1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

BRIDGESTONE TIRES. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THEY HAVE LIVED WITH THE SQUISHING INTO THE PAVEMENT SINCE 11/06 AND WAS REIMBURSED BUT STILL IS NOT HAPPY WITH THE NEW TIRES THAT WERE PUT ON THE CAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS HAD TO LIVE WITH AN UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE WHEN TURNING OR ACCELERATING. IT WAS THE CONSUMERS OPINION THAT THE TIRE WERE BEING BROKEN AT THE SIDEWALLS BEFORE INSTALLATION AND OVERPRESSURIZED ON THE RED TIRE MACHINE TO STRETCH THEM AND THEN FILLED WITH A GAS THAT CAUSES THEM TO AGE PREMATURELY, SO THEY LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE BEE DRIVEN 40, 000 WHEN THEY ARE BRAND NEW. A MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER, THE TIRES WERE BEING FILLED WITH NITROGEN INSTEAD OF AIR. *JB UPDATED 04/09/07. *JB THE CONSUMER HAS HAD 8 SETS OF TIRES PLACED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIDEWALL WERE WEAK WHICH CAUSED THE TIRES TO BLOW OUT. UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB CONSUMER STATED ON APRIL 7, 2007 SHE HAS RECEIVED A FULL REFUND FROM DISCOUNT TIRES IN THE AMOUNT OF $374.10 AND RETURNED THE FOUR TIRES TO TIRE COMPANY. UPDATED 4/18/07 *TR THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED COMPENSATION FOR HER TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED THE BUSINESS MERELY BOUGHT THEIR TIRES BACK. UPDATED *JB

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM IN TALLAHASSEE GETTING TIRES THAT ARE NOT BROKEN, INTENTIONALLY PREINSTALLATION AT THE SIDEWALLS / AND THEN OVERPRESSURIZED ON A BIG RED TIRE MACHINE, SEE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AGAINST TIRES PLUS, CONFIRMATION NO. 10181407. I REPLACED 4 BRIDEGSTONE DUELER ALENZAS ON 3/22/2007 WITH PATHFINDERS TRAIL A/P AT DISCOUNT TIRES IN TALLAHASSEE FL. THE ASSISTANT MANAGER, CHRIS CERGE, SAW THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE BRIDGESTONES BEFORE I BOUGHT THE PATHFINDERS FROM HIM. I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT MY NEW TIRES NOT BE MOUNTED VIA THE RED TIRE MACHINE, THAT HIS MECHANICS USED THE 1950'S METHOD OF MOUNTING THE NEW TIRES WITH A SCREWDRIVER. TECHNICIAN IGNORED MY REQUEST, AND MY NEW PATHFINDERS ARE BROKEN AT THE SIDEWALLS, WHICH CAUSES THEM TO DRIVE AND RIDE LIKE THEY HAVE 15,000 MILES ON THEM WHEN THEY ARE BRAND NEW. I WOULD LIKE A REPLACEMENT SET OF TIRES WHICH ARE NOT MOUNTED VIA THE RED TIRE MACHINE. NO TIRE, NO MATTER THE QUALITY, CAN WITHSTAND THE DAMAGE THAT THESE LOCALS ARE DOING TO THEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER ON I-64 E AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, SMOKE STARTED TO POUR INTO THE CAR FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I PULLED OVER AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND WAS MET BY A VIRGINIA DOT TRUCK WHO NOTICED ME SUDDENLY CROSS TWO LANES TO GET TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. HE GRABBED HIS FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT THE FIRE OUT WITHIN SECONDS OF MY STOPPING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED BECAUSE IT WAS PUT OUT SO QUICKLY. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO A SHOP, I WAS INFORMED THAT IT APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AND BURNED THROUGH THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITHIN 15-30 SECONDS FROM THE TIME I STOPPED BUT THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY BRAKES AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP AT ALL. MY CAR WAS NOT AND STILL HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. AFTER CONTACTING FORD THEY HAVE DECLINED TO HELP US WITH ANY REPAIRS. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THE SWITCHFIRE PROBLEMS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DO A FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AS OF YET.

ON A 1997 FORD EXPLORER HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRANSFER CASE. FIRST NOTICED WHEN DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON VEHICLE MADE GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD NOT DECELERATE HAD TO PUT INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP. WHEN DECELERATING WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT WOULD ALSO MAKE GRINDING NOISE ALMOST SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS NOT DOWN SHIFTING. FEW WEEKS LATER WHEN VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE IT WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. DID NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE. ENDING UP HAVING TO HAVE A MECHANIC REBUILD TRANSFER CASE, COST ALMOST $1000.00. NOW FIVE MONTHS LATER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY COMING ON. REPLACED SENSORS AND SPARK PLUG ON #4 CYLINDER TWICE. THIS WILL BE REPLACEMENT NUMBER 3 FOR SPARK PLUG IN FOUR MONTH PERIOD. MECHANICS CANNOT SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHY. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE 1997 FORD EXPLORER WITH 134800 FAILURE MILEAGE THE DRIVER'S FRONT SEAT BELT FAILED. THE SEAT BELTWAS DIFFICULT TO BUCKLE AND WOULD UNLATCH WHILE DRIVING . THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER ,AND THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135000.*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO START UP THE 1997 FORD EXPLORER SINCE 02/09/07. THE CONTACT HAD REPLACED THE STARTER, THE SPARK PLUGS, AND CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME FAILURE. THEY PULLED THE FRONT END OF THE MOTOR AND NOTICED SOMETHING SNAPPED AND WAS SITTING IN THE PAN. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN ON THE INTERNET AND HAD NOTICED THAT OTHER EXPLORERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 98000 MILES.*AK

