HUGE MISTAKE Ford Explorer. Going in a different direction...

[David Hodgkins]

We lease one vehicle every 3 years as a commuter, primarily for my wife.

Day before yesterday I leased a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT.

I made a HUGE MISTAKE getting this POS Ford.

• No AC.
• A random collision alert sounded at a stop light.
• The transmission is unbearable.

Cali is a no-cooling-off period state. Once it's off the lot there is no unwinding.



I think I'll stick an LS in the F9.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Keep taking it in for repairs. Three strikes and it goes back under lemon law.

Jeff

[JohnK]

Oh, man... sorry to hear that. That sucks. I'm reminded of a car my father purchased back in the 80's. The Ford Taurus had just been named Motortrend's car of the year, which was a big deal at the time as it had unseated some Honda (Civic or Accord, IIRC). My dad was a diehard Toyota fan for his commuters, but I talked him into "buying American" and he begrudgingly bought a Taurus. That car was the biggest POS you could possibly imagine. To this day he still reminds me how bad that car was, and how I talked him into buying it. He's never bought another non-Toyota car since then.

[GoDadGo]

We lease one vehicle every 3 years as a commuter, primarily for my wife.

Day before yesterday I leased a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT.

I made a HUGE MISTAKE getting this POS Ford.

• No AC.
• A random collision alert sounded at a stop light.
• The transmission is unbearable.

Cali is a no-cooling-off period state. Once it's off the lot there is no unwinding.



I think I'll stick an LS in the F9.

Another Ford Fan Is Coming Over To The Dark Side!
First Edwardb, Now The Great & Powerful Mr. Wookie!

All kidding aside, nobody should have to put up with a substandard purchase and/or lease.
Bring that sucker in every time it does something goofy.
Da Lemon Law Is Da Solution!
Pinto Power!

Good Luck Dave!

[FF33rod]

The good news is that you leased it and didn't buy it! Hopefully I don't set anyone off but I can't stand the design and reliability of pretty much any North American car

Steve

[bil1024]

We lease one vehicle every 3 years as a commuter, primarily for my wife.

Day before yesterday I leased a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT.

I made a HUGE MISTAKE getting this POS Ford.

• No AC.
• A random collision alert sounded at a stop light.
• The transmission is unbearable.

Cali is a no-cooling-off period state. Once it's off the lot there is no unwinding.



I think I'll stick an LS in the F9.

Join the club! Have same vehicle

Touch screen goes black for 30 minutes or more
Collision alert is a joke, goes off for a car already turning
Windage noise under car
Last but not least, brake issue, start car push on brake pedal is stiff shift into reverse and car moves! Safety hazard big time, third time at the dealer, next is lemon law procedures

[Al_C]

I find it hard to believe that California will make you keep that vehicle. We're talking what, 48 hours? You should be able to bring it back, no questions asked. Even Carmax has a 7 day guarantee...

I'd give it a whirl. You could probably drop enough Ford-related names to put the fear of God (or "the Wookie") in them...

[Ray]

The A/C doesn't work or it doesn't have A/C?

I can't imagine you picking out a daily driver without A/C.

Ray

[David Hodgkins]

The A/C doesn't work or it doesn't have A/C?

I can't imagine you picking out a daily driver without A/C.

Ray

AC doesn’t work...

[RBachman]

Ford had to buy back the last one I purchased on a lemon law. Garbage.

[HerculezJT]

So the explorers were a **** show of a release

see: https://jalopnik.com/ford-knows-it-h...ime-1841601059

Now, I am not saying give it a chance, i really dont have any brand loyalty other than if it has an LS in it, i love it. Depending on the details with the F9, i have a 383 LS6 waiting for it, either be TT or PDSC. Hope you get it worked out, i can sympathize the pain when i had issues with my 1500 Ram EcoDiesel

[Jeff Kleiner]

AC doesn’t work...

How far did you get before it crapped out?

