FORD EXPLORER 2015-2016 - Exhaust Fumes

**pobre24** · March 7th, 2016 03:29 PM

The facelifted Explorer has finally arrived Philippine shores. I really admire the new look/specs but I'm still wondering if the past issue on exhaust fumes has been resolved. There is no mention of this issue when reading through the recent reviews by local experts. I still see a lot of new owners of this SUV here in the country. On the other hand, I believe that a class action suit has been filed in the US (covering 2011-2015 models) and is still pending.

Maybe some owners can share their 1st hand experience on the following:

1. Do they still smell exhaust fumes in the cabin when reaching a certain level of RPM?
2. Does this affect all units or just a few?

While I really admire this car, the issue is a clear deal breaker for me. Appreciate your inputs on this. Thanks in advance.

**EQAddict** · March 16th, 2016 12:51 PM

Okay i just test drove it . I had the previous 3.5 v6 non turbo version. It has the burnt smell during hard acceleration. Brought the car in for the TSB and they did a few things and it reduced but didnt eliminate the smell. Sold that car last year.

Fast forward to today. Test drove a bnew 2016 explorer 3.5v6 twin turbo sport. They removed the self parking feature. They Added paddle shifters, a front camera and a better motor, physical stereo buttons and a facelift.

I thought this would be a beast to drive. It isnt.Really weak brakes for the amount of power and weight this thing carries. Inspires no confidence in hard driving. Its fast but not wow fast (i was expecting more given the specs of the motor). It has more torque but theres lag as well (i put it in sport mode) but all in all i was hoping for more but it didnt meet my expectations. Its not a massive departure from the previous v6.

As for the smell under hard acceleration......its there. Still present. And the sales folks commented on it as well. You would think you would be exploring the upper reaches of the tachometer more with this sport model.

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**pobre24** · March 17th, 2016 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by EQAddict

Okay i just test drove it . I had the previous 3.5 v6 non turbo version. It has the burnt smell during hard acceleration. Brought the car in for the TSB and they did a few things and it reduced but didnt eliminate the smell. Sold that car last year.

Fast forward to today. Test drove a bnew 2016 explorer 3.5v6 twin turbo sport. They removed the self parking feature. They Added paddle shifters, a front camera and a better motor, physical stereo buttons and a facelift.

I thought this would be a beast to drive. It isnt.Really weak brakes for the amount of power and weight this thing carries. Inspires no confidence in hard driving. Its fast but not wow fast (i was expecting more given the specs of the motor). It has more torque but theres lag as well (i put it in sport mode) but all in all i was hoping for more but it didnt meet my expectations. Its not a massive departure from the previous v6.

As for the smell under hard acceleration......its there. Still present. And the sales folks commented on it as well. You would think you would be exploring the upper reaches of the tachometer more with this sport model.

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Thanks so much for the time and feedback, EQAddict. I received more info than I asked for. I could live with the underwhelming power but it's sad that they haven't resolved this "burning" issue. Hope they fix this in the next model/facelift. Thanks again

**macsd** · March 18th, 2016 09:05 AM

Just for your better clear understanding, the fume smell only hits in when you do sudden acceleration going beyond 3K rpm. Say your moving gradually from 0-120kph, you'll not get the fume smell as it will only hit 2K rpm. Even you go 140kph , you'll still be fine as long as you move gradually. But say your at 120kph then you floor the gas pedal shooting the rpm to 4K rpm, then the fume smell gonna hit in.

The reason why despite the face lift this problem was never resolved is because the left & right air vents at the back is still of the same design as this is where the fume enters. Extend the tail pipe beyond the bumper will do the trick.

**EQAddict** · March 18th, 2016 09:40 AM

Yes gentle acceleration will help avoid the smell entering the cabin (max 3k rpm). Only hard acceleration will make it enter. Though this is a Sport model so am expecting more people to explore the performance of the engine.

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**pobre24** · March 18th, 2016 02:47 PM

Understood. Sudden acceleration + going past 3k RPM will cause the smell. Now I understand why some aren't complaining. They usually use it in the city which means they don't really reach this point.

I still wonder though why Ford didn't make changes if the rear vents are causing this.
Anyway, thank you for the insights. It's really a big help.

**viper888** · March 18th, 2016 04:56 PM

We have an ecoboost version and the smell is very evident. Its obviously not meant for hard driving, an outback 3.6 will probably be better in that regard. The brakes are okay for an SUV, its more than strong enough for normal use. The handling feels nose heavy but its still more agile than the gen1 expedition it replaced. The steering is very light and feels extremely detached, its like playing a video game. It gets around 8-9km/l as its used for long trips.

What I dont like is its visibility. Its about the same width as our gen1 expedition so we expected it to be the same. Its harder because the driving position is closer to the center and window sills are high. The rear visibility is also bad (but it has a rear camera). The 20 inch wheels also mean you cant make mistakes with curbs in parking ramps.

Its a great suv for the money but I recommend you get a small engine (unless you need awd). Its like a slightly bigger gas X5 for P4m less.

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