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2K Ford Explorer Sport Trac's

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  • jab1964jab1964 Member Posts: 21
    has anyone brought in their ST to have the gas lid rubbing addressed? and if so, what did they do? Thanks!
  • pennyless2pennyless2 Member Posts: 12
    The brush guards mentioned in earlier posts can be seen at www.suvbrushguards.com , they look great! Has anyone heard about the sub-woofer made by Boston Acoustics that fits in the accessory compartment behind the rear seat? I e-mailed them last week (no response). Also, Infinity makes the BassLink system, 10" speaker with built in 200 watt amp. It's only 14"x12"x8", looking for a place to mount it this afternoon.
  • gpd22gpd22 Member Posts: 14
    The $99 is the advertising fee. Well...my math was a little off--you're right ~1.5% above invoice (everything included). However, I actually purchased the vehicle for less than invoice because I also received the $400 college incentive from Ford. In reviewing my purchase agreement, I spent $44 below invoice. My wife spent the money "saved" on furniture.

    As a consumer, you can make informed choices, but without all the facts, it's a little more difficult.
  • bdenneybdenney Member Posts: 6
    I too would be interested in the Boston Acoustics subwoofer. Also, I am going to get a bug gaurd (if that's what they are called) to go on the front where the hood opening is. Anyone know where to obtain these items? My truck is supposed to be built this week (along with just about eveyone else it seems) and delivered anywhere from the 26th to the 1st of July. I ordered the moonroof and the cloth comfort group. I will have the dealer check out the moonroof to make sure it isn't leaking before I drive it off the lot. This forum is great. Thanks.
  • mljohnmljohn Member Posts: 9
    I live in Queens and bought a Wedgewood Blue ST from Crown Ford in Lynbrook. They had three before, but I think I bought the last one. Park Inn Ford in Lynbrook has one, but the salesman there are stupid; they actually told me it was fully loaded including the bigger engine! I ended up paying $1k over invoice, which I didn't think was bad for NY. I should also mention that my cousin is the service writer there so I'm not sure how much better they will go on price. How does the soft cover go on? Is it on rails or just snaps.
  • bennbbennb Member Posts: 143
    I too have had my ST into the dealer for the leaky moonroof and was told that the tube was misdirected and the service dept. just redirected it to where it should have been. They also mentioned how it was directed upward or something to that entent possibly causing the gathering of water in the headliner. Those are their words and I haven't had a leak since.
  • lmc5lmc5 Member Posts: 16
    I'm not sure if you have Pep Boys in your area but I have a 1997 Explorer and I got my bug guard there for about $45.00, half of what the dealership wanted. Good Luck.
  • dolphins66dolphins66 Member Posts: 78
    We just ordered our "bug guard" two weeks ago from the parts dept. at our dealership, the same day we took delivery of our ST. Not sure which one you are speaking of but we got the two-piece "bra" which will help keep those pesky lovebugs out of the grill. We get those down here in the south in the Spring and Fall. We have one on our 1995 Explorer and it does a great job. You just have to take it off if it gets wet. Also a good idea to take it off to allow the paint to "breathe" sometimes. Most of the time it's out of the sun and we take good care of the paint by waxing it by hand 4 times a year so we aren't concerned about fading.
    Oh, the two-piece "bra" is $100 plus tax but it hasn't arrived yet. My guess, like everything else, it may be a few more weeks.

    Still loving our ST.
  • dolphins66dolphins66 Member Posts: 78
    Yes, you can purchase one from Pep Boys or other Auto Shops at a lesser price; however, if you order through Ford it will have Ford etched into it, if that something that matters to you.
  • pennyless2pennyless2 Member Posts: 12
    Is your soft tonneau a Ford product or after-market? Thanks,Tim
  • lasveganlasvegan Member Posts: 53
    Forgot the question number but (www.deflectashield.com) offers a front shield of two different types for the sporty. Also we who live in the desert need dash covers. (www.dashhugger.com) has nice covers with ford logo and lettering. Mine has the lettering "Sport Trac" with the ford logo. Looks real nice. Wish I had a Sport Trac to put it into. Im still waiting for mine to arrive.
  • dep7dep7 Member Posts: 12
    finally received a build date and vin #....Does anyone know when I can get a DElv Date? my build date is JUne 12...can I call now or do I have to wait until after it;s built....

