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(www.safercar.gov)
New Explorer owner, old Edmunds forum member here. We just leased an '06 Explorer XLT and I have a question for all of you regarding the auto unlock feature described in the manual.
The auto lock works fine. But according to the manual, somewhere around page 105, the auto unlock feature should unlock all of the doors after the vehicle is stopped, the key is turned to ACC or Lock, and the door is opened within 10 minutes of the key turn. My doors are not unlocking. Anyone know why? The child locks are on on both rear doors and I'm wondering if that has something to do with it?
BTW, love the truck! I don't care that the gas mileage isn't stellar. It's quiet, solid, and really nice on the inside and out. Plus it was a great value and makes our ex-Escape seem like a tin can. And we really liked the Escape.
Now if we can only get our 2 year old to wear the headphones for the DVD system so we can listen to the radio instead of Disney movies we'd be as good as gold! :sick:
If you don't have it, possibly the dealer can change the setting.
My Mountaineer has the four-line message center. I have "auto unlock" set to on. Not sure I like it, but probably good with children. After stopping, none of the doors will open until I open driver's door.
Excellent vehicle, isn't it?
Nope, just the two line. But I can still change it via the message center, the outside door buttons, and the inside door buttons as the manual states. I've only tried the outside door button method and the first try disbled it verified with a horn chirp. I tried it again and it was enabled verified by a chirp then a honk of the horn. I have not gone out for a drive since then but according to what I've done it looks like it was enabled from the factory.
Do you have your auto lock enabled? Do you have child locks set to ON for the back doors?
Excellent vehicle, isn't it?
It most certainly is! I can't believe how much better it is than the last model. We test drove an '04 back in early 2004 but ended up going with the Escape because we were more impressed with it at the time. We actually chose this '06 over a few minivans because it was just a much better ride. A bit less space and lower MPG sure, but it is just so much nicer than a van IMO.
Other likes and dislikes: I love the seats, the ride, the QUIETNESS; I HATE the inside door pull handles (moronic design..be CAREFULL ! You will be dinging OTHER people's doors as the heavy door gets out of your grasp and slams the car next to you !!), and I HATE the GLARE off of the tacky chrome rims around the speedo and tack (I finally resorted to putting strips of black electrical tape on them to reduce the windshield glare). Troubles so far (which are typical Ford quality issues): 1) defective turn signal switch (just like my 2000 Ranger !!!!), replaced under warranty; 2) faulty blower motor switch (replaced); 3) LR tire out of round (Michelin, replaced); 4) exhaust hanger bracket broke off (replaced); 5) left rear passenger door not aligned (wow...I thought this type of stuff was supposed to be OVER). They cannot seem to get it to latch properly. ???? And, 6) the driver's side running light will not last. I suspect a wiring harnesss short someplace. The "Blue Dumbell Dealer" is still trying to fix it.
But, so far, so good. I hope a year from now I don't wish I would have bought a 4 Runner or a Pilot. Wish me luck. I have a feeling I'm gonna need it.
No issues (other than a creaky seat occasionally and occasional squeaky brake pedal in the cold), mileage improving and still very pleased with it.
Only wish that that XM was available from factory.
The thing that still amazes me about the whole ordeal was how well the Explorer handled the situation. I was never even close to being out of control and almost felt like I was driving a sports car through the whole thing. Everything seemed to tighten up and the truck moved exactly where I pointed it to.
be sure to reset that button.
I have an '03 Honda CR-V with nearly 33,000 miles. It's never been to the dealership or anywhere else for a quality-control or mechanical problem; I've had one recall since I bought it new three years ago, and that took about 20 minutes to fix.
I don't need a new car, but I'm thinking about getting one anyway. The 2006 vehicles I'm most seriously considering are an Odyssey and a CR-V. I'm single with no kids and don't need to tow, but I don't want anything smaller than the CR-V.
I test-drove an '06 Explorer XLT a couple of weeks ago on an overnight rental and was greatly impressed by how incredibly quiet it was. It felt like driving a cloud. The Explorer is without a doubt far quieter than the Odyssey and CR-V could ever hope to be.
