2015 Sport didn't make it off the dealer's lot without issue - do I have a lemon?

[firefrog]

This was my first ever Ford purchase. I am still undecided if it will be my last.

On Friday I never drove it off the lot because as the salesman was doing the walk through on the vehicle with me and my wife, the dealer was unable to lock the driver's door. All the other locks would work, but not the driver's door.

I said, I can't drive this home. It does not lock!!! He was trying to tell me that it was probably a loose connection. Keep in mind, this was at 8pm on Friday night after spending several hours at the dealer doing all the paperwork and financing, etc. We were ready to drive the thing off the lot.

And then boom, the fricken brand new car with 29 miles on it, refuses to lock the driver's door.

Do you have any idea what a huge let down that was? You get built up to spend $50k on a brand new truck and get ready to drive off and the thing did not move from where the dealer parked it to give us the tour of the features.

So this was Friday. My wife and I left the dealer and were totally deflated.

Now the entire drive home my wife is telling me how I can't trust FORD quality and I shouldn't get the car. I mean, if something as basic as the car door lock is not "connected" what is to say something else more important is going to fail? I have driven it maybe 5 miles on a test drive?

What is the quality control on the Ford Explorer Sport? Are these kinds of things par for the course with FORD?

I don't want to buy a $50k lemon.

So I get a call from the dealer today (Saturday) telling me that they have to order the part and it won't be ready until Tuesday and most likely Weds.

This scares me. Now I am explaining to my family, my dad, everyone who knew I was getting a new car, that "oh, we didn't get it because the door did not lock". It should be ready next week sometime. It is a total buzz killer and has left a bad taste in my mounth.

I told the sales guy that, he would be just as disappointed as I am. How can I trust the product, if a brand new car has something so basic not functioning while it is still on the dealer's lot?

Now they obviously need to tear into the door panel and fix the electronic lock mechanism to the point that they are ordering a new part. This scares me that now a whole bunch of things are going to be loose in the door. I know enough about door panels to know that once you open them, all the clips and connectors break, or loosen up.

Am I overreacting? What would you do?

The dealer told me that they understand if I don't want too take delivery of this particular vehicle.

I will never live it down with my wife if we have constant problems with it, even if things are covered by warranty.

I told the dealer it is not helping my confidence in the brand. I have nothing against Ford in the past. This has just shaken my confidence now that I just committed to $50+ vehicle.

Should I walk away from this particular vehicle and try another Sport?

Should I let them fix it and demand that they give me an extended service plan to ease my mind?

What would you do in this situation?

I really wanted to love the sport. I just don't want to deal with a lemon and an "I told you so" from the wifey.

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

Michael

 

[bigdude2468]

So the door does not lock and you are making the leap to the car is a lemon? I think you will find that the Explorers are incredibly reliable vehicles. I had a new GM vehicle back in 2008 and out the door the heated seat switch did not operate. Had to order a part, had few issues after that but I certainly did not lose sleep over it. Every mfg has issues but a door lock is not symptomatic of some bigger chronic issue. Enjoy your new vehicle and quit worrying about it

 

[182RG]

Am I overreacting?

Amazingly so.....

 

[bigdude2468]

I think I would pass on asking for an extended warranty due to the door lock.

 

[boominXplorer]

Any "body issue" with a new car is what it is. When new cars are mass produced you always have a chance to get a bad switch, actuator, sensor etc. since millions are made. If it was the exact car I dreamed about and wanted to buy I would go through with the purchase.

Now if it was an engine or transmission issue that is where you take a step back and debate.

 

[rkh58]

Enjoy your new vehicle and quit worrying about it

I agree. Seems to me you're overreacting and too worried about what other people may say or think. At least it happened at the dealership and not when you got it home and/or after they closed for the day. Look around this site and you'll see many high mileage Explorers that have given their owners great service with little more than normal maintenance. Drive it, enjoy it and stop worrying about it.

 

[adamjeeps]

Your title is very misleading. It implies it could not drive off the lot.

Yes the door panel has clips and some may or may not break. The body shop has these on hand to replace if one breaks. They probably cost the dealer about a quarter each. Inspect it closely when they fix it and don't worry about it. I have pulled panels off doors and most of the time if it is relatively new the clips do not break anyway.

If they don't fix it to your satisfaction then walk away if that makes you happy.

 

[GSX-WE4]

Seriously?

 

[Uaglio]

.

 

[PlatinumSport14]

I took my 2014 Sport home April 30. Not a lick of issues other than the occasionally squeaky passenger rear window and two tiny specks in the paint.

