Quality Problems Stall Ford Explorer Launch

Ford Motor Co. is fixing several problems that have delayed the launch of the 2020 Explorer SUV and its Lincoln Aviator twin, company and dealer sources tell the Detroit Free Press.

The all-new vehicles have been plagued by a host of quality issues involving the transmission, suspension and air conditioning system. There also is an undetermined chassis-related problem the company is still trying to diagnose, according to the newspaper.

The glitches are in addition to faulty seating and steering systems that prompted last month’s recall of more than 550,000 of the SUVs and Ford F-150 pickups. Those initiatives involved 2018-2020 model vehicles.

The defective 2020 SUVs are being shipped from Ford's Chicago assembly plant and dealer lots to the company’s Flat Rock, Mich., factory for remedial repairs. Flat Rock produces the Mustang and Lincoln Continental.

Workers are being temporarily transferred to Flat Rock from other Ford facilities in Michigan and Kentucky to troubleshoot and resolve the problems. The Free Press says the problems have resulted in a backlog of 12,000 vehicles awaiting rework.

Ford claims the extent of the problems is exaggerated. The company notes that “updates” to preproduction models based on all-new platforms is “standard industry practice.”

The sixth-generation Explorer, which switches back to a rear-wheel-drive platform, is larger than its predecessor and features a new interior. The Aviator, which is positioned between the Nautilus and larger Navigator, is expected to be Lincoln’s highest-volume model.