1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE CONTROL, DEALERSHIP DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMER OF RECALL (99V-062). MJS

VEHICLE REVVED AND SPEEDED UP ON ITS OWN .THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES, RESULTING IN A REAR END ACCIDENT. *AK

THROTTLE BODY PREVENTS THE DRIVER FROM DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. A SERVICE RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED . DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE UNDER THE SERVICE RECALL; HOWEVER IT HAS ALSO BEEN REPAIRED 2 TIMES SINCE THE RECALL, AND 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THE RECALL. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S FRONT FENDER AREA. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SPEED OF VEHICLE WAS NOT DETERMINED. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK *YC

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 70MPH, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK COLLAPSED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

THE BRAKES SYSTEM FAILED TO STOP THE TRUCK GOING AT ONLY 30 MPH AS I APPROCHED A STOP SIGN. I WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE STOP SIGN.IMMEDIATLY AFTER PULLING OVER I APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN TO CHECK THEM AND THEY WORKED FINE.THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM.,OTHER THAN TO HAVE THE PADS AND SHOES REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING WORN LOW .HOWEVER I DONT BELIEVE THE PROBLEM OF NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS DUE TO THE BRAKE PADS OR SHOES BUT POSSIBLE WITH THE ABS SYSTEM OR ITS COMPONENTS BECAUSE THE BRAKES ALL OF A SUDDEN DIDN'T WORK AND THEN WORKED AGAIN IMMEDIATLY THEREAFTER.THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AS IF FLUID WAS LOST AND THERE WAS NO GRINDING FROM THE PADS OR SHOES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT THAT LOW.THE BRAKES JUST FAILED TEMPORARILY AND LUCKLY I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT BUT AM AFRAID THAT IF HAPPENS AGAIN I MAY NOT BE SO LUCK NEXT TIME. *AK

TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW UP. DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE. PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK

THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER FAILED DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEMS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE UPON STARTUP AND WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. NLM

FORD POWERTRAIN SYSTEM DISENGAGED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY WITH A STEEP GRADE. AUTO ENGINE BRAKING CONTROL WAS LOST WITH LOUD GEAR TEARING SOUNDS. VEHICLE SPEED IMMEDIATELY ENCREASED TO A DANGEROUS LEVEL DURING CURVED DOWN-HILL SETION OF THE ROAD. HEAVY APPLICATION OF BRAKES KEPT US FROM SLIDING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE FORD GEM CONTROL MODULE WAS FAILING AND SUBSEQUENTLY INSTRUCTING THE TRANSMISSION "TRANSFER" CASE TO RELEASE/ENGAGE IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO DESTROY THE POWERTRAIN AND DISCONNECT THE VEHICLE FROM THE POWERTRAIN. *AK

ENGINE- VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING KNOCKING/TICKING NOISE FROM ENGINE AT 30000 MILES, TOOK INTO DEALER TO REPORT IT, AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS. NOISE WAS AT START UPS AND AFTER VEHICLE HAD SET FOR BRIEF TIME. NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND LONGER IN DURATION, TOOK BACK INTO DEALER AT 35000 MILES, AGAIN, THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS-NORMAL NOISE. AT 41900 MILES, VEHICLE BECAME UNDRIVEABLE, NOISE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD AND METALLIC IN NATURE. TOOK TO DIFFERENT DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1997/98 EXPLORERS WITH 4.0SOHC ENGINE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURES. MOST WERE UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SENT ENTIRE ENGINE BACK TO MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR. NOW MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE REAPAI COST ME $700.00. THE VEHICLE WENT BACK 3 DAYS LATER WITH SAME PROBLEM, ANOTHER $300.00. I FEEL THAT I REPORTED MY PROBLEM WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN WARRANTY AND THAT FORD SHOULD COVER THE REPAIRS. I ALSO THINK THATFORD IS FULLY AWARE OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE 4.0 SOHC ENGINES AND THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER DEFECTS. I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY DEALERS AND INDIVIDUAL OWNERS WHO HAVE STATED THE DEFECT IS NOT ISOLATED. HAD MY FAMILY AND I BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THIS THING WENT BAD AND THE ENGINE QUIT,THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, IT IS TOO WIDESPREAD AND FORD CERTAINLY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT UNWILLING TO ADDRESS IT AND COMPENSATE CONSUMERS WHO ARE SUFFERING WITH THIS. FUEL SYSTEM- THERE IS ALSO A HESITATION/STALLING THAT OCCURS ON SAME VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN INTO TEH DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO FIX, BUT CAN NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO INTERSECTIONS OR TURNING AT TRAFFICE LIGHTS. MY WIFE HAS HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES DUE TO THIS. AGAIN, THIS APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD WITH THIS 4.0 SOHC ENGINE. PLEASE LET'S HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT. FORD'S ARMY OF ENGINEERS SURELY ARE AWARE THIS EXISTS. MARK DITTO