FORD EXPLORER SPORT (1997, ~58700 MI) WAS DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED. A STOP WAS MADE AT A SHOPPING CENTER. UPON LEAVING THE SHOPPING CENTER THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AS AN ATTEMPT TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION WAS MADE. FORTUNATELY SWERVING AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES (OTHER THAN PARKING). HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS DRIPPING FROM AN AREA ABOVE THE REAR AXLE, DRIVER SIDE. THE ABRUPT LOSS OF BRAKES WITH NO WARNING COULD HAVE LEAD TO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WE WERE JUST PLAIN LUCKY. *JB

I BOUGHT 4 NEW DUELER ALENZAS FROM TIRES PLUS ON APALACHAEE PARKWAY ON OR ABOUT 11-2-2006 WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE, SUBSTANDARD AND/OR RECALLED TIRES, AND THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THEM OR SWAP OUT FOR A BETTER TIRE. FOUR (4) OTHER BRIDGESTONE DEALERS IN TALLAHASSEE ALSO WILL NOT HONOR THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY: SEARS-0% TRADE-IN VALUE, DISCOUNT TIRES-35% TRADE IN VALUE, TIRES PLUS ON CAPITAL CIRCLE-OBVIOUSLY WERE DEFECTIVE; FIRESTONE ON APALACHEE PARKWAY-OBVIOUSLY ARE DEFECTIVE. THE FORD/CHEVY DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT GIVE ME A DIME ON A TRADE-IN, 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE TIRES HAVE BULGED AT THE BOTTOM AFTER 1 WEEK, IT FEELS LIKE I AM DRIVING ON MUSH, MY FORD SHIMMIES AND ROLLS TO THE LEFT IF I GET OVER 50 MPH. I HAVE RETURNED TO TIRES PLUS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DROVE MY EXPLORER AFTER GETTING THE NEW DUELERS SINCE 11-2-06, AND ON 1-29-07 TIRES PLUS FINALLY REPLACED THE LEFT REAR TIRE AT NO COST TO ME ($163 VALUE), WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE WHEN IT WAS PUT ON. BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L ALENZAS P225170R15 100T, DOT QUALITY GRADE 044-090, EH-3JR-BL-5L7, SKU #92971-15416-5. I REPORTED TIRES PLUS'S FAILURE TO HONOR THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY TO THE TALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN JAN 2007, TO WHICH THE INTAKE OFFICER REPLIED "THAT IS A CIVIL ISSUE". THESE TIRES ARE SO UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THAT ALL MECHANICS AND DEALERS CAN TAKE ONE LOOK AT THEM AND KNOW IT, YET ALL THAT I HAVE CONTACTED DELIBERATELY IGNORE MY COMPLAINTS. I HAVE PHOTOS. *NM UPDATED 02/15/07. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AROUND A CURVE, AND THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE ICY AND SNOWY. THE DRIVER HIT AN EMBANKMENT HEAD ON AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE THAT WERE NOT INJURED. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE DRIVER WAS WEARING THE SEAT BELT. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS REMOVED THE SEAT BELT AND THE OTHER PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WAS NOT ON SO THAT THEY COULD GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE PASSENGER REMOVED THE SEAT BELT FROM THE DRIVER AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW SHOP WHERE IT REMAINED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THE TOW SHOP PLANNED TO SELL PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. ITWAS UNKNOWN WHETHER THERE WERE PICTURES TAKEN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD A POLICE REPORT THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAGS IN THE PAST. *AK

I HAVE 2 COMPLAINTS ONE OF WHICH WHILE LOOKING ONLINE SEE THAT MANY OTHER FORD OWNERS ALSO SEEM TO HAVE. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEATER BLEND BOX DOOR NOT WORKING AND BLOWING HOT AIR WHEN IN THE VENT POSITION. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM NOT ONLY ON EXPLORER MODELS BUT RANGES, F150 AND OTHER FORD VEHICLES. THE REPAIR AS STATED ONLINE BY OTHERS AS WELL AS FROM THE DEALER IS OVER $1000.00. IT SEEMS THAT THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PART WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO THE SEAT BELTS GET STUCK ON OUR EXPLORER IT IS THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH SOMETIMES TAKES 10 TO 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL WORK. *JB