Is anyone satisfied with their sport?

[s1000rr]

Its amazing how many complaints ive seen on this forum ever since I have joined. Even in general outside of this forum, people have issues and things not working right.
Is everyone picky about the small things or is there really something wrong with your ford ex?

I think most of it also has to do with maintaining the vehicle. Drive it appropriately, wash and wax, do your oil changes, change your radiator fluid, all that jazz I do myself and have no problems. I don't trust no dealer with my car. Other than the mft acting up, I can understand that being frustrating.

Ive had my '13 ford ex sport for about 9 months now and have absolutely no issues at all. And believe me, I use it for everything. towing jetskis, towing dirt bikes out to fields, drive to work.

one small problem was with the door panel on the bottom having paint slightly fade due to opening and closing. So I used scotchgard 3m to cover it up. yeah there is a little bit of paint that faded but im not going to go to the dealer to cry about it.

anyway, any happy ex owners?

 

[sloop]

i don't have one - but it sounds like you are blaming the people that paid a ton of money for not maintaining a new vehicle and having unrealistic expectations

 

[colintrax]

Back when I was working retail I asked customers all the time about their cars. And I heard some compliaints. But none were about the new gen explorers. Maybe N Georgia got the good ones. Or maybe people like to ***** on the Internet. I donno

 

[rmp301]

Its amazing how many complaints ive seen on this forum ever since I have joined. Even in general outside of this forum, people have issues and things not working right.
Is everyone picky about the small things or is there really something wrong with your ford ex?

I think most of it also has to do with maintaining the vehicle. Drive it appropriately, wash and wax, do your oil changes, change your radiator fluid, all that jazz I do myself and have no problems. I don't trust no dealer with my car. Other than the mft acting up, I can understand that being frustrating.

Ive had my '13 ford ex sport for about 9 months now and have absolutely no issues at all. And believe me, I use it for everything. towing jetskis, towing dirt bikes out to fields, drive to work.

one small problem was with the door panel on the bottom having paint slightly fade due to opening and closing. So I used scotchgard 3m to cover it up. yeah there is a little bit of paint that faded but im not going to go to the dealer to cry about it.

anyway, any happy ex owners?

I do all that you noted ...... A lot of good it does! This truck persistently has issues crop up and no solutions to any of them.

 

[s1000rr]

sorry if it sounded like i was blaming people, definitely not what i was meaning to say if thats how it came across. Just really wanted to hear some positive things about everyones explorers.

 

[s1000rr]

I do all that you noted ...... A lot of good it does! This truck persistently has issues crop up and no solutions to any of them.

So thats basically what i wanted to get out of this. Not trying to blame anyone.
Must be a lot of bad batches of ex's being made. Some issues small and large.

 

[thestumper]

Outside of a small seatbelt issue that literally took about 5 minutes to fix, and the fuel pump recall, my '13 has been solid. I absolutely love driving the thing, and the wife and 4 kids seem to enjoy it as well. I have intermittent navigation issues (noted here on this site...) that are irritating, but the latest software version has reduced it significantly.

That being said, what scares me here is the potential for issues; all cars have their problems but I've been on a lot of forums and I've never quite seen anything like what I see here: legitimate issues that point to spotty quality control and a cavalier attitude from FoMoCo. Paint on the door panel doesn't bother me much, but power steering that just randomly fails at speed (which Ford deems a non-safety issue...) and exhaust/other gasses that filter into the cabin concern me. I've been fortunate so far in that my problems have been few and minor, but I do worry that this could change. My dealer has been pretty good so far, which is great, and considering my affinity for the Sport, I guess I just keep my fingers crossed.

 

[bigmoose15]

I love my sport and have had zero issues in the 12k miles i've owned it.

You have to look at the perspective. If everyone who bought an explorer came on here and gave their impressions, you would have a hard time finding a bad review. Most of the time people only take the time to write a review when they have an issue. From what i can tell this is the place to come online when you have issues since its monitored by ford reps.

 

[Harley#356]

people are quick to report the negative, and few and far between to post praise.

also the reason you see so much of it on here, vs. other forums, is it's an explorer....it's not a vehicle a lot of people are modifying, racing, going to car shows, offroading, etc. It's a daily driver or soccer mom ride for majority of people out there. So that cuts down on a HUGE amount of threads of people posting up to chat about other things. bulk of these things stay stock for people, or adding a sharkfin antenna and weathertech mats are the extent of "mods" for the general explorer population lol. So what does that leave? Lots of boredom to talk about the nit picky things. Yes some are legit concerns, but that's with any vehicle. Just on this forum it's not 1 issue thread for 100 modifying/racing/offroading/carshowing thread, it's 100 issues threads for the once in a blue moon modifying/racing/offrroading/carshowing thread lol. Not so much a sign of the vehicle, but a result of the general ownership population.


We've had our Sport since May and absolutely love it!

 

[peterk9]

sorry if it sounded like i was blaming people, definitely not what i was meaning to say if thats how it came across. Just really wanted to hear some positive things about everyones explorers.

As Harley#356 alluded to, many members here found this site when they were looking on the Internet for a particular issue they were having with their Explorer. For that reason, you will see a lot of posts describing the issues they have and how to best address them. There have been similar posts like yours and the feedback of positive experiences was great.
For the record, I don't have a Sport but my 2011 Limited has been excellent.

Peter

 

[colintrax]

people are quick to report the negative, and few and far between to post praise.

also the reason you see so much of it on here, vs. other forums, is it's an explorer....it's not a vehicle a lot of people are modifying, racing, going to car shows, offroading, etc. It's a daily driver or soccer mom ride for majority of people out there. So that cuts down on a HUGE amount of threads of people posting up to chat about other things. bulk of these things stay stock for people, or adding a sharkfin antenna and weathertech mats are the extent of "mods" for the general explorer population lol. So what does that leave? Lots of boredom to talk about the nit picky things. Yes some are legit concerns, but that's with any vehicle. Just on this forum it's not 1 issue thread for 100 modifying/racing/offroading/carshowing thread, it's 100 issues threads for the once in a blue moon modifying/racing/offrroading/carshowing thread lol. Not so much a sign of the vehicle, but a result of the general ownership population.


We've had our Sport since May and absolutely love it!

That's a really good point!

 

[langla4]

I've had my 2013 Sport for one year, 10,000 miles. Two trips to an excellent dealer regarding MFT issues. Replaced one fog lamp due to breakage. Replaced fuel pump under warranty/recall. One oil change so far. That's it. One heck of a lot better than ANY car I previously owned (especially the Porsche Cayenne and MBZ).

I've upgraded the headlights and fog lights. Mileage has been 21 +- for the full year.

I still dislike the oversteer and the original tires are horrible in water and light snow.

Otherwise, I give the Sport a big thumbs up.

 

[13Sport]

Will be 1 year next month, 23,000 miles as of yesterday. I love the Sport, the following are my warranty concerns since taking delivery

Lower CAC tube popped off *corrected
Multifunction Indicator lever is very stiff *new switch assy ordered
Ping/Pop/Crack when backing up inclines *new front axles ordered

I don't find any of these things to be overly large concerns, and so far service has been good. Oddly enough I have had no issues with MFT (this after suing Ford for my 2011 MFT). This however may be more because I primary use an iPad mounted on the dash for most functionality now.

We loved our 2011 Explorer aside from MFT, and so that has carried right into the Sport. By far the most comfortable, and fitting vehicle for our needs. (It's my wife, myself, and our 3 large dogs most of the time).

 

[s1000rr]

Well im glad there are still many out there who are very happy with there explorers. And I can understand that certain issues may arise, some small and large. Over time, im sure more problems may develop. And yes, there aren't very many people who will plan on modifying there ex. Its great for commuting and taking long trips, just stock as it is.

And hopefully some of the technical issues Ford will address and take care off. I came from mercedes, so this is my first american car. I was always a little skeptical at first just because of bad reviews, but im very satisifed with the sport. I will eventually install a catback exhaust, and nice weathetech floor liners, but this car is great out of the box.
So far done hids, applied 3m gard almost all over the car, and seat covers.

 

[CalifLove]

I've managed to put about 1300 miles on my 3wk old 14' Ex Sport.

Thus far, only a few problems, none of which I have had time to work with a dealer on as of yet:

1. I get what I will coin "Speed Fume" in the cabin after a good acceleration run on the freeway. Doesn't really smell like exhaust, gas, oil etc but it is definitely connected to some sort of smell coming from the engine bay and easily repeatable and happens any and every time you do any sort of significant acceleration. Not super strong and I guess at the moment the "new car smell" covers it up still but that will pass and I will want to at least take it in to get documented. Hopefully I am not subjecting myself to cancerous fumes...

2. Sometimes the the tranny seems to get confused as to what gear it wants to be in for a split second every once and a while. It sort of feels like slipping but not quite. I haven't paid a ton of attention to this just yet as it is something I just noticed the other day. More info to follow on this one.

