2K Ford Explorer Sport Trac's

beard1

seems as though you can't really rely on what the factory customer service tells you about build dates. i ordered my 4x4 sport trac on 5/2. my salesperson told me on 5/9 that it was already in build and he gave me the vin#. of course that sounded too good to be true, so i called ford customer service. they told me the build date was the week of 5/29. ok. that sounds good too and based upon what i've read in this forum, i can live with that date. but something didn't seem right so i called ford customer service again yesterday. they told me it was already built and waiting for transportation to the dealer. so my comment is, call a couple of times to see what they tell you. i'll get back when i get my sport trac and let you know what the truth really was.

sportee

My husband and I love our Sport Trac, but have had problems with parts breaking already. Our dealer found the ST with the options we wanted and did a swap for one that they had on the lot. We got a 4x4 Mandarin Gold ST fully loaded with tan leather minus the Tonneau cover and engine heater. We paid $1500 over invoice for the privilege of driving off the lot with it April 14th. Less than four weeks later, Ford has had to order and replace two parts for us. First the driver side seat belt buckle broke. It would not latch, so while waiting for the part to come in, we had to listen to the dinging warning sound intermittently for about 15 minutes into the drive, until it finally gave up. Next the motor in the rear window stopped working, of course in the down position the day we had thunder and hail storms. This time the dealer gave us a loaner car (a 2000 Focus) and we are still waiting to get our ST back. No problems so far with our moonroof and no problems with wind noise. This is the quietest ride I've ever owned. I am having trouble finding accessories since my dealer doesn't have the latest catalog and I couldn't find a local dealer for products mentioned in earlier posts. I ordered an accessory catalog from Ford, and hope the dealership will place order for me.

alwysl8

fordnut - One of the reasons that I did not buy the STrac and went with the SCrew instead, was the wind noise. I drove two STracs and they both had what my wife and I felt was significant wind noise coming from the area of the mirrors. I read several test reports that said the same thing. Of course before the test drive my wife and I had just jumped out of our '00 Subaru Outback which is one of the quietest cars I have ever driven. As with anything though, if its yours and YOU like it, who cares what anyone else thinks.

towcrazy2

Admittedly, I'm cruising this forum only because I do training for Ford and just recently ordered a Ford (Focus) for my wife.

Simply an observation here... Ford has a good bit of ground to cover in the area of customer service relative to order status, build dates and estimated delivery dates.

My wife ordered the Focus on April 26. The sales guy confirmed the order on May 5 and gave her a build date of June 5 (estimated delivery in late June). The problem we have is that FCSD (Ford Customer Service Division) does not provide tracking information on the build. This is kind of shaky, since you're relying on the dealership/salesperson to convey such information.

By comparison (and this is NOT a dig against Ford in any way), I ordered a loaded Dakota Quad Cab with 5.9 V8 on April 3. The dealer supplied me with a VON (Vehicle Order Number) on April 7, an an estimated buld date of April 24-25, and estimated ship date of April 26.

I called Daimler-Chrysler's customer service center toll-free on April 14 to confirm those dates. The rep confirmed that it was to ship on April 26, gave me a VIN, then spent an additional 10 minutes running through each and every package/option on the build list.

Called D/C back on April 28 to check on delivery status, and was informed that the truck was loaded on a piggyback on April 26, bound for the delivering dealership. Also indicated that it would be 4-5 days before it hit the ground.

On May 1 I received an e-mail from the sales guy indicating that the truck had landed, and was in make-ready... Handled all the paperwork via e-mail and fax, and set a delivery date of May 6.

Took delivery on May 6... Like clockwork.

The point? My wife and I have had the unusual experience of purchasing Ford and Chrysler vehicles at the same time. We're perfectly happy with both vehicle choices. However, it's very clear that Ford needs to shore up its customer service efforts.

