1. What looks like a puddle of water but doesn’t evaporate after 10 hours in the Florida sun and smells like gear oil?

Answer:
Gear oil







Drove my wife’s Explorer ST for the first time since I dropped her at the airport two weeks ago. As I was getting in, I got a good whiff of gear oil smell. When I got home, I found out why.

In the one picture, you can see the black subframe with the bushing and the big bolt. That subframe and differential cover is for the 2.3 liter motor. The ST has the 3.0 liter twin turbocharged V6 and is is supposed to have a subframe with two of those bushings and bolts along with a differential cover that accepts two bolts. Ford apparently ran out of the correct parts when they built mine.

I knew this was going to be a problem. Fortunately, it happened under warranty. Unfortunately, I’m leaving for MI I’m the morning and won’t be able to get it fixed until August. I cannot catch a break. Two hurricanes, one ice storm, trying to sell a house, trying to build a house, sixteen other projects, and now this. I’m tired, but not out of the fight.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
The ST has the 3.0 liter twin turbocharged V6 and is is supposed to have a subframe with two of those bushings and bolts along with a differential cover that accepts two bolts. Ford apparently ran out of the correct parts when they built mine.

Lemme guess... A late 2020, 2021, or early 2022 model?

My last agency ride was an unmarked 2021 Ford Explorer with the 3.0 V6, and it had the same shortcut due to pandemic parts shortages. Followed by a recall in 2023ish because - as it turns out - one bolt isn't enough.

But I guess from Ford's point of view, why make and sell half as many cars when you could instead make and sell twice as many cars with half the parts each!

2022. Ford will put the correct parts on the LE vehicles. On the other hand for schlubs like me, they'll put their bandaid fix on.

I didn't find out about this until after we took delivery. I wouldn't have accepted it if I knew before hand.