1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

98 FORD EXPLORER STEREO-CD-CASSETTE PLAYER, VOLUME CONTROL AND DISPLAY IS DEFECTIVE AGAIN. HAD IT FIXED OUT OF WARRANTY AT 40 MONTHS, NOW BROKE AGAIN...MANY UNHAPPY PEOPLE HAD SAME PROBLEM ON "EXPLORERFORUM.COM". SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. *TR

DRIVER SIDE SEAT RECLINER LEVER BROKE OFF..NOW IS SAFETY ISSUE, CAN'T ADJUST SEAT BACK.. MANY ANGRY PEOPLE ON THE FORD TRUCK "EXPLORERFORUM.COM" HAVE SAME PROBLEM...SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL...FORD SELLS A REDESIGNED STRONGER PART #XL2Z7862649AA.. *TR

MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL BRACKET SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL, CAUSING LACK OF THROTTLE CONTROL. THIS BRACKET IS SPOT WELDED, AND FORD HAS A TSB REGARDING THIS ITEM FAILURE. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR

I HAD A 1998 2DR FORD EXPLORER THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE FOR NO REASON AT MY JOB ON JUNE 17, 2008. IT WAS A UNDER THE HOOD FIRE. I ARRIVED AT WORK AT 8:26 A.M. A COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER 11:00 A.M. IS WHEN THE BUILDING MANAGER KNOCKED ON MY DOOR AND TOLD ME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS LOOKING FOR ME BECAUSE MY TRUCK HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR ENDED UP BEING A TOTAL LOSS. EVERYTHING ON THE INSIDE WAS SEVERELY SMOKE DAMAGED. MY RADIO MELTED AND I LOSS CERTAIN PAPER WORK THAT I HAD IN MY GLOVE COMPARTMENT. MY HEATER CORD WAS LEFT ON THE GROUND ALONG WITH SOME OTHER WIRES AFTER THE TOW TRUCK TOWED MY TRUCK AWAY. THAT'S HOW BURNED UP MY TRUCK WAS. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING IN MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER WITH MY SON AND FIANCE TO BULLHEAD, AZ. TRAVELING EAST ON HWY40. ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF NEEDLES, CA I EXPERIENCED A BLOWN TIRE ON MY LEFT REAR WHEEL. THESE TIRES WERE A YEAR OLD AND LATER WE DISCOVERED A NAIL IN THE TIRE. WE SAFELY MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO PUT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR. THIS SPARE TIRE IS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE (P235/75 R 15). WE TRAVELED AGAIN FOR ABOUT 20 MILES WHEN THE SPARE TREAD SEPARATED CAUSING MY SUV TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE MOVEMENT BACK AND FORTH AND ALMOST TIPPING OVER; SLAPPING THE TREAD INTO THE REAR FENDER AND HATCH OF THE CAR. MY FIANCE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR UNDER SOMEWHAT CONTROL AND GET US OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE TRAVELING APPROX. 70 TO 72 MPH AND BECAUSE OF THE FIRST BLOWN TIRE WE ALL WERE SKIDISH AND KEEPING BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL, WHICH I FEEL WAS THE REASON WE DID NOT ROLL OVER. I CALLED AAA AND GOT TOWED TO NEEDLES, CA WHERE WE GOT A NEW TIRE ON THE SPARE WHICH COST $175.00. WE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL UP HWY95 TO BULLHEAD CITY, AZ, APPROX. 15 MILES, WHERE OUR HOUSE WAS. JULY 3 WE WENT TO SUPERIOR TIRES AND BOUGHT 4 NEW GOODYEAR TIRES. I AM LEFT WITH A DAMAGED REAR FENDER AND A DAMAGED HATCH DO TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE I WAS DRIVING TO GO SEE A MOVIE. THE DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STOPPED WORKING (EVEN WITH A KEY IT WILL NOT UNLOCK). NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THIS DOOR EXCEPT FOR THE DOOR ITSELF OVER 7 YEARS AGO. *TR

FORD ISSUED A RECALL FOR A BOLT REPLACEMENT IN THE SEAT. SAFETY RECALL 03S04 REFERS. BEACH FORD DEALERSHIP HAS DECLINED TO CONDUCT THE REPAIR DUE TO TIME OF THE RECALL (5 YEARS). THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE BOLT HAD ALREADY SHEARED AND SINCE THE RECALL WAS SO OLD THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CAUSED THE FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 00V422000, 06V286000, 99V062001) HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,577. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CANNOT OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE FUSE RELAY OF THE VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, WHICH PREVENTS THE CONTACT FROM CHANGING ANY OF THE FUSES. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, HE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH MANUALLY UNLOCKING THE DOORS WITH THE VEHICLE KEY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S JOB, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD WAS MELTED. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. WHEN HE CALLED THE DEALER, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL PERTAINING TO HIS VIN; THEREFORE, HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V422000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) WAS REFERENCED. THE CORRECT INCIDENT DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 149,382.