I have faith that Ford will do so, and will take every opportunity to address the issue with Ford clients as appropriate. The retail automotive business has changed DRAMATICALLY over just the past 5-6 years... Customers are far more knowledgeable, and expect/deserve much more accurate information relative to what is a MAJOR purchase. Given a bit more time, I believe that Ford will adjust to provide better customer satisfaction.

smellone

I have been shopping for an ST for the last two weeks (Milwaukee area). Out of the 8 or so Ford dealers in the area, each had 1 or 2 on the lot, although most were 2wd. I finally found a black 4wd loaded at a dealership in a more rundown section of town. They had it for 4 weeks (had old list price) without even taking the plastic off the seats. Black wasn't my first color choice, but it looks very sharp and the lead times on ordering were way too long. Almost 90% of the trucks in stock were Black. The truck has 4wd, 4.1 ls axle, leather, moonroof, 6cd player, skid plates, cargo cage, sport package, etc. I bought it for $350 over invoice. It's an awesome truck, a perfect combination of inside room/cargo room and an open bed for large items. I haul skids of material that is 3-4 feet tall which I could never fit in my explorer (or anything short of a full size van). I bought it to replace a 95 Explorer XLT and it handles and rides better and is quieter. No problems with leaky roof or anything else for that matter. I also considered an F-150 but my wife has enough trouble parking her minivan next to my explorer in our garage. Also, she occasionaly drives my vehicle and the F-150 was too intimidating for her. I drive 30K miles a year and while the F150 drives very nice its still not nearly as manuverable as the ST.

dolphins66

Absolutely, Ford needs to catch up with the competition in terms of customer service. I do trust; however, the quality of their products, having been a Ford vehicle owner for many years. It would behoove Ford and all other manufacturers to include a search option under their websites as to the status of an ordered vehicle. This way, customer service reps (what are they really?) don't have to be bogged down by phone calls from anxious customers. WOW! What a concept! I'm just amazed that they have not yet done this (although perhaps some others have.)

fordsporttrac

I haven't had a chance to check 70MPH but @ 60MPH with overdrive ON is 2100 RPM's I "THINK" its ~250 RPM increase per 10 MPH at Hwy speed with OD ON but I'm not positive about the increase.

As far as Wind Noise IMHO its minimal at Highway speeds.

I did read an article, I forget where, that said Q2 production of the ST would be much higher than Q1. So I would guess that build dates will be adjusted as production increases.

To the person with the broken rear window. Did your dealer put a temporary tag on your rear window? My dealer DID! Because of the left over sticky suff I falsely reported on this list that my rear window would stop at any point. Mine was stopping when the glue got caught on the rubber seal. Once I cleaned off the window it "ONLY" vents and Fully opens.

There is a section in the manual about how to clear a window Jam. Once I removed the glue, my dealer did the unjam proceedure and it been fine ever since.

jab1964

I ordered my ST on April 20. My salesman called me today with a dealer delivery ETA of May 29th. I was expecting late June from what i have been reading on here. there are about 8 local ford dealers here, 3 of which are high volume. when I went around looking last month, the small dealers had 1 on the lot, prices around 29,000. the larger volume dealers had between 15 and 25. I ordered mine at 400 over invoice. thats $23,015, White with the convenience and sport packages, 6 cd changer and cargo cage.The third large dealer wanted $25,560. so it pays to shop around, and know your facts. I cant wait.

towcrazy2

Dolph,
Regarding electronic tracking of orders... In time, it will come.

For what it's worth, while Ford produces some very fine products, it's a bit behind the times in terms of communication with both dealers and customers. For example, both Chrysler and GM went to intranet (laptop) access of dealership financial performance reports more than a year ago. And I was personally involved in developing some browser-based sales/service training for Chrysler more than a year ago. Ford is still in the "embryonic" stage on that front... It's making progress, but it will likely be a couple of years until it truly has a "better idea" in that regard.

Funny, isn't it? I pop a few hundred bucks on a plane ticket for a business trip... My wife gets the flight numbers... Jumps on the computer and uses "Flight-Tracker" to monitor where I am in the sky, where I've touched down, and at what time... Calls me at the hotel, and asks why the layover was so long...

