If you were to buy now, would you still buy what you bought? 6th Gen (2020+) | Page 6 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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If you were to buy now, would you still buy what you bought? 6th Gen (2020+)

I thought this was a 6th gen only question due to the placement of the topic in the 6th gen forum. I did have a 6th gen (2020 Limited 4WD) and while I didn't have some of the horrible issues that some did, I'll recap what I did experience and why I no longer own the vehicle. For anyone wondering, this was my 3rd Explorer and I had planned to have it for years to come. I've listed most of the issues that I can think of in order of severity (to me personally)

  • Passenger side seat fan failed 3 times, dealer would not replace the seat cushion which was assembled wrong and pushed foam into the fan when there was a person sitting in it. They only tested with the seat unoccupied. I blame the dealer but this issue too 6 months to resolve.
  • Sunroof was out of alignment and required adjustment. It would pop loudly when closing from the popped up vent position. Dealer readjusted and lubricated. I was chastised by the dealer because there was no lubrication on the sunroof rubber, and that the sunroof required maintenance. After that visit it started doing the same thing a month later (after less than a dozen uses and a fresh application of lubricant on the rubber surfaces.
  • Missing tow hook, but we all know that's pretty common. Also missing the small cargo area floor fill panel/dividers. Dealer would not replace either of these items under warranty so I had to buy them out of pocket.
  • Roof Rail caps at the back of the roof rails above the rear hatch were deformed and would flutter while driving. Newer vehicles did not show the same deformation so they were replaced.
  • Chrome accents on window switches was flaking off. Didn't realize it until I sliced my finger putting the window down on the sharp chrome, I thought it had a slightly different look for being the drivers window switch.
  • Drivers door panel rattled and sounded like Velcro when any pressure was put against the top. None of the other 3 door panels did this.
  • One of the Sync control modules had to be replaced as there were serious issues with the Sync3 system. It would not update and was very laggy and slow to respond. I think this is listed as a TSB as well, but I had to bring it up to the dealer.
  • The backup camera was not aligned properly and I couldn't trust the overhead view when parking. It defeated the purpose of the feature. The lines painted on the ground never lined up between the side and back cameras so there was no way to know what to trust or not. The service writer drove the vehicle and called me to say he could see exactly what was going on but there was no way to calibrate. The paperwork I was handed again said "unable to duplicate"
  • Parking sonar sensors worked intermittently and not consistently. The issue was mostly the corner sensors and they would not detect obstacles. It happened after I got the explorer back from it's 5th dealer visit. I parked inside every day and was very aware of what sensors would go off and how far they would indicate as I was pulling into the garage. They would detect the post that divided the garage and the car in the second bay every time I pulled in and would alarm off the toolbox at the front of the garage. They stopped doing this as reliably and sometimes not at all. Most annoyingly is the fact that it would sometimes alert on the screen but not audibly. I am still someone who checks their mirrors and uses the windows to park so I was not staring at the screen. The point of the alert was to get your attention and it stopped doing that. Another dealer visit and "unable to duplicate" and the "sensitivity is not adjustable"
  • The shifting on the 10 speed was usually pretty good, but there were many times in rush hour traffic that shifts were violent. I had passengers ask me if we ran over something of if that was the Explorer that made that noise. All the dealership could do was reset the transmission and hope for the best.
  • Transmission leak... More accurately the output seal from the transfer case. Took 3 trips to the dealership to fix this. I was told first that they couldn't find anything (unable to duplicate), told next that it was leftover fluid from the transmission cooler recall and finally fixed the third time after insisting that it is the rear seal.
  • Biggest issue to me came after I did a 20k mile oil analysis and found a fuel dilution of 3.0% fuel in the oil after 7500 miles (25% on the IOLM and 3/4 Ford's recommended interval) This dilution lowered the room temperature and operating temperature viscosity of the oil and the flashpoint of the oil as well. This is a vehicle I had planned on keeping for years and seeing that the oil was being diluted and not protecting the engine like it was supposed to really bothered me. The dealer was 'unable to recreate' the issue and could not find where the fuel came from. There were no codes so they just told me to check it again later to see if it got any better. Not derailing this thread into an oil thread, but 3% of the oil being fuel is bad, especially if there is no clear sign of where it came from.

Again, I really REALLY wanted to like this vehicle, but for a $55k vehicle, I was starting to make excuses for things being wrong. "Oh the parking sensors work sometimes" "The sunroof doesn't have to be open" "The shifting is usually ok" "Ill just change the oil sooner" I had Stockholm syndrome for this Explorer and was justifying everything that was wrong. The very last thing was when I noticed the UV clearcoat had started to flake off the top of the headlights. After a friend quipped that it was "back to the dealer for it's monthly visit" I think I finally snapped out of it. That was the last straw and Carmax owned it a few days later. I've had a dozen different Ford vehicles in my family and never had the issues that I did with this. Everyone at work would ask what broke now, anytime I'd be driving a new loaner car. I am definitely soured on Ford right now and I know that since it was a 2020, and the unique challenges that year presented, my experience may be an anomaly. I sincerely hope they get better but some of the issues seemed so basic, I wondered why these had failed and was something I had to take time to have repaired. Ford is not new to the car business, but this new model seems like they forgot so much of what they used to do well. Sorry if that was a little long winded, but I wanted to answer some of the questions out there.
 



