1994 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

SAME PROBLEM AS RECALL, NHTSA ID # 94V169000. FORD CLAIMS THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE (PER THEIR COMPUTER RECORDS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER PREVIOUS OWNERSHIP IN 1996), ALTHOUGH A FORD (DEALER) MECHANIC REPORTS THAT THERE IS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF THE WORK BEING DONE. I AM CONCLUDING THAT EITHER IT WAS NEVER FIXED, OR IT WAS NOT REPAIRED CORRECTLY. FORD (BOTH LOCAL DEALER AND CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE) REFUSES TO FIX THIS AT NO COST. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE STARTED LOSING POWER AND FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM OVERFLOW RADIATOR CONTAINER DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE HEAD GASKETS. THE HEADS WERE CRACKED, YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE GASKET SEPARATED FROM THE HEAD. *JG *AK

LATE NOVEMBER, 2001, I NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL SENDER HAD CORRODED AWAY. MY RESEARCH SHOWS OTHER RECALLS OF FORD TRUCKS (AEROSTAR) FOR FUEL SENDERS MANUFACTURED IN THE SAME PERIOD (MY CAR MANUFACTURED APPROX. SEPT. 1993). I HAVE CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE OTHER THAN CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYING THAT IT WASN'T A DEFECTIVE PART.*AK

SPARE TIRE HANGS FROM A WIRE ROPE. THE WIRE ROPE CORRODED AND FAILED, DROPPING THE THRE & WHEEL WHILE MOVING. REPORTED TO FORD AT 800 392 3673, BILL OPERATOR NUMBER 2072. WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING HAZARD, HE SAID THERE WAS NO PROGRAM, AND WOULD BE NO FOLLOW UP. *AK

4.0 L V6 ENGINE BLEW HEAD GASKET AND DUMPED ANTI-FREEZE INSIDE ENG. FORD REMANUFACTURED ENGINE INSTALLED BY LISTED DEALER($4,000BILL) 32,000 MILES LATER THIS ENGINE DEVELOPED A CRACKED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND LEAKED ANTI-FREEZE INTO THE RODS AND ROCKER ARMS($2,000BILL). *AK

I HAD THE SCARIEST THING HAPPEN TO ME LAST NIGHT . ON MY WAY HOME FROM MY IN-LAWS WITH MY TWO CHILDREN. MY 10 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER GOT OUT OF HER CAR SEAT. I HAVE A CENTURY MODEL 1165ONHS, MAN.062997, THAT WAS BOUGHT FOR MY 3 1/2 YEAR OLD SON AND WAS HANDED DOWN TO HER. THE SEAT IS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER BUT SHE IS A BIT OF AN ACROBAT. AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I LOOKED INTO MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW HER STANDING IN HER SEAT, FACING ME!!! I AM ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE I PUT HER IN HER SEAT BEFORE WE LEFT MY IN-LAWS A FEW MINUTES PRIOR TO HER ESCAPE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TIGHTENED THE STRAP FROM THE BACK WITH THE BAR AND PUT HER BACK INTO HER CAR SEAT, KICKING AND SCREAMING MIND YOU. NOT A 1/2 MILE LATER, AS SHE WAS STILL SCREAMING, I NOTICED HER CRYING BECAME MUFFLED. IT WAS EVENING TIME SO I COULDN'T SEE HER IN THE MIRROR I INSTALLED ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HER. AGAIN, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND WAS TERRIFIED BY WHAT I SAW! SHE HAD AGAIN TWISTED OUT OF HER SEAT AND WAS BEING STRANGLED BY THE WHITE CLASP THAT HOLDS THE 2 STRAPS TOGETHER. SHE HAD TWISTED HERSELF AROUND, THROWN HE LEGS OUT OF THE SEAT TO HER RIGHT AND WAS HANGING BY THE CLASP. FROM HER WAIST DOWN, SHE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE SEAT, HANGING OVER THE SIDE AND STUCK. I HAD MADE SURE THE CLASP WAS HIGH UP ON HER CHEST TO PREVENT HER FROM GETTING OUT, WHICH HAD PREVENTED ENOUGH ROOM FOR HER HEAD TO COME OUT. THE STRAPS WERE ALSO VERY TIGHT ON HER. THEY PULLED HER SHOULDERS DOWN WHEN I STRAPPED HER BACK IN. I THOUGHT THAT WOULD KEEP HER IN. IT DID NOT! THE THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN HAS NEVER CROSSED MY MIND. MY SON HAD NEVER ATTEMPTED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. IT SCARES ME TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WASN'T ABLE TO PULL OVER AS FAST AS I DID. MAYBE IF ALL INFANT CAR SEATS WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE A 5 POINT HARNESS OR LAP BAR, THAT WOULD HELP. WE DID BUY HER A NEW CAR SEAT LAST NIGHT, EQUIPPED WITH A LAP BAR. PLEASE HELP! THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.*

I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TWICE. THE CURRENT SWITCH IS MALFUNCTIONING. THE ORIGINAL SWUTCH WAS REPLACED ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO. THE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE SECOND INCIDENT ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO THE LIGHTS DID NOT GO OFF WHEN THE PEDAL WAS RELEASED. CURRENTLY THE LIGHTS ARE STAYING ON AFTER THE PEDAL IS RELEASED. ALL THREE INCIDENTS THE BRAKES PERFORMED NORMALLY. THERE IS A SIDE EFFECT THAT OCCURS, THE BROADCAST RADIO WILL CUT OFF INTERMITTANTLY. THIS IS THE WAY I HAVE LEARNED OF THE SWITCH MALFUNCTION. NOTE, BOTH REPLACEMENT SWITCHES WERE PURCHASED AT A REPUTABLE AUTO PARTS STORE AND WERE MANUFACTURED FOR THIS VEHICLE. BOTH SWITCES WERE INSTALLED BY A TRAINED SEVICE TECHNICIAN.

GAS SMELL WAS NOTICED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND INDICATED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *NLM

COMPLETE SIDE OF OUTSIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATED AND BLEW OFF . NO SOUNDS OR WARNING PRIOR TO INCIDENT. TIRE HAD 16,000 MILES ON TREAD AND DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGN OF WEAR.*AK (TIRESIZE: 235R/75/15)

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TOWING A SMALL TRAILER AND USING THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE INSTEAD OF OVERDRIVE. VEHICLE MILEAGE AND DRIVEABILITY/PERFORMANCE SUFFER. O2 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY DEALER WITH NEW YET PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK