Search the Community

2800 miles in. Have been enjoying my van. Hauling capability is every guy's dream. At least two other people I know want one after seeing mine. Mileage is good. Very pleasant to drive, with excellent handling, even in strong crosswinds. Because of the streamlined shape and the steering geometry buffeting is minimal, and is far steadier than a 2016 Nissan Altima rental car I have recently driven in high winds. With all the doors for loading, it's versatility is amazing. I'm the envy of many in crowded parking lots. The turn radius is so small I can park in places my Nissan pickups regularly passed up. I can literally swing it 90 degrees into a small slot. The grand view spoils a ride in anything else. Bad stuff? unfortunately. The Sync system is tragic, often failing to understand simple responses like "yes." I have had the complete system fail, leaving only the radio operational. Five vehicle restarts were necessary over a period of an hour or so to get it to boot up again. Then there's the rattling sliding door on the drivers side. The noise presents right beside my head and is quite loud. Perfectly mimics the sound a window rattling in the frame of an old car. The dealer I bought it from was unable to fix it, claiming I would just have to live with it, "BECAUSE IT WAS A VAN." Really? Is this what they mean by "Ford Tough?" While they had it in their possession they discovered that daylight was showing at the bottom rear of both sliders, and a wiring harness going to the backup lights had been pinched by structures within the mid-line channel which the sliding doors move in. I had no backup lights and was unaware as I drive very little at night. Frustrated that the dealer tried to put me off about the door issue, I contacted Corporate. They suggested a second opinion. I took the van to a dealership five times the size of the one I purchased from, a hundred miles away. A week later I am still renting a car, do not have my van for work, and get daily calls from the service department telling me they haven't been able to fix it yet. I now believe I know as much about it as they do, and am wondering If I will get stuck with this lemon or if there is a way to demand a replacement vehicle, which I'm sure must be a nightmare procedure. So here I am, This may be the most versatile, all-around-useful, and interesting vehicle I have ever owned, It's Everyman's dream truck.....and mechanically it's junk. Even certified Ford mechanics can't fix it. I am now deeply regretting my decision to buy my first new American vehicle. As things presently stand, I will be trading off this sled relatively soon and going back to the imports. Maybe you'll have better luck, but at this point I wouldn't recommend one.