Jeff

[RBachman]

Reading this again makes me mad at Ford again. My Lemon was a brand new F250 diesel King Ranch. First 20 days it was in the shop. Within two months they replaced the radiator, 3 serpentine belts, the AC compressor fell off, the turbo hoses would not stay connected, bad window switch, the chrome bumpers already had rust, doors were not aligned, the drivers side mirror fell off, and exhaust manifold leaks that filled the cabin that they couldn't fix. This is the main reason I went with as much non-Ford components on my roadster engine that I could within reason. It's highly likely that I will never buy another Ford.

[Larry J W]

50 years ago I interviewed with Ford in their testing department. When I asked what their goal in testing was I got the answer to “get it through warranty”. I then asked what if it exceeds that goal. I was told they would cost reduce it. “If I could save a penny a door handle I would be a hero”!

There was no way I could work like that even though they made me a good offer. After that American manufacturers made progress in quality. It sounds like they are reverting again to their old ways. Poor quality like that hurts all American manufacture’s reputation.

Larry

[Jeff Kleiner]

I spent 12 years in a General Motors test department where the mindset was "Get it to production, ship it and the customers will let us know what the problem areas are."

Like Dave with his Explorer I knew I'd made a HUGE MISTAKE within a couple days of starting the job but it took me 12 years to break out (We all used to say "They pay you enough that you won't leave but not enough to make you happy about staying")

Jeff

[tony]

I daily a drive a Toyota tundra for its reliability. If ford made more reliable modern cars,, i would drive them in a heartbeat. All my toys are old fords though.

[wallace18]

While I am sorry to hear all the problems some of you have had with Ford products. I have owned, Chevy, Ram, Toyota and Ford trucks over the last 40+ years. Only the Ram Eco-Diesel was troublesome. All the rest never had 1 single issue over many years of use and miles. I guess I have been very lucky.

[David Hodgkins]

Hi guys, thanks for all the input. I got a PM or two as well so thanks for those as well.

I've had the car since Sunday evening. ~150 miles so far, most before we took possession.

The car is back at the dealer. The GM tells me he'll make sure I'm taken care of. We'll see.

[Papa]

I grew up in a die-hard Chevy (GM) family. That said, my first car that I really drove was a 1965 VW Bug. That car was bullet-proof! I also had a 1968 Buick Riviera that I never really got to enjoy before my dad thought better of a 16-year-old with a 433 c.i. beast; hence the 1965 VW. I later (still in high school) bought a 1978 Z-28. Fun for a 17-year-old in the early 80s, but had its share of nagging issues with the number seven plug constantly fouling and junk interior quality. I joined the Army right out of high-school and went through a few more cars (in somewhat chronological order); a VW Passat, a Ford Granada (German, not US), a Mercedes-Benz 230E (non-US), a Toyota Celeca, a Ford Bronco II, a 1991 Ford Explorer 2-door, a 1995 Ford Explorer 4-door, Mazda B2000 pickup, 1995 Ford Ranger, 1998 Toyota Avalon, 1998 Dodge Ram 1500, 1970, Chevy El Camino, 2001 Ford F150, 2000 Mercedes-Benz C240, 2001 Mercedes-Benz C320, 2004 Ford F150, 2000 Lexus RX 300, 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK 430, 2004 Lexus RX 350, 2007 Ford F-250, 2008 Lexus RX 350, 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL500, 2012 BMW 328i, 2012 Lexus RX350, 2015 BMW 328i, 2017 FFR MK4, 2019 Lexus RX350, and finally my 2018 BMW M550i.

As you can see, I'm not completely brand loyal, but I tend to favor Ford trucks and Japanese or German cars. From the list above, I currently have the 2007 F-250, the 2017 Roadster, the 2019 Lexus RX 350, and the BMW M550i.