The specks in the paint really piss me off but its not something to lose sleep over. Your bad door lock is not something to lose sleep over. It was installed and tested in a factory and since then it quit working. If anything be happy its bad now and not when you're on vacation or in the middle of your workweek.

I'd do my best to calm down, relax, think about all of the other great things you're getting by making this purchase.

Also, I did not HAVE to buy my 2014 Sport, I WANTED to buy it. As you mentioned it is a $50,000 purchase, thats A LOT of money. I could have bought a BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Acura, Audi, Porsche etc. (used probably) but I didn't I bought a FORD because I wanted to. I'm guessing you did too!

It's going to be ok.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum firefrog.:wavey:
I agree with the other members that you are over reacting somewhat. The vehicle is loaded with electronics and that is one of the reasons why I purchased the Ford ESP for my 2011 Limited. Are you saying that you could not manually press down on the door pop up stalk to lock it either. I assume that electronically it didn't work. If you couldn't press it down then it sounds like something is jammed. Also, I think something like this should have been picked up in the dealer's pre delivery inspection.

Peter

 

[colintrax]

Normally I think most people on here are over reacting. However I'd take that as a bad sign there's already a problem before you even drive it.
I'd ask the dealer for a free extended warranty that'll last longer than you plan on owning the explorer. Or tell them you want a different one.

Could just be an unfortunate thing. Sometimes stuff doesn't work when ya get it. It happens. Even on extremely expensive cars.

 

[Mark2003]

I do think you're overreacting a bit but it is a brand new vehicle and they need to make it right. If they haven't given you a loaner car then divide the payment by the number of days in the month and request that they pay you for the days they had the car instead of delivering it to you. Request that they replace all of the trim clips on the door and when you get it check to make sure everything is tight. In putting tow mirrors on my Silverado I broke a clip that holds the cover that hides the mirror attachment nuts and it vibrates with bass from the radio. That was my fault but its something I need to fix by stuffing a paper towel behind it or getting a new one.

A friend dropped off his Acura for a cooling system service at the dealer. He picked it up the next morning and 1/4 of the way to work the check engine and overheat lights came on. He had to have it towed back. Diagnosis; no coolant in the system. A free new head gasket, Acura 100K mile engine warranty and a loaner car were his compensation. They also refunded what he paid for the coolant system service.

 

[firefrog]

I am glad to hear that I am overreacting. I have been trying to read up on the forum about potential issues with the Ford Sport and as much as I can about stereo upgrades because I would like to upgrade the sub to add more bass. It seems like the JL stealth box is the best option so far.

Another thing I noticed during the vehicle inspection was the entire hood had water spots that would not rub off when I tried myself. The dealer assured me that he would have the entire car detailed if I brought it back and that his on site detail guy said that they did not have the proper tool to get the spots off.

I am not as worried about the spots, I figure they can buff it out.

But I also noticed a small deep scratch on the passenger side. Kind of like if you put put the tip of a pocket knife and poked the paint. It was not long. Just deep. Is this something that they can fix? He said they would take care of it. But it worries me that it went through the clearcoat. I took pictures of the spots and the scratch. I showed the guy that you could feel how deep it was with your fingernail. Do you guys and gals know if this is an easy fix for them? I don't have much experience with autobody work or paint work. But I assume they can touch this deep scratch up and make it look perfect again?

They offered me a rental, but the problem was that Hertz was closed by the time we discovered the issues with the door lock. We live 30+ miles from the dealer, so I would have to get a ride from my wife over the weekend and then cross the bridge to pick up the rental and then both of us drive back. Just was too much of a hassle. I plan to tell them that for the money they would have spent on providing me a rental, they can put that toward roof rack cross bars and weatherproof trunk mat or something?

I do plan to tell them to at a minimum compensate me for the days that I have been without the car.

I guess I have until Wednesday at the earliest to decide if we accept the car. I will definitely take my time in inspecting everything I can closely, using some of the tips I have learned from reading posts on this forum.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[InspectorGadget]

I know it is very disturbing anytime someone purchases anything and it has a defect out of the shoot. That goes even more for a $50K vehicle.

That being said, the fact is you have purchased a vehicle with a great number of electronics and sophistic systems in it and there is a potential for failure. The fact is a single door not locking does not make the vehicle a lemon. I live just south of you here in CA and the state has very specific definitions of what a lemon is.

From your original post it sounds to me like your dealer is trying to make things right including letting you opt out of taking delivery on that specific vehicle.

