Explorer rollovers...where'd they go?

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (StattlichPassat)

Well there's several reasons this is no longer being heard about.
First of all, Ford voluntarily replaced the suspect tires on tens of thousands of SUV's.
Then, just about anyone with a Ford Explorer could not help but be acutely aware of the issue unless they live in a cabin in the wilderness with no television or radio and do not read newspapers, therefore people with Explorers probably began driving more carefully and with greater awareness.
Then, finally, Ford redesigned the Explorer with an eye on safety and handling. Kudo's for Ford for doing that.
On a personal note, my parents bought one of these Explorers (despite my strong objections) years before that whole fiasco. I drove the thing more than once and for quite a few miles and I can confidently say that the handling was a joke bordering on frightening. I can see why they'd be so popular though. It was cushy riding with lots of clunky buttons, like the plunger pull lever for the headlights to the golf cart parking brake. The ride was cushy and mushy to soothe the chubby ass of the average American--- all harmless--- until you get to the scary, tippy handling. It was clear to me immediately that not enough attention had been paid to lowering the center of gravity, this was within my first hour of driving it. It felt "wrong" in so many ways, but by far that was the worst. When the **** hit the fan with the rollovers I wasn't surprised honestly. My experience driving the thing alone was enough, add to that Ford's cost cutting, which probably demanded firestone build a sh*t tire dirt cheap. It's not hard to see. I blame Ford 100% for that whole thing. THEY provide specs for tires to firestone and American car companies are notorious for cutting suppliers down to the bone to get the cheapest parts they can that will pass as what they are supposed to be.
Anyway, I thank god my parents never got into an accident in that stupid POS (the only car they every bought w/o my seal of approval)
Now Mom drives a nice, safe, boringly reliable Toyota Highlander at my recommend and I am happy. Dad drives a Lexus, though I wish he'd have gone the extra mile for the Audi A6 I suggested, at least I know he is safe and in a decent automobile.
None of it would have happened without Ford's poor engineering and cost cutting to suppliers. That's the bottom line and it's rock solid. You can't really argue with the facts.
Fortunatley Fraud...er... Ford learned their lesson. The new Explorer, I'll admit, is a vast improvement over the old model. Attention to safety, IRS, side curtain airbags etc. Well done Ford! I am not a big Ford fan but I give them a hearty http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif for the new Explorer.

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (DigitalTexan2u)

Found an Explorer thread to bump in light of all the Toyota issues in the news lately. Here we have a situation where a real or perceived situation of "this vehicle will kill you" led to the drastic drop in sales of one of the best selling vehicles in America (400,000+ units annually) to three quarters, half, one quarter, and now barely a tenth of that today.
The Firestone / Ford incident tarnished both companies' reputations for years, and led directly to mandatory TPMS systems and to greater concern about rollover safety, indirectly leading to the popularization of side curtains and stability control.
Ford's market share took a shellacking after this, and it's only now truly on the up and up.
Toyota is in a lot more danger than TCL realizes. It took Ford 7-8 years for the incident to be truly behind them, and this Toyota thing is the first time since Firestone that I have seen an automotive recall been so widely covered in the media and at the water cooler, not to mention affecting so many of a company's models at once.
Let me put it this way, if my wife starts making Toyota jokes (which she has), then Toyota has a serious PR problem on their hands. This isn't going to bankrupt the company, but they're going to take years to get back up to even last year's sales level.
Please, feel free to quote me in 2015
[PS: WTF ever happened to StattlichPassat?]

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (MikeNoGo)


So what will the Toyota situation bring us in the future?
People to lazy to check their tire pressures gives up TPMS
People who can't put their car into neutral when the throttle sticks might give us better driver training.
Ah, who an I kidding, just more electronic nanny's.

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (JOHNS92JETTA)


Goddamn I wish I didn't think you were right about that.

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (MikeNoGo)


Really? Because you just bumped a thread from about three years after the incident and people are wondering WTF happened to the whole ordeal.
Seems like it was pretty much behind them at that point already.

Re: Explorer rollovers...where'd they go? (PassSedanGLX)


The trough of a curve (economic or just sales) is where the recovery begins. The recession isn't behind you until you get back up to where you were
I bumped this particular one for the very reason that the title was poignant. Toyota will put this behind them in time. The question is what the lasting effects will be, not just on them but on the industry.
What's the next government "fail-safe" following trunk releases/lights and TPMS?