I didn't read your post as anything other than helpful insight.

It's all good.

 

Sean,

I listened to your back window rattle video today. Can you tell if there is any separation between the metal base of the bracket and where it connects with the rear glass? I know there's another thread where this happened to another owner. It might be helpful if this is the case.

If there doesn't seem to be any separation there, the next thing I would try is to wrap a few rounds of electrician's tape. What I mean by that is to wrap (maybe 3x) around the part of the post that goes into (and is hugged by) the white plastic retainer clip in the rear lift gate side. Since electrician's tape is mostly rubber it acts as a good buffer between the two without causing damage to the retainer. It should help pull the glass in tighter and reduce any play in the retention mechanism. You can add more/less wraps as needed but you can get too thick.

You can also do this on the doors if any of them don't close as tight as you might want/expect. I have used this trick on the older model cars after the original spacer cracks and falls off. It's cheap, easy, and can be placed/replaced at will.

 

Thanks for the info Chris.

 

Sean, I just got a PM from a Ford representative that my 2011 Explorer will be built the week of January 17th. I placed my order 8/10/10 so it has been a long wait. This rep. also posted in the BlueOval Explorer forum something that might be a reason why you had so many problems out of your '09 FEH. As you know, we both ordered an '09 FEH early in '08, but you canceled and bought one in early Stock from Mullinax. Since I ordered a retail unit, mine was built after Quality Control tested Stock Dealer Orders. You had to get one of the first units built before all the problems were ironed out. Here is what the Rep. Posted:

"Ford does not build retails first. The first 3-4 weeks of production are going to be stock vehicles as the assembly line gets going. Once they have enough through the process, they check the quality for everything, Once everything is good to go, Ford declares the "OK to buy". At this point the stock orders that have been built will ship accross the country. No retail orders will be scheduled until the OKTB has been given.

This policy does mean there will be a couple thousand stock units on the ground before your retail order is built. It also means that your retail should not have 200 miles on it due to testing. Your car should benefit from the experience of those built before it."

Of course, I didn't know this when I recommended you get an '09 FEH at Mullinax. Sorry for all your problems but none of us knew the process back then.

I was going to buy a Mullinax Stock 2011 Explorer because my order was taking to long like your '09 FEH. Glad this Ford Rep. posted this information because now I know to wait for a vehicle till Ford declares the "OK to Buy".

GaryG

 

Good information Gary, but how can a manufacturer knowingly let consumers buy ANY vehicle before the problems are ironed out. I feel like a sacrificial lamb or something.

It has cost them this customer for life, I hope it was worth it for them.

Even IF they followed this procedure, don't you agree that making sure those sacrificial customers were taken care of WHEN they did have problems.

Remember during the order process for our 09's there was a stop sale order? All deliveries were stopped for some "in process repairs." I bet some of those were for the problems I am having.

Shame on you Ford, Shame on you.

 

They build for 3-4 weeks before they check for quality?? That doesn't sound correct to me. Having worked at a Ford manufacturing plant, quality checks happen at many points along the production line, bad assemblies are flagged, devirted and repaired. Manufacturing a single part of a assembly, they may spot check one part every so often. If they have a real problem, they use the term "certified" which means every piece is checked.

I'd question that Ford Rep's knowledge.

Ford's six-speed transaxle was a joint effort with GM and you can't find any of problems that Ford had and still does with it's 6F35 that's in the FEs. They seemed to have cured the axle leaks but the shifting issues that started in '09 the first year the 6F35 was used was/is still present in the '10MY.

I almost got T-boned myself in my '09 FE because of a hesitation while making a LH turn one day. Two PCM reflashes later seemed to have fixed that scary problem.

 

Your '09 FEH may have had all sorts of repairs before it was shipped and all those repairs most likely were quick fixes that were not complete design changes by the part suppliers. Your situation should be corrected right by Ford but one problem you have is putting to many miles on your vehicle and running out of warranty too soon. We bought at a time Ford had to tighten their belt just to stay in business.

I'm still under warranty but my '09 FEH is my first new vehicle that has not gone back to the dealer for repairs in the first 28,000 miles. I now better understand your situation and hope others here can learn from our experiences.

Bill:
"They build for 3-4 weeks before they check for quality?? That doesn't sound correct to me."

That's not what the Ford Rep. meant. All the new stock vehicles were being inspected and repaired before being shipped. After Ford determined the quality was declared "Ok to Buy" then Ford started building vehicles we ordered. In other words, Sean bought a vehicle from dealer stock that was built during the first 3 - 4 weeks of production before "Ok to Buy" was declared.

It all makes sense to me now because only dealer stock orders were being built and shipped during November. After November, I started hearing that people that had ordered the 2011 Explorers were now getting VIN numbers. I didn't get my VIN until yesterday.

GaryG

 

Should he have been allowed to purchase before the "Okay to Buy" was issued? I've seen where new MY vehicles weren't even shipped because of a quality issue.

Have you caught the latest '11 Explorer TV ad yet?

 

Have not seen the new ad yet but I did look over a new 2011 Explorer at my dealer today. It was a gray Limited 302A package with polished 20' rims. Looked fantastic, but my salesman confirmed what the Ford Rep. Posted.

Sean or anyone else should be allowed to purchase before the "OK to Buy" but I'll bet he would have waited if he knew about it. Even my salesman admitted he wouldn't buy the one sitting on the lot today. He wouldn't have admitted it if I didn't bring it up today either. Even if the Explorer I seen today was everything I ordered, I wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole.

When I am looking at vehicles to buy new, I read everything about it I can find. I've had google Alert on the 2011 Explorer for 6 months just like I did on the '09 FEH. Anything that google finds on that subject is sent to my email if I make it a google alert. For instance, the
Transmission: 6 Spd Auto Trans 6f55.

GaryG

 

Half of the advanced PR stuff can be pure BS. Take the UnIntelligent 4WD System that brought me do this forum. Because of the thread I started about it, many learned how it really works, including me.

Hey, you are purchasing the first year of new design just like the '09 FE, it's a coin toss. There is a noise problem on the '09 FEs that's had two TSBs on it and now Ford is calling the problem normal for the vehicle because they can't find a fix for it.