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
CalifLove-
Seen your post and I hope this isn't the problem for you, but figured I would let you know anyhow...
I bought our 2013 Ford Explorer Limited edition March 2013. I instantly fell in love with this car and everything about it. It was my first ever new car, so I was beyond excited. Well, after having it for a couple months the excitement turned into worry. I started noticing a exhaust/sulfur smell coming into the cab of my car, when I would accelerate into passing gear around 60-65 mph. The smell would happen with windows up, sunroof closed. If I opened the sunroof or window the smell would increase so badly it is nauseating. When I turned on my recirculate it would disappear.
I took it into the dealer and told them they need to get on the on ramp to the interstate and increase speed quickly. Well, of course they can't smell it. The dealer said, "We think it could be your manifold gasket and it's covered under your warranty, so we can go ahead order the part and have it fixed." They ordered the part, and I took it in last week for them to fix. I was hopeful it was going to fix the problem. Well, I left the dealer and got about 2 miles down the road, and the "smell" was back. It also continued to have a exhaust tick when cold. I was beyond frustrated!! When I got home my husband who is mechanically inclined decided to check the seal of the rear hatch using vasoline, Yes! Vasoline! It showed that the hatch was sealing perfectly, so that eliminated that problem. We also tried duck taping the back vents behind the 3rd row seating thinking maybe the smell was being pulled in there. NO luck!
Well, that night feeling very frustrated thinking I have a brand new vehicle paying a good amount of money for, and it is unsafe for my children and family. These fumes are not safe, they give me a headache and make me feel sick. I called Ford Motor Company and opened a case. They advised me to call the dealer back and set up to take it back. So, I did, and it is set to go in tomorrow (Monday Nov. 11th). They asked if they could keep it for 2 days, and I told them no, unless you give me a rental, so I can go to work. They said, "We use enterprise and it's $40 a day for a rental." I told them I am not paying for a rental when you guys can't fix my car, and I am driving something unsafe for my family. So, we agreed to it going in for a day, and we would go from there.
Yesterday morning, my husband jacked my car up first thing in the morning, so it was cold. He sprayed the exhaust manifold at the gasket area with soapy water and started engine, bubbles seeped from gasket and manifold flange until manifold warmed up. Gasket leaks after warmed up, when engine is under load. The gasket is leaking about 10 inches away from the AC drain tube. I am thinking the fumes are entering cab through that tube, and entering vents. He also noticed that 2 bolt holes in manifold are missing fasteners near area leaking.
Unfortunately, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands to diagnose. I have pictures of the bolts missing I will try to post with this. When we bring it to the dealer in the morning we will be basically telling them WHAT they need to fix. I am sure they will need it for more than a day, and I need a car, so we will see how customer friendly they are with giving me a rental if needed.
I have to say I bought Ford for a few reasons...One, they took no bail out, and two, they are built in America which was important to me. Now, I am not sure if that was the correct option. I will keep update after tomorrow to let you all know what happens. I see a lot of people complaining of the same problem and was hoping it might help someone else.
