CitationX
New Member
- Joined
- December 6, 2011
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- San Jose, CA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2011 Ford Explorer
Hello all,
A new member here. I am a fairly a recent reader of this forum. I found this forum when I started seriously looking at the new Explorer as my next vehicle. Thanks to this forum, I got lots of useful information and tips. Now I am an owner of one, and have put a few thousand miles on the car, I wanted to share my experience with the vehicle and Ford in general.
2011 Explorer Limited 4WD
-Sterling Gray / Black
-301A Package (Nav, Lux seating, Power 3rd row, Power liftgate)
-Towing package
-Blind Spot monitoring
-6,300 miles so far
MSRP : $44,425
Purchased : $39,500 + Airfare : I travel if you give me good deals
Just so you know what kind of user I am… I am an engineer in IT, and not an expert when it comes to automobiles, but you can throw any gadget at me and I can probably figure it out. Somewhat innovative gadgets in the new Explorer were one of the reasons that made me consider it. I do regular maintenance work myself, and changing brake pads and rotors is probably as involved as I will ever be with my vehicles.
I don’t have children and I rarely have rear passengers. I go camping and snowboarding a lot, so Explorer was a good choice. I’ve already used the second and the third row seat as a tent a few times. It is great if you get to your destination late and don’t want to set up tents!
I change vehicles quite often… and I mostly owned BMW and Mercedes, and also owned Land Rover, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, and Hondas. I have had fair share of negatives and positive experiences in all of them. Some might consider it un-american, but I confess this is the first American-made vehicle I’ve ever purchased. Of course, that means this is my first Ford vehicle. At this price, I have high-expectations, and I will see how much of it the new Explorer will meet. I probably won't purchase Ford again if this purchase turns out to be a really bad decision. I hope my notes on my experience can be a resource to people deciding on their next vehicle purchase.
Purchase Decision
What attracted me to the new Explorer..
1) Rugged design – I probably would’ve never even set foot in the Ford dealer if the car didn’t look like something I wanted to drive. I think Ford has done a great job on aesthetics compared to previous generations. Lots of compliments.
2) Quality – I was very surprised when I sat in the Explorer for the first time. High quality materials were found in many places, and the whole vehicle seemed a bit more upscale. Seats were comfortable, but fit and finish were hit-and-miss. My door panels don’t line up with the dash. Based on the information I gathered in this forum, some vehicles to not have this problem.
3) Technology – I can say it is up to par with ‘high-end’ cars. My last $80K BMW didn’t have this much gadgets. LCD screen on my instrument panel is easy to read, and customizable. Voice command could be better, but it is usable.
What I didn’t like about Explorer
1) Under-powered – 3.5 liter V6 feels a bit under-powered to even just haul the body of this truck. I can feel that the engine struggles a bit. My communication with the Ford engineers that work on the Intercepter version of this tell me that the 3.7 feels definitely different.
2) Price – “$44K+ for a Ford?” is what first came to mind. Well, I supposed it’s prejudice. Just like I had the most positive experience with Hyundai among all other cars I've owned. Honestly, I have never owned Ford, never driven it, and my expectations was strictly based on reputation. NOW : After owning it for a bit, I think price is somewhat justified, but still a slight bit over-priced. A few grand.
3) Service – I hate wasting time. I hate returning to the dealer to pick up the car and find out they “could not reproduce the problem” - EVEN after I give them a specific instructions on how to reproduce the problem. Why the heck would I waste my time and gas and bring the car over there, if the problem really didn’t exist? The other day, the dealer just returned the car to me. Perhaps the dealer gets paid by the corporate for their time, but what about the customers'? I should charge the dealer my hourly rate. NOW : I still hate Ford’s service. The problems that my dealer won’t acknowledge still exist. Funny, I just got an email today from them asking if I am 100% satisfied. I intend to respond to it.
