Any survivors able to comment?

[Terkins]

Greetings!

I'm fishing for survivors' "comments" who might have been involved in crashes in their Ford Explorers. I acquired mine after totalling my Ford Focus (2006) Labor Day weekend. Mine is a 2000 XLS. I considered the safety rating of the Explorer based on this report, which isn't exactly "sterling". My Focus, on the other-hand, had a much higher safety rating. I was able to "walk-away" from the roll-over crash. I'm 64 now and grateful to have another vehicle, though my Explorer continues to surface longstanding maintenance-neglect/age-related servicing needs. So far, I've been able to tackle/conquer its needs...


http://www.iihs.Org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/ford/explorer-4-door-suv/20007print-view

For "entertainment", consider what a Ford Explorer driver might "experience" in the following incident:

 

[429CJ-3X2]

Here's the thread from when my son's '97 Mountaineer got totaled. Pics in the first post, and more details in post #12 after I saw it. It was worse than what shows in the photos.

'97 Mountaineer - totaled!

 

[koda2000]

Uni-body vehicles (like your Focus) fair much better, safety wise, in bad crashes. This because they absorb the impact better than body-on-frame vehicles (like the Gen II Explorer). If you're concerned about your safety, there are much better choices than an Gen II Explorer. It's like they say, it's not that fall that kills you, it's the abrupt stop when you hit the ground.

Still, @429CJ-3X2 Mountaineer did a pretty good job of absorbing the impact.

 

[J_C]

I'm far more likely to be hit by some compromised driver than run into a fixed barrier so I for one, would rather be in my Explorer than a Ford Focus in an all else equal crash between the two, because of weight and bumper height advantages.

The main thing I keep in mind is that it's a brick on wheels that wants to keep going the same direction. Don't forget you're not in a car, make a sharp turn avoidance maneuver and end up flipping it from that.

 

[MAS Tequila]

I rolled my 01 Mountaineer 8 1/2 times back in 2003.

The 2 of us in the vehicle walked away with a few bruises while the Mountaineer was a complete write off.

My passenger was belted in, I wasn't.

So yes, I survived.

 

[roscoe 0202]

my 99 was rear ended on the freeway the driver said that he was going 65 my ex was stopped diamondedthe frame wrinkled the floor pan two grandkids in the back belted in with riser seats I was belted in. everybody walked away including the guy who hit us in his Taurus.
roscoe

 

[Turdle]

85 MPH+ cartwheel into an oak tree on a residential street. Driver survived with a broken femur.

Kids these days

 

[CDW6212R]

The high center of gravity of these Explorers create the greatest danger for them, they are much more likely to flip over at speed, than a car. Keep very good air pressure in all the tires, don't let them become under inflated ever.

The primary impact is most important for survive-ability. If the main impact is down onto the "A" pillars and front seats, the injuries will be bad. If the impact is from the front, straight, it should be minor injuries if everyone is wearing seat belts. The heavy frame and chassis will absorb more force than smaller cars can.

Wear seat belts always. They save lives by more than keeping you in a car, they keep the driver in position at the critical time when they need to control the vehicle, before an accident.

I've never wrecked an Explorer, but I did survive a roll over in my first Lincoln, a 91 Mark VII.
Here's the 99 Explorer Limited that I rebuilt. It was rolled before I got it from a JY, only the chassis and front end was salvageable.

 

[96eb96]

There is a site somewhere with real injury and fatality statistics. The 4dr 4wd models are comparable to many sedans, and that was before the tire recalls. I would say on paper it is quite a safe vehicle. Hit head on it is a tank.

The 2dr 2wd sports turn out to be quite a dangerous vehicle. Maybe the among worst. Could be the driver, or maybe the weight arrangement. They are close to the Bronco IIs, which are notorious for rolling over.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

With the Bronco IIs and the 2 dr Sports it's all about the short wheelbase and a high center of gravity. A Bronco II can do a u-turn on a 2 lane road and never come close to either shoulder. I'd question whether my wife's 98 Escort can turn that short. In a 4 dr Explorer, you need both lanes and a little bit of 1 shoulder. Making a quick maneuver in a BII will get you in trouble in a big hurry.

 

[96eb96]

I think the major danger was the tread separation. It was proven that a simple blowout at high speed will not cause a rollover. There are vids.

However, If tread separates, it could lock a rear wheel. I don't know if it is possible to recover. The truck will slide sideways and eventually trip itself. All those ESP programs are supposed to fix that, put people die even in the newest SUVs. A cop did a few months ago here. Roll stability control actually locks the brakes hard on the rollover side, it is supposed to cause a sliding motion instead of a tripping motion. Obviously you can see where this creates a false sense of security. Our trucks could never have it because we don't have 4ch ABS.

My insurance company said it is in personal injury tier with some much newer vehicles, that is for the 4wd 4dr. The stiffer shocks and bushings I have took away all the body roll, but if it is tripped right it will roll. There are easy ways to lower the truck, that pretty much makes it a station wagon.

Any car can roll though, I don't care how low to the ground it is. People roll lowered sports cars. Key is very safe defensive driving, obey speed limits etc. Says it right on the visor. Professional drivers drive loaded trucks that are MUCH more rollover prone but have no problems.

