How many have had APIM replaced? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

How many have had APIM replaced?

Have you had your APIM replaced?

  • Yes

    Votes: 37 37.0%
  • No

    Votes: 63 63.0%

  • Total voters
    100

Fritzenheimer

Member
Joined
December 19, 2011
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
City, State
Georgia
Year, Model & Trim Level
2012Limited
Two days into ownership my APIM died. Now in shop. Seems like the failure rate on these modules is very high. Would love to know how pervasive these failures are.

Please fill in your details:

1. Your model and build date?
2. How many miles have you driven?
3. Have you had your APIM replaced?
4. How many miles were on your vehicle when the APIM failed?
5. Was the failure sudden or were there signs of a problem before failure?
6. What smartphone/carrier do you use?
7. Did APIM fix your problem?
8. How many times have you had the APIM replaced?

Here's mine:

1. 2012 Limited. Built November 2011.
2. 80
3. In shop now.
4. 80
5. Sudden death without warning.
6. iPhone 4/Verizon
7. Don't know yet
8. This will be my first.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.











It's the Advanced Protocol Interface Module - its the computer that controls MyTouch and Sync.
 






The failure rates for the modules within these forums is likely very high, since most that visit the forums are doing so because they have a problem. But I think in the grand scheme of the multiple thousands of Explorers sold, the occurrence of a bad APIM is very low. We know Ford sold over 100,000 2011 explorers (http://autocarnew.net/ford/ford-explorer-hits-100000-sales-mark/), and let's use a conservative estimate of 20,000 2012's on the road, if 1000 people have bad APIM's, that's less than a 1% defect rate... I would think that an acceptable defective rate on any electronic component would be between 1% - 3% ... I would be curious to know actual numbers from Ford on replacements of the module.

I also think that a lot of APIM's have been replaced without proper cause. Most of the problems with MFT are software issues, and dealerships were replacing APIM's as diagnosis before Ford acknowledged the tremendous number of issues that the software has.
 






This problem seems to be widespread. A friend's Ford Edge got his replaced after 10,000 miles and I got mine replaced at 250. They did a whole system reset as well. It did solve the freezing and restarts only temporarily so w1kedz has a point, the APIM was probably fine when it got replaced.
 






Mine 2013 is in for a new APIN right now. Less than 200 miles, only had it for one day. Would not recognize any voice commands at all.
 






My Ex is currently running on its THIRD APIM module since vehicle purchase in July 2011. And I still have a ton of problems.
 






What are some typical signs of failure?
 






Two days into ownership my APIM died. Now in shop. Seems like the failure rate on these modules is very high. Would love to know how pervasive these failures are.

Please fill in your details:

1. Your model and build date?
2. How many miles have you driven?
3. Have you had your APIM replaced?
4. How many miles were on your vehicle when the APIM failed?
5. Was the failure sudden or were there signs of a problem before failure?
6. What smartphone/carrier do you use?
7. Did APIM fix your problem?
8. How many times have you had the APIM replaced?

Here's mine:

1. 2012 Limited. Built November 2011.
2. 80
3. In shop now.
4. 80
5. Sudden death without warning.
6. iPhone 4/Verizon
7. Don't know yet
8. This will be my first.

Hi Fritz,

Mine has not been replaced, 8300 miles on the clock and almost 1 yr's time. After the did the Sept/12 problems started recognizing some v/coms.

3.5.1 came about and some v/coms returned, GPS coordinates gone and a few other bugs, no biggie, learned to live w/them. Believe is a programing flaw not an APMI issue in my case.

Bobby:thumbsup::thumbdwn:
 






Does anyone know if the APIM part number has changed since the 2011 models? I have a 2011 with minimal problems but wondered if it was replaced, would the APIM be an upgrade?
 






1. 2013 - Bought new in September 2012
2. 4500
3. Yes, and it's in the shop again today for the same issues (third time in the shop for sync issues in 5 months)
4. 3000
5. Constant lockups and freezes
6. AT&T iPhone 5
7. No
8. 1 so far but we'll see after today
 






Had mine replaced twice now. Less than two years doesn't seem very good.
 






I'm 2+ years in and still on the original APIM. My MFT has been running very well since they did the major update before 3.5 (knock on wood....)
 






2011 LTD, built April 2011. V3.5.1, original APIM. 20,000+ miles.
 






APIM is a Problem- "Very Low" Occurence?? Doubtful

......I think in the grand scheme of the multiple thousands of Explorers sold, the occurrence of a bad APIM is very low. .....