3. Dirty rims of wheels - as posted by another forum member - the ring around the edge of the rims is pretty bad from the dealer. Seems that whatever machine is mounting tires on these rims needs some adjusting. It's harder to get the scuffs off than I thought but I haven't spent a ton of time on this either.

4. Gas mileage sucks thus far, hopefully it gets better. Looks like I avg about 15mpg. I'm not the most eco minded driver but was hoping for around 18 since the bulk of my driving is freeway.

5. The range for the mykey fob seems to change with the wind in regards to being able to unlock the car by sliding my hand into the door handle area & using the touch pad to lock the car. I have been attempting to get in a habit of using those features rather than fishing my key out of my pocket or backpack to lock/unlock the car but I find using it that way to be inconsistent. I can walk up to the car, slide my hand into the handle and nothing happens. Take 1 step closer and then it works - then the next day, stand where I stood the previous day where it worked and then it wont work. Rinse and repeat for the locking pad. Cool feature but it doesn't really work well - for me.

Pros:
Thing handles really well considering its size. Turns flatter than my old Murano, nice acceleration(Even with the "speed fumes"!). Somewhat minimal turbo lag. Would like to see them squeeze another 35hp out of this drive train stock but save gas mileage by retarding drive train a bit in a normal mode and adding a performance mode button or selection to boost performance (at the potential loss of some mpg) in order to not loose EPA ratings...

I'm 6'9" and find it fairly comfortable to drive - Good amount of space up front, though I wish the dead pedal area was pushed a bit back further like many others have noted.

Great looking ride

Hauls me and my crap wherever I want to go - in style.

Positive and Negative - I like the whole MFT deal - working radio, phone and temp controls is fine. I highly prefer Google Maps for navigation as it is literally 100% faster at taking verbal direction and just working instead of going through what seems like 10 prompts before you even get to a point where you tell it where you want to go. Example. "Hi Google" --- "Navigate to Toms Taco Shack in Concord". 8 times out of 10, it will launch navigation to that location and I'm on my way in about 15 seconds or less. To do the same on MFT - "Push Voice Button" --- "Navigation" --- "Destination" --- "POI" --- "city" --- "Concord" --- "Toms Taco Shack" --- then it NEVER gets the location right the first time - have to pick from a list of 4 --- "Line 3" - Check if its right - push button --- "Set Destination"

Cons:

Middle 2nd row seat is sort of a joke. 3 Avg sized girls back there and the one in the middle "seems" 4 inches taller than the other two and the seat belts dig into her behind on both sides - just awkward. I'm not sure how any normal sized teen or adult sits in the middle for any extended length of time. That makes this a 6 seater to me...

Not enough lighting in the interior of the car at night

HIDS should be standard on SPORT or at least standard as a part of the 401whatever package. Silly omission on the part of Ford.

Would like to see adjustable sport/offroad suspension option

Not really a con of ford but the dealer I used -
They "detailed" the car prior to delivery to me (I got it the day after it was shipped to them) and caused a wealth of swirl marks that I need to remove - especially on the plastic pieces. Annoying!!!

So all in all, I am pleased with the ride. I am concerned to find out what the fume deal is about as that has the potential to be a really big deal. I have to assume that if it was "really" dangerous Ford legal would have mandated that a fix be made to help mitigate potential huge losses due to lawsuits but you never know. Maybe they take the view of ignoring it and hoping it goes away. IF someone can prove these fumes that so many of us can easily show it could be a really big deal...hoping it doesn't come to that. All the other things are minor annoyances that all total don't worry me too much overall. I am still in the honeymoon phase with the ride SO that perspective may change with time.

If I had to grade it, I'd say a Solid B

-BigReg

 

[peterk9]

I've managed to put about 1300 miles on my 3wk old 14' Ex Sport.

Thus far, only a few problems, none of which I have had time to work with a dealer on as of yet:

1. I get what I will coin "Speed Fume" in the cabin after a good acceleration run on the freeway. Doesn't really smell like exhaust, gas, oil etc but it is definitely connected to some sort of smell coming from the engine bay and easily repeatable and happens any and every time you do any sort of significant acceleration. Not super strong and I guess at the moment the "new car smell" covers it up still but that will pass and I will want to at least take it in to get documented. Hopefully I am not subjecting myself to cancerous fumes...

2. Sometimes the the tranny seems to get confused as to what gear it wants to be in for a split second every once and a while. It sort of feels like slipping but not quite. I haven't paid a ton of attention to this just yet as it is something I just noticed the other day. More info to follow on this one.