    thanks
  • steveeaststeveeast Member Posts: 158
    Call now, they'll probably have a delivery date. Nothing to lose...
  • wpoewpoe Member Posts: 41
    I received my delivery date about 1.5 weeks after I received my build date. My delivery date is June 12-19. I sitting by the phone waiting for the dealer to call, telling me my ST came in early.
  • lrwizardlrwizard Member Posts: 9
    Well, the sporty gods are smiling on me! My Harvest Gold 4x2 / prairie tan leather / sport group / 6-disc / cargo cage / conv group, is sitting at the dealer as I write this. I will be taking delivery tomorrow (6/9) and this follows from order date of 4/24, and a build date of 5/29. Not too bad really when I sit back and remember - but it seems like an eternity!

    Once I'm finally done tooling around town soaking up the looks and showing it off to some friends, I'll post my comments.

    Happy happy day!
  • tonysal88tonysal88 Member Posts: 6
    pennyless2:
    The cover is a Ford product part #99501A42 and lists for $199.00. It snaps on to a rail frame. No drilling is required and only takes minutes to install and to un-snap when you want to carry bulky loads. The cover is black heavy gauge vinyl and looks good.
  • pennyless2pennyless2 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the quick response! I'am calling my dealer today and order a soft tonneau! Check out these brush guards at www.suvbrushguards.com ,I ordered one earlier in the week, takes 3-4 weeks to get them. Thanks again!
  • crashfucrashfu Member Posts: 2
    Been shopping the Orange County, CA market. Very tough! I'm down to $500 over invoice to dealer locate/swap one, or $200 over invoice to order. Here's what one dealer said when I pushed the envelope: "[You got that]on a Sport Trac??? Sorry,I sent my very best price. How are the other
    prices shaping Up????"
    Am I getting a fair shake? I think so given how popular this vehicle is... Oh, and is the Prairie Tan Leather really tan, or is that sort of funky grey color?
  • jcaustinjcaustin Member Posts: 22
    both of your offers sound good. some areas are selling STs for over the MSRP, I went the order route and got mine for dealer invoice (Austin TX) some people have posted being able to buy from dealers below dealer invoice. Let us know what you go with.
  • ryno63ryno63 Member Posts: 10
    Well I just ordered the black soft tonneau from my local Ford dealer here in mid-michigan. They advise it is on back order. Could take a week to a month. Has anyone ordered the Ford cover and how long did it take to come in? Also, what kind of mpg's are everyone getting. My wife has only put 400 miles on hers, we have not checked it yet. Oh by the way are local gas price is $1.999
    The $2 a gallon made it to us !!!!
  • rverginiarverginia Member Posts: 10
    My wife and I traded her '97 F-150 LWB super cab for a white sport trac 4X4. Cloth, comfort, convenience groups, positraction, standard cd.
    We actually got it for less than cost when you factor in the deal we got on our trade. The dealer suggested that we sell our F-150 in the paper, bring our buyer to the dealership, they would call our truck a "trade" and see it to him for the price we agreed upon. I ended up saving $1450.00 in sales tax.
    The negotiated price for the ST was $800 over cost (saw the invoice), so I figured I actually got it for net $600 under invoice. Funny numbers, but they do add up.
    Evergreen Ford, Issaquah WA, currently has about 12 in stock, all colors.
    We really like ours. HTQ (head turning quotient) is VERY HIGH.
  • ensignmhensignmh Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know how to fix a rubbing gas cap door? Was okay, but now rubs.
  • bjohn1225bjohn1225 Member Posts: 16
    I picked up my black 4x4 ST last night that I had ordered less than 7 weeks ago!! Got it loaded: Conv., Leather comfort & prem. sport group, plus 4.1 l/s, cargo cage & skid plates. Pretty much everything except the moonroof, 6 cd changer & tonneau. The truck is better than I expected. I've been trying hard to notice any kind of shimmy at low speed, but so far I havn't noticed any. Everything seems to be perfect.
    For those of you who recently inquired about Buffalo area dealers, I got mine at Al Maroone Ford & paid dealer invoice. I actually live in Rochester but made the hour drive to get a better deal. The #*@$ Rochester Auto Collection couldn't come near the price and estimated 10-12 weeks or more to receive one that was ordered. Well worth the drive.
  • craig002craig002 Member Posts: 32
    I have about 1100 miles on my 4X4, and have yet to hit 15 miles per gallon. My F-150 was easier on gas then this one. I am hoping it will improve with age. In AZ, we have to live with blended gasoline for the air quality problems,and I believe this gives a lower mileage per gallon. but the fuel is reasonable compared with Chicago. I paid $1.38 for regular and have seen $1.30 at some stations. I do experience some low speed shimmy, and a lot of wind noise from the mirrors or top rails. Sounds like a rear window is open.
  • bennbbennb Member Posts: 143
    Combo highway and interstate I've been getting 18mpg--WITH THE TAILGATE DOWN (don't know how big a difference that makes). Around town I've been getting 14-15mpg. Gas here (Lincoln, NE) is $1.64/gallon or so. I already have 4300 miles on my ST and I purchased it in March--YIKES! I really do enjoy this vehicle though.
  • tiz2tiz2 Member Posts: 4
    I have been considering purchasing a ST. I love the looks! My question is the power for towing and highway passing- any owners have complaints about either? The one I drove seemed slugish to me. Has anyone heard if Ford will be coming out with a V8 option anytime soon?
  • jab1964jab1964 Member Posts: 21
    I don't know about towing, but I had no problem passing on the highway while going 70MPH. This ST has more than enough power for me, and I would not want a V8
  • jcaustinjcaustin Member Posts: 22
    I rmember reading somewhere that Ford is planning a V8 option but not till end of year. Based on their other target dates I would not be surprised if it wasn't until 2001. They are also planning a manual trans. option end of this year.
  • dmichdmich Member Posts: 11
    craig002