Sorry to hear about your Exploder woes, Dave. It seems like Ford has had bouts with quality over the years and across their product lines. My F-250 is the infamous 6.0L Powerstroke. The 2007 was the last year for that engine and Ford had pretty much worked out the issues with the 6.0L, but it was too late for the reputation it had earned. Mine has had to have some expensive repairs (turbo, injectors, oil leaks) over the years, but not bad for a 13-year-old truck. The only Mercedes that was junk was the C240, which the dealer bought back after being in the shop at least once a month; usually via a tow. Lexus has been the most reliable, most comfortable brand of all, and BMW has been reliable and fun to drive.

I'd start working with the dealer to see if they would be willing to offer you a "good will" solution to get out of the disappointing purchase. That's what I did with the junk C240 I mentioned.

Good luck and if Ford won't work with you, go look at the Lexus RX! The best deals are on lease return CPO models.
Dave

[David Hodgkins]

Hi Dave,

Dealer says with CA law (no cooling off period) I have no other recourse than to go through repeated dealer service calls on the same issue before they will take action with Ford. He said once it goes off the lot it's used. There is no unwind provision.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Hi Dave,

Dealer says with CA law (no cooling off period) I have no other recourse than to go through repeated dealer service calls on the same issue before they will take action with Ford. He said once it goes off the lot it's used. There is no unwind provision.

You keep mentioning "Cooling off period" but unless it is offered by the dealer or you pay for such a clause in the contract up front there is no such thing with new vehicle purchases/leases

The Federal 'Cooling-Off Rule'
You might have heard there is a federal cooling-off rule for some purchases. There is such a rule, but it is primarily meant to protect consumers from high-pressure door-to-door sales tactics. It explicitly doesn't apply to automobiles. If you signed the sales contract, you own the car. And the law is on the side of the seller.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/u...ur-rights.html

Good luck,
Jeff

[Papa]

You keep mentioning "Cooling off period" but unless it is offered by the dealer or you pay for such a clause in the contract up front there is no such thing with new vehicle purchases/leases



https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/u...ur-rights.html

Good luck,
Jeff

We do have such laws in Colorado (see below). Automobile purchases fall into the 3 Day category below, but the catch is if you have traded in a car, you may not be able to get it back!!

The general law in Colorado is that a consumer does not have the right to cancel a consumer contract or purchase. There are exceptions to the general rule that allow a consumer to rescind a transaction, generally referred to as Colorado's buyers' remorse laws. A rescission of a contract is to render it void as if it never occurred. Rather than a broad law, Colorado law provides for 1, 3, 5 or 30 day rescission periods based on specific subject matter of the contract. These restrictions are based on business days, so any weekend or holiday does not count for calculation of the applicable time period.

1 Day
Colorado allows a consumer the right to rescind a membership buyer club contract or rescind the donation of goods under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

3 Day
Door-to-door sales involving transactions of $25 or more are granted a three-day rescission period. The Federal Trade Commission rules also provide a thee-day rescission period, in addition to requiring the consumer be given written notice of the right to cancel. Home solicitation sales, mortgage loans, health club contracts, charity pledges, and commercial telephone sales are also subject to a three-day rescission period.

5 Day
Credit repair contracts (where a private party will repair your credit for a fee) are subject to five-day rescission periods, and the seller is required to provide the consumer written notice of the right to rescind. Time-share contracts are also covered under a five-day rescission period.

30 Day
Hearing aids have a 30-day rescission period, although this excludes the cost of an individual ear mold that is cast.

[Jeff Kleiner]

We do have such laws in Colorado (see below). Automobile purchases fall into the 3 Day category below, but the catch is if you have traded in a car, you may not be able to get it back!!

I don't see language relating to autos in any of those Dave???? Well, maybe if you have a door to door car salesman

Jeff

[Papa]

I don't see language relating to autos in any of those Dave???? Well, maybe if you have a door to door car salesman

Jeff

Did you not see the list of cars I've owned? Trust me on this one.

Edit: Okay Jeff, I owe you another beer. I had it wrong and the return language I was incorrectly recalling was if the dealer wasn't able to get your financing approved and you returned the car. What's my tab up to now?

