1991 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TIRE FAILURE #1, 8-21-91, 302 MILES, 26 PSI, RIGHT REAR TIRE FLAT IN PARKING LOT. MITCHELL TIRE SERVICE IN ANAHEIM CA, PUT AIR IN TIRE & DISCOVERED A PIN HOLE LEAK IN SIDEWALL. HE THEN DISMOUNTED THE TIRE, INSPECTED IT, & TOLD ME THE BELT WAS SEPARATING. I PURCHASED ANOTHER FR480 FROM HIM. FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUNDED ME FOR TIRE. TIRE FAILURE #2, 4,000 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, FLAT IN DRIVEWAY. FIRESTONE DEALER IN EL TORO, CA INSPECTED TIRE & FOUND PIN HOLE LEAK IN SIDEWALL. FIRESTONE REFUSED TO PAY FOR SECOND TIRE FAILURE, SO I PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER. TIRE FAILURE #3, 7,912 MILES, 32 PSI, LEFT REAR, TIRE BEGAN TO VIBRATE ON SOUTH BOUND 5 IN IRVINE. MARK C BLOOM IN EL TORO, CA, SPUN TIRE UP ON THEIR BALANCING MACHINE & SAID IT WAS SEVERLY OUT OF ROUND, A CONDITION CREATED BY A BELT NEAR SEPERATION. PURCHASED A GOODYEAR WRANGLER.*AK( DOT NUMBER: UNK TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )

THE TIRE PEELED AWAY AND WAS FLUNG UP AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND WERE GOING THROUGH TWO CONCRETE BUNKERS IN THE MIDST OF SOME ROAD RECONSTRUCTION WITH AN 18 WHEELER RIGHT ON O UR BUMPER. HE DIDN'T SEE THAT THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED AND BORE DOWN ON US AND TO AVOID BEING HIT WE HAD TO RIDE ON THE RIM WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL THE TRUCK UNTIL WE COULD GET OUT OF THE SINGLE LANE OF CONSTRUCTION. WE LOST CONTROL OF THE TRUCK AFTER COMING O UT OF THE BUNKER LANE AND WENT ACROSS THE ESPLANADE. WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO A STOP BEFORE GOING INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC BUT IT BENT THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK AND RUINED THE RIM. WHEN WE WENT TO A FIRESTONE DEALER AT SPRING CYPRESS AