Ford, Are you Listening? 2018+ Change/Wish List

[mmaylock]

2018 Ford Expedition, Limited Short Wheelbase- Love my truck. One suggestion to Ford Engineers- I have a tendency to rest my left knee against the driver side door panel. Now with hot summer temperatures, (90's), the door panel makes a creaking sound if leaning my knee against the door panel and it does move slightly. Suggest reinforcing the door panel in this area.

I had the exact same issue. I'm a big guy - 6'4" 315 lbs. I picked up my 2018 Expy Limited in mid December. After only a couple weeks, the squeaking in the door panel started. It sounds petty, but imagine picking up your $75,000 truck and listening to a squeaky door panel. I tried like crazy to adjust the way I sit so my leg wouldn't rest on the door panel, but after only a few minutes, my leg went right back there. I took it in for service and was able to replicate the noise. I picked it up, and just a couple days later, the squeak was back.

I pinpointed the noise to the area where two surfaces meet. Unfortunately that area is also a flex point:


Here's how I fixed it:

Push the simulated wood grain area outward and insert a business card



Trace around the arm rest with a pencil and pull the card out


Cut the little piece out but make it a bit smaller than your pencil line so it will not be visible when installed. User a black marker to color the edge of the piece you cut out.


To install it, push the wood grain area again to open up the slot a little. Once you get it started, use a credit card to push it beyond the exposed area.
UPDATE: When I went through this process and took these pictures, pushing the piece beyond the visible area did not eliminate the squeak. I think the trick is to insert the card vertically vs horizontally and make the piece thicker and/or perhaps a little larger. That said, I just jammed another full business card in the same slot. Solved but phugly...


It takes about 10 minutes and saved me another trip to the dealer...

FWIW, I also tried lubricating the gap instead. It was ok at first but the noise came back...

Now I love my new truck...

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

With that type of creativity and ingenuity, you may be hired as a Senior Ford Engineer............

 

[st381183]

I want my hand rest....I mean big honking shift lever back!

 

[Artie]

Not sure if this has been mentioned or not but I wish you could customize climate control settings for remote start. On the Navigator you either have ‘Auto’ or ‘last settings’. Auto has the ac on but not on ‘Max’ and drivers ventalated seat on. I’ll like to customize it to have it on max in front and back with both cooled seats on max as well.

 

[Meeker]

I have a comment about the vehicle settings - I might not be using this properly, but it seems "sub-optimal" to me...

First thing - I like to drive in Eco 90% of the time. Basically when I'm not towing. I would like a way to default the drive mode - I currently have to change the mode every time I start it up. Even remembering the last mode would be useful.

But, maybe there's a better way.

Second thing - when I hook up my travel trailer, it's a pain to get the truck set up to tow! Here's the steps:
- hit OK 3 or 4 times to clear all the notifications - "Trailer connected", "Cross-traffic detection disabled", others?
- "Select Trailer" - select the trailer I previously set up. Basically sets the brake output level, and Trailer Backup Assist if you configured it (I didn't).
- Dig down through the vehicle settings to disable the power liftgate. I've been smacked in the face a couple of times while hooking up the chains (ha ha very funny), and it doesn't clear my power tongue jack anyway so I need it in manual mode.
- Select Tow/Haul mode

Total button presses, probably around 50! I have to sit in the truck every time I switch from driving unhitched to towing the trailer for a few minutes before I can drive. OK, maybe a first-world problem, but there's some easy things Ford could do to make this a non-issue...

Best solution in my opinion:
- Let me record a "macro" and save 4 or more of them for rapid setup access at the top menu level.
- Select "Start recording a setup configuration" - then I go through the motions above.
- Select "Stop recording setup configuration" - then I get to name the configuration (e.g. like the Setup Trailer menu only it would work for other things, like going from my daily commute Eco mode to weekend warrior offroad mode, if I did such a thing).
- Also display the list of actions that got recorded. Maybe you can't edit them, but at least you could confirm it's what you wanted...
- And, if you start up and you went from no trailer connected to trailer connected (or vice versa), bring up the menu...

To me this would reduce the repetitive actions to just one menu selection per startup, way better than the current routine.

Your comments are appreciated...

 

[gtnator]

I have a comment about the vehicle settings - I might not be using this properly, but it seems "sub-optimal" to me...

First thing - I like to drive in Eco 90% of the time. Basically when I'm not towing. I would like a way to default the drive mode - I currently have to change the mode every time I start it up. Even remembering the last mode would be useful.

But, maybe there's a better way.

Second thing - when I hook up my travel trailer, it's a pain to get the truck set up to tow! Here's the steps:
- hit OK 3 or 4 times to clear all the notifications - "Trailer connected", "Cross-traffic detection disabled", others?
- "Select Trailer" - select the trailer I previously set up. Basically sets the brake output level, and Trailer Backup Assist if you configured it (I didn't).
- Dig down through the vehicle settings to disable the power liftgate. I've been smacked in the face a couple of times while hooking up the chains (ha ha very funny), and it doesn't clear my power tongue jack anyway so I need it in manual mode.
- Select Tow/Haul mode

Total button presses, probably around 50! I have to sit in the truck every time I switch from driving unhitched to towing the trailer for a few minutes before I can drive. OK, maybe a first-world problem, but there's some easy things Ford could do to make this a non-issue...

Best solution in my opinion:
- Let me record a "macro" and save 4 or more of them for rapid setup access at the top menu level.
- Select "Start recording a setup configuration" - then I go through the motions above.
- Select "Stop recording setup configuration" - then I get to name the configuration (e.g. like the Setup Trailer menu only it would work for other things, like going from my daily commute Eco mode to weekend warrior offroad mode, if I did such a thing).
- Also display the list of actions that got recorded. Maybe you can't edit them, but at least you could confirm it's what you wanted...
- And, if you start up and you went from no trailer connected to trailer connected (or vice versa), bring up the menu...

To me this would reduce the repetitive actions to just one menu selection per startup, way better than the current routine.

Your comments are appreciated...

I agree with both. Nice write up and great that you even proposed a solution.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shane_th_ee]

- "Select Trailer" - select the trailer I previously set up. Basically sets the brake output level, and Trailer Backup Assist if you configured it (I didn't).
...

It also is used to track the miles you’ve towed each trailer... which is one of my favorite little features. It shows up when you select the trailer again under trailer information.

 

[Meeker]

It also is used to track the miles you’ve towed each trailer... which is one of my favorite little features. It shows up when you select the trailer again under trailer information.

Yes I like this feature too. Just have to remember to select the trailer every time you hook up! And unselect when you drive from the campsite for a day trip...

 

[Artie]

I only have one trailer and it auto defaults to it when I connect the trailer and when I disconnect it automatically stops tracking the trailer. I don’t have to do any of those steps.

 

[Meeker]

I only have one trailer and it auto defaults to it when I connect the trailer and when I disconnect it automatically stops tracking the trailer. I don’t have to do any of those steps.

Hmmm - I'm going to try it this weekend. For some reason I thought you had to manually activate/deactivate the trailer.

Oh and one more thing - I discovered today that disabling the power lift gate doesn't disable the "ass-kick" unlock of the tailgate - waving your foot under the bumper, or walking by with the key, or hooking up chains will unlock it. Seems backwards to me, I'd rather disable that sensor than the actual power part. Or have a selection for both...