1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

RIGHT REAR FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRE TREAD FAILED WHILE DRIVING(P235/75/15) THE DEBRIS FROM THE TIRE JAMMED THE LEFT REAR BRAKE CALIPER CAUSING IT TO LOCK UP AND BEGIN SMOKING. NLM

UPON TAKING MY FORD EXPLORER TO FIRESTONE TO SEE IF MY TIRES ARE IN THE RECALL, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY FRONT TIRES WERE SO BADLY WORN ON THE INSIDE EDGE THAT THE STEEL BELTS COULD BE SEEN. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, HOWARD FORD OF WEST MEMPHIS, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CASTER AND CAMBER BUSHINGS WERE WORN OUT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR ITEM. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS STATEMENT IS THAT I HAVE REGULARLY HAD FORD SERVICE MY EXPLORER AND ROTATE THE TIRES FROM DAY ONE. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ASKED ME WHO HAS BEEN SERVICING MY EXPLORER RIGHT OFF THE BAT. HE SAID THIS AS IF WHOEVER IT WAS, SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THIS. WHEN I INFORMED HIM THAT HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS THE ONLY ONE TO EVER DO ANYTHING TO THIS VEHICLE, HE CHANGED THE SUBJECT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A SERVICE MANAGER AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP, IT IS MY FEELING THAT THIS POOR DESIGN OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, AND THE INFERIOR MATERIAL USED IN THESE BUSHINGS COULD BE JUST AS MUCH A CAUSE IN THE TIRE PROBLEM AS ANYTHING. MY REASONING IS THIS, I RECENTLY HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND THE FORD DEALER NEVER MENTIONED ANY PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END. NOW, LESS THAN 5,000 MILES LATER, MY TIRES ARE SO WORN THAT YOU CAN SEE THE STEEL BELTS. I STRONGLY URGE NHTSA TO RESEARCH THIS MATTER AND MAKE FORD TO TAKE THERE SHARE OF THE BLAME FOR THESE ACCIDENTS AMD DEATHS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

THIS TIRE SAYS "MADE IN CANADA" (I.E. NOT IN ILLINOIS), YET THE TREAD IS SEPARATING AND CABLES SHOWING. WE REPLACED IT LAST SPRING AND IT IS THE SPARE NOW.

3 WEEKS AGO A VD CODED WILDERNESS AT ON RIGHT FRONT OF MY EXPLORER LOST A CHUNK OF TREAD EXPOSING BOTH STEEL BELTS. I TOOK IT TO FIRESTONE WHO SAID THE STORIES IN THE PRESS WERE FALSE, AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THIS WAS AUGUST 8, 2000. THEY SOLD ME A REPLACEMENT TIRE. I HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TO THIS STORE COMPLAINING OF WOBLE AT SPEED. THEY CLAIMED THE TIRES (ALL VD CODE) WERE GOOD, AND THE ALIGNMENT BY FORD DEALER WAS BAD. MY FORD DEALER HAD INSPECTED TIRES AND ALIGNMENT 7 MONTHS EARLIER AND SAID THE TIRES WERE BAD. I DID NOT INSTALL THE REPLACEMENT NEW TIRE SINCE THE RECALL NEWS CAME THE FOLLOWING DAY. SO I USED MY SPARE, DOT CODED W2HL WHILE RECALL ISSUES WERE BEING RESOLVED. TODAY I WAS DRIVING AT 70 MPH IN TEXAS, 107 DEGREES AT THE TIME. THE CAR STARTED WOBBLING SEVERLY, AND I SLOWED DOWN. THE ENTIRE TREAD OF THE TIRE THEN FLEW OFF, AFTER CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE CAR. THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW OUT, FORTUNATLEY. I WALKED BACK DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND RETRIEVED THE TREAD IF ANYONE WANTS TO INSPECT IT. THIS WAS MY SPARE TIRE, ALSO MOUNTED ON RIGHT FRONT, AND IT WAS A SUPPOSEDLY GOOD DOT CODE. I HAVE HAD TWO DEFECTIVES IN 3 WEEKS ON THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE SAME CAR. I WAS CARRYING 30 LBS PRESSURE AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND FAILURE. I PUT THE NEW SPARE ON, DROVE TO A TIRE STORE AND BOUGHT 4 TIRES. I RETAINED ALL FOUR BAD TIRES (3 ARE DOT VD, AND THE OTHER W2HL. I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR OTHER BAD DOT PLANT CODES. I ALSO THINK THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE FORD SUSPENSION, BASED ON SEVERAL MECHANICS REPORTING TO ME THAT THE EXPLORERS ALL EXHIBIT AN UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR PATTERN. THANKS.( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY416 TIRE SIZE: P235-75R15 )