3. Dirty rims of wheels - as posted by another forum member - the ring around the edge of the rims is pretty bad from the dealer. Seems that whatever machine is mounting tires on these rims needs some adjusting. It's harder to get the scuffs off than I thought but I haven't spent a ton of time on this either.

4. Gas mileage sucks thus far, hopefully it gets better. Looks like I avg about 15mpg. I'm not the most eco minded driver but was hoping for around 18 since the bulk of my driving is freeway.

5. The range for the mykey fob seems to change with the wind in regards to being able to unlock the car by sliding my hand into the door handle area & using the touch pad to lock the car. I have been attempting to get in a habit of using those features rather than fishing my key out of my pocket or backpack to lock/unlock the car but I find using it that way to be inconsistent. I can walk up to the car, slide my hand into the handle and nothing happens. Take 1 step closer and then it works - then the next day, stand where I stood the previous day where it worked and then it wont work. Rinse and repeat for the locking pad. Cool feature but it doesn't really work well - for me.

-BigReg

As for #3 , those marks are likely caused by the covers they put on the wheels for shipping. There is a picture of the cover in one of the threads. It looks like a clear plastic cover.
As for #5 , you have to fully grip the handle to have it unlock. From what I'm reading in your post, it seems like you are just sliding your hand into the handle area. I believe you have to make contact with the back of the door handle. Never have had an issue with mine.

Peter

 

[chilione]

While I am just shy of 1000 miles on my 2014, I have deffinately developed a few opinions.

PROS,

The thing looks great
The interior is comfortable
Handling is pretty good just driving around town

CONS

The brakes are garbage; I am not expecting 8 pot calipers from AP Racing but these are disappointing
The engine is under powered; another 50hp would be nice.
The ride is pretty harsh while fracturing the speed limit on the express way, though it manages this without feeling planted to the road.

Overall the vehicle is nice; but as long as I have it, there will always be a nagging disappoint in the back of my mind. Ford had a chance to make a pretty great nitch vehicle; but shortchanged it in a few significant ways, that would not have added much to the overall cost of the vehicle.

 

[peterk9]

While I am just shy of 1000 miles on my 2014, I have deffinately developed a few opinions.

PROS,

The thing looks great
The interior is comfortable
Handling is pretty good just driving around town

CONS

The brakes are garbage; I am not expecting 8 pot calipers from AP Racing but these are disappointing
The engine is under powered; another 50hp would be nice.
The ride is pretty harsh while fracturing the speed limit on the express way, though it manages this without feeling planted to the road.

Overall the vehicle is nice; but as long as I have it, there will always be a nagging disappoint in the back of my mind. Ford had a chance to make a pretty great nitch vehicle; but shortchanged it in a few significant ways, that would not have added much to the overall cost of the vehicle.

Welcome to the Forum chilione.:wavey:
I have the Limited with the 290 HP 3.5L V6 and am quite happy with the power. I don't understand how someone buying an SUV Sport cannot be happy with 365 HP? Its an SUV not a sports car.
I assume you test drove one before buying so you knew what you were getting. If you really want more 'horses', slide over to the 'Modified' forum and read the threads about the various 'mods' that the members have posted there.
Good luck and happy motoring.

Peter

 

[13Sport]

CONS

The brakes are garbage; I am not expecting 8 pot calipers from AP Racing but these are disappointing
The engine is under powered; another 50hp would be nice.
The ride is pretty harsh while fracturing the speed limit on the express way, though it manages this without feeling planted to the road.

Not sure what makes the brakes garbage. At 1000 miles are you saying they are already worn? Bigger/Stronger brakes aren't going to stop you any faster, the brakes on the Explorer are perfectly capable of locking the wheels, so the only disappointment could be wear/life, which at 1000 miles I can't see how you'd have an opinion on that.

You can get 50-100hp out of the engine with a tuner if you want, Ford settled on a figure that was what they consider a good compromise between performance and longevity/stability. Personally I don't see how 50hp would change anything unless you're planning on taking it to a track. On the street there's no lack of performance, especially considering this is a 7 seater SUV.

 

[broken strut]

To each their own. Brakes are not garbage. They are properly suited. Definitely not underpowered. I haven't had any issues with mine. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Now that MFT is sorted out I love it. As Peter mentioned. Most stumble upon this site because of some issues they are looking for. The average Joe out there doesn't join sites to talk about how awesome their SUV is. Look at how many are sold and look at how many people are commenting on here. Hardly a good representation.