Really? Mine goes in this Friday to have it replaced. It's been enough of a problem that Ford sent letters to owners saying they extended their warranty for having this replaced....if it was "very low" I don't see that Ford would have gone to that extent.

My letter called it "Customer Satisfaction Program 12M02 and it extends the limited warranty to a total of five years without regard to mileage. (Thanks Ford, but I would rather have it just work)

Symptoms for mine include: (from memo I gave dealer when they had the car an entire day and decided it had to come back for new APIM which they didn't have available; Explorer has 23,000 miles, has been in shop 5 times for MFT problems and upgrades....still less than 50% chance of even entering a destination by voice- pretty sad):

1. Sync system has rebooted (saying “Performing Scheduled Maintenance”) 10-15 times in last week alone
a. It’s always done this once or twice a month but 10 times in a few days is a lot…especially if you are driving in say the Bronx and looking for your next exit and suddenly you have nothing to guide you until you get your phone going

2. Sometimes when I have just entered a destination in navigation I then “Set as Destination” and move the car into Reverse to leave my driveway and instead of getting the backup camera, I get a black screen…the screen then stays black all the way to a few exits into the Merritt (5 miles?) and then reboots saying “Performing Scheduled Maintenance”

3. Navigation system will regularly stop following me…e.g. Tuesday night returned on train to Stamford garage, put my home destination in and set out…map showed go under 95 and turn right on Tresser Blvd….but map stopped progressing…I was a mile up Tresser and it still showed me stopped under I-95 and Amtrak!
a. In this case it did not reboot- when I was on Hope Street ( 3miles up) it just ‘started working’ again

4. Most times that I choose to say “Weather Map” the system now says “Acquiring Weather” and just spins its cursors…the map never shows up…this is for example while on I-287 with no trees or underpasses within miles- totally open sky
a. Yes, since you told me last time that was a Sirius problem and not a Ford problem (I reject that idea by the way since I bought a Ford not a Sirius car), I did call Sirius and they re-sent the codes to the radio and confirmed all was set up correctly- per Sirius no Sirius problem…that was couple of months ago
b. I do get Sirius satellite radio no problem indicating:
i. A) I have a valid subscription that is set up correctly
ii. B) I have a clear shot at the sky

5. With iPod plugged in (which it is now), one should be able to choose “Repeat” or “Shuffle” to make it shuffle through your music or the artist you are listening to….It is set on “Shuffle” and “Repeat” and the system will not let you turn those off to listen to rest of music
a. Press “Shuffle” and it gives you three choices…choose “Off” and ‘OK’ or whatever and it is still on “Shuffle” permanently
 






No APIM Problems for me

No problems with my Explorer's MFT yet in the nearly 2 years we have had it.
I asked the service manager at the dealership I go to if they ever had to change an APIM in the many Explorers they have sold and he said it was not a common problem and they have changed a few in Edges, but even less in Explorers. He said that the most common problem they have with the Explorers is the "A Pillar" rattle.

Here are my details for the OP of this old thread.
1. 2011XLT - No Nav - Built in early May 2011
2. 15,000+
3. No
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. AT&T IPhone 5 & Nokia Lumia 900
7. Never had a problem
8. Never

Note: Before we got our current phones, I had a Nokia Fold(dumb phone) and the wife had a Samsung Galaxy Mini. Never a problem with the Nokia, but the Samsung was a nightmare to stay connected to MFT.
 






Really? Mine goes in this Friday to have it replaced. It's been enough of a problem that Ford sent letters to owners saying they extended their warranty for having this replaced....if it was "very low" I don't see that Ford would have gone to that extent.

My letter called it "Customer Satisfaction Program 12M02 and it extends the limited warranty to a total of five years without regard to mileage. (Thanks Ford, but I would rather have it just work)

Symptoms for mine include: (from memo I gave dealer when they had the car an entire day and decided it had to come back for new APIM which they didn't have available; Explorer has 23,000 miles, has been in shop 5 times for MFT problems and upgrades....still less than 50% chance of even entering a destination by voice- pretty sad):

1. Sync system has rebooted (saying “Performing Scheduled Maintenance”) 10-15 times in last week alone
a. It’s always done this once or twice a month but 10 times in a few days is a lot…especially if you are driving in say the Bronx and looking for your next exit and suddenly you have nothing to guide you until you get your phone going

