Used 2012 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews
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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.
Great family vehicle!
Kendra, 10/15/2015
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
34 of 35 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
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2012 Ford Explorer for sale near you
3 of 269 listings
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $12,50077 mi away
- Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $9,99582 mi away
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $12,995105 mi away
See all 269 listings
Ecoboost model
mvieau, 10/02/2011
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
137 of 147 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.
Almost the perfect car for us
kris45, 02/21/2012
2012 Ford Explorer Limited 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
27 of 28 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!...)
Update at 77k Miles Miles
John, 02/09/2016
updated 08/10/2018
2012 Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
As of 77k, I've had some work done on the A/C system (stopped working right before summer thankfully). The AC compressor needed to be replaced. As of the replacement, the serpentine belt seems to be making engine noise, especially when idle. Starting to sound more like an older car. Brakes are also vibrating when slowing down and not as smooth as before. Had the rotors replaced. The Microsoft Sync system is substantially slower than my Toyota Sienna 2015; additionally, I'm beginning to loathe that the system only provides 6 FM/AM channels at a time, rather than the Toyota system that provides a list of all of my saved channels that I can scroll through. Towing works ok, but the electrical hook-up on the Explorer itself has issues. With no damage, the electrical hook-up for the tow hitch is only passing "lights on/lights off" information, but not lighting up my trailer's brakes or turn signals. I tested two different trailers on via the 4-pin hookup, and neither worked properly. The issue is with the pin on the car itself. Thus far, those are my only issues with the car. Explorer gets an avg 15mpg towing a 5x8 flatbed trailer. No issues as of 60k miles. Purchased new XLT with towing package. We used to pull a boat, trailer, etc. Spacious, like the seat folding options. No major mechanical issues so far. Sync entertainment system (Microsoft) is horrible. Have to switch between FM1 and FM2 to get a new set of 6 stations. INCREDIBLY annoying. Bluetooth connections always have to be reset. If you listen to podcasts daily, this takes an extra 2 minutes every time you get in the car. Climate controls take 5-10 seconds to load when you start the car. Cold/hot mornings you will be annoyed. Once you get in and start backing up, you can't get rid of the backup camera easily. We own a Toyota 2015 and you can store 20+ radio stations - way better. I am getting avg. 18 MPG in summer. 20 MPG in winter. Leather seats are Walmart quality quality. After minimal use, the passenger seat looks worn down and close to cracking. For a 40k car, I'd expect a little nicer.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value