BOTH RUNNING BOARDS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE A SERIOUS RUST PROBLEM. BOTH SIDES ARE RUSTING THROUGH IN THE EXACT SAME WAY, IN THE SAME AREA. THIS AREA IS ON TOP MAINLY NEAR THE PLASTIC TREAD. IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS I HAVE SEEN NEARLY 12 OTHER EXPLORERS WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THIS IS ON THE IDENTICAL MODEL, THE IDENTICAL PART. IN SOME CASES, THE PROBLEM ON THE OTHERS IS MORE ADVANCED AND SEVERE. I HAVE TOLD LOCAL FORD DEALER AS WELL AS FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE RESPONSE IS NOT COVERED OUTSIDE 3YR./36 MONTH WARRANTY. MAINLY CONTACTING YOU TO SEE IF THIS SIMULAR PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS.

THE STEERING WHEEL AND TRUCK STARTED TO SHAKE, UPON INSPECTION CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FORM THE TIRE BUT THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED (P23575R15). NLM

OUR CAR ROLLED OVER AFTER BEING STRUCK IN THE RIGHT REAR , BOTH TIRES ON DRIVER SIDE SEPERATED FROM RIMS. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO ROLL OVER. OTHER 2 TIRES WHILE HAVING DEBRIS IN BEAD AREAS DID NOT SEPERATE FROM RIM( DOT NUMBER: UNK TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )

THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SIDE WALL SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE WITH A BLOW OUT AT 70 MPH.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255/75/16 )

SUMMER 1999- TRIP TO FLORIDA, RAN INTO RAIN STORM AROUND DECATUR, ALABAMA. WE HAD SLOWED TO 35 - 45 MPH MAXIMUM AFTER FEELING WHAT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE TRYING TO HYDRAPLANE. THEN WE HEARD A SLAPPING SOUND LIKE THE RUBBER WAS LOOSE. STOPPED AND CHECK IT AND TIRES APPEARED OKAY. CONTINUED CAREFULLY. TO DATE, WE STILL HEAR A SOUND SIMILIAR TO A BALL BOUNCING WHILE DRIVING IT. LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE MGR. SAID THE TIRES WERE CUPPING. WE HAVE HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED EVERY 10,000 MILES MAX. AND THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES; ALL HAVE BEEN OKAY. I RUN APPROX. 32 LBS. IN THE TIRES. DOOR LOCKS - LEFT REAR HAD TO HAVE 2 MOTOR REPLACEMENTS BEFORE IT OPERATED PROPERLY. NOW LEFT FRONT CONTROL LOCK IS NOT UNLOCKING PROPERLY WITHOUT NUMBEROUS ATTEMPTS.( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1PY49 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

I WENT TO MY FORD DEALER & ASKED HIM TO INSPECT MY TIRES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 235 SERIES. HE SIAD " LOOKS JUST LIKE THE OTHERS, YOU SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED." MY TIRES ARE CRACKING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE BORDER OF THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL, AS WELL AS WITH IN THE TREAD ITSELF. I AM A BIT SCARED ABOUT THE TREAD TEARING OFF, THEY LOOK REALLY BAD( DOT NUMBER: VNCU1PX356 TIRE SIZE: 255 70R 16 )