1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

FAULTY TRANSMISSION IN 1998 FORD EXPLORER. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT FROM FORD DEALERSHIP, APPROXIMATELY 4 YRS. OLD WHEN PURCHASED. TRANS. NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY AFTER FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP OR APPROX. 65,000 MILES. WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AT ALL SHORTLY AFTERWARD. HARD AND LATE SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD, AND TRANSMISSION WILL FREQUENTLY TOTALLY DISENGAGE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 TO 60 MPH, ENGINE WILL REV., BUT CAR WILL START SLOWING DOWN. ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BLOW UP WHILE WAITING FOR TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT BY PRIVATE MECHANIC AND PROBLEM IS STILL THE SAME. *TR

FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AND MUST BE FED MANUALLY TO RETRACT. SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO SEAT BELT WEBBING CAUSING POSSIBLE FAILURE UPON IMPACT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE DOOR HANDLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ANY MOVEMENT AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

DURING THE ANNUAL VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE TWO FRONT SUSPENSION STABILIZER LINK BOLTS WERE BROKEN. EACH BOLT HAD FAILED AS A RESULT OF RUST AND CORROSION AT THE UPPER END WHERE IT ATTACHED TO THE STABILIZER. THIS RESULTED IN A DEGRADATION OF HANDLING ABILITY, WHICH IN A SUV VEHICLE WITH HIGH CENTER OF GRAVITY, COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. PARTS WERE REPLACED AND I AM RETAINING WHAT IS LEFT OF THE FAILED PARTS FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. *TR

ALL LOCKING DOOR MECHANISM'S HAVE FAILED AND I HAVE SPENT MONEY TO REPAIR THEM. THE REAR HATCH LOCK IS NO LONGER OPERATING UNLESS THE KEY IS IN THE LOCK AND THEN, ONLY SPORADICALLY. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HANDLE, HAS BROKEN OFF TWICE AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE ENGINE WAS OFF, THEREBY EFFECTIVELY "TRAPPING" ME IN THE VEHICLE. IN AN EMERGENCY, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR AND REMOVE MYSELF FROM ANY POTENTIAL DANGER. IN ORDER TO EXIT THE CAR, I HAD TWO OPTIONS, EITHER CLIMB OUT OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE OR PUT THE KEY BACK IN THE IGNITION, TURN ON THE VEHICLE, LOWER THE POWER WINDOW AND OPEN THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE, I OPTED FOR THE SECOND SOLUTION UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO ORDER A SECOND NEW DOOR HANDLE AND REPLACE IT. *TR

ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE CODE P0300. CYLINDERS 4, 5, 6 HAVE WEAK COMPRESSION. TIMING CHAIN IS DAMAGED. DEALER HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED TIMING CHAIN TWICE AND AFTER SECOND SERVICE FORD EXTENDED ENGINE WARRANTY TO 100K MILES (NOW EXPIRED). DEALER NOW RECOMMENDS ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT COST OF $5,500. WHAT WAS ONCE A $30,000 BEAUTIFUL EDDIE BAUER RIG NOW HAS A KELLY BB RETAIL VALUE OF ~$8000, BUT WITHOUT ENGINE, CAR IS A TOTAL (AUCTION BLOCK) LOSS! WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT WHEN THIS ENGINE FAILED, IT IS BOTH A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AND YET ANOTHER SHOCK TO A VEHICLE WITH A TROUBLESOME (AND EXPENSIVE) PAST, AND TO A LOYAL FORD CUSTOMER WHO EXPECTED A BETTER QUALITY PRODUCT. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER HOW MANY MORE 1998 EXPLORERS ARE OUT ON THE ROADS ABOUT TO LOOSE THEIR ENGINES. IS 10 YEARS TOO LONG TO OWN A FORD? I AM STILL PONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH NOW SITS AS A 2-TON "BOOKEND" IN MY GARAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A FORD RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH IN AUGUST OF 2006. SHE CALLED THE DEALER IN AUGUST OF 2007 AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER. SHE CALLED THE DEALER EVERY OTHER MONTH AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL AUGUST OF 2008. THE CONTACT REFUSED TO HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH DISCONNECTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT CAUGHT FIRE AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE TRANSMISSION TYPE, RECALL NUMBER, AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE. IF THE CONTACT LEANED BACK TOO HARD, THE SEAT WOULD RECLINE ONTO THE REAR SEAT. WHEN SHE CALLED THE DEALER CONCERNING NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 03V281000 (SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY: RECLINER) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DO NOT HONOR NHTSA RECALLS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,400.

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HOME THE CAR (ENGINE) CAUGHT ON FIRE . THE FIRE CHIEF WAS NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DETACHED FROM THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WHILE HIS SON WAS DRIVING 30 MPH. HIS SON WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BRACKET DETACHED FROM THE DASH PANE AREA. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY $634 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO RE-WELD THE ENGINE PANEL. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.