1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

LOSS OF ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BRACKET SPOT WELD FAILURE. MINOR CHILD WAS DRIVING AUTO WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELL OVER TO ITS SIDE. NO POWER. LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO COAST THROUGH INTERSECTION WITHOUT BEING HIT. MY INSPECTION REVEALED ALL THREE SPOT WELDS HAD FAILED. FURTHER, THE MIDDLE WELD OF THE THREE WAS ONLY ABOUT 1MM IN DIAMETER WITH THE OUTERMOST TWO YIELDING A NUGGET SIZE OF APPROX. 5MM. THE BRACKET SPOT WELDS FAILED DUE TO THE FIREWALL SHEET METAL FATIGUE. THE FIREWALL SHEETMETAL COMPLETELY PULLED LOOSE LEAVING THREE HOLES WHERE THE SPOT WELDS WERE. THIS AREA OF WORKMANSHIP IS OF CONCERN TO ME AS IT ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN DUE TO THE VEHICLE LOOSING POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WITH FORD BUT THE ONLY RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS SINCE THE AUTO WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. COST WAS NOT MY CONCERN, GIVING NOTICE OF WHAT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY MATTER WAS MY CONCERN. I WAS INFORMED THAT NO CURRENT BULLETINS OR RECALLS EXISTED FOR THE DESCRIBED PROBLEM. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE. THESE WELDS SHOULD NEVER FAIL. MY BACKGROUND? I AM A WELDING SPECIALIST FOR A MAJOR AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURER IN THE U.S. I DO HAVE SUPPORTING PHOTOS OF THE FAILED SPOT WELDS. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR AND CLUNKS. TRANSMISSION DISENGAGING OUT OF DRIVE GEAR; WILL NOT STAY IN GEAR WHEN MOVING IN THE FORWARD (DRIVE) DIRECTION. ALMOST WAS IN WRECK DUE TO TRANSMISSION/DRIVE FAILURE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE IN TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALTY SERVICE STATION TO HAVE LOOKED AT. FAULTY SOLENOID AND STUCK MECHANISM DUE TO FAILURE. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR $1700.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELL OFF. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PEDAL FELT LOOSE AND THEN COMPLETELY DETACHED WHILE PULLING INTO A REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE CAUSED UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WALL, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 116,000. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT'S FATHER OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD STICK AND THEN RELEASE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME DETACHED FROM THE FLOOR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A MECHANIC'S GARAGE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HARD BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT THEN PROCEEDED TO MOVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH HER FOOT, BUT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD INTO THE MECHANIC'S WALL. THERE WERE NO DEATHS, INJURIES OR A POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 119,031.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DETACHED FROM THE PANEL. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED. A POLICE OFFICER PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 107,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE PARKING HIS VEHICLE (2 MPH), THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE WHILE THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL HE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I JUST PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM HWY 100 & LOOMIS RD AUTO SALES (414-617-5673) IN FRANKLIN WISCONSIN ON DEC 13TH. ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE BRAKES FAILED AND I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT HOME. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC IN EVANSVILLE WISCONSIN WHO FIXED THE REAR BRAKES AND I HAD TO PAY OVER 250 DOLLARS TO REPAIR IT. THE DEALER WOULDN'T HELP ME WITH THIS COST OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY FAILED TO FIND THAT PROBLEM ON THEIR SAFETY CHECK. AFTER I PICKED UP MY TRUCK THIS THURSDAY THE 20TH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ALL POWER TO THE VEHICLE HAS NOW CEASED. MY MECHANIC ALSO INFORMED ME WHEN HE FIXED THE BRAKES THAT NOT ONLY THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY THE DEALER BUT I WILL ALSO NEED A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM AS SOMEONE HAS OBVIOUSLY FIXED IT ENOUGH TO GET IT OFF THE LOT. THAT WILL BE ANOTHER 300 DOLLARS. THE POWER JUST FAILED ON MY WAY HOME FROM MY AUNTS AND NOW THE TRUCK IS DEAD IN MY DRIVEWAY AT HOME. IT WONT START AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT RETURN ANY CALLS SO I CAN SOLVE THIS. I JUST WANT THEM TO COME GET THIS LEMON AND GIVE ME THE MONEY I PAID FOR IT BACK PLUS ALL THE EXPENSES I HAVE PUT INTO IT IN LESS THAN A WEEK. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND I NEED TO KNOW MY RIGHTS AND IF I CAN JUST GET MY MONEY BACK .... I CANT AFFORD TO NOT TO DRIVE TO WORK AND BE STUCK CONTINUOUSLY PAYING FOR A TRUCK THAT HAD SUCH INTENSE PROBLEMS MECHANICALLY AND SAFETY-WISE AND NOW ITS JUST DEAD. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I PUT ON THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL SIMPLY CHATTERED LIKE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE MECHANISM WAS WORKING. HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN I LET OFF AND LIGHTLY HIT THE PEDAL AGAIN FOR 3 SEPARATE TIMES THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND ONLY CHATTERED. I RAN INTO A TREE TO AVOID A HITTING ANOTHER CAR AND SOME PEDESTRIANS WHICH WRECKED MY FRONT END, RIGHT FENDER, RIGHT DOOR, HOOD AND OTHER PARTS ON THE RIGHT. *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE HESITATES AS IF IT IS GOING TO STALL. I'VE TAKEN IT AND HAD IT CHECKED OUT. THE ONLY THING THAT HAS EVER BEEN FOUND IS FAULTY O2 SENSORS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH THE UNLOCK BUTTON; HOWEVER, ONLY THE DRIVER SIDE AND HATCH DOORS UNLOCKED. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND REMAINED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. FORD STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,099 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,050.