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You are correct, as the title indicates, this thread pertains to 2020+ vehicles.
 






By the way what's wrong with Chicago plant?
Um, it's Chicago. Mayor bug-eye doesn't expect its constituents to actually know their job, so why should they do it right? Supposedly some or all the output from the Chicago plant goes to Flat Rock to be fixed.
 






Um, it's Chicago. Mayor bug-eye doesn't expect its constituents to actually know their job, so why should they do it right? Supposedly some or all the output from the Chicago plant goes to Flat Rock to be fixed.
You mean mayor BeetleJuice.
 












Beginning of each generation, usually there are some bugs/design flaws to be solved. Will be following this thread, would like to know how long these new Explorers last! Like for instance the 2.3 turbo engine at 175K miles? They certainly seem to haul ass now!
 






Beginning of each generation, usually there are some bugs/design flaws to be solved. Will be following this thread, would like to know how long these new Explorers last! Like for instance the 2.3 turbo engine at 175K miles? They certainly seem to haul ass now!
I thought that is why they build prototypes, then TT builds, then PP builds and then Engineers drive them?
 






I thought that is why they build prototypes, then TT builds, then PP builds and then Engineers drive them?
Probably should have said 'production mishaps"? Not picking on Explorers or Ford particularly. Over the years, I've seen lots of vehicles of various brands, change or fix things that came out on brand new models/generations of models
 






Absolutely NOT. Ours is an early model. Picked it up Nov. 1st 2019 and it has been a complete headache almost from day one. With a screen that go black or does respond, Seat controls that don't work half the time, seat heater that you can't turn off, Mirrors that continue to click when the fold out, rattles in the moonroof, clunks in the suspension, Auto Hold faults, loose interior trim, cracked manifold, leaking oil, transmission issues where it won't go in gear, hunts up and down for gears on flat roads, Start / stop that often won't restart unless you put it back in park and hit the start button. The list goes on.

This is by far the worst car we have owed. We hate driving it so much that it only has 10K miles on it in two years. We refuse to drive it anywhere further than a couple of miles from home as it's been on a tow truck 4 times. So yes, it has been back to the dealer several times for these issues.

Our 2018 with 108K on it is a nicer driving and more reliable car in every way. There will never be another Explorer in this house.
I would have either lemon lawed that thing quick or traded it as soon as possible. My last F-150 was a bit of trouble, some of it expected others not so much. It was a 2015 with the 2.7l engine. It had been sitting on the lot for about 9 months. When I went to test drive it, the battery was dead and the sales person didn't know how long it had been dead. They got it charged and I eventually bought the truck. After about two weeks the battery quit fully charging so the auto start/stop wouldn't work. They recharged the battery but 6 months later it had to be replaced. The brakes were replaced within four years and I only towed once with a half full 5x7 u-haul trailer, well below its towing capability. I am hard on acceleration, but take my time to stop, to save the brakes. I had to replace the oil pan gasket twice. The first time as covered by warranty the second I received a 50% discount and paid $900. I owned the truck for less than 5 years. I traded it for a Fusion. Traded the Fusion 10 months later due to my medical condition causing problems getting out of the car. It was too low. The Explorer was the exact right hight. If I'm spending money for a car, it needs to work for my purposes or I will get rid of it, even if it isn't the best move financially. I have enough other irritations in my life to have to deal with a car that isn't working the way I need it to.
 












Just don't say it three times. They might wind up with two of the animals.
LOL good one. The Chicago plant did an excellent job on my (now defunct) Taurus - but that was in '96!
 






As the title says - if you were in the same position today - You would still buy your 6th Gen (2020+) Explorer or something else/different trim?

As I am considering a 22 Explorer (would be my 4th) i am strongly considering a 22 King Ranch or the all new 22 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Trail Hawk or Overland)
These vehicles are in the same group, but aren't at the same time. I took advantage of the crazy used market and sold my Outback XT Limited a few weeks ago to Carmax for more than purchased 18 month ago. So we are putting the money aside and any payments that we would have been making to apply towards the new purchase next year. As such we are now we are one car house - a slightly modified Subaru Forester and want my next purchase to have some light off-road ability as well.

