Interior Door panel issue / separation | Page 6 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Interior Door panel issue / separation

I have a early run of the 2015 Limited Explorer. This issue of the covering separating from the door panel started happening in July of 2017 at 26,000 miles. By the time I got to the dealership from our travels, it was August; by then I was a few days outside of the 36 month warranty and was told it won't be covered. Called Ford Customer Service and was again told it won't be covered. I think it is ridiculous that Ford is not covering this issue - I'm tempted to leave it looking awful just so when people see the issue I can respond "Ford quality control, Ford [not]standing behind their product."
Welcome to the Forum.:wave:
Since you are no longer under warranty, Ford is in their rights to refuse a 'warranty repair'. Having said that, Ford has at times offered what can be called 'Good Will' coverage. The tricky thing with warranties in general is how far out of warranty should a warranty repair be extended? I agree this is an issue of questionable quality but even if they actioned a TSB, that also is only in affect while the vehicle is under warranty. No recall since it is not considered a 'Safety' issue. Even if you had taken out the Ford ESP, you'd be in the same predicament since it doesn't cover trim.

Peter
 



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Welcome to the Forum.:wave:
Since you are no longer under warranty, Ford is in their rights to refuse a 'warranty repair'. Having said that, Ford has at times offered what can be called 'Good Will' coverage. The tricky thing with warranties in general is how far out of warranty should a warranty repair be extended? I agree this is an issue of questionable quality but even if they actioned a TSB, that also is only in affect while the vehicle is under warranty. No recall since it is not considered a 'Safety' issue. Even if you had taken out the Ford ESP, you'd be in the same predicament since it doesn't cover trim.

Peter
Thanks Peter!

I figured, if nothing else, it is good to report a similar issue so that my complaint doesn't just live in a Ford database somewhere. It was comforting to find that I was not alone in my issue and about potential resolves. Glad I stumbled along this forum!
 






I had my first driver side panel replaced when my 2011 XLT was under the "new car warranty". The same panel has split again and they will not replace it now (I have an extended warranty that, I guess, doesn't cover this).

I was quoted a price of over $700 for the panel (I'm in the Kitchener, Ontario area). They suggested I try a local car upholstery place but they refused saying it was a molded panel and pointed me to some vinyl place.

At this point, I about ready to pull the panel off and try to fix it myself. I've seen the "stitching" video (with the wax thread) and I don't want to try that. It looks like if I can get the panel off and remove the padding, I should be able to glue some sort of fabric support along the seam to fix it.

This is so frustrating because it's clearly a manufacturer defect. I don't even use the arm rest because it's too low for my arm.

/rant over

Bill
 






I have a 2014 Ford Explorer. Over the winter, I noticed the door "buckling up" from the window on the passenger side. It appears as if the adhesive that keeps the door panel in place, is not holding and it is coming apart and pulling away from the door. Now the same thing is happening on the driver's side. When I inquired about it at the dealership, I was told the entire door panel would need to be replaced at a cost of $787! (For each door). I was also told this is not covered under warranty, etc. Has anyone else had this issue with their explorer and the door panels/vinyl pulling away from the door?

I am having the same problem with my driver side door. 6 months out of warranty and dealer quoted me $500 today. They must see this a lot because the person helping me knew immediately to suggest an auto upholsterer instead of the $500 dealer replacement of the panel.
 






Welcome to the Forum bstride and Matt.:wave:
I agree that this is an issue that seems to be far to common and Ford should step up and offer with some kind of assistance. The ESP does not cover anything considered to be trim. It is stated in the ESP coverage document under items that are not covered.

Peter
 






Welcome to the Forum bstride and Matt.:wave:
I agree that this is an issue that seems to be far to common and Ford should step up and offer with some kind of assistance. The ESP does not cover anything considered to be trim. It is stated in the ESP coverage document under items that are not covered.

Peter

I can accept that the ESP doesn't cover the trim but as I said, this is frustrating because it's obviously a manufacturer defect. The panel was replaced under warranty and the replaced panel has split again.

I freaking love my explorer and I just hate seeing this issue every time I open the door. I wish Ford had a better solution for such a defect.

I'll keep looking for a solution.

Cheers

Bill
 






This seems like a common first post/problem for new members.. well it is for me too.

Bought a 2015 XLT, 26k miles at Carmax yesterday and noticed the door panel issue right after driving it off the lot. Fortunately I am still in warranty. Update... my local dealer replaced both panels in about one hour under warranty. I hope these new panels last longer than 26k miles.

Side note... I have untill Friday for a no questions asked return. Do I dare take that option? Let me know current owners of other common problems. I've read about the leaking sunroof drains... I dont have one. Generally, have "fixes" to common problems been easy like this one? Even though door panel seems hard to pull off, reading through this thread, plenty of folks have paid <1 hr labor to have it done.
 






Welcome to the Forum Goran.:wave:
There are several issues that have been identified in this Forum. Exhaust smell, water leak, PTU issues, hood paint bubble.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...ell-in-cabin-during-hard-acceleration.323597/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/water-leak.327803/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/ptu-problems.379087/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/hood-paint-bubble-issue-only.326943/
You can use the Forum's handy 'Search' feature (upper right) to see if there are any other ones specific to your concerns.