2. Sometimes when I have just entered a destination in navigation I then “Set as Destination” and move the car into Reverse to leave my driveway and instead of getting the backup camera, I get a black screen…the screen then stays black all the way to a few exits into the Merritt (5 miles?) and then reboots saying “Performing Scheduled Maintenance”

3. Navigation system will regularly stop following me…e.g. Tuesday night returned on train to Stamford garage, put my home destination in and set out…map showed go under 95 and turn right on Tresser Blvd….but map stopped progressing…I was a mile up Tresser and it still showed me stopped under I-95 and Amtrak!
a. In this case it did not reboot- when I was on Hope Street ( 3miles up) it just ‘started working’ again

4. Most times that I choose to say “Weather Map” the system now says “Acquiring Weather” and just spins its cursors…the map never shows up…this is for example while on I-287 with no trees or underpasses within miles- totally open sky
a. Yes, since you told me last time that was a Sirius problem and not a Ford problem (I reject that idea by the way since I bought a Ford not a Sirius car), I did call Sirius and they re-sent the codes to the radio and confirmed all was set up correctly- per Sirius no Sirius problem…that was couple of months ago
b. I do get Sirius satellite radio no problem indicating:
i. A) I have a valid subscription that is set up correctly
ii. B) I have a clear shot at the sky

5. With iPod plugged in (which it is now), one should be able to choose “Repeat” or “Shuffle” to make it shuffle through your music or the artist you are listening to….It is set on “Shuffle” and “Repeat” and the system will not let you turn those off to listen to rest of music
a. Press “Shuffle” and it gives you three choices…choose “Off” and ‘OK’ or whatever and it is still on “Shuffle” permanently

I had to check to make sure this wasn't a post I put up here in my sleep as it sounded EXACTLY like the list of issues I'm having with a few more mixed in for fun. My car is in today for an APIM replacement for a third time making this my fourth APIM. I called the service manager at my dealership who asked for one more chance to try to make it right and I really love the car otherwise so I want to make it work. It's very difficult though because so much of the car is tied to MFT that when it doesn't work, you can end up bored (no music), lost (no nav), and freezing (no heat) until it reboots.

The most frustrating part of the whole MFT experience as an owner is that it doesn't feel like an integrated part of the car-- it feels like an aftermarket computer shoved in that plays nice sometimes and isn't compatible with the rest of the car other times. It's seriously disappointing and right now every time I go to use my navigation my wife, family, and friends will tell me they'll just use their phone instead because it works better. :(

However, I'm standing by it and trying to get things to work. I'm just losing my patience with every other error and reboot I get...
 






I had to check to make sure this wasn't a post I put up here in my sleep as it sounded EXACTLY like the list of issues I'm having with a few more mixed in for fun. My car is in today for an APIM replacement for a third time making this my fourth APIM. I called the service manager at my dealership who asked for one more chance to try to make it right and I really love the car otherwise so I want to make it work. It's very difficult though because so much of the car is tied to MFT that when it doesn't work, you can end up bored (no music), lost (no nav), and freezing (no heat) until it reboots.

The most frustrating part of the whole MFT experience as an owner is that it doesn't feel like an integrated part of the car-- it feels like an aftermarket computer shoved in that plays nice sometimes and isn't compatible with the rest of the car other times. It's seriously disappointing and right now every time I go to use my navigation my wife, family, and friends will tell me they'll just use their phone instead because it works better. :(

However, I'm standing by it and trying to get things to work. I'm just losing my patience with every other error and reboot I get...

I'm another one that has had all of these issues,, plus one other awesome one where my GPS/nav puts me all over the place (2-3 miles away in fields next to the roads that I'm driving on and then it skips all over for 10 - 15 minutes).

I really really want to keep my streak of Fords since I was 16 going but this plus the exhaust that I smell when I punch it has me looking at Hondas and other non Fords :( :thumbdwn:
 






1. Limited 4x4 february 2012
2. 24,250
3. Its on order
4. 23,186
5. Performing maintenance... Desktop.exe encountered serious error must shut down
6. Iphone 5/verizon
7. Waiting for replacement
8. 0 first time coming up
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





IPM Died

1.Explorer XLT 2013-Bought new in October 2012
2. 10,000 miles
3. First time in the shop-APIM died according dealer technician.
4.A/C goes to low and buttons freezes. Also Radio stations change without touch anything.
5. Now Iam wating for the new APIM.
 






Back
Top