Issues with the car so far
I guess I should say I never learn. I should always avoid the first-year car, but I always get sucked into innovation and new gadgets. I secretly like being in the bleeding-edge crowd. I want new technology, and at the same time, I am also quite reasonable when it comes to associated problems. If My Ford Touch doesn’t work so well now, I am willing to work with it, especially the manufacturer continues to improve it. HOWEVER, I also expect basic things to work without problems. Brake squeak, Glove compartment rattle, A-pillar wind noise need to be addressed.
Issue 1: My Ford Touch – I actually find this amusing and funny at the same time. A major international car company releasing a half-baked product to the market like this is really nuts. It is clunky, slow to respond to touches, crashes more often than the Windows Vista that I can remember.
Yes, the Navigation has crashed and gave me a black screen just before I get to my destination, effectively leaving me lost. Yes, I’ve actually seen the Windows ‘window’ with the close ‘X’ button on the top right corner(showing modal), so I can’t close or do anything. Yes, I had an exciting experience of crawling on the oh-so-comfortable floor under my steering column to pull the MFT fuse. What I find funny is that when the system randomly reboots, it considers it ‘Scheduled maintenance”.
Well, again, I see it as a punishment of being bleeding-edge. I don’t expect dealer to know what to do, because they have no control over it. I was told the new system will be distributed to the current owners and I commend Ford for doing so. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Issue 2: Brakes squeaks. My explorer was made in June 2011 and it is listed under affected date range on TSB. http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334376
When I brought my car in for this issue, I gave specific instructions on how to reproduce it. After keeping the car until the end of the day, the service advisor said they couldn’t reproduce it. I told him I will show it to him, but no, they are closing now, and they don’t want to keep the car overnight. What? So I spent a day without a car for nothing.
Issue 3: A-pillar wind noise. Mine makes noise only when travelling above 40-45mph and crosswind exists. Hey Ford, at the time of this writing, there are 26 PAGES of complaints on this topic. TSB is kindly requested. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306488
My Ford dealer has no intention of fixing it, as far as I can tell.
Issue 4 : Glove Compartment door rattles. This also has been mentioned here in this forum. My Ford dealer 'could not duplicate' this either.
Miscellaneous observations
1) Gas mileage – I live in the SF Bay Area, and I drive about 70% streets and 30% freeway with occasional long freeway trips. From the data I’ve gathered for the past 79 days, I ranged from 15 MPG, to 23MPG. Average is 18.2 MPG. Coming from a performance 2 seater, I probably step on the gas a bit more than average drivers merging on the freeway, changing lanes, etc.
2) Engine Oil – 6 Quarts. I was caught with the car lifted with a quart of oil missing. I conveniently overlooked the oil capacity section in the manual. If you do change oil yourself, get an extra quart in addition to your 5qt jugs!! The first change was with Synthetic blend 5W20.
3) Second-row bucket seats – I got the second row bucket seats, but the center console was not in the configuration. I got it off the lot, so I had no choice. I strongly recommend you getting the center console if you get the bucket seats. Otherwise, the second row passengers should prepare to be uncomfortable. Power-folding button is convenient when entering the third row, even for accessing cargo.
4) Front door panels have soft-touch materials, but the rear doors do not. For $40K+ vehicle, especially with the luxury seating package, it should be standard.
5) Rear-view camera – I hope the new Software will allow rear-view viewing any time. It will come handy when towing
6) Blind spot monitoring system - Useful, works as well as other cars. I wish Ford included 360 degree view similar to Infiniti's
To recap - coming from other considered ‘luxury’ brand vehicles, so far, I am impressed with the vehicle itself. With 6300mi, I’ve only experienced above-mentioned problems. No powertrain or other major issues, but just annoying problems. Service and the dealer’s attitude sucks. I am a bit concerned at the level of service I have been getting from the dealer. I can't help but think, ‘If they don’t fix these minor problems, when it comes time to fix major issues…?’ Maybe it is the dealer? I don’t think I am expecting much. I just want these known issues (that I personally have experienced) to be fixed. So far, the dealer isn’t interested in fixing the problems that exists.
Otherwise, the car is quiet, ride is comfortable, MFT is ‘different’, and I certainly enjoy driving it. I have recommended the new Explorer to a few others.