    I am currently looking for a ST in AZ. Where did you purchase your ST and what options and price did you get? Did you buy it through Costco?
  • mdemarcomdemarco Member Posts: 13
    I picked up a cubic yard of mulch today and the sport trac handled it very well. It's not as heavy as, lets say topsoil, but it is a start. I was unsure how the rear suspension would react with a load, and it handled it very well.
  • lrwizardlrwizard Member Posts: 9
    Oh yeah! The almost 2mo. wait has ended. Picked up my Harvest Gold 4x2 today - loaded w/everything (except no moonroof or tonneau) and paid 3% over invoice.

    From roughly 3 hours driving around town on a few errands today I'd have to say I LOVE IT!! And so does everyone I show it to.

    I'd like to offer some agrees and some disagrees with what some have posted here...

    Everyone is absolutely right about the head-turning. Stoplights, in traffic, etc - you feel like everyone is checking you out. I'm actually afraid someone is going to WRECK! I am not kidding you would think this was actually made of gold (and not just painted gold).

    I definitely noticed what some have called a 'shimmy' turning the wheels tightly at idle. As soon as you give it more gas though, it smooths right out. The idle does seem very low and after it breaks in I might get the dealer to adjust it.

    The gas cap door ever so slightly touches the inside edge but I don't think it will cause problems. Feels like plastic against plastic not painted metal against painted metal.

    I guess it depends what people are used to but this truck rides quieter than any vehicle I have owned - and I certainly can't hear any wind noise even at 65-70. If the mirrors make noise I don't hear 'em.

    Even if it were noisy its quite easy to drown that out with the superb 6-disc premium stereo. I have to tell you that it sounds easily better and louder than most other factory systems I've heard from any mfr. And, actually it sounds much cleaner and more natural than many after-market systems (and I've had many from Pioneer, Kenwood, Clarion, etc.) The bass is actually pretty decent and you can really feel it, I may add a subwoofer (somewhere) but it honestly sounds fantastic already and probably won't be worth the hassle or lost storage space.