My recommendation is to let the emotional effect of the issue settle down, talk to the dealer about what the exact failure is. Is it a simple lock solenoid, a broken connector or a module. Once you have all the information discuss it with your wife and make an informed decision, NOT an emotional one. If your uncomfortable with that specific vehicle test drive and select another one. Worst case walk away from the deal.

Best of luck to you.

 

[TheMustangShow]

This was my first ever Ford purchase. I am still undecided if it will be my last.

On Friday I never drove it off the lot because as the salesman was doing the walk through on the vehicle with me and my wife, the dealer was unable to lock the driver's door. All the other locks would work, but not the driver's door.

I said, I can't drive this home. It does not lock!!! He was trying to tell me that it was probably a loose connection. Keep in mind, this was at 8pm on Friday night after spending several hours at the dealer doing all the paperwork and financing, etc. We were ready to drive the thing off the lot.

And then boom, the fricken brand new car with 29 miles on it, refuses to lock the driver's door.

Do you have any idea what a huge let down that was? You get built up to spend $50k on a brand new truck and get ready to drive off and the thing did not move from where the dealer parked it to give us the tour of the features.

So this was Friday. My wife and I left the dealer and were totally deflated.

Now the entire drive home my wife is telling me how I can't trust FORD quality and I shouldn't get the car. I mean, if something as basic as the car door lock is not "connected" what is to say something else more important is going to fail? I have driven it maybe 5 miles on a test drive?

What is the quality control on the Ford Explorer Sport? Are these kinds of things par for the course with FORD?

I don't want to buy a $50k lemon.

So I get a call from the dealer today (Saturday) telling me that they have to order the part and it won't be ready until Tuesday and most likely Weds.

This scares me. Now I am explaining to my family, my dad, everyone who knew I was getting a new car, that "oh, we didn't get it because the door did not lock". It should be ready next week sometime. It is a total buzz killer and has left a bad taste in my mounth.

I told the sales guy that, he would be just as disappointed as I am. How can I trust the product, if a brand new car has something so basic not functioning while it is still on the dealer's lot?

Now they obviously need to tear into the door panel and fix the electronic lock mechanism to the point that they are ordering a new part. This scares me that now a whole bunch of things are going to be loose in the door. I know enough about door panels to know that once you open them, all the clips and connectors break, or loosen up.

Am I overreacting? What would you do?

The dealer told me that they understand if I don't want too take delivery of this particular vehicle.

I will never live it down with my wife if we have constant problems with it, even if things are covered by warranty.

I told the dealer it is not helping my confidence in the brand. I have nothing against Ford in the past. This has just shaken my confidence now that I just committed to $50+ vehicle.

Should I walk away from this particular vehicle and try another Sport?

Should I let them fix it and demand that they give me an extended service plan to ease my mind?

What would you do in this situation?

I really wanted to love the sport. I just don't want to deal with a lemon and an "I told you so" from the wifey.

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

Michael

29 miles is not new, that's a DEMO.

Why so many miles?

 

[Bobmbx]

You could switch to a Chevy. Just make sure all the recalls have been satisfied on the one you pick out.

 

[peterk9]

29 miles is not new, that's a DEMO.

Why so many miles?

While that may seem higher than the average, it isn't unreasonable. In the thread 'Mileage on Delivery' most of the 'ordered' Explorers seemed to have totals in the 5+ mile range. This one was bought off the lot and it could have been test driven by another person or brought in from another dealer.

Peter

 

[kirstenb]

Go with your gut feeling. Ask yourself if you'll be happy once these issues are resolved? If not then choose another Explorer, or another car altogether. Good luck----we bought an Explorer XLT back in April. We've been happy with our purchase, but I remember how stressed I was during the whole buying process. It's a lot of $$, and a lot of pressure. Just go with your gut feeling.

 

[blwnsmoke]

Normally I think most people on here are over reacting. However I'd take that as a bad sign there's already a problem before you even drive it.
I'd ask the dealer for a free extended warranty that'll last longer than you plan on owning the explorer. Or tell them you want a different one.

Could just be an unfortunate thing. Sometimes stuff doesn't work when ya get it. It happens. Even on extremely expensive cars.

LMAO.. you are ridiculous. Why should someone get a $1,500-$2,000 extended warranty just because a door does not lock. It's either electrical or the motor itself. Either way, simple fix.

Granted this is something the dealer should have seen during their inspection prior to the customer coming for delivery.

Sheesh.. people feel so entitled to free stuff over such minor issues.