and the navigation system is critical to have in a few of the big cities we are headed to this summer. I'll post with whatever the dealer figures out.....I've done the master reset and it didn't help.

So you're saying you PM'd the reps here and they haven't contacted you? Strange.

 

[Matrix848]

So I finally got around to the diagnostic mode for when this occurs, I actually pulled over when I saw it just to see what the car is reporting. 9 satellites found.

If I remember correctly you only need 8 to be accurate within 10 feet. It's usually around 10-12 satellites and sometimes I still get off track on the map so I my conclusion is that it must be a software issue. I've never seen fewer than 8-9 satellites so there should be no reason as to why I'm at least 100 feet to the left or right of the road at times.

I wish Ford would provide some additional information on this. At least acknowledge that there is a problem. Ignoring it won't fix it or make me happy. I haven't brought it into the dealer because they know less than I do about this and would probably do exactly the same things people are doing on this forum.

I'm enjoying pretty much everything else about the vehicle but having paid extra for navigation it would be nice for it to work 100% of the time.

 

[WiEx]

I wish Ford would provide some additional information on this. At least acknowledge that there is a problem. Ignoring it won't fix it or make me happy. I haven't brought it into the dealer because they know less than I do about this and would probably do exactly the same things people are doing on this forum.

Ford acknowledges that there is a problem. That haven't done so on this forum, but that's what they told my dealer and what Ford Customer Care told me. It would be a lot better if they provided an ETA for a solution.

 

[916sp]

Just got my car back from the dealer. They performed a "full reset" whatever that is. After 3 miles the problem appeared again.

Problem not solved!

One more try and they will hear from my lawyer, it is a shame, that a company like Ford can't find a solution for a problem which exists for months now. Either they don't care or this is something really big.

IVT Team - any comments or aren't you allowed to elaborate on this problem???

 

[justjim_pia]

So you're saying you PM'd the reps here and they haven't contacted you? Strange.

Yes, no reply from the IVT team (Rebecca) after the first exchange where I described the problem as the tracking issue. It seems as soon as the IVT team sorted out this was a tracking issue, for whatever reason, have decided to not say anything about this issue.

I PM's the Ford Customer Service folks on this forum as well, and asked for them to help. They replied that they would bug the IVT team. That was a few days ago.

I had my Explorer at the dealer today (the dealer is very good), and they did a full system reset, reloaded the MFT....and promply reproduced the tracking problem. They called Ford, but have not received a reply. I'll know more tomorrow when I pick up the vehicle.

I'm still hoping to have my fully functional vehicle back tomorrow.

Jim

 

[WiEx]

I'll know more tomorrow when I pick up the vehicle.

I'm still hoping to have my fully functional vehicle back tomorrow.

Jim

Jim, Some of us are waiting for your report.

 

[justjim_pia]

Jim, Some of us are waiting for your report.

The dealer was told by Ford that the tracking won't work if the vehicle is "too close to power lines"...and that is the only "help" received from Ford so far. The tracking problem is present well away from power lines, and has happened on country roads with no power lines in sight. Here's an interesting document on GPS and power lines.

The dealer is keeping my Explorer one more day and they will continue to work with Ford on resolving the issue. So far, the dealer has been able to replicate the problem, and no solution has been offered by Ford yet.

I'm still waiting on a reply from the FordIVT team.

Jim

 

[JohnMD]

Hi all,

The saga continues I see. Thank you everyone for your posts. It certainly seems that I am not alone with this. I consider my nav system to be completely useless and we simply never use it now because, in fact, we find it so distracting that it is actually potentially dangerous to be looking at it rather than the road while driving. I contacted my York Region Ontario dealer again yesterday seeking a status update. I got the usual treatment where they put you on hold and come back minutes later simply saying that they are still waiting for an update from Ford. I maintain that Ford is knowingly selling a defective product, given the fact that I have found complaints of this problem dating back two model years. It seems to me from a lay person perspective that the system simply does not check its positioning with the satelite frequently enough. My problem principally occurs when I make a turn at an intersection after yielding rather than stopping, while travelling at speeds in excess of 40mph, resulting in the tracking system still thinking I am proceeding on the original road and only detecting my turn seconds thereafter such that it now tracks me parallel to the new road rather than on it. I plan to try the ideas that some of you have suggested (rebooting the GPS, reinstalling the SD card, deleting the music feed from my mobile phone, etc.). Assuming this does not work, however, what are we supposed to do here? How long do we wait and continue to be inconvenienced by dealer visits before we simply deserve our money back for this defective option, and how do we go about obtaining a refund?

 

[FordIVTteam]

Hey everyone!

Most of you know by now that we are aware of this issue. We're currently working on a fix, but there's no ETA. If I hear anything else, I'll let you all know.

Rebecca

 

[justjim_pia]

Hey everyone!