Yet, we plunk down $20K on a vehicle and have no clear notion of its build/delivery status??? Is it just me, or is something wrong here?

tl565

I think Ford's approach to the whole delivery issue is much more comprehensive than just tracking where the order is. Ford has started a joint effort with UPS to not only track the deliveries but to SPEED UP the WHOLE process, and to make it compatible with Internet ordering (which is really the main goal I think). From what I have read, Ford seems to be the furthest along with this major overhaul.

I have had no problem getting the status of where my order is, the problem is it takes too long for delivery.

tl565

The flight tracker is great but wouldn't it be nice if the airlines could cut out the bottle necks and all of the delays. I wouldn't use the airlines as inspiration for anything!!!

Here is part of the article on the joint venture Ford created with UPS. The system has been up and running since March for some assemble plants, but not the ST plant though

They look to cut the transit time from factory to dealer in half. Too bad United can't cut in half the time it takes to fly from LA to New York.....or at least the time is takes to get that stupid jetway attached to the aircraft!



UPS helps Ford speed deliveries

....A new venture between the two companies aims to reduce by six days the time needed to ship a vehicle from Ford's factories to dealers. Currently, Ford's average transit time is about 15 days, although shipping can require up to 30 days in some instances.

Cutting vehicle delivery times is a key step in Ford's plan eventually to allow customers to order custom vehicles quickly and efficiently. Automakers and retailers want to save billions in inventory costs and satisfy customer demand by slashing vehicle delivery time.

The complex logistics of automotive manufacturing and delivery coupled with an inefficient rail transit system have hindered efforts. Indeed, Ford began a global program to speed deliveries in 1997.

MORE SPEED

Now, Ford is calling in outside help. Ford and UPS Logistics Group, a unit of United Parcel Service, are forming a venture to revamp and manage Ford's vehicle delivery.

.The first phase of the Ford program begins in March. It will involve Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles built in assembly plants in southeastern Michigan and St. Louis and shipped to dealerships in the western and southwestern regions of the United States. Ford expects the entire network to be operating within 15 months after launch. The rollout includes Canada and Mexico.

..Ford will use an Internet-based system that will allow dealers to monitor individual vehicle orders from production through delivery. Eventually, Ford will permit customers to track individual orders via the Web.

hmlrht1

Hi...I ordered my ST on April 7 and still I have no order date. I have talked to my salesman and he suggested that I take off the bed extender from the order and that it might go through faster because he has heard that the bed extender is holding up some production. What did you order for your ST. Mine is 4x2, performance group and convenience group. I would like to get mine by the 1st of July, but it doesn't look like it will make it. That will have been 12 weeks!!

tl565

I ordered mine on 3/22 with the same equipment you mentioned including the bed extender plus leather. Last week I called Ford's 800-number and was told mine was in 'scheduling' and this week they gave me the estimated build period (week of 5/29). Sounds like you are about 2 weeks behind my order, if so, next week you should be told it is in for scheduling. Ask your dealer what priority they put on your order. Good luck.

pgn_tx

Here is my experience, so far...
Ordered on 4/6 -
ST 4x2, convenience, premium sport, cloth comfort, 6cd player, & limited slip.
No cargo cage or tonneau cover.
Priority: 10
Received Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of the week of 6/5 and VIN on the fifth week (5/12).
If received on the week of 6/5, it will take 9 weeks from order to delivery.

kinematic

Been reading responses for the few weeks, and after taking a Sport Trac home for the weekend, I ordered my ST on May 3, from a local dealer.

I ordered a black 2wd, with the Premium Sport Group, Convience Group, Cloth Comfort Group, cargo extender cage and the 4.10 limited slip rear axle.


The dealer has indicated that the ST should
arrive no later than the 1st week of July.

I have a 94 F-150 4x4 and as I don't intend to use the ST off road, I feel that the limited slip should provide enough extra traction during the winter months.


