1) Ford engineers are not thinking. First they make the seat belt receiver end too short as they did in our Flex. Then they have to offer extensions that are floppy and still fall between the seat and console. They offer two free which we got and I had to rivet stiffeners in to work right. Then I tried to use them in the back seat and the buckles are completely different. I tired to get extensions for those buckles and they don't make them. Send me two of each rear buckle ends and some strap and I will make my own. The right way.
2) Having captains chairs/bucket seats in the back are nice but now there is a huge gab on the loading deck for cargo. There should be a slide in console that brings the loading deck up to level for cargo, I built one out of plywood, it can be done and it has storage inside with pull out baskets accessible from the front seat.
3) The front arm rest on top of the console is too long for long trip shoulder support. You should offer a different higher console lid or a mechanism to attache a stiff foam arm rest riser. Again, I did it myself.
4) The door panels in the front seats are too wide. The plastic sticks out too far into the cabin causing chafing on my knee. If the plastic was molded inward where the knees make contact, still leaving a shelf for the window controls it would also allow raising the lip on the door pockets so things don't fly out when the door slams and you can put taller glasses in there. I have to hang a foam pad from the door handle with a strap.
5) Explorer is a "truck" with higher clearance than a Flex. We viewed one and it came with a real spare. We decided to buy one with the towing package. The one we got has a rolling donut. It says right on the donut "do not tow with this tire"(and it didn't even have air in it). We go out west frequently and off the road. If we had a flat there is not phone service, there is no workable spare, we may be 200 miles from help so we are dead. It's not right putting such a spare in this vehicle.
6) The buttons are everywhere. The mirror folding button is just above the driver side window down button. Drivers don't look to find it and it is too easy to accidentally hit the fold mirror button first. Those button should be guarded or put in a more horizontal position.
7) Back in 2011 I wrote and called trying to get similar improvements made to the Flex. Nothing gets thru to the Ford engineers who design these but don't drive them. They should listen more to customer improvement suggestions and needs.
John Labie 5215 Louvinia Dr. Tallahassee, Fla 32311 (850) 656 6298
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
1) Ford engineers are not thinking. First they make the seat belt receiver end too short as they did in our Flex. Then they have to offer extensions that are floppy and still fall between the seat and console. They offer two free which we got and I had to rivet stiffeners in to work right. Then I tried to use them in the back seat and the buckles are completely different. I tired to get extensions for those buckles and they don't make them. Send me two of each rear buckle ends and some strap and I will make my own. The right way. 2) Having captains chairs/bucket seats in the back are nice but now there is a huge gab on the loading deck for cargo. There should be a slide in console that brings the loading deck up to level for cargo, I built one out of plywood, it can be done and it has storage inside with pull out baskets accessible from the front seat. 3) The front arm rest on top of the console is too long for long trip shoulder support. You should offer a different higher console lid or a mechanism to attache a stiff foam arm rest riser. Again, I did it myself. 4) The door panels in the front seats are too wide. The plastic sticks out too far into the cabin causing chafing on my knee. If the plastic was molded inward where the knees make contact, still leaving a shelf for the window controls it would also allow raising the lip on the door pockets so things don't fly out when the door slams and you can put taller glasses in there. I have to hang a foam pad from the door handle with a strap. 5) Explorer is a "truck" with higher clearance than a Flex. We viewed one and it came with a real spare. We decided to buy one with the towing package. The one we got has a rolling donut. It says right on the donut "do not tow with this tire"(and it didn't even have air in it). We go out west frequently and off the road. If we had a flat there is not phone service, there is no workable spare, we may be 200 miles from help so we are dead. It's not right putting such a spare in this vehicle. 6) The buttons are everywhere. The mirror folding button is just above the driver side window down button. Drivers don't look to find it and it is too easy to accidentally hit the fold mirror button first. Those button should be guarded or put in a more horizontal position. 7) Back in 2011 I wrote and called trying to get similar improvements made to the Flex. Nothing gets thru to the Ford engineers who design these but don't drive them. They should listen more to customer improvement suggestions and needs.
John Labie 5215 Louvinia Dr. Tallahassee, Fla 32311 (850) 656 6298
- labie, Tallahassee, FL, US