Faults:

True to the nature of the world renowned Triton V8, cam phasers and other internal malfunctions have turned what should be a reliable workhorse American truck V8 into something that sounds like a diesel from the 70s, and it shakes like a drug addict in withdrawal. Now mechanical issues I can resolve, and I understand that wear and tear is something inherent in a used car, however, the issues that make me want to drive this off a cliff and report it stolen are electrical. In the couple years I've owned it, I've had window motors go out, rear wiper stop working, and most recently I've got an ignition or shifter solenoid that stays on and draws power, either draining the battery or resulting in the vehicle's computer not recognizing that it's in park or drive. Secondary systems affected by this include the power rear hatch, folding mirrors, the blinkers and hazards no longer blink, and won't shift into any 4x4 modes. The heated and cooled seats are also offline.

Electric issues are just something I can't resolve on my own and are going to cost more to fix than the car is otherwise worth. Essentially everything about the way this car feels reminds me of a sloppy old mattress. Ford has lost all of my confidence in their electrical and mechanical engineering, and this will be the last Fomoco car I ever own.

General Comments:

The negatives aside, I do want to point out some of the things I love about this rig that I'll miss. It really floats down the road like a cloud; so smoothly that at first I found myself speeding because I couldn't feel how fast I was going, a huge departure from the rugged stiffness of my old Land Rover.

The 3rd row folding seats are epic, out of the way when I don't need them, and able to seat adults such as myself (I'm 6'3") with plenty of room and comfort.

I bought this land yacht in the L trim, giving it Suburban like proportions, so that there's still room in the back with the seats up, which you can't get with a Sequoia or Armada. I needed this vehicle to get my 5 person family, 2 dogs, and camping or winter sports equipment into the mountains, and it did that very well. It can even haul full sized sheets of plywood and sheet rock in the back; the Home Depot guys didn't even know what to say.

If it were more reliable I'd own it til the wheels fall off. If only it were easy to put a Toyota or Chevy engine in it.

Faults:

I am extremely disappointed with the Ford Motor Company as they have denied my warranty claim for corrosion taking place on my 2 year old, $62,000.00, 2007 Lincoln Navigator, which is showing signs of corrosion perforation on the rear lift gate.

My owners manual warranty coverage clearly states that this vehicle is offered with a 5 year, UNLIMITED MILEAGE warranty against corrosion, which I believe all cars should be. Today, my local Lincoln Mercury dealership inspected the corrosion, took photos, and explained that with the financial problems Ford Motor Co is going through these days, my claim might be denied. 15 minutes later, sure enough, to my disbelief and extreme disappointment, my claim was indeed denied by a "Ford digital image review board". The explanation was that although I and the Service Manager clearly see corrosion on the lift gate, the digital image apparently did not show the perforation so the the claim was denied. The Service Manager explained that they would love to repair my vehicle under warranty, but it is not his call. He gave me a Ford Motor Co Customer Service phone number and said I need to express my concerns to them. Their attitude was the review boards decision is "irreversible" and there is nothing that can be done.

The fact that I and my family have owned nothing but Ford Motor vehicles for the past 15 years, and I am being treated as if they could care less if we buy another brand of vehicle is extremely disturbing, especially in light of the financial situation the big three are in right now. I have never and never planned to by an import vehicle until now. This situation has put a very bad taste in my mouth. The fact that Ford trying to earn new business by offering to make payments for you if you lose your job is great, but the fact that they could care less about keeping a loyal, existing customer for a couple hundred dollars to repair and paint a 2 year old lift gate on a $62,000 dollar vehicle.

General Comments:

Bottom line is I love the looks, performance, and comfort of this vehicle. The quality seems to be decent, but Customer Service gets a big ZERO!!!

Due to this experience I will never buy another Ford Motor Co vehicle, nor will I recommend Ford vehicles to anyone.