    Ok sorry for hogging so much space here but I'm really happy and excited here - thanks a ton to all the people posting stuff!! Hope all of you shoppers get one, and rock on to all of us that already have 'em!
  • dberndtdberndt Member Posts: 45
    Today I ordered my ST! (wifey name it 'Stanley', starts with 'ST') After doing all my research and spending LOTS of time on these discussion boards, the damage to my financial situation is now starting. This is the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased. It is SUPER exciting.

    I ordered a FULLY loaded (minus tonneau, due to availability) Estate Green 4x4. Overall, the process was simple with this dealer, Hub Ford - owned by AutoNation USA. The sales team was Scott Easton and Gerry Steinburg. I dickered about the extra fees such as gas($28), FDAF ($130 ad fees) which were on the invoice but they wouldn't budge. They also wouldn't budge on the Dealer Charge ($289). I think those fees are garbage since the dealer is making PURE profit on the holdback (on this vehicle the holdback is $918.90 of PURE dealer profit).

    Anyway, with a vehicle as HOT as the ST, I really couldn't nickel and dime these guys when they were pretty much the only dealer out of the Metro ATL area that would do one for $500 over invoice.
    I did talk to someone at Banner Ford who said they would do $500 over, but he did not return phone calls after saying that. (probably got chewed my manager)

    I am including my breakdown of what I am paying to help others. I think it is ridiculous that some dealers are charging $3,000 over MSRP calling it "Limited Production Markup".
    This vehicle's MSRP is $30,630. My price was $28,072 (plus the tax and junk fees). I basically saved $2879 out the door! Here is break down and I hope this helps all future ST buyers:
    26,839 with ALL options (minus tonneau)
    130 FDAF (ad fees)
    28 gas (cheap bastards)
    575 destination charge
    ------------
    27,572 *INVOICE*
    + 500 Over invoice
    + 289 dealer junk fee
    + 89 title/tags, etc
    + 1707 6% sales tax
    -------------
    30,157 out the door - when it comes in!

    To all the people looking to purchase a ST, do your homework and don't pay more than $500 over invoice (1.8%). There will be a dealer out there that will do it for $500. Mostly they are the less volume, out of the way dealers. Don't worry about how the service departments will treat you if you didn't buy it from them. Definitely do not let the dealer put their sticker on your new car. You already paid the ad fees and the Ford logo is plenty of advertising. I despise those dealer decals.

    It has been great to come to this discussion board late at night and read the posts everyone has contributed. Thank you to everyone and I will keep y'all posted on the delivery info.
    How can I get that free Ford Outfitters stuff?
    Well, I am off to make room in the garage for this puppy. It is much longer than my 96 Explorer Sport (which is for sale by the way!).
  • dolphins66dolphins66 Member Posts: 78
    lrwizard: I agree with all of your comments about the ST. My husband and I have had ours for a little over three weeks and have had no problems with interior noise at higher speeds, the 6-CD changer stereo is indeed great (we have a 1995 Explorer Expedition which basically is a limited Sport and we have 6 speakers in there and that stereo doesn't sound as good as this one). In terms of the ride, it's a smoother ride than even some of the cars that we test drove during our shopping experience. We're not quite sure about the "head-turning ratio" because we're still too busy driving and enjoying the vehicle to be watching anyone else. We've only seen one other on the road in the Charleston, SC area although we know there are more. We do have a moonroof and have had a few heavy downpours of rain but no leaks yet and we that will not change. We aren't heavy haulers but we have much more easily hauled our fishing gear, beach gear and plants/trees/flowers from Lowe's and have found the bed practical for our needs. It's much easier using the bed than it is hauling things in the back of our '95 Explorer. Although we do have a liner to protect the carpet, it isn't the same as or as simple as using the bed. My husband had a 1987 Toyota pickup before this so he is just in heaven with this new vehicle. Remember folks, this is NOT a "cute" truck as I have heard people call it, it is a "ruggedly handsome" vehicle, as my husband stated.

