What don't you like about your ST?

[HooDude]

Sounds like some folks need to actually look over and drive a car before they buy it.
I love mine...it’s an 11 second corner carving go kart and I have fun every time I drive it.

I'm glad you like yours, I definitely get the appeal. I really liked mine when I first bought it, but then I started noticing these little things and they've eventually left me disgruntled. Also, your truck is a far cry from the stock ST!

 

[Bucephalus]

• 2,500 mile report.
• Upon delivery the paid-for optional roof rack cross bars were missing and had to be ordered.
• Also missing at delivery was the standard cargo net and had to be ordered.
• The location of and access to the battery is sub-par. Could have easily provided red/black remote jumper cable terminals like Jeep does on their Cherokee’s.
• Access to “Calm” or “Darken” the 10” center display requires me to take my eyes off the driving to navigate down into the menu system (which moves around). NOT SMART! By contrast our 2020 Lincoln Corsair has a physical button right next to the radio volume knob for this. Push it once for “Calm” or twice for “Darken”. Never take our eyes off the road.
• Hands free rear liftgate opening is sluggish and sometimes non-responsive (My foot waving has baffled/amused several onlookers).
• Too easy to forget your phone on the wireless charging pad built into the center console. Out of sight, out of mind.
• The rotary transmission shift knob takes getting used to (2nd day I had it I switched it into Neutral by mistake thinking I was operating the drive mode knob…that was embarrassing). While backing up I have thrown it into PARK thinking I was going into DRIVE. A standard fore & aft shifter is much more intuitive.
• Ford does not put the “Talk to the Car” button at the left thumb (10 o’clock) position on the steering wheel like Lincoln does. Why not?
• Ford stubs their toe regarding the supplied factory tow hook (which very weirdly has left-hand threads). My ST was planned to have one and is spec’d out on its “Historical Vehicle Bill Of Material” (even has its own storage pocket inside the spare tire well). However, the car lacks the threaded hole on the front to hand screw the hook to the frame. The car has the little plastic cover in the front bumper but absolutely blank structure behind it. With no other attach point either on the front or under the car (look under there yet?), all generation 6 Explorer owners will be hard-pressed to get any sort of tow strap attached to the front of their car for vehicle recovery. I even talked to the driver at a local towing company and was told all these Explorers have to be dollied. Ford customer service (months of hassle) told me outright Bravo-Sierra and even goofy things i.e. page 52 of your Owner’s Manual discusses vehicle recovery (airbags actually) and (my favorite) “…because your ST was not ordered with the optional Class III Tow Package, that’s the reason there is no front attach point”. Au contraire, all ST’s are standard with the Class III Tow Package (even listed on the top of the window sticker under the “Functional” heading). And exactly how is towing a trailer related to vehicle recovery?? Please advise! So, my factory designed & supplied tow hook is completely useless. Ford just wants me to go away. Shameful. I wonder if the Korean, Japanese or Europeans would treat their customers this way?
• Another Ford manufacturing loose end is lifting the spare tire cover. This cover is obviously designed for a $2 Nylon finger pull-strap (attach points are built into the underside of the cover and a pass-through cutout for it is molded into the Ford factory rubber floor mat), but no. Ford said the cover was redesigned with finger cutouts. When you go to access your spare tire, I predict any reasonable person will look at these “Finger Cutouts” and have a Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot? moment. Good luck with those. Again, I opened a case with Ford customer service and was eventually pushed aside. Their standard tactic is to point back to the selling dealer (and close your case) for all answers, who already sent me to Ford‘s customer service for lack of factory support. This is the “Fit & Finish” category where Ford has struggled for decades. I will craft my own strap and install it exactly where it was designed to be.
• No de-icing (heating) elements built into the base of windshield where the wiper blades rest like our Lincoln. This is a smart safety feature and hopefully will spread to other models.
• The owner’s manual says a burnt-out (dead) headlight can only be changed by a dealer? I heard a low-grade rumor that each unit (L-R) is $1200-ish out of pocket. Not sure if its covered by the factory warranty. Are we starting to play BMW style Lock-in?

 

[Naumo]

Needs a “hey idiot, your phone is on the wireless charger” alert. Too many times having to go back out to the car.

The tablet is too slow and maps don’t show well in main view unless static north is deactivated.

 

[Naumo]

Exactly

 

[Zackracing]

I love mine too! Doesn't rattle a bit. I can rotate this SUV through a corner like my old race car and I haven't even upgraded suspension, wheels or tires yet.Totally stock running 93 octane. Hammer the throttle and it smoothly goes into warp speed! I might look into a skid plate to protect the oil pan...but I'm not driving over stumps in the woods anytime soon...
Honestly I haven't found anything I don't like...maybe better speakers and an equalizer for the stereo???

