2011 Explorer Limited Question

[driver4523]

I've been driving a 2011 Explorer Limited that's very nice! We like it and plan on buying it tomorrow. It has lots of options we like, the price is right, and it's in great shape!

From my time driving it, it seems like a great vehicle. But I started doing some research on Google and it looks like lots of folks have problems with the Explorer's reliability. It doesn't seem to get great reviews (which is surprising considering how nice the car seems.)

This car has about 50 thousand miles on it and the service has all been done at the dealership and has had all service done on schedule with no major issues.

Just wanted to see if you guys could set my mind at ease before I buy this care. Are these explorers good cars? Why do they get such a bad wrap online?

 

[boxlunch12]

I have a 2011 Limited with 32000+miles and it has been 100% trouble free. The only problem was the Ford My Touch and with the latest upgrade version 3.6 the sync and all features are working as expected. I do not think you can go wrong on the 2011 Limited based on my experience. Like the car you may purchase all my service has been done at a Ford dealer. If this dealer is like my selling and servicing dealer, Hilbish Ford in Kannapolis, NC you should have a problem free ride for many, many miles beyond the listed 50,000 odometer reading. Enjoy you new ride. Tom

 

[peterk9]

Welcome new members

Welcome to the Forum driver4523 and lunchbox12.:wavey::wavey:
I have a 2011 Limited as well and although it doesn't have many miles on it, 9800, I have had it since March 2011 and have replaced a front right sensor, the battery, and had the 'phantom windshield wipe' TSB done. It has been an excellent vehicle for me and I'm thinking about getting another one when the lease expires in March 2015.
There will no doubt be some members who will advise you against buying it due to certain issues they have had. This is normal since their advice is based on their experiences. These Explorers are by no means perfect as you can see by scanning the various threads. The 2011 was the most trouble prone because it was the first year of the new design. That being said, the models that have come out in subsequent years have also experienced their share of issues. One thing I would do is to look into getting a Ford extended warranty (ESP) because of all the electronics on it.
Some of the issues posted about are the water leak. Check the third row seatbelt to see if there is any evidence of water having run down them. Check the wheel well where the spare is stored for the same issue. Some Explorers exhibit a bad smell upon hard acceleration and although there is a TSB on this, the 'fix' has been anything but successful for most members.
As always, you have to make the final decision based on what you read here and on your 'feel' for the vehicle you are considering.
Good luck.

Peter

 

[driver4523]

Welcome to the Forum driver4523 and lunchbox12.:wavey::wavey:
I have a 2011 Limited as well and although it doesn't have many miles on it, 9800, I have had it since March 2011 and have replaced a front right sensor, the battery, and had the 'phantom windshield wipe' TSB done. It has been an excellent vehicle for me and I'm thinking about getting another one when the lease expires in March 2015.
There will no doubt be some members who will advise you against buying it due to certain issues they have had. This is normal since their advice is based on their experiences. These Explorers are by no means perfect as you can see by scanning the various threads. The 2011 was the most trouble prone because it was the first year of the new design. That being said, the models that have come out in subsequent years have also experienced their share of issues. One thing I would do is to look into getting a Ford extended warranty (ESP) because of all the electronics on it.
Some of the issues posted about are the water leak. Check the third row seatbelt to see if there is any evidence of water having run down them. Check the wheel well where the spare is stored for the same issue. Some Explorers exhibit a bad smell upon hard acceleration and although there is a TSB on this, the 'fix' has been anything but successful for most members.
As always, you have to make the final decision based on what you read here and on your 'feel' for the vehicle you are considering.
Good luck.

Peter

Thanks for the feedback. We've had a lot of rain where I"m from the last 24 hours. I just checked around the spare tire and the 3rd row seat and I didn't see any signs of water...which I'm hoping is a good thing.

The last owner really took care of it, and it's "certified" which I"m told means it is in top notch shape...but you never know.

How common was the water leak? From that one thread you'd think everyone had the issue, but I'm guessing it wasn't as wide spread as they made it sound.

 

[driver4523]

I have a 2011 Limited with 32000+miles and it has been 100% trouble free. The only problem was the Ford My Touch and with the latest upgrade version 3.6 the sync and all features are working as expected. I do not think you can go wrong on the 2011 Limited based on my experience. Like the car you may purchase all my service has been done at a Ford dealer. If this dealer is like my selling and servicing dealer, Hilbish Ford in Kannapolis, NC you should have a problem free ride for many, many miles beyond the listed 50,000 odometer reading. Enjoy you new ride. Tom

Thanks for the comment! This makes me feel better.

 

[Holligl]

I have an early production model, built late 2010. Had lots of issues early, but they have all been taken care of. It has been rock solid for the last couple years. 42K+ miles. Love it.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Almost 94,000 miles on my 2011 Limited. All is good in the galaxy.

 

[peterk9]

Almost 94,000 miles on my 2011 Limited. All is good in the galaxy.

Bill, if you were to 'park' yours today, it would take me about 8 1/2 years to catch up given my current driving pattern.:biggthump

Peter

 

[briteboy]

I don't have a Limited, but I do have the 2011 XLT with NAV, Leather and a lot of the limited features that were offered in 2011.

Only problem I've had in 43k miles is a TSB on the radiator fan, and an upgrade to the software for the transmission. You might want to make sure all TSB's are completed and get a history of what was and what wasn't completed.

Also make sure you have 3.6.2 update on the software.