    Happy driving with your ST's!
  • lasveganlasvegan Member Posts: 53
    Well just sitting here Sunday morning in my sinful state only thinking of coveting my neighbor Sport Trac :) pretty bad for a kid in his 40's.

    Was wondering if anybody (diehard) like myself is also waiting for their ordered ST to arrive with the Tonneau Cover? Last I heard June 21st was the date of something regarding the Cover. Has anybody ordered a ST with the Cover? If so what has your dealer told you about arrival dates?

    Thanks for a great forum
  • craig002craig002 Member Posts: 32
    Sorry I am so slow to return. I bot my ST from Hudgeons Ford in Coolidge. It is very similar to "Floyd's Barbershop in Mayberry." Mark Aapel is the GM, and the guy to see. I have purchased multiple vehicles from this place. I have never had a problem, and am usually out of there in under and hour. They give you a coke, order the vehicle, and send you on your way. No extra bs. It is a small dealership, so there may not be a lot of inventory. By the way, I gave them about $300 over the invoice. I have a white 4x4 with cloth comfort group. invoice was right at $26000. If Mark does not treat you right, let me know.
  • dberndtdberndt Member Posts: 45
    Does the ST only come with these white Faced gauges? I am 100% positive the one I test drove (at a different dealer than the one I ordered from)had regular faced gauges. I don't know if I really like these white ones. The dealer says he is 1000% sure that is the only way they come. The one I test drove at the other dealer did not have the white gauges. The one I bought from says that they must have changed them out after market. Can someone help me out on this please.
  • fonzziefonzzie Member Posts: 1
    We purchased our 2x4 ST in March. Already have 5800 miles on it! We believe we are getting good gas mileage, averaging around 19 mpg. Several times in the 20.5 - 20.9 mpg range. I do drive the highway to and from work, but live in the Atlanta area and the highways here are stop and go. So far no trouble with the vehicle, as some people have mentioned. Just enjoying the looks from fellow commuters!
  • brobbrob Member Posts: 4
    Hi Everyone,
    This is a great site thanks for all your posts. They have really helped me. I am going to order an ST. How much of a deposit do the dealers require if any? Thanks for the help. Tina
  • vegan2vegan2 Member Posts: 1
    Just curious. I ordered my sport trac on 3-30-00 from St.George Ford. I ordered red, moon roof, leather and convenience group. Got a great deal on the ST as well as top dollar for my trade. The problem is I still don't even have a vin number as yet. Curious as to where you purchased yours and did you get a good deal. Hope yours comes with the Tonneau cover. Love to see it.
  • jimz2jimz2 Member Posts: 44
    I'm in the same boat waiting for the tonneau cover to complete my order. My first entry into this forum was titled "Waiting Patiently" which doesn't entirely fit anymore after 4 months of waiting, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.
    The status update as of Thursday was that the tonneau cover release date is June 19th & my ST's build date is therefore June 19th.
    My Contour SE will have to play SUT for a few more weeks. The Yakima roof rack, rebuilt since last year when it unclipped from the roof, is now screwed into the door sills (the weatherstripping hides the screws when the rack is off). The Contour has no rain gutters or anything positive for the rack to clamp to. I couldn't risk the two 17 ft sea kayaks tumbling onto the highway again this year when disspite the straps front & rear, the whole rig slid off the side of the car. We took the boats out, bolted & strapped to the max for transport & had a blast tooling around the Thimble Islands for the weekend.
    I'm looking forward to having the right tool for the job...An Estate Green 4x4 ST!
  • dberndtdberndt Member Posts: 45
    Dealers customarily, in my experience, ask for a $500 deposit. However, EVERYTHING is negotiable when it comes to car dealers. (well, most everything)
    My dealer asked for a $500 deposit and I asked him if I could put down $300. I already had a pre approval from Ford Credit. You can do this online at Fordcredit.com. The dealer knew I was serious so they didn't mind dropping the deposit to $300. I told them I was going on vacation and if they can let me get away with $300 that would be nice of them. PUT IT ON A CREDIT CARD!
    Hope this helps.

