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Used 2012 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
48 reviews
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4.63 out of 5 stars

2012 Explorer = Excellent SUV

jwinco, 12/29/2011
2012 Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
68 of 69 people found this review helpful

Recently purchased a 2012 Explorer XLT 4WD for use in Colorado. Traded in an F-150 with the 6.2-liter V8 engine primarily for the mileage and it's paid off -- mileage is about 30% better, averaging 21.5 MPG in mixed town/highway. Overall have been more impressed with the Explorer than I thought I would be. Drives and handles beautifully for an SUV -- I don't agree at all with some of the magazine reviews that the ride is too mushy. Extremely comfortable interior that is whisper quiet even at highway speeds. It's just a pleasure to be in and drive this SUV.

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4 out of 5 stars

Great family vehicle!

Kendra, 10/15/2015
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
32 of 33 people found this review helpful

Bought my 2012 Ford Explorer as a Certified Pre Owned with 36k miles. Have had the vehicle 8 months now and still love it! Now that we are one of few families in our circle with a 7 passenger vehicle, we end up being "the bus" ... recently had 7 adults on board and even the two in the third row were comfortable and commented on how roomy it was for a third row seat. My 8 year old loves the third row and thinks it is great fun climbing in and out. Things I love: Power liftgate Power folding third row Heated and cooled front seats Great sound system Drives very smooth and quiet (except for windshield hissing/whistling - problem is solved by turning up the music!) Handles great Great rear view camera and backup sensors Looks great Great warranty since I bought Certified Pre-Owned Surprisingly good gas mileage for the size Things that bug me: -Had to have the shifting assembly replaced after getting "shift to park" messages when it was clearly in park. Covered under CPO warranty and I only paid $100, but irritating to have to pay anything for what is clearly a Ford defect, as many people have reported the same problem. -The blind spot takes some getting used to. I have gotten much more adept at using my mirrors because the blind spots on the sides are significant. I couldn't find a used model with BLIS which I gladly would have paid for, so this was a big downfall in the beginning -I hate MyFord Touch. It never works properly. Luckily, I already knew this was an issue from my research prior to purchasing the vehicle so I expected it. Works great for voice climate control and using the phone; everything else is pretty much crap. I never use the navigation; much easier to plug my iPhone in to the USB and use Google maps. -The dark blue color is very hard to keep clean; almost as bad as black. Would have preferred white or silver but when you're buying used you have to take what you can find. Overall I love the vehicle and would buy another. This is the first SUV I have ever owned after years of driving Acura sedans. I actually had my heart set on an Acura MDX until I compared the Ford Explorer and realized I could get just as many features and luxury items for a much lower price. Bonus: it's much cheaper to work on since it's American made! I was always shocked at the repair costs on my Acuras because the parts were so much more expensive. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a reliable SUV with a luxury feel at an affordable cost!

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4.63 out of 5 stars

Ecoboost model

mvieau, 10/02/2011
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
136 of 146 people found this review helpful

My wife and I recently purchased the 2012 Ford Explorer Ecoboost Limited in black and the first comment I need to make is how beautiful it looks. We had looked at Lexus, Audi, Acura, Buick and Lincoln before even considering the Ford. It was only during the visit to the Lincoln dealer that the sales rep suggested we look at the new Explorer. Family pricing allowed us to get the Limited trim with pretty much every feature other than the tow package for an amazing price. We are very impressed with the style and quality of the vehicle. The ecoboost model wasn't an option for us until we test drove it and found it to be pretty much the same drive as the 3.5L V6. This vehicle has excellent value.

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4.63 out of 5 stars

Almost the perfect car for us

kris45, 02/21/2012
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
26 of 27 people found this review helpful

We just acquire a 2012 Limited in silver with the EcoBoost engine fully loaded. My initial impression are just Wow. We love love this car. The interior is luxurious and well put together, the configuration of the seats is nice and flexible. I do agree with an earlier review that allowing the middle row of seats to slide forward and back a little would be helpful. The Tech: I am a big tech guy, love my toys and this car fits right in with them. Voice control, touch screen, tons of options and configuration, color changing ambient lighting is cool. Proximity key is KEY! I didn't even look at the base or XLT editions because they didn't offer this feature. (continued in Fav features!...)

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2.88 out of 5 stars

Explorer Quality is Poor

kvella, 07/17/2014
2012 Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
33 of 37 people found this review helpful

Purchased a Ford Explorer in January 2012. Within three weeks started experiencing steering problems. Also had seat defects requiring repairs. Ford announced a recall for power steering defects in May 2014. Still fighting with Ford for reimbursement of incurred repair expenses. Interior quality is poor with fading and split seams after only 2.5 years. Overall disappointed with Ford's quality and customer service.

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