[cob427sc]

Just had to add my experience with a new 2015 Corvette. Purchased off the dealers floor it would not pass smog inspection for over 6 weeks of repeated returns to the dealer and 2000 miles of driving (try getting laughed at by everyone for owning a new vette with a redball reject sticker on the windsheild). Finally a 2 day stay at the dealer and a replacement computer solved the problem. Over the next 2 years and 7 factory recalls, mostly for air bag issues I had about had it. As I waited in the showroom to pick it up again I unloaded on the salesman I purchased it from. They offered to buy it back with 24,000 miles on the od for $2000 less than I paid for it. Sold! I've always had Porsches and a few Roush and Shelby 500 Mustangs. Never had one problem with any of them. Went back to a 911.

[DSR-3]

Maybe take it in for 1 problem at a time and let them rack up service and rental days. We "lemon'd" a diesel Suburban years ago that liked to consume glow-plug tips, and the number of days in the shop was a big factor. The burb was finally fixed after the settlement, and we got an extra 6 months free use before the return!

[Joecobr]

I bought a brand new Chrysler Intrepid in 1995. What a piece of junk. The complete front end, joints, etc had to be replaced at 35,000 km. Have owned Honda Accords as commuters ever since. Other than normal wear for tires and brakes not a single issue in 25 years.

[first time builder]

I just leased a 2021 Buick Enclave and LOVE it. I had a 2017 GMC Acadadia prior and also loved it but wanted something bigger. I had a Lincoln MKC prior and had a load of problems from windows that opened themselves to a totaly screwed up Nav and Radio.

[CobraboyDR]

You don't know dead-on-the-road lemon until you bought an '85 Merkur XR4ti. They ate black boxes in the rain.

[CobraboyDR]

Where I live taxes and import duty adds 56% to the price of any car. That new $40,000 Explorer XLT is a $65,000 sled here.

So I buy three-year-old cars and drive them for 5-6 years, rinse and repeat. Our current is a '10 2WD Explorer XLT with (now) 35,000mi. It's been terrific, no problems to speak of beyond some wear and tear issues (needs lower ball joints right now), and next year when it's time to buy another vehicle, I will only lose maybe $1500 over five years, not bad at all.

The paved roads here can be really bad and can beat a car to death.

I understand the file economy of it, but just can't see a 4cyl in an SUV, no matter how much boost and fairy dust tech they put in it. I don't know which way we'll go next.

[michael everson]

COB427sc. Surprised to hear that about the Corvette. I have owned 12 over the years with little to no issues. My 2015 Z06 has been flawless. My wife has a 2006 Convertible that has been flawless as well.
Mike

[David Hodgkins]

They just called saying they found a short in the AC wiring. He said they were throwing some bubblegum and were going to wrap in in duct tape.

Good as new.

[JohnK]

Wow- bubble gum and duct tape?! They really have upped their quality game.

[James Morse]

Hope it gets all gets sorted out David, a real nightmare!

[Al_C]

Wow- bubble gum and duct tape?! They really have upped their quality game.

No baling wire?

Hope it gets sorted out soon, David!

[David Hodgkins]

Well the tune has changed... Now I need a new AC compressor for the brand new Explorer. No timetable on a return date yet.

[Vegasjack]

I'm guessing that you knew it didn't have A/C before you signed the lease.

[David Hodgkins]

I'm guessing that you knew it didn't have A/C before you signed the lease.

It came with a non working ac system. First the dealer said it was a wire shorting out. Now they say the compressor is bad and a new part is on order.

[James Morse]

Reminds me of when my dad bought a new Custom 500, I believe it was a '67, and it used a lot of oil, he took it back and after some arguing they found that some oil drain holes had never been drilled somewhere and the oil was not draining back correctly. I don't know the details, but I know it was something seriously not right.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Even though it sucks, I enjoyed reading the valuable testimonies here.

I am surprised the company that makes our beloved Coyote 5.0 would also make such a POS.