1995 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I HAVE 2 FORD VEHICLES FROM MID 1990'S. THE HEADLIGHTS ON EACH HAVE LONG SINCE BECOME THOROUGHLY OPACIFIED. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS OPACITY OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 2 TO 4 YEARS. ACCORDING MY MECHANIC (WHO IS A "FORD MAN"), "THIS IS A VERY CHARACTERISTIC AND LONGSTANDING FLAW WITH THE FORD BRAND, YOU WOULD THINK FORD WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE LONG AGO, BUT FORD HAS NOT AND CONTINUES NOT TO DEAL WITH IT." THIS SAFETI ISSUE/PROBLEM NOT INEXPENSIVE TO REMEDY.

FOR THE THIRD TIME, MY '95 FORD EXPLORER DURING NORMAL OPERATION HAS HAD THE THROTTLE STUCK OPEN AND ACCELERATE TO THE POINT WHERE THE TRUCK WILL NOT SLOW DOWN EVEN WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. EVEN WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE NEUTRAL POSITION THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO REV. I HAVE TO THROW THE TRUCK INTO PARK AND TURN THE TRUCK OFF BEFORE THE ENGINE WILL SLOW DOWN. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO- I HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT IN. THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS BUILD-UP WHICH CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO REMAIN OPEN. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN A YEAR AND A HALF AND I AM NOW PETRIFIED TO DRIVE MY ONCE BELOVED VEHICLE. I CAN'T POSSIBLY IMAGINE SELLING THIS CAR AND HAVING THIS HAPPEN TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. LUCKILY, THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED A CO-WORKER WAS IN THE TRUCK AND I HAVE AN EYEWITNESS. PLEASE HELP ME!! I AM JUST A NORMAL HARD-WORKING PERON THAT IS TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND AM BECOMING MORE FRIGHTENED BY THE RESEARCH I AM FINDING ON THIS SUBJECT OF THE "OPEN THROTTLE". THANKS -DANI MENZEL

WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 IN ROUTE FROM NC TO FL THE ACCELERATOR STUCK. VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHILE BRAKING AND TRYING TO GET OVER TO SHOULDER. INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO FORD VIA THEIR WEB SITE ON 1/10/03, CASE ID 681115, NO RESPONSE TO DATE.

CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE FILLING VEHICLE WITH FUEL, FUEL LEAKING OUT FROM UNDER THE WHEEL WELLS PUDDLES. MANUFACTURE AND DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICE BY TECHNICIAN AND NOTICE GAS NECK FILLER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

ON THE 1995 FORD EXPLORER, THERE EXISTS A PROBLEM WHEREAS AN INDIVIDUALS COULD BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE DURING AN EMERGENCY, DUE TO THE LOCK MECHANISMS HIGH RATE OF FAILURE (POOR QUALITY MATERIAL) ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS. TO DATE, THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, DUE TO THE (APPARENT) LOCK LINKAGE BREAKING ON EACH DOOR.

WHILE LEANING BACK TO BUCKLE SEAT BELT THE BACK OF THE SEAT COLLASPED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE EXTRA WHOLE WAS PUNCHED OUT BELOW THE BOLT WHOLE. *TS

THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND THE FRONT OUTER TIE ROD END HAD TO BE REPLACED.MR. CONSUMER STATED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE LOOSE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR A SECOND TIME.*JB

THE VEHICLE HAS GIVEN US GOOD SERVICE UNTIL MAY OF THIS YEAR, WHEN A PROBLEM DEVELOPED IN THE TRANSFER CASE. AN OIL PICKUP TUBE HAD BROKEN, THE UNIT HAD TO BE DISASSEMBLED AND REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1304.53. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT 72,202 MILES AND SEEMED PECULIAR AT THE TIME, BUT WE ACCEPTED IT AS UNUSUAL WEAR AT TEAR. ON OCTOBER 21ST WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE SHOP AS THE OVERDRIVE OFF LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE SERVICE ADVISOR (JASON SAVIDGE) CALLED LATER THAT DAY AND INFORMED US THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A TOTAL SHOCK TO ME AS AN AUTOMOBILE DRIVER FOR NEARLY 60 YEARS. HAVING OWNED MANY VEHICLES (AND DRIVEN MANY MORE) OF VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH FAILURES. I DO NOT ABUSE MY VEHICLES AND HAVE THEM SERVICED REGULARLY. AS A ONE TIME APPRENTICE AUTO MECHANIC, A GRADUATE MECHANICAL ENGINEER WITH 40 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE I KNOW THAT PROPERLY DESIGNED ROTATING MACHINERY, MAINTAINED AND NOT ABUSED WILL LAST ESSENTIALLY INDEFINITELY. I HAVE RETAINED MOST OF MY VEHICLES FOR 100,000 MILES AND MORE WITHOUT SUCH FAILURES. I NOTED ON YOUR WEB SITE A NUMBER FAILURES SIMILAR TO OURS, SOME MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. I ALSO REALIZE THIS MAY NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT FORD MOTOR CO. AND RECEIVED AND I AM SORRY BUT NOTHING IN OUR RECORDS INDICATE FORD MOTOR CO. SHOULD PAY OR HELP PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. DT

THIS IS THE SECOND FORD MOTOR CO REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THE LAST ONE LASTED 18,00 MILES. FORD MOTOR COMPANY INFORMS ME THAT THERE ARE OVER 500 BACKORDERS FOR THIS REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN THERE SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSIONS. I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN AROUND FOR TWO WEEKS, TOLD TODAY 10/31/02 THAT IT WILL BE ANOTHER MONTH BEFORE I CAN GET A TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR PRODUCING INFERIOR EXPLORER AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. THANK YOU, DT *TR

THERE WOULD BE A KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AND THIS CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE WHILE DRIVING. THE SPEED COULD VARY FOR THE KNOCKING BUT WHEN VEHICLE IS OVER 40MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE. HAVE TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND INDICATED NO RECALLS. WOULD NOT REPAIR VEHICLE FOR FREE. TS