Has anyone checked their gas mileage with the
4.10 rear axle, as I expect the RPM's will be running a little higher.

Also any comments regarding the upgraded power seats in the Cloth Comfort Group?

rjkunkle

I received my ST on 5/10/00. I ordered the ST on 3/16/00. It took just less than 8 weeks. I got 2wd, harvest gold, tan leather, sunroof, sport package, cd-6, cargo carge, and a written receipt for a tonneau cover at cost. $100 over invoice.
Already have my colored bugshield and ventshades on the vehicle.

tl565

rjkunkle - congrats on your new ST.

How much is dealer cost of the tonneau cover?

rjkunkle

Dealer said their cost. They don't know if ford will change the price, like the did on the base price of the sport trac. I was price prtected so I paid the lower price, $84 + $3 more for the gas. Right now the tonneau cover is $502 if ford changes it, I will have to pay that price. The salesman has been more than helpful. I have been bugging him 2-3 times a week for the 8 weeks the truck was on order and when he couldn't answer my questions the fleet manager would try to contact Ford. The salesman's name is Chris Marchiani and he works at Garnet Ford. The website for the dealer is www.garnetgroup.com. I told the dealership I didn't want any stickers on my vihecle and that any advertisement would be done by would of mouth and that all depended on how respectful and tructworthy they were. Best of luck with your ST's. Hope the keep this forum up and running and stop cloing and opening new ones.

denneyman

Well, I have been reading this forum now since March 13th, when I ordered my Sport trac. I ordered a Red 4x2 fully loaded with moonroof. I have now waited 2 months, and STILL NO BUILD DATE!!! I called the dealer on numerous occasions and he kept telling me that he would know when it would be in "on Friday" or "Tomorrow". he never delivered on his promises.

I had him cancel the hard top cover about 6 weeks ago, yet he still has no word. I called and demanded to speak to the inventory control man who my saleseman supposedly was getting his information from, and he wouldn't take my call. Then I demanded to speak to the manager who told me the following story (Please confirm if this is true): He told me that approximately every other Thursday they meet with a Ford rep who tells them what vehicles they are getting in, and that Ford only builds a certain number of vehicles with options like mine on them. So I demanded that mine be put on the highest priority. After yelling at this man about my long wait, I got a call from my salesman who told me that it "Didn't look good" and he said it would probably be a couple more months before mine came in. I have called Ford and they have confirmed that it was ordered, but can't tell me when. My dealer also told me that since I ordered mine loaded, that it was taking longer.

My queston is, is something fishy going on here? I asked the manager this question and he acted like I was being impatient and told me that he nor Ford wanted to have a dissatisfied customer. I am irritated because it seems others on this post have not had to wait this long for merely a build date. I'm even considering cancelling the order.

Any suggestions or information would be appreciated.

mdemarco

I bought my ST from a salesman who seemed to be very honest. He said they place all retail orders on Thursday. Once the order is placed it shows up on their "Ford" computer as to its status. Every week I called he was able to give me a status, such as "order in process", "released to rail head". Based on these status codes they know if the vehicle is on hold for parts delay, etc. They also get an estimated delivery date which gets updated if anything changes. He told me 8 weeks when I ordered my ST and I got it in 7. Ordering a loaded truck should not delay anything, unless certain parts, like the tonneau cover, were on hold. If that;s the case, your truck should have build hold which reflects that.

Someone previously posted information that dealers only get certain quantities alocated to them per month /or quarter. If that dealer is jerking you around so much, you may want to shop around to another dealer. Unless you know for a fact they have a good service department, I would look elsewhere if possible.

zack1000

I took delivery of my sport trac on March 30 and I just received my gift box from Ford. It contained two director's chairs with the Sport Trac logo, a swiss army knife, a key chain, and a catalog of all the accessories they sell for the sport trac.