I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do ours.

 

[driver4523]

I don't have a Limited, but I do have the 2011 XLT with NAV, Leather and a lot of the limited features that were offered in 2011.

Only problem I've had in 43k miles is a TSB on the radiator fan, and an upgrade to the software for the transmission. You might want to make sure all TSB's are completed and get a history of what was and what wasn't completed.

Also make sure you have 3.6.2 update on the software.

I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do ours.

Thanks for chiming in. I"m surprised to find 2013 limited (non 4x4) in the 29K-32K range. I've spent hours and hours trying to find one with the same set up as this 2011 I'm driving, minus the 4x4 to the lower the price I bit (I don't need 4x4) but I've had ZERO luck.

I see that lots of people say not to buy the first year model because there were lots of issues, but am I right in thinking that any issues that could come up can be fixed by the dealership....? In other words, as long as I have the premium ford ESP that will take care of any issues that come up, I should be ok, right?

At the price I'm paying (29,888) do you think I'm getting a great deal that I shouldn't pass up? As I mentioned, the owner has gotten all service work done on time at the dealership. And the car is in mint condition.

Here is a copy of the carfax that shows all of the maintenance on the car (which I didn't know carfax's included.) http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DLR_3&vin=1FMHK8F8XBGA18147

According to the report on 10/13 they did this "Engine/powertrain computer/module reprogrammed" --- not sure what this is.

As I said, this is the exact car we'd like, but not sure if we should let it go and try to find a newer model just so we don't buy a 2011, or if having the Premium ESP up to 125K miles would make it a non issue.

 

[driver4523]

I don't have a Limited, but I do have the 2011 XLT with NAV, Leather and a lot of the limited features that were offered in 2011.

Only problem I've had in 43k miles is a TSB on the radiator fan, and an upgrade to the software for the transmission. You might want to make sure all TSB's are completed and get a history of what was and what wasn't completed.

Also make sure you have 3.6.2 update on the software.

I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do ours.

Also when you say " a lot of the limited features that were offered in 2011, what do you mean?

 

[briteboy]

In model year 2011, my recollection was that there weren't as many additional features on the LTD as there are now. There were more than the XLT but in 2013-2014 the LTD has more features.

I upgraded my XLT with many of the Ltd options (not all) and it suited us fine, so that's the difference in my XLT and your LTD.

I looked at the car fax report and 3 issues got my attention:

1. The car has had 2 owners in 50k miles. Questionable
2. Only record of an oil & filter change was at 34k miles
3. 2 tires were replaced...why not all 4?

I also went to Kelly Blue Book and the $29,900 price appears to be good according to them.

I suspect the software upgrade for the power train was the same one done on mine. Solved my problem with some minor shifting issues.

Have you tested the 4 wheel drive appropriately? Meaning, have you REALLY tested it to make sure it works the way you want? Mud, Sand, steep inclines...

If you're getting the extended warranty, and you trust your dealer, then your risks are minimized I would think.

Good luck.

 

[driver4523]

In model year 2011, my recollection was that there weren't as many additional features on the LTD as there are now. There were more than the XLT but in 2013-2014 the LTD has more features.

I upgraded my XLT with many of the Ltd options (not all) and it suited us fine, so that's the difference in my XLT and your LTD.

I looked at the car fax report and 3 issues got my attention:

1. The car has had 2 owners in 50k miles. Questionable
2. Only record of an oil & filter change was at 34k miles
3. 2 tires were replaced...why not all 4?

I also went to Kelly Blue Book and the $29,900 price appears to be good according to them.

I suspect the software upgrade for the power train was the same one done on mine. Solved my problem with some minor shifting issues.

Have you tested the 4 wheel drive appropriately? Meaning, have you REALLY tested it to make sure it works the way you want? Mud, Sand, steep inclines...

If you're getting the extended warranty, and you trust your dealer, then your risks are minimized I would think.

Good luck.

Hmm..the 2013 Limited has more features than the 2011 Limited with he 302A package and the drivers comfort package? That's interesting... Any thoughts as to what they are?

Also good questions about the carfax repot. I'm going to have them run an Osais report on the car tomorrow to get a better understanding of its history.

Also I would think the "Recommended maintenance performed" would be the oil change...

 

[peterk9]

Hmm..the 2013 Limited has more features than the 2011 Limited with he 302A package and the drivers comfort package? That's interesting... Any thoughts as to what they are?

Also good questions about the carfax repot. I'm going to have them run an Osais report on the car tomorrow to get a better understanding of its history.

Also I would think the "Recommended maintenance performed" would be the oil change...

From what I can recall, it is the heated steering wheel, lane keeping or lane departure warning and auto hi beams. I'm sure someone will add what I've missed.

Only TSB's that are done on a vehicle are those that were required to fix a problem. Just because a TSB exists does not mean it automatically gets done if there isn't a problem with the vehicle.

Peter

 

[driver4523]

From what I can recall, it is the heated steering wheel, lane keeping or lane departure warning and auto hi beams. I'm sure someone will add what I've missed.

Only TSB's that are done on a vehicle are those that were required to fix a problem. Just because a TSB exists does not mean it automatically gets done if there isn't a problem with the vehicle.

Peter

Also just because theres a TSB it doesn't mean every car is going to need it, does it?

 

[peterk9]

Also just because theres a TSB it doesn't mean every car is going to need it, does it?

Correct.