    Anyone know about the white gauges?
  • hmlrht1hmlrht1 Member Posts: 19
    Well I got tired of waiting for my ordered ST and went and bought one from a different dealer. I had ordered mine on 4-7 and still no build date or VIN number. So on Tues. June 6 I bought a white one with tan interior with conv. package with running boards and fog lights added on at dealer. I got a good deal with that and my financing so I am happy. I do get the shimmy at low speeds and I get a shimmy at 50 and above. The high end shimmy is probably due to tires not balanced properly. Also the gas door rubs. I am bringing it back to the dealer this Wed. June 14 to have these problems corrected. Will write a follow up to this then. Have had a number of people at work and parking lots stare and ask questions about the ST. So far everyone has liked it. What's not to like, right?
  • zack1000zack1000 Member Posts: 84
    dberndt--white face gaugues are standard on the sport trac. There is no Ford option to change them. I love them. And so do everyone who I give rides to.
  • zack1000zack1000 Member Posts: 84
    Has anyone who has had a problem with the gas door rubbing got the problem successfully fixed at a dealer yet?
  • jpfeifferjpfeiffer Member Posts: 8
    What is the part # for the K&N filter for the
    Sport Trac? Is it the same as the 99 or 2000 4.0
    explorer?

    Any other performance ideas would be great!

    thanks,

    Jim
    4x4 st
  • fordnutfordnut Member Posts: 80
    I looked at six ST's yesterday and they all exhibited the rubbing gas door! The paint was damaged on all the vehicles. I was going to mention it to the salesman, but I'm sure he could have cared less. I looks to me that the door is not being mounted from the inside properly or there are not two mounting screws holding the gas cover horizontal, thus allowing it to droop and rub off the new paint. This is only a quick observation on the dealer's lot. Has anyone contacted ford about this? Their customer support people are useless so far as answering any of my technicial questions and so is the dealer. I hope to order mine in a few weeks!
  • wpoewpoe Member Posts: 41
    I was talking to the dealer on Friday to find out when my ST will arrive. It's in status 7, which he said meant that it was built and waiting to be loaded on to a truck to be delivered.

    The Dealer also said he heard that they were going to stop soon, if not already, for the model year 2001. Has any one else heard this?
  • rschfamilyrschfamily Member Posts: 19
    Did I miss something or why is everyone hot on this K&N filter? Please advise.
  • jimz2jimz2 Member Posts: 44
    dberndt,
    Black faced gauge to white faced gauge conversions have been an aftermarket niche mainly with mini truck & [non-permissible content removed] tunner cars for years. It would be ironic but wouldn't surprise me if white face gauges continued their growth in popularity & black faced gauges became the aftermarket choice.
    wpoe,
    I've heard that there will be a production shutdown soon on the ST. No changes indicated for the 2002 ST though.
    According to posts in the Dodge Dakota QC forum, Dodge stopped taking orders for 2000 QCs on May 5th & won't have the 2001 models out until the fall. The Dodge dealer I spoke to indicated that their holdup was not due to model changes or production capacity but CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) ratings for the year. Essentially, they'd need to sell more Neons in order to produce more QCs.

    The K&N filter is rated as a lifetime unit (cleanable) that's supposed to offer better airflow & therefore more power. It's more of an oil coated cloth corrugated element rather than dry paper element that's argueed to catch more small particles than a paper filter. K&N has been a quality aftermaket supplied for street bikes for years.
  • billgcpabillgcpa Member Posts: 1
    Please post the fix for the water leak probem encountered on the rear passenger side coming from the sunroof. I took delivery of my truck a week and a half ago and thought that the problem will not surface even after some heavy downpour and 1 car washing. Yesterday, coming from the Michigan Speedway, water started leaking from the headliner portion of the vehicle and some water leaked too on the area on the other side of the rear opposite where they normally leaked. I have never been so proud of this car when people gawk and asked what I am driving. But what an embarrasing situation when I have to explain that the water leak is a "unique problem" for the Sport trac since I read the postings while I'm waiting for this vehicle. Please re post the fix for the water leak.
This discussion has been closed.