akirby

Ford had that same retractable design on the Explorer 15 years ago - way before the Germans were even making SUVs. For some reason they chose not to design it into the Edge. Having had at least 2 vehicles with them in the past I don't miss them. When you need to drop the seats you have to remove and store the retracted cover which is a little annoying. Maybe they'll add them back with the mid cycle refresh.

I have the latitude tour hp on my 08 Limited (18") and they're fantastic so far. With tires you generally get what you pay for.

I spent less than 60 seconds adjusting my mirrors ONE TIME. Tonight I watched a car come up behind me in the left lane. It went from my rear view to my side view mirror and when it disappeared from my side view mirror the front of the vehicle was even with my rear door and I could see it without even turning my head more than a couple of inches. If you don't believe that then I don't really care. Stop trying to rationalize everything.

Most drivers don't adjust their mirrors properly and at least some drivers do not do the over the shoulder glance before changing lanes. This technology will help them and it will give people who do follow the procedures extra help. It's a nice added safety feature. If you properly adjust the side mirrors and quickly glance over your shoulder, there is no blind spot. A vehicle will move out of the rear view mirror into the side view mirror and out of the side view mirror into your peripheral vision. That's the point of adjusting the side mirrors. You keep implying that even with properly adjusted mirrors and an over the shoulder glance that there is still a blind spot that only this new mirror can prevent. That is totally, blatantly false.

I agree it's frustrating and shouldn't happen. But in cases like this they first have to determine why this is happening, then they have to determine how to correct it. Sometimes it's a no-brainer but other times it's very difficult especially if they have to pick a different material or create a new design. In those cases they also have to make sure the new material/design will hold up over time - wouldn't help to fix one problem but create another one. Even after the fix is determined, it has to be fed back into the manufacturing chain including outside suppliers. Once the factory is up to speed they have to ramp up to meet production demand and cover replacements. If it was simply a defective material that can be corrected much more quickly and easily. I'm not making excuses - this shouldn't happen in the first place. But sometimes it's not as easy as one might assume.

IF you want to do it right, get some wax stripper/degreaser and clean the entire vehicle including the windows. Follow that with a clay bar to remove anything embedded in the paint. Follow that with a hand polish (using clearcoat safe polishing compound) and seal that with a protectant (wax, polymer, etc.). For the polish I'd test it on a less noticeable area until you get the hang of it, and do it by hand. If your paint has lots of orange peel you can get rid of it by wet sanding, then polishing but I wouldn't recommend that unless you've done it before. But the results, especially on a black car, can be amazing.

Wouldn't a wool mitt work better than a microfiber towel or sponge since it keeps any dirt particles away from the surface (or has a better chance than a flat microfiber surface)? I understand the microfiber itself would work great but it seems like it would trap surface contaminants just like a regular sponge. If you've used it successfully, especially on black vehicles, I guess that proves it. Just curious.

I just find it hard to believe that people would endure years of blind spots when the answer is as simple as moving the side mirrors out a few degrees and takes less than a minute to complete. Like I said, I'm not against the technology - I'm just against the notion that you can't drive safely without them. But it is amusing to see just how much time, effort and money you guys throw at all these "mods". I guess I lost my desire to tinker as I got older.

I hope you're joking. Never put armour-all on the dash of any vehicle.

Definitely human error. They probably sealed in the scratches, too. Find a good detailer - they'll fix it.

I know the scratches were caused by the dealer (one or the other) and there is a good bet that the dash damage was also done by the dealer, which is probably why they said Ford won't cover it. You have a low quality dealer that screwed up a perfectly good vehicle.

The first models came with Hankook or Continental tires - don't remember the models, but I remember that I didn't like either of the choices and was really glad when they switched to Michelin Latitudes before we bought our 08 limited.

You're everywhere, aren't you? As I told you at Edmunds, this is the dealer's fault - there is no reason for Ford to deny a warranty claim on such a defect unless it was done by the dealer. Same for the swirls and scratches in the paint. Try another dealer - I bet Ford will replace the dash and any good detailer should be able to buff out the swirl marks.

The procedure is outlined in the owner's manual - however one part isn't very clear. IIRC you have to use a philips screwdriver down inside the plastic hex opening that looks like it would take an allen wrench. It's very easy to do once you find the screw. Turn the lights on and shine them on a wall while you're adjusting.

No problems with my Edge after 5K miles. Those shields also tend to trap heat which can be bad for the brakes - they're not recommend. Better to switch pads.

Correct. Traction control will help with that - up to a point.

I don't think so. I think they're both open with electronic traction control.

That's just the pad material. The stock sport pads on my Lincoln LS had lots of dust but I replaced them with Porterfield R4S pads which not only stopped better (much better) but also produced a lot less dust. They also got noisy and didn't stop well when cold. It's all a tradeoff.

Yes - that's obviously the cause and I asked the same question. They either raised the idle RPM to compensate (which most people who have had the update deny) or changed something in the transmission controls to compensate (although I can't imagine what that would be. Let me ask my former Ford transmission engineer and see what he thinks.

Are they safer? Of course - especially for drivers who don't aim their mirrors properly and don't glance over their shoulder when changing lanes. Am I glad they're being offered? Yes. Would I want them on my next vehicle? Sure. I just wouldn't go to all that trouble to add them to my Edge now. Then again I don't have a problem operating the Vista Roof controls at night, either.

I'll take that bait. http://www.carspace.com/guides/The-Zen-of-...ur-Side-Mirrors

I was merely pointing out that one does not NEED a blind spot mirror. If you want one then it certainly won't hurt anything.

Both, actually. Two glances are better than one.

How do you have the side mirrors adjusted? Can you see the side of the car? If so you need to push them out. That should eliminate that blind spot.

I guess I got lucky. My 08 Edge doesn't have any blind spots. Neither does my 06 Fusion. Amazing what properly adjusted mirrors and a quick over the shoulder glance can accomplish......