2001 FORD EXCURSION Complaints

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH RIGHT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. BRIDGESTONE, SIZE 285/75R16, DOT K99001D693A7. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE DRIVER SHUT THE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OFF THE VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE POWER STEERING, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO DRIVE INTO A DITCH. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE DITCH. *NM *JB

EMAIL SENT TO FIRESTONE TODAY. I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THE SERIOUSLY FLAWED SIDEWALLS ON MY STEELTEX LT265 R75 R4S TIRES ON MY 2001 EXCURSION WOULD NOT LEAD TO A REPLACEMENT. I REPORTED A PROBLEM ON THESE TIRES TO THE BRIARWOOD FIRESTONE STORE IN 2002 AND AGAIN TODAY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TROUBLING SINCE I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE A TIRE IN 2002 AT MY COST AND HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO USE THE SAME CAR WASH I HAVE USED SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR NEW IN AUGUST 2001. ALSO, I RAN FIRESTONE FIREHAWK 31-10.5-15 ATXS ON MY SEMA SHOW JEEP IN 1995 AND 1996 ONLY TO BE FORCED TO REQUEST REPLACEMENTS FROM NASHVILLE AFTER SERIOUS SIDEWALL DAMAGE IN COMPLETING THE RUBICON. THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO MAJOR SIDEWALL WEAKNESS LEADING TO LARGE AREAS OF THE SIDEWALL PEALING AWAY TO REVEAL THE WHITE SUB LAYER. JOHN TAYLOR OF FIRESTONE GRACIOUSLY REPLACED THE ATXS WITH BRIDGESTONE MTS THAT PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY IN ALL TRAIL TESTS (INCLUDING A RUN THROUGH THE RUBICON IN 1997) AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THE TYPE OF SIDEWALL DESTRUCTION SEEN ON THE ATXS. THE TYPE OF DAMAGE TO THE SIDEWALLS ON MY EXCURSION IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE ATX'S, BUT MUCH DEEPER AND MORE PRONOUNCED. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE CAR WASH AS THE SPLITS RUN BOTH DIRECTIONS (FORWARD AND BACK). ALSO, I TAKE MY OTHER VEHICLE THROUGH THE SAME CAR WASH AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY DAMAGE ON MICHELIN OR B. F. GOODRICH TIRES ON THAT VEHICLE. THE FACT THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH TRAIL TESTING FIRESTONE TIRES, THAT I AM AN ENGINEER, AND THAT I REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ATX'S IN 1996 SHOULD SHOW A LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE NOT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE NORMAL USER. THIS DID NOT MATTER TO THE STORE MANAGER. FURTHERMORE, ONE OF THE STORE PERSONNEL MADE A SILLY REMARK THAT THE DAMAGE WAS FORD'S FAULT BECAUSE THEY ADVISED USERS TO RUN THE TIRE PRESSURE TOO LOW. *AK

BOTH FRONT TIRES LEAKED AIR. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE FOR AIR ESCAPING FROM THE TIRES. FIRESTONE STEELTEX, P265/75R16. *AK

FIRESTONE STEELTEX, 265X75X16 FRONT LEFT TIRE NEARLY SEPERATED ON FREEWAY. *AK

CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON TWO OCCASIONS CONCERNING EXHAUST CLAMP CRACKING AND FALLING OFF. MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM 1 TO 3 DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART. TRANSMISSION SHOP TOLD ME FORD SWITCHED A PART IN THEIR TRANSMISSION AFTER 1999 YEAR AND SWITCHED IT BACK IN 2002. THE PART THE SWITCHED LEADS TO THIS FAILURE. I BELIEVE A LOT MORE COMPLAINTS WILL BE COMING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. WE JUST PUT A LOT OF MILES DUE TO LIVING IN A RUAL AREA.

AFTER PURCHASING MY 2001 EXCURSION WITH POWER STROKE DIESEL I HAD PROBLEMS WITH A HUNTING AND SOMETIMES SURGING WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE. AFTER TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER AND THEM STATIONING THAT THERE WAS "NO" PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING THREE DAYS LATER. LUCKILY I WASN'T IN TRAFFIC I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO PULL OUT ONTO THE ROAD. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DEALER (DUE TO LOCATION) I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAM PICK-UP SENSOR WAS BAD AND THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS. I RETURNED ABOUT TWO DAYS LATER COMPLAINING THAT THE HUNTING AND SURGING WAS STILL PRESENT. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE "NO" PROBLEMS. (THEY PLUGGED THE COMPUTER INTO IT AND GOT NO CODES. BUT, DID NOT DRIVE OR RUN THE VEHICLE.) NOW THREE DEALERS, LESS WARRANTY AND MONTHS LATER I'M STILL HAVING LACK OF POWER,ACCELERATION AND POOR FUEL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS. BUT, STILL BEING TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. FINALLY I TOOK THE EXCURSION IN TO THE DEALER WHILE IS WAS DEMONSTRATING THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECH AGREED THAT "THIS ISN'T RIGHT". THEY REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTOR ON NUMBER 8 CYLINDER. AND THE TURBO CHARGER UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE STILL EXHIBITS LACK OF ACCELERATION ON TAKE OFF AND NOW SHUTTERING WHEN FIRST PLACED INTO REVERSE. SERVICE TECH STATES THAT IT IS THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY NOW AND WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $3000. THE COST OF THE VEHICLE NEW IS $50,000 I WOULD THINK THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WOULD LAST MORE THAN 40,000 MILES? FORD IS IGNORING AND NOT STANDING BEHIND A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT IS NOTED ON MULTIPLE EXCURSIONS AND F-250'S. *LA

WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY VEERED TO OTHER LANES OF TRAFFIC. DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT HAD NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN TOWING BOAT IN HOT WEATHER THE TRANSMISSION STARTED LEAKING FROM REAR SEAL. TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES TO REMEDY PROBLEM. HAVE NOT TOWED BOAT SINCE SO NOT SURE IF IT WILL RETURN. *LA