The thing is, though, it's a Ford, with all the potential for the quality-control problems that nameplate carries with it. Many of my immediate family members have had various models of Fords over the years and have spent countless hours in the dealerships getting recall-work done or fixing some quality-control problem or outright defect.
Seems as though some of the posters to this forum have had quality-control problems with the Explorer, but there seem to be several Explorer owners who are satisfied with their purchases.
I'd be curious to hear viewpoints about customers' overall satisfaction with their Explorers.
The only obvious things I detested about the Explorer XLT I drove were the interior front-door handles and door-pull handles. That something so quickly apparent relating to the ergonomic driving experience could have eluded an engineer's gaze amazes me. Also, I couldn't initially figure out how to control the passenger's side power mirror; unlike in the Hondas, there's no switch reading "L--R" that you can activate according to which mirror you want to adjust. That's another glaring ergonomic failure on Ford's part.
Also, the mileage was abysmal. I drove about 154 miles of mostly highway driving and refilled the tank to "Full" before I returned it. It took 11 gallons. That's 14 mpg. Awful.
And, yes, I know there are people who have had quality-control problems with new Odysseys; I read OdyClub.com. But Honda has a much better rep for producing quality vehicles than Ford does. I have always owned new Hondas; for me to be even remotely considering a new Ford is unprecedented and a testament to how much I was impressed by the quality of its ride.
Anyone else out there have to overcome fear of Ford to buy an Explorer? If so, are you glad you did?
Well, to answer your question, my explorer isn't perfect, but it's better than what I expected. There were few flaws and I got the extended warranty and ford took care of the problems. unless i'm going to find a good deal on a 04-05 mercedes ml 500, i'm going to stick with this weather-proof machine for a while. good luck car hunting :shades:
Our latest Ford is an '06 Explorer XLT and it's one heck of a vehicle! My father-in-law leased a 2002 Explorer EB V6 and had absolutely no problems with it. He's now on his second Explorer, an '06 EB V8, and after about 6 months has had no problems with it either. He drives nearly 20k miles per year so it's not like he doesn't test them either. Therefore the Explorer was an easy choice for us but we still shopped around first.
Fuel mileage is a concern to some (not me) but again, FWIW, it gets better over time. My father-in-law averaged just under 21 MPG on the highway with the '02 V6 and 16 in the city when all was said and done. The V8 isn't quite as efficient so far but it too should get better over time. Just go easy on the gas pedal. There's plenty of torque down low to get you going. If you drive an Explorer like a Honda, i.e. high RPMs, then you're going to become good friends with the gas station attendants.
Have you or your father had many or any visits to your Ford dealer to have recall work or quality-control-repair work done on the Explorer? Did either of you get an extended warranty? If so, for how long, and from what source? (I understand extended warranties can often be purchased at dealerships from which you did not purchase the vehicle for substantial savings; at least, this is the case with Honda Odysseys.)
March Sales Results (Inside Line)
Steve, Host
It's kind of funny in retrospect to read all the posts in this thread from last fall from Ford partisans confidently predicting the '06 Explorer would be one of Ford's best-selling vehicles ever. Looks as if that's not the case.
Doesn't detract from the vehicle's terrific ride, though. The ride is almost enough of a positive to overwhelm the ergonomic negatives in the cabin (I forgot to add that the turn signal/wiper stalk is too high and heavy; at the least, the wiper function should have been put on its own stalk, if not on the other side of the column as well) and the abysmal mileage.
Steve, Host
No recalls or QC work for either of us. Everything has been perfect and we have no reason to expect otherwise.
We both leased for 3 years so no extended warranty either. However I did buy an extended warranty from the Ford dealer when we bought our '02 Escape. They can be purchased from many web sites (some are even dealers) for less than full price but the prices of them are negitiable at the dealer too. You'll just have to work a little for it. Maybe even take a web site's quote in to see if you'll match it.
In the case of our '02 Escape we traded it in before the extended warranty was up and Ford refunded the balance of the extended warranty based on the number of years or miles left on it. Some dealers will offer to sell you a third party extended warranty and I don't think you'll get your money back with any of those.