 

[koda2000]

IDK how it is where you live, but in the Atlanta area accidents and insurance rates are going up. My car insurance has gone up about 20% in the past two years (w/no claims). I blame it on "distracted drivers". People have an addition to their stupid smart phones and just can't put them down for a second. I even see it when I'm grocery shopping, some fool standing in the middle of an isle talking to, or texting, someone about which brand of mustard they should buy oblivious to the fact they're blocking 5 other people from getting past. I bump them with my cart and tell them to get the f**k out of the way (I'm over 6' 2"/260 so I get away with it, but one of these days someone will probably pull a gun on me, but I carry too). Then there's texting while driving. I saw some stupid woman on the news a few weeks ago that thought they shouldn't try to enact laws to stop people from texting while driving, because it was an invasion of their privacy. I guess I'm just an old fart, but I just don't understand the need to be in constant communication with everybody. I road motorcycles for 40+ years w/out an accident, but I gave it up 5 years ago due to my fear of distracted drivers. I guess in the future people will all be in driver-less vehicles and they wont be able to believe that they ever let people drive.

I agree that the main reason our Expl's are known for not being safe (besides the whole Firestone tire debacle) is their high center of gravity and relatively narrow track, plus people who think they can drive them like cars and neglect tire pressure w/o worrying about making fast maneuvers. Get them sideways at speed and there's a good chance of flipping them. It doesn't help that our trucks seem to eat front sway bar end-links and I have to believe there are lots of them out on the roads w/out functioning front sway bars.

I love my EB and feel very safe in it because if it's size. There's no way I'd ever drive a small car (Fiat 500, Smart Car, Mini or even a Civic (even if I could fit in one)) for fear of being squashed like a bug by an speeding F150 or box truck.

 

[SupaSwope]

I bump them with my cart and tell them to get the f**k out of the way (I'm over 6' 2"/260 so I get away with it, but one of these days someone will probably pull a gun on me, but I carry too). .

LMAO

 

[96eb96]

LMAO

Koda2000 is Quite the Alpha Male there!

 

[SupaSwope]

Koda2000 is Quite the Alpha Male there!

The logic behind it all is just hilarious to interpret.

 

[CDW6212R]

I thought this was funny when it came out shortly after the car did.

 

[BKennedy]

I don't know what rude shoppers have to do with survivability in a collision, but anyways....

I have been rear-ended twice and my Explorer ran into the back of my Silverado when the tow bar failed. Both rear enders, Explorer sustained very minor damage. The Silverado's bed and tailgate were replaced to the tune of about $14,000 (insurance ate it, and bought me a new tow bar). Explorer had a scratch in the bumper's black paint. The Explorer doesn't have the stock bumpers on it anymore and I was impressed with the damage it caused to the other vehicles for the last two collisions. With the stock rear bumper during the first rear-ender, it sustained a small dent, while peeling the hood off the car that hit me. No injuries.

I have had extensive training and experience in collision investigation, and have done research on my own. All of the studies, and my personal experience, on rapid tire deflation and collisions puts the fault solely on driver error. Usually, hard braking instead of slowly pulling off the roadway. The only thing Ford really screwed up on was recommending tire pressure lower than the manufacture's recommendation for the Firestone tires to get a smoother ride. Left them wide open to civil suits.

I disagree on Explorers being prone to rollovers in the stock configuration. Its no different than driving a truck. Drivers need to train themselves to drive their vehicles. The vast majority of collisions are front or rear impacts. In those types of collisions, whoever has the most metal usually wins. With today's smaller and lighter vehicles, the Explorer is usually going to win.

My 1994 easily makes a U-turn on a two-lane each way road without using the shoulder. The rack and pinyon steering of the second gens has wider turning radius.

 

[Terkins]

The high center of gravity of these Explorers create the greatest danger for them, they are much more likely to flip over at speed, than a car. Keep very good air pressure in all the tires, don't let them become under inflated ever.

Re: tire pressure...i recently took a 3-hr. trip to D.C/back. Tires "looked good". Checked them anyway. Each was down 1-1.5 p.s.i.. I inflated each from (prior) 32 to 35 p.s.i.

Explorer drove COMPLETELY differently. Strong headwinds/bone-chilling temps/blowing snow/crazy drivers passing me in the right lane kept me AWAKE the whole drive. Christmas music on the CD helped keep my calm. I don't enjoy interstate highway driving anymore. NO ONE gets ticketed for tailgating and EVERYONE seems to think their lives depend upon getting involved in an upcoming 4-mile-long-pile-up. (...come to think of it: They actually DO (depend on it.))

Experienced my first sliding-while-braking-on-a-downsloped-icy-street (despite being in 4WD-HI.) I wonder: If the tires were back at 32 psi vs. 35 psi if it would have made any difference?

Upon researching my Cooper tires later I discovered they are ONLY RATED @ 35 psi MAX! [P235/75R 15SL ; 29.0 x 10.0 x 29.0 Inches; current Cooper Discoverer H/T M+S 105S sn 3915 (by Firestone; USA made).] I'll be running them at 32 psi from now on...

 

[koda2000]

I don't think there would be much difference between 32 PSI and 35 PSI. I prefer 32 'ish PSI to get a bit softer ride out of my Michelin LTX's. At 35 PSI I can feel the difference in the ride.

 

[alohamonte]

I've only been in a minor fender bender in the explorer. It was stop and go traffic on the freeway and I rear ended a stopped dodge neon. The dodge hit the car in front of it first, came to an abrupt stop, and then I hit the neon. I fully braked and estimate I hit the neon around 10 to 15 mph. The trunk was crushed and I had a bent license plate frame. Which I bent back and drove on my merry way.