Anyone have any recommendations on a good Bay Area dealership?
A new member here. I am a fairly a recent reader of this forum. I found this forum when I started seriously looking at the new Explorer as my next vehicle. Thanks to this forum, I got lots of useful information and tips. Now I am an owner of one, and have put a few thousand miles on the car, I wanted to share my experience with the vehicle and Ford in general.
2011 Explorer Limited 4WD
-Sterling Gray / Black
-301A Package (Nav, Lux seating, Power 3rd row, Power liftgate)
-Towing package
-Blind Spot monitoring
-6,300 miles so far
MSRP : $44,425
Purchased : $39,500 + Airfare : I travel if you give me good deals
Just so you know what kind of user I am… I am an engineer in IT, and not an expert when it comes to automobiles, but you can throw any gadget at me and I can probably figure it out. Somewhat innovative gadgets in the new Explorer were one of the reasons that made me consider it. I do regular maintenance work myself, and changing brake pads and rotors is probably as involved as I will ever be with my vehicles.
I don’t have children and I rarely have rear passengers. I go camping and snowboarding a lot, so Explorer was a good choice. I’ve already used the second and the third row seat as a tent a few times. It is great if you get to your destination late and don’t want to set up tents!
I change vehicles quite often… and I mostly owned BMW and Mercedes, and also owned Land Rover, Infiniti, Nissan, Hyundai, and Hondas. I have had fair share of negatives and positive experiences in all of them. Some might consider it un-american, but I confess this is the first American-made vehicle I’ve ever purchased. Of course, that means this is my first Ford vehicle. At this price, I have high-expectations, and I will see how much of it the new Explorer will meet. I probably won't purchase Ford again if this purchase turns out to be a really bad decision. I hope my notes on my experience can be a resource to people deciding on their next vehicle purchase.
Purchase Decision
What attracted me to the new Explorer..
1) Rugged design – I probably would’ve never even set foot in the Ford dealer if the car didn’t look like something I wanted to drive. I think Ford has done a great job on aesthetics compared to previous generations. Lots of compliments.
2) Quality – I was very surprised when I sat in the Explorer for the first time. High quality materials were found in many places, and the whole vehicle seemed a bit more upscale. Seats were comfortable, but fit and finish were hit-and-miss. My door panels don’t line up with the dash. Based on the information I gathered in this forum, some vehicles to not have this problem.
3) Technology – I can say it is up to par with ‘high-end’ cars. My last $80K BMW didn’t have this much gadgets. LCD screen on my instrument panel is easy to read, and customizable. Voice command could be better, but it is usable.
What I didn’t like about Explorer
1) Under-powered – 3.5 liter V6 feels a bit under-powered to even just haul the body of this truck. I can feel that the engine struggles a bit. My communication with the Ford engineers that work on the Intercepter version of this tell me that the 3.7 feels definitely different.
2) Price – “$44K+ for a Ford?” is what first came to mind. Well, I supposed it’s prejudice. Just like I had the most positive experience with Hyundai among all other cars I've owned. Honestly, I have never owned Ford, never driven it, and my expectations was strictly based on reputation. NOW : After owning it for a bit, I think price is somewhat justified, but still a slight bit over-priced. A few grand.
3) Service – I hate wasting time. I hate returning to the dealer to pick up the car and find out they “could not reproduce the problem” - EVEN after I give them a specific instructions on how to reproduce the problem. Why the heck would I waste my time and gas and bring the car over there, if the problem really didn’t exist? The other day, the dealer just returned the car to me. Perhaps the dealer gets paid by the corporate for their time, but what about the customers'? I should charge the dealer my hourly rate. NOW : I still hate Ford’s service. The problems that my dealer won’t acknowledge still exist. Funny, I just got an email today from them asking if I am 100% satisfied. I intend to respond to it.
Issues with the car so far
I guess I should say I never learn. I should always avoid the first-year car, but I always get sucked into innovation and new gadgets. I secretly like being in the bleeding-edge crowd. I want new technology, and at the same time, I am also quite reasonable when it comes to associated problems. If My Ford Touch doesn’t work so well now, I am willing to work with it, especially the manufacturer continues to improve it. HOWEVER, I also expect basic things to work without problems. Brake squeak, Glove compartment rattle, A-pillar wind noise need to be addressed.