 

[Vash610]

I love my car, but 3 things really bother me:

1. The light outputs on the low beams suck. Like another member mentioned wished we had projectors instead with HIDS. Nothing we can do to enhance it at this point.
2. Audio system needs to be louder and better bass. Cost quite a bit to upgrade the sound system and I rather use the $ into performance mods.

 

[GalenaST]

The large screen looks nice, but horrid execution. Wind noise is bad, transmission shifts rough. Other than that I've been mostly happy with it and no issues with a year old ownership.

 

[Muddydogs]

I love my car, but 3 things really bother me:

1. The light outputs on the low beams suck. Like another member mentioned wished we had projectors instead with HIDS. Nothing we can do to enhance it at this point.
.

Really? Any brighter and you won't need high beams. I was impressed with the lights.

 

[hbalek]

Really? Any brighter and you won't need high beams. I was impressed with the lights.

I guess it all depends on what you're used to. My 2013 MKZ LEDs were a huge improvement over my 2010 MKZ HIDs and this 2020 ST equals or matches the 2013's performance just minus the adaptive feature.

 

[UNBROKEN]

Enable Bambi Mode with Forscan...you’ll be able to see into next year.

 

[Muddydogs]

Trouble is you may be able to see into next year but on coming traffic can't see shit. Makes me want to put a high output light bar on my pickup so I can give it right back but then it will be my fault when they crash. Eventually laws will be made and hopefully enforced to stop this trend of blinding others with your head lights.

 

[UNBROKEN]

Trouble is you may be able to see into next year but on coming traffic can't see shit. Makes me want to put a high output light bar on my pickup so I can give it right back but then it will be my fault when they crash. Eventually laws will be made and hopefully enforced to stop this trend of blinding others with your head lights.

Uhh...maybe realize it’s something you’d only use with your normal high beams with no oncoming traffic and jump off that high horse. lol

 

[F=MA]

2020 ST headlights are light years ahead of the "old yeller" halogens that came stock on the 2013 thru 2019 Explorer Sports. I switched them all out for aftermarket HID headlights. Pro was better light but con was ignition times were slower than a factory HID system.

 

[Muddydogs]

Uhh...maybe realize it’s something you’d only use with your normal high beams with no oncoming traffic and jump off that high horse. lol

Well since the original comment was about low beams not being bright enough maybe work on your reading comprehension.

 

[UNBROKEN]

Well since the original comment was about low beams not being bright enough maybe work on your reading comprehension.

You literally quoted me.

 

[Vash610]

I'm just referring to low beams... the way our low beams are there's like gaps of missing light. My previous charger and Nissan murano light output is brighter and more evenly spread. I should have rephrased, the light output could be better for me. They are not sucky. Just something that I wish could be better.

 

[Muddydogs]

I'm just referring to low beams... the way our low beams are there's like gaps of missing light. My previous charger and Nissan murano light output is brighter and more evenly spread. I should have rephrased, the light output could be better for me. They are not sucky. Just something that I wish could be better.

Dude I agree with you on this, I have a dark spot about 20 yards in front of the vehicle and dark lines on both sides of the vehicle with low beams. You would think that the light pattern would be nice and clean considering the brightness. It bugs me more then the wife but I mostly drive my pickup and while it's lights are no where close to the brightness of the ST the pattern is full with no dark areas.

 

[Vash610]

Dude I agree with you on this, I have a dark spot about 20 yards in front of the vehicle and dark lines on both sides of the vehicle with low beams. You would think that the light pattern would be nice and clean considering the brightness. It bugs me more then the wife but I mostly drive my pickup and while it's lights are no where close to the brightness of the ST the pattern is full with no dark areas.

Man i just don't understand why they have to put a bar midway through the lights for all of them. Like it just cast a dark line in the middle of the lights for no reason.

 

[Taz]

Aside from the occasional glitches, the most annoying thing I've found is doing an oil change. Coming from a 17 Sport, this is quite different. I tried this morning and bought a Mity-Vac extractor a couple months ago but the tube diameters were all too big to fit the dipstick tube.

Frustrations:
1. The jack-points are too narrow to fit my floor jack or my piston jack
2. The many different clips and screws on the cover over the oil pan
3. The plastic drain plug (will change it to UPR)
4. The oil filter is directly under the strut brace
5. Oil filler cap also under the strut brace

 

[Frank T.]

I don’t like the difficulty to update the sync system. For us not quite computer geniuses, Ford should just offer the updates on a thumb drive for a nominal fee.