My next purchase likely narrowed down to 22 King Ranch or the all new 22 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Trail Hawk or Overland) (Wanted an F-150 but just won't quite fit in our garage (just slightly too long) ... SO - I am wanting to stay under or very close to $60k and of course Jeep (Chrysler/FCA/Stellantis has some history for quality issues but certainly have improved) and not like Ford doesn't have their issues as well.

Not really interested in the Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride or Chevy Traverse.
Yes, I would buy it again. I purchased a 2021 Limited 2.3L and have been quite pleased. This came after purchasing and quickly (within several days) trading back a Limited 3.0L Hybrid which I found to be a big mistake. The start and stops and transitions to and from electric were a mess with the Hybrid. That said, the 2.3L has excellent pick-up for a 4 cylinder engine (I was skeptical, but no more after driving it a lot), the mileage is decent (typically 20 MPG in town), the seating and leg room comfort is exceptional. For me, the driver and front passenger comfort were deciding factors. I tried quite a few other similar class SUVs and none provided me the comfort that the Explorer did. Plus the fact, I happen to like the relative ease of use of Sync 3. Suffice to say that I started this process with significant hesitation given the MY 2020 start-up issues. But I ended up taking a shot on the MY 2021 and wasn't disappointed in the least. Every car will have its issues, but with 7K miles so far, I am pleased. Good luck! Always a big decision.
 






"2 cylinder engine"?? I think you missed 2 more. :D It's a 2.3L Ecoboost I-4.

Peter
 






"2 cylinder engine"?? I think you missed 2 more. :D It's a 2.3L Ecoboost I-4.

Peter
Peter - Whoops. :) Thanks for catching my typo, which I have corrected. :) That said, it has been a great engine even though I had first planned to limit my purchase to a V-6. It's not a rocket ... but for day to day in-town and highway driving, the 2.3 Ecoboost has been a champ.
 






Peter - Whoops. :) Thanks for catching my typo, which I have corrected. :) That said, it has been a great engine even though I had first planned to limit my purchase to a V-6. It's not a rocket ... but for day to day in-town and highway driving, the 2.3 Ecoboost has been a champ.
Had a chance to experience that engine in a 2020 Nautilis I test drove. Very surprised at the power it had.

Peter
 






Yes, I would buy it again. I purchased a 2021 Limited 2.3L and have been quite pleased. This came after purchasing and quickly (within several days) trading back a Limited 3.0L Hybrid which I found to be a big mistake. The start and stops and transitions to and from electric were a mess with the Hybrid. That said, the 2.3L has excellent pick-up for a 4 cylinder engine (I was skeptical, but no more after driving it a lot), the mileage is decent (typically 20 MPG in town), the seating and leg room comfort is exceptional. For me, the driver and front passenger comfort were deciding factors. I tried quite a few other similar class SUVs and none provided me the comfort that the Explorer did. Plus the fact, I happen to like the relative ease of use of Sync 3. Suffice to say that I started this process with significant hesitation given the MY 2020 start-up issues. But I ended up taking a shot on the MY 2021 and wasn't disappointed in the least. Every car will have its issues, but with 7K miles so far, I am pleased. Good luck! Always a big decision.
I was talking with a police officer who was driving a hybrid version. She said the same thing. The car seems to have trouble deciding what it needs to do. She said it was very annoying.
 






Maybe i don't understand the original question fully. You mean if i were to buy today, knowing what i already know about the explorer, would i buy it?

If so, HELL NO.

The price i paid (48k MSRP but got it for 42k) doesn't warrant what the car provides.

My friend has a telluride, which he uses for UBER and the fit and finish and quality is SO MUCH better than the explorer. If i needed a big SUV (which i don't, i got the explorer for it's size and because it's my first "real" SUV), that i would definitely consider a telluride, or even a palisade since they're essentially the same.

I was always a fan of the explorer because my manager had like 3 of them. I like their road presence on the road, and how high up you sit when you're driving. It's an awesome feeling and i get it why people love SUV's.

However this explorer has been a nightmare. It's been reliable don't get me wrong. But the driving characteristics suck major ass.

Perhaps 2022 models gotten better as i briefly test drove a 2021 XLT and it was exactly the same. I stop caring and lost all interest in giving hope for a 2022 or a 2023 when i give back this lease.

My co-worker is actually taking over my lease in spring. I told him i need this SUV one more winter then it's yours. I just got an M3 competition and will be getting a tesla in spring to replace the explorer as a daily.

I wanted to love this explorer. Had so much high hopes for it before i got it. Once i got it, i was greatly disappointed in how it drives and the quality. Not to mention the rental car 2.3 engine. SMH.
 






Well I took the plunge and got a 21 King Ranch 4wd 3.0T with 4.2 miles and was able to negotiate and take advantage of the Ford back Friday incentives and interest rates thru the of November of either 0% for 60 or 1.9% for 72

20211127_093534.jpg 20211127_101414.jpg
 






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