I have driven my Explorer XLT now for a little over 15 months. I have approximately 15,000 miles on it. While I like the spaciousness of the cab, and its appearance, that's really all I have good to say about it. It gets crappy gas mileage, the gas tank is ridiculously small, the Sync and MFT sucks so bad, it should be recalled, the brakes have squealed since the day I bought it, the GPS is grossly inaccurate, I have had to have the fog lamps replaced within 3 months of driving it new off the lot, and now the heat has developed an issue. I took it in for its oil change and to have some other issues looked at, and the service department tells me there is a sensor in the grill that is broken off that controls the temperature reading on the MFT screen, as well as the heat in the vehicle. They said its not covered under warranty, and it'll cost $375 to repair it. I Googled the part, and unless I am looking at the wrong thing, its a $10 part. This is my first experience buying a new Ford, and it will certainly be my last. I didn't pay $45,000 to have a vehicle to have so many problems. Looks like I will be entertaining another vehicle soon. I can't stand sub-par vehicles.
Let us know how many similar sized SUVs weighing over 6,000 pounds with AWD get better gas mileage than the Explorer. I easily get over 22 on the highway and about 18 around town. That's the price of admission. Heck, I bought gas this week in central Illinois for $1.66. That's nuttier than squirrel poop.
So 18.6 gallons of fuel is not enough? With a highway cruising range of 400 miles. You must have a huge bladder. I usually need a bathroom before I need gas.
I think my 2007 Eddie Bauer have a 22+ gallon tank. Yeah, that was nice, but it also had worse gas mileage. About 18 tops. So, net-net, range is in the ballpark.
My GPS works great. I use it every day. All day long. But nothing beats my old Garmins. Even the GPS systems in my +$150,000 weekend toys aren't better than a Garmin
MFT and Sync are not perfect. Much better than my 2011.
I've never heard brake squeal on any of my 5 Explorers, and over 500,000 miles of use. I know brake squeal. I live at the race track April-October in sportscars.
Log lamp issue? Pffft. No big deal.
Sensor in the grill? See if another dealership will cooperate better. On my 2011 that sensor failed. Soon after I had a fender-bender. There was not a mark on my bumper. But the sensor failed soon after. This is maybe why your repair is being declined. Buy the $10 and DIY. If you don't have the skill level (I don't) then ya gotta pay to play.
You paid $45K. Great. I see 2 problems. One was fixed (fog lights) under warranty, the other (sensor) is yet to be resolved. I've seen people pay $450,000 for a vehicle, and they have warranty issues too. I know people who have paid $22,500 for an SUV and have ZERO problems. Price paid does not make you immune to mechanical failure.
I really don't think there is a better American Made, by an American Company, SUV in the market, then the Explorer. Yes, there are some great foreign choices. But, I'm unwilling to buy a foreign SUV, and drive to my American customers and sell my American made products to them.
Let us know what you buy next. Good luck.
Reach out to Ford Customer Service here on the forum, for the sensor, they are great people.