I'd venture to say the number one reason it's not the best seller is the price of gasoline. Though the Tahoe seems to defy logic. Gorgeous vehicle, but $40,000 is the Max that I would ever spend on a new car or truck. Tahoe would be out of my range the way I would want it equipped.
Anyway, I have a 2004 Mountaineer AWD V-8 with the Luxury Trim which is the same as the Eddie Bauer trim. I've had one small issue outside of the recall for the transaxle additive. Had a chirp when the A/C cycled on and off. Was annoying to me, but most people didn't notice it when I pointed it out. Ford Engineering came out with a fix which was to put a different pulley on. This was only happening to a small number with the V-8 engine. Haven't had any issues other than that in 2 years and a month of ownership. I would not hesitate to buy another Ford. Don't like the new Mountaineer because of the gaudy wheels they've switched to. I love the way the Explorer looks and I've read they are going to change the inside door handles because of the complaints they've gotten.
I do not think the turn signal lever is too high. I did the first few days, but then I got comfortable with it and I believe it is actually better up there. As far as mileage, it isn't the best but a lot of it has to do with how you drive.
Only issue so far is that the door handle does not give good leverage when you close the door, which usually needs a repeat try to close it shut. Good thing for that onboard display "driver door ajar". Other thing to do is remove and paint the chrome bezels on the dash, they cause glare in the windshield. But hey, that's gonna be a fun project, whenever I can find the time. Finally, wish I went for the premium sound system but at the time, I was on a tight budget, still am.
Also good to know the three of you haven't had any recall or QC problems.
Word is Ford will be adding a "cup" in the door arm rest for MY07 which will be used to push/pull the door open and closed. I have not heard whether or not they will be removing the other mis-placed handle (which I and my wife have already gotten used to actually) for '07. That handle was put down there for safety reasons as well as comfort actually. The cup in the door arm rest will most likely be made of some sort of hard plastic and be somewhat less comfortable than the soft padded solid arm-rest that resides there now.
The V-8 is a fun motor to drive, but is a GAS HOG !
Agreed. Ford needs to get some butts in seats because the differences from MY05 to MY06 are quite astonishing. This wasn't just a sheetmetal update and I don't think most people are aware of that.
You will have quality problems-it just WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS. Search these posts ...they can't even put the right transmission fluid in the Explorers at the factory. YES, QUALITY....IT CAN BE THAT BAD!!
also - the 06 looks similar to 2002-2005. if they really wanted to make sure people knew the truck was all new, they should have made more significant changes to the body
my '02 explorer has had it's share of issues. our '04 escape and focus(more mature models) have had zero problems.
i still enjoy my explorer a lot every time i drive it. taking it on another big road trip at the end of the week. see you in another 2500 miles. can't wait.
Technically you were. The Pilot is based on the last gen Odyssey which got it's roots from the Accord. This is a big reason why Honda does so well financially. They don't have a whole lot of platforms and the sharing of what they do have, which is smart to an extent, is very cost effective.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing as some prefer the car like ride of a crossover SUV but I think the Explorer has enough car like feel to it with the added strength that it's better in a lot of ways. Our roads around here are pretty terrible (I've heard they're even worse than the infamous roads in Detroit) and tend to tear anything car based to bits.
That was my point (I just didn't spell it out in detail). I think people are seeing the '06 as a minor appearance refresh and don't know what the whole story is.
Lots of us have had Explorers with no issues for 60,000 miles. Chuck is a customer scorned....but we love him anyway....
It's still the best design on the planet for a mid sized SUV.
I'd like to teach the world to sing...in perfect harmony...
It's still the best design on the planet for a mid sized SUV.
I've seen magazine ads but most of them were in car mags. Why on earth don't they have any TV commercials for it yet? Time of year maybe? Saving cash to advertise the Edge instead?
Do you have a time that's convenient to take a car to the dealer? I don't. You make an appointment. You rent a car or juggle the family cars, then the dealer doesn't have the part, etc.
I got rid of my '02 Explorer and replaced it with a 4Runner. RELIABILITY IS EVERYTHING TO ME!!
I think there's been enough venting of frustration.
Please lighten up.
I have. You should see me when I am angry!