Issue 1: My Ford Touch – I actually find this amusing and funny at the same time. A major international car company releasing a half-baked product to the market like this is really nuts. It is clunky, slow to respond to touches, crashes more often than the Windows Vista that I can remember.
Yes, the Navigation has crashed and gave me a black screen just before I get to my destination, effectively leaving me lost. Yes, I’ve actually seen the Windows ‘window’ with the close ‘X’ button on the top right corner(showing modal), so I can’t close or do anything. Yes, I had an exciting experience of crawling on the oh-so-comfortable floor under my steering column to pull the MFT fuse. What I find funny is that when the system randomly reboots, it considers it ‘Scheduled maintenance”.
Well, again, I see it as a punishment of being bleeding-edge. I don’t expect dealer to know what to do, because they have no control over it. I was told the new system will be distributed to the current owners and I commend Ford for doing so. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Issue 2: Brakes squeaks. My explorer was made in June 2011 and it is listed under affected date range on TSB. http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334376
When I brought my car in for this issue, I gave specific instructions on how to reproduce it. After keeping the car until the end of the day, the service advisor said they couldn’t reproduce it. I told him I will show it to him, but no, they are closing now, and they don’t want to keep the car overnight. What? So I spent a day without a car for nothing.
Issue 3: A-pillar wind noise. Mine makes noise only when travelling above 40-45mph and crosswind exists. Hey Ford, at the time of this writing, there are 26 PAGES of complaints on this topic. TSB is kindly requested. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=306488
My Ford dealer has no intention of fixing it, as far as I can tell.
Issue 4 : Glove Compartment door rattles. This also has been mentioned here in this forum. My Ford dealer 'could not duplicate' this either.
Miscellaneous observations
1) Gas mileage – I live in the SF Bay Area, and I drive about 70% streets and 30% freeway with occasional long freeway trips. From the data I’ve gathered for the past 79 days, I ranged from 15 MPG, to 23MPG. Average is 18.2 MPG. Coming from a performance 2 seater, I probably step on the gas a bit more than average drivers merging on the freeway, changing lanes, etc.
2) Engine Oil – 6 Quarts. I was caught with the car lifted with a quart of oil missing. I conveniently overlooked the oil capacity section in the manual. If you do change oil yourself, get an extra quart in addition to your 5qt jugs!! The first change was with Synthetic blend 5W20.
3) Second-row bucket seats – I got the second row bucket seats, but the center console was not in the configuration. I got it off the lot, so I had no choice. I strongly recommend you getting the center console if you get the bucket seats. Otherwise, the second row passengers should prepare to be uncomfortable. Power-folding button is convenient when entering the third row, even for accessing cargo.
4) Front door panels have soft-touch materials, but the rear doors do not. For $40K+ vehicle, especially with the luxury seating package, it should be standard.
5) Rear-view camera – I hope the new Software will allow rear-view viewing any time. It will come handy when towing
6) Blind spot monitoring system - Useful, works as well as other cars. I wish Ford included 360 degree view similar to Infiniti's
To recap - coming from other considered ‘luxury’ brand vehicles, so far, I am impressed with the vehicle itself. With 6300mi, I’ve only experienced above-mentioned problems. No powertrain or other major issues, but just annoying problems. Service and the dealer’s attitude sucks. I am a bit concerned at the level of service I have been getting from the dealer. I can't help but think, ‘If they don’t fix these minor problems, when it comes time to fix major issues…?’ Maybe it is the dealer? I don’t think I am expecting much. I just want these known issues (that I personally have experienced) to be fixed. So far, the dealer isn’t interested in fixing the problems that exists.
Otherwise, the car is quiet, ride is comfortable, MFT is ‘different’, and I certainly enjoy driving it. I have recommended the new Explorer to a few others.
Anyone have any recommendations on a good Bay Area dealership?