Most of you know by now that we are aware of this issue. We're currently working on a fix, but there's no ETA. If I hear anything else, I'll let you all know.

Rebecca

Rebecca - thanks for chiming in on this issue. I understand no fix is available now, how do we know when a solution is available? Will the dealer contact me? The Ford IVT Team? My dealer is really good, and I do want to get this fixed as soon as a solution is ready.

Best Regards,
Jim

 

[JohnMD]

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you for your posting today. I am the fellow that started this thread in the forum, and it has been great receiving everyone's feedback on their similar problems with their navigation systems. I am delighted to hear from you as an official Ford representative. I have been waiting patiently for Ford to offer an effective repair for this problem. I find it frustrating to know that I pay month after month a portion of my monthly vehicle payment for an option that cost several hundred dollars and does not work. I will continue to visit this forum and am hopeful that you will have encouraging news for all of us soon. If, however, no solution can be developed by Ford, are you able to tell all of us whether or not there is a means of Ford reimbursing us for the cost of this non-viable feature?

John

 

[justjim_pia]

I picked up my Explorer and the navigation system is still off the weeds, as there is not current fix for the issue.

The good news is that my dealer really does give a damn, and they resolved a few other issues with their usual courteous proficiency. The vehicle was nicely cleaned and the service staff was genuinely frustrated they could not fix the navigation system. I can be pretty patient with this kind of service while Ford gets this "situation" (epidemic by looking across the Ford vehicle family with this problem) under control.

My dealer is really saving Ford's bacon.....I just hope Ford takes this seriously and gets to work.

 

[WiEx]

My problem principally occurs when I make a turn at an intersection after yielding rather than stopping, while travelling at speeds in excess of 40mph, resulting in the tracking system still thinking I am proceeding on the original road and only detecting my turn seconds thereafter such that it now tracks me parallel to the new road rather than on it.

Yours works better than mine. It can't track the vehicle around the 15 mph curves near my home or when turning after a complete stop. On straight roads, it often shows the vehicle about 200 feet in front of its actual location, which is what causes it to go off-road at curves or turns.

 

[tazcubed]

The dealer was told by Ford that the tracking won't work if the vehicle is "too close to power lines"...and that is the only "help" received from Ford so far. The tracking problem is present well away from power lines, and has happened on country roads with no power lines in sight. Here's an interesting document on GPS and power lines.

The dealer is keeping my Explorer one more day and they will continue to work with Ford on resolving the issue. So far, the dealer has been able to replicate the problem, and no solution has been offered by Ford yet.

I'm still waiting on a reply from the FordIVT team.

Jim

Interesting, but given the number of proper functioning GPS units by various manufacturers, it's not reassuring if Ford hasn't figured out the problem prior to production sales - let alone that this is a continuing issue over a number of model years. Neither does it explain consistent tracking failures both in straight line and through bends/turns on highways where there are few power lines. My one question is whether this affects the Explorer only or other Ford cars as well? Anyone out there with another Ford that might be able to comment?

 

[WiEx]

My one question is whether this affects the Explorer only or other Ford cars as well? Anyone out there with another Ford that might be able to comment?

I don't have another Ford, but the same issue is being raised on other forums for Ford owners. On syncmyride.com, for example, there are complaints from 2013 Escape and F-150 owners.

 

[JohnMD]

I am a long time Ford buyer, having come from a Ford family (father worked for Ford for 37 years before retiring). I have owned and driven only Ford products since the mid eightees, and have always vigorously defended Ford to anyone that has spoken badly about Fords or North American vehicles in general. This Explorer is my fifth Ford product purchased brand new from the factory. With my previous vehicle (2008 Lincoln MKX), the only real problem that it ever had was a leaking transaxle seal that caused it and the Edge to have lubricant spilling onto the hot engine and burning off with a foul smell inside and outside the vehicle. Ford quickly reengineered a part to fix the problem and fixed 1000s of MKX/Edge products within months in 2008. The navigation system, by comparison, was OUTSTANDING in my 2008 MKX. So, I am dumbfounded and disappointed that a company that I have always considered reliable and responsive seems to have apparently cut corners and allowed the present navigation system problems to persist for several model years and has not engineered a solution as of yet. It is ridiculous that I was not made aware of this by the dealer upon ordering my vehicle, when this is clearly a systemic problem with a long history! Had to rant a little here!

 

[plumbago]

Our 2013 XLT EcoBoost is the 3rd new Explorer I've owned...The other two a 1st gen and 3rd gen were excellant vehicles.....This 2013 is the worst vehicle period I have ever owned, and never again.......Plum

 

[916sp]

Hey everyone!

Most of you know by now that we are aware of this issue. We're currently working on a fix, but there's no ETA. If I hear anything else, I'll let you all know.

Rebecca

Wow, thats great news!