66North
New Member
A couple of weeks ago I totaled my precious 2019 Limited Stealth, named Bark Ark. A 16" diameter boulder came down the mountain and landed in the road immediately in front of the SUV. With nowhere to go (off the cliff or into oncoming traffic), I struck the boulder with the passenger front frame rail. The vehicle rolled twice and flipped one and a half times (or so I'm told). Having blacked just prior to impact, I awoke hanging upside down, with water in the drainage ditch flowing across my windshield. My 155 lb service dog was in the car with me.
As I was trying to comprehend what happened, with the dog sitting on the roof of the car looking at me strangely, I heard the voices of all the good Samaritans who stopped to help and the question "What if we open the door and they are all dead?". So I replied back politely "Would you please help me open the door". Obviously this ends well. I needed help releasing the seat belt. NASCAR racing taught me to let go of the steering wheel, I walked away with a crack in my wrist from hitting the door handle with my forearm and minor aches and pains.
Because the car rolled through the rock slide, there were holes through the metal work all over the car, a few windows and the sunroof shattered, but the construction around the passenger area was intact with all the side curtain airbags properly deployed.
Yes, I was incredibly blessed, but part of that goes to the monster, well-constructed, gas-guzzling vehicle and the designers at Ford. I suffered through many of the glitches the Forum mentions. Make sure you work with your dealer for programming updates and Ford known issues (I had my timing chain replacement covered in large part by the dealer). When it came time to buying another vehicle, I (in my mind) easily justified my purchase of a new (to-be-named) 2023 Expedition Stealth edition.
As I was trying to comprehend what happened, with the dog sitting on the roof of the car looking at me strangely, I heard the voices of all the good Samaritans who stopped to help and the question "What if we open the door and they are all dead?". So I replied back politely "Would you please help me open the door". Obviously this ends well. I needed help releasing the seat belt. NASCAR racing taught me to let go of the steering wheel, I walked away with a crack in my wrist from hitting the door handle with my forearm and minor aches and pains.
Because the car rolled through the rock slide, there were holes through the metal work all over the car, a few windows and the sunroof shattered, but the construction around the passenger area was intact with all the side curtain airbags properly deployed.
Yes, I was incredibly blessed, but part of that goes to the monster, well-constructed, gas-guzzling vehicle and the designers at Ford. I suffered through many of the glitches the Forum mentions. Make sure you work with your dealer for programming updates and Ford known issues (I had my timing chain replacement covered in large part by the dealer). When it came time to buying another vehicle, I (in my mind) easily justified my purchase of a new (to-be-named) 2023 Expedition Stealth edition.