Peter
 






This seems like a common first post/problem for new members.. well it is for me too.

Bought a 2015 XLT, 26k miles at Carmax yesterday and noticed the door panel issue right after driving it off the lot. Fortunately I am still in warranty. I will update later with what my resolution was.

Side note... I have untill Friday for a no questions asked return. Do I dare take that option? Let me know current owners of other common problems. I've read about the leaking sunroof drains... I dont have one. Generally, have "fixes" to common problems been easy like this one? Even though door panel seems hard to pull off, reading through this thread, plenty of folks have paid <1 hr labor to have it done.

I bought a 2011 XLT Explorer new and have never had any major issues over the past 6 years.

Every time I brought the car in for service I would tell them that there was a bump from the transmission when accelerating from low coasting speed. It wasn't until last year that a service tech recognizes the issue and a simple reprogramming handled the problem.

Other than this incredibly stupid door panel issue, I don't have any major complaints about the car.

Cheers

Bill
 






I own a '14 Explorer Limited.
About 10k miles ago, the trim on the interior of the front passenger door started to lift up.
Where you would rest your arm on the door, there is now a large lifted area that just keeps getting larger/worse over time.

Different online forums suggest that this is a known problem, with many owners experiencing this problem.
When I approached my dealer, I was told that Ford would not help and that I would have to pay for the repair ($600+) out of pocket.

This does not seem right. If many owners are experiencing the same issue, that suggests there is a defect of some kind, not a problem created by owners.

What help if any are you able to provide?

Thank you,

Charles Keller
 






I own a '14 Explorer Limited.
About 10k miles ago, the trim on the interior of the front passenger door started to lift up.
Where you would rest your arm on the door, there is now a large lifted area that just keeps getting larger/worse over time.

Different online forums suggest that this is a known problem, with many owners experiencing this problem.
When I approached my dealer, I was told that Ford would not help and that I would have to pay for the repair ($600+) out of pocket.

This does not seem right. If many owners are experiencing the same issue, that suggests there is a defect of some kind, not a problem created by owners.

What help if any are you able to provide?

Thank you,

Charles Keller

Exact same problem with my '14 limited. I had it fixed and it doesn't look very good. In comparison my 10 year old BMW X5 has zero issues with any of the trim. Extremely poor quality on the Explorer. For a $40,000 vehicle I have been very disappointed.
 






We have a 14 Limited. Door panels are garbage, Already had to fix one of them. AC is awful and stays smelly. It will probably be replaced with a Highlander or something soon. Incredibly poor quality on these vehicles.
 






Exact same problem with my '14 limited. I had it fixed and it doesn't look very good. In comparison my 10 year old BMW X5 has zero issues with any of the trim. Extremely poor quality on the Explorer. For a $40,000 vehicle I have been very disappointed.
Agreed. Sad. I really wanted to like it, and it's my first American made car.

Where did you go to have it repaired, and what did they do to repair?
 






I haven't dug into all the different trim levels, but I presume there are several different door panels that vary by trim level. Do the several problems mentioned affect specific trim levels or do they affect all door panels regardless of trim level?
 






I haven't dug into all the different trim levels, but I presume there are several different door panels that vary by trim level. Do the several problems mentioned affect specific trim levels or do they affect all door panels regardless of trim level?
Scrolling through this thread and checking the profiles in the margin, it seems the majority are in the years 2014 and 2015 with the following trims, XLT, Limited and Sport.

Peter
 






I own a '14 Explorer Limited.
About 10k miles ago, the trim on the interior of the front passenger door started to lift up.
Where you would rest your arm on the door, there is now a large lifted area that just keeps getting larger/worse over time.

Different online forums suggest that this is a known problem, with many owners experiencing this problem.
When I approached my dealer, I was told that Ford would not help and that I would have to pay for the repair ($600+) out of pocket.

This does not seem right. If many owners are experiencing the same issue, that suggests there is a defect of some kind, not a problem created by owners.

What help if any are you able to provide?

Thank you,

Charles Keller
Welcome to the Forum.:wave:
Are referring to the actual armrest or the top of the door near the window?

Peter
 












I would get an estimate from an upholstery shop if the dealer said no.
 






Most of the ones that I've seen split people use them to boost themselves in and out of the vehicle and the actual plastic "crumple zone" has been crushed under the cover and foam from weight put on them. Once the plastic is crushed the covering tears and splits open,when the dealer sees that I guess they know its not a defect if they are refusing to cover it.
 



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If you’re handy, get a tube of super glue, and an extra set of hands if available. Hold the vinyl covering up while you apply a generous bead of glue the full length of the section that’s separating, near the edge of the plastic panel frame. Quickly roll the vinyl underneath the plastic where it belongs. Even steady pressure along the area you glued for a minute or so. I’ve had good results with the 20 or so I’ve fixed this way.
 






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