jscozz Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I addressed this in my review a few weeks back... and many others have posted about the door handles... but I almost had my door riped off yesterday and it is even more clear to me that the current handle scheme is absolutely terrible. There was a decent wind and as I pulled the latch it got the door and before I could grab the upper or lower handle the door had blown all the way open and hit the hinges so hard I would have sworn that they were bent or the body was bent where they attach. If there was a car next to me there would not just have been a ding, but their whole side would have been knocked in. I sure hope that Ford has completely redesigned the doors for 2008... the release handle is just stupid... there is NO WAY to get your hand from there to one of the two handle in time if the wind catches the door... and it is ridiculous to expect a driver to use two hands when exiting the vehicle. Come one Ford engineers... please fix this... I know that in the years to come with this vehicle it is only a matter of time before I hit a car next to me HARD or actually bend the hinges. And with 2 kids routinely riding with me, it is even harder top expect a two handed exit... but that is the only way to make sure your doors do not fly open. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Soze Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 The '03 Trailblazer I had did the same thing. Tall doors catch the wind a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscozz Posted February 13, 2007 Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 I wa snot saying that only Ford had this problem... but my 96 Explorer had a good design... and my 07 has a TERRIBLE design. I am a biog fan of moving forward... keeping what you do well and improving on what you do not. Not backwards. I know there are a lot of limitations based on how they designed the side door safety features... BUT, we are not talking about cold fusion here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLLMTR Posted February 23, 2007 Share Posted February 23, 2007 I may be in the minority here, but I really like the current design of the door pulls in my 2006 Mountaineer. Sure, it took a day to get used to, but I find it more intuitive than the dinky door releases found in most rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRunrGuy Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I addressed this in my review a few weeks back... and many others have posted about the door handles... but I almost had my door riped off yesterday and it is even more clear to me that the current handle scheme is absolutely terrible. TTT, Any information if the 2009 (Explorer) model might address this? I could hold off ordering if I knew that the current design was being revised. Thanks, HotRunrGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 (edited) TTT, Any information if the 2009 (Explorer) model might address this? I could hold off ordering if I knew that the current design was being revised.Thanks, HotRunrGuy While the door pull/release remains in it's position in front of the window switches, for 2008, the actual grab handle has been turned into a cup in the armrest in a more traditional fashion....the lower (under armrest) handle has been removed all together. See, this: http://media.automotive.com/evox/stilllib/...08/5od-4/39.jpg as opposed to this: http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/FordExp...06/DoorPull.jpg Edited March 18, 2008 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotRunrGuy Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 While the door pull/release remains in it's position in front of the window switches, for 2008, the actual grab handle has been turned into a cup in the armrest in a more traditional fashion....the lower (under armrest) handle has been removed all together. See, this: http://media.automotive.com/evox/stilllib/...08/5od-4/39.jpg as opposed to this: http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/FordExp...06/DoorPull.jpg RMC523, Thank you for the information. HRG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I sure hope that Ford has completely redesigned the doors for 2008... the release handle is just stupid... ROTFLMAO ! According to Jays Mays the interior door release lever iss the "boldest", "most innovative" feature of the the vehicle ! Now maybe you all understand what is wrong with Ford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 While the door pull/release remains in it's position in front of the window switches, for 2008, the actual grab handle has been turned into a cup in the armrest in a more traditional fashion....the lower (under armrest) handle has been removed all together. The lower handle was the results of JD Power survey from customers who said almost universally criticized the release lever. I can't believe they are going to get rid of it. Highest "things gone wrong" rating of almost any vehicle. You are stuck with this design until the Explorer comes out in 2010 or 2011MY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordFanForEver Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The lower handle was the results of JD Power survey from customers who said almost universally criticized the release lever. I can't believe they are going to get rid of it. Highest "things gone wrong" rating of almost any vehicle. You are stuck with this design until the Explorer comes out in 2010 or 2011MY. I sat in a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer at the St.louis autoshow in january and i got into the mounty with no problem but getting out was something different. I had one heck of a hard time finding the door release lever. I thought i was blind but then i saw something shiney so i pushed it and that did not release the door then i pulled it and sure enough it released the door. I was laughing at myself because i could not find it. Although the mountaineer is a nice family hauler. The door release lever it has is something i would not want and another thing. Ford did not add that kind of release lever in the 2nd row for those doors, Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 RMC523, Thank you for the information.HRG You're quite welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The lower handle was the results of JD Power survey from customers who said almost universally criticized the release lever. I can't believe they are going to get rid of it. Highest "things gone wrong" rating of almost any vehicle. You are stuck with this design until the Explorer comes out in 2010 or 2011MY. I'm glad to see the grab handle moved into the armrest. It was very awkward to reach down so low to grab it, and I only test drove the thing. The door release I could get used to, but the low grab handle needed to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 (edited) I sat in a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer at the St.louis autoshow in january and i got into the mounty with no problem but getting out was something different. I had one heck of a hard time finding the door release lever. I thought i was blind but then i saw something shiney so i pushed it and that did not release the door then i pulled it and sure enough it released the door. I was laughing at myself because i could not find it. Although the mountaineer is a nice family hauler. The door release lever it has is something i would not want and another thing. Ford did not add that kind of release lever in the 2nd row for those doors, Weird. Are you sure about the different door releases for the second row? IIRC, they're the same, unless the design has changed since I test drove one. Edited March 19, 2008 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doughms Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 The door release/pulls are the same front and rear. One problem that I have is that I am forgetting to lock the door when I get out. My 2002 Explorer was east to open and lock in one motion. With the new design, you have to move differently, which creates me forgetting to lock the truck because I am trying to grab a door pull and get out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I sat in a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer at the St.louis autoshow in january and i got into the mounty with no problem but getting out was something different. I had one heck of a hard time finding the door release lever. I thought i was blind but then i saw something shiney so i pushed it and that did not release the door then i pulled it and sure enough it released the door. I was laughing at myself because i could not find it. Although the mountaineer is a nice family hauler. The door release lever it has is something i would not want and another thing. Ford did not add that kind of release lever in the 2nd row for those doors, Weird. I sat in an 08 Explorer today at the Fort Lauderdale auto show. I wanted to sit in a Mountaineer but I didn't have enough time (had to meet family for Easter dinner). Anyways.....the door release mechanisms are the same (chrome release lever) in the front and rear....but one thing I found odd is that, even though Ford changed the door pull design for the front doors (into the armrest, not in the awkward position below the armrest) in the front, they did not change the rear door design...it still has the grab handle below the armrest....I was not amused or impressed by this lack of effort on Ford's part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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