The accessories include a Class III trailer hitch, bug deflector, wind vents for all windows, two types of hood nose covers, numerous roof rack attachments, the soft tonneau cover, and many other items.

tl565

I ordered mine on 3/22 and it won't be built until the week of 5/29. I didn;t receive my build date until last week. My dealer put me in at a priority of 33, which isn't great.

It is true that production is limited for certain options, for example I was told only 10% of production would be leather equipped. If there is more demand than that for leather, then it would take longer to get the vehicle.

I would recommend you talk to the sales manager and ask him to confirm if your tonneau cover has been removed from your order.

wpoe

I ordered originally on on March 6, on 3/22 was given a build date of 4/10 - 4-17 with a ship date of 4/24 to arrive at the dealer by 5/1. Dealer called on 4/18 to tell me it had arrived and it was in being preped (washed and all stickers removed) I go to pick it on that night and half of the options were missing. The sells person didn't order all of the options I requested.

So she ordered it again on 4/19, she faxed me the order this time straight off the computer.
Last Wednesday she calls and I have a build date of 5/23. I am going to verify with Customer Service on the dates and options. I ordered the Cloth Comfort group (60A), the Convenience Group (553), the Premium Sport Group (47P), the Moonroof(439), the 6 CD player (581), the Cargo Cage(63E), and the Limited Slip Dif (XD2).

fordnut

Has anyone found a dealer in South FL that will order and sell a ST <=3% over dealer invoice? I'm
in West Palm Beach and am willing to drive an hour
or so to get a good deal!!!

fordnut

Has anyone found a dealer in South FL that will order and sell a ST <=3% over dealer invoice? I'm
in West Palm Beach and am willing to drive an hour
or so to get a good deal!!!

jab1964

I live in Ft.Lauderdale. I shopped around, and found that sawgrass and world ford had the best prices around. sawgrass ford had sport trac's for 500 over invoice, as long as you don't want the leather option. I ordered mine from world ford for 400 over invoice. I think thats about 1.7 % over invoice. I ordered it on April 20, and have a delivery date of may 29. both dealers have plenty of stock. check their web pages
www.world-ford.com
www.sawgrass-ford.com
and call first. Mullinax, the other large dealer, wanted to sell me what I wanted for 25,560, I am paying 23,015
good luck fordnut!

fordnut

As far as accessories go, check out the truck mags
(e.g. Sport Truck, 4-wheeler, etc.)for tonneau covers made by Lund, Snugtop and others. For performance parts check out explorerexpress.com or 4.0 performance. They are all working on various engine goodies and many other accessories.

alcat4

I ordered my 4x2 s/t with all options except payload package on March 25. After reading of holdup on tonneau cover, called dealer on April 21st. Told it was on material hold and would start to build on May 1st. Called on May 12th to check status. Told it was still on material hold. Took tonneau cover order off order and told that will take care of the problem. But by now I am so frustrated, I'm looking at 2001 Toyota 4 door Tacoma or anything else. Talked to Ford customer service and got anything but service. Will talk to them tomorrow (if a manager calls me back) and will let you know outcome. Signed "Tired of waiting and poor service"!

dolphins66

For those of you who follow this every week, you might remember that my husband and I ordered our loaded ST on February 28th. My husband called the dealer yesterday and it is built and on it's way to the dealer. Estimated delivery date is next Tuesday, May 23rd BUT it could be sooner, he said. My husband said, "Are you sure that you want to say that? Maybe you want to buy yourself an extra 5 days just in case. Otherwise if it arrives after that you'll be dealing with my wife."
(A joke of course, because I've been calling him about once every two weeks asking him the status of our vehicle.) In any case, hopefully we will be in our new vehicle a week from Wednesday or Thursday (pending the prep time).

dep7

dolphines66
did you order something special on your ST and/or from a small dealer? the reason I ask is that I have been waiting since mid march and still don't have a build date.

t_moose

What is the deal with these? I took delivery of a ST in Mid March. The only thing I got from Ford was a questionnaire about the dealer and a box of cookies.

heeler

has anyone towed anything substantial with their ST? specifically a loaded 2-horse trailer?

dolphins66

Dep 7,

No, we didn't order anything special other than the usual options..loaded minus 4X4 and tonneau cover. So that means, cargo cage, leather, sport package, etc.

tae121

I'll finally get my ST on Sunday. I ordered over a month ago from a tiny dealer, still with no build date. I was starting to get a little impatient so I went to a large dealer to see if they could get me one any faster at the same deal. Surprisingly, they said I could have it within a week and they would match my original deal - which was an excellent deal. Only $2000 off sticker, BUT $2575 more for my trade in than any dealer has been allowed to give. Most dealers in the area have a cap for their trade in amounts. Plus, they agreed to sell my trade in directly to my father with no mark-up if he agreed to buy an extended warranty at a discounted price. I guess it really pays to do tons of research and discuss the deal with several dealers and owners of dealerships. Now, I can't wait to get that director's chair package! Here we go with more waiting!

t_moose

I can't help today, but on Thursday, I am picking up my new 19' boat. It weighs in around 3300 lbs. Can't wait to drive my ST with my other new toy in tow! Definitely will be the envy of many others at the lake. I'll report back how it handles if no one else does by then.

scoot99

In my case, my brother got the director's chairs with his 99 explorer after he filled out the questionaire form. So anyone out their don't discard the survey, FILL IT OUT, and your directors chairs will soon arrive.

dep7

t moose

what kind of boat did you buy!!!!!!

dep7

finally.....Dealer called today and said that my build date is the week of june 5th. should be delv. around the mid of june....I ordered in mid march....I am not holding my breath on when I will REALLY recieve the ST....but at least I supposively have a build date

t_moose

Dep7...

I got a Sea Ray 190 Sun Deck. Family/run-about/sport boat type thing. The more i think about it, it's kind of like the ST. Not sure if it is a truck or SUV, multipurpose type boat. Pretty cool, well at least we (the family) think so.

jcaustin

Okay, so I've finally configured the ST I want and found a local dealer (internet sales) who will sell it to me at invoice (agrees with Edmund's). My question is: I am asked for a non-refundable deposit of $500 (which will be applied to the price), he says after he gets the deposit he will turn in the order and the credit app (I faxed him an application for Ford credit)is this the normal process? Shouldn't the credit app be approved before handing over a non-refundable deposit??? Thanks

alcat4

Customer service never called back. Some surpise! Emailed ford and am supposed to get a response in 1-3 days. We all need to let them know that there are options that'll be here by our supposed build/delivery date!

bgc3

I have inside information from Ford that says that the reason that the production of the Sport Trac is getting so far behind schedule is that they underestimated the number of people that would order "power seats". If you do not want the powers seat, they should be able to get the Sport Trac made quickly. There are Sport Tracs here in my home city of Atlanta without power seats on the dealer lots waiting for buyers...

bgc3

I purchased my Sport Trac back in March. It is loaded with all options, including 4x4 and limited slip differential. I have had absolutely no problems with it and it seems like a well-made vehicle. The only thing that I have noticed is that there seems to be a metallic "whine" or whistling sound that begins at about 45mph. It is coming from the rear. It does not sound like wind noise. Has anyone else with a Sport Trac noticed this sound? The Ford dealership says that the sound is normal to all Sport Tracs and it is the driveshaft. Once you "hear" the sound it is something that noticeable everytime that you are on the road with it.

fordnut

Does anyone know if the ST has a passive alarm system as stated in the product literature? Does that mean it is embedded in the key as in the corvette? Also, I guess the power locks come with a remote to open them which is not part of the alarm. Has anyone tried to get their alarm to sound? I forget who posted about the hidden hitch for the ST, but according to the web site irt is a Class III hitch. Call to be sure. Good price too, around $101 and looks real clean on the ST, not like a construction truck hitch. Anyway I will be ordering one in the next month and I hope I won't have to wait 12 wks!!!

dolphins66

Maybe you will be lucky enough not to have to wait 12 weeks. Hope you have better luck. My husband and I ordered ours back on February 28th. Last week, our sales rep told us estimated delivery on May 23rd. Today he called and said May 26th. Bottom line: you never REALLY know when you'll get your vehicle until you're actually driving it off the lot. Sit tight!

fordsporttrac

bgc3,

I do not have any Metallic sounds from my ST. Even with the Rear Window open I do not hear any metallic noise. The sound is NOT normal.

IMHO, metallic noise means metal on metal and that is never good. Take your ST to another Dealer and have it checked out.

About your comment on the power seat, its part of the Leather comfort group AND the Cloth comfort group. So if someone was to nix the power seat they will also drop the leather/cloth bucket seats and overhead console. Also nix the floor console with rear climate and rear audio included in the leather comfort group. I'd wait it out. The captains chairs are worth it.

Directors Chairs,
I got my directors chairs after signing up on the Ford WEB site. http://www.ownerconnection.com I never got any cookies. :-(

Alarm,
The ST comes with the Passive Anti-Theft (Chip in the Key) system. I purchased the active Ford System 4 alarm. It uses the same Key FOBs that come with the ST. The system is annoying to me at its best. It arms itself when sitting at the gas pump even with a door open. (Auto Arm can be disabled but I haven't yet.) When it auto arms you can't start the ST because the ignition is disabled. You have to disarm the system with the FOB to start it.

Non-Refundable Deposit
jcaustin,
IMHO:
I agree with you! Get the pre approval first before you plunk down $500. Make sure you have a written contract that states you get a full refund if they do not supply the correctly configured ST by a specific date. And PAY BY CREDIT CARD! Its easier to get a refund! :-) Amex is preferred! Their customer service is better.

dolphins66

When my husband and I put our $500 down the dealer would not accept our Amex or any other card, for that matter. We were hoping to get Delta Sky miles but the dealer wouldn't budge...check or cash only.

wpoe

I used my Amex for the down payment. And the dealer had no problems when I asked about my 10,000 sky miles. I will get them when the ST comes in.

jimz2

I ordered my Sport Trac mid February & the build date is finally within sight, June 5th.
I'm anxious to see it but determined to get the all the options including the tonneau cover on day one, factory installed, warrantied & built into the price of the vehicle. Car & Driver March 2000 has pictures & details of the tonneau cover, & it's a substantial unit (70 lbs & equipped with door jamb looking securing mechanisms). The writer of that article was rather sloppy in his comments about the Sport Trac & slams on potential owners. I had a letter to the editor all written up when I discovered the writer's obituary on the C&D's site, died testing a Mercedes Rentech. Sending the letter didn't seem so important anymore.

The 6 disc in-dash CD changer is a "Visteon" unit, available from Crutchfield for $749, rather expensive considering that Ford's upgrade price is only $270 MSRP. This unit doesn't offer pre-outs for an external amp so as sweet as the form factor is, I'll go with a true aftermarket unit.

I called Waag for a brush guard, they're starting to make them, part # 15583. The airbag sensors are inertia units so the brush guard won't make a difference with their deployment.

Does anyone know of an aftermarket roof rail system similar to the Xterra? I believe the Xterra's rack is rated for 125 lbs & Ford's plastic rails are only rated to 100 lbs. Considering that the two sea kayaks I currently transport weigh 65 lbs each & I've lost the load in a heavy crosswind before, I'm quite interested in a beefy rack where I'm at least close to the rating. Seeing my boats launch off my car's Yakima rack (even with straps front & rear) was a major influence on wanting a more appropriate albeit more expensive vehicle.

Well, I could see it 3 weeks earlier if I drop the tonneau cover... but I'm going to test my patience & go for broke.

wpoe

I just found out the sales person I order the ST from no longer works at the Dealership. I have been handed over to another sales person and this and this salesman was able to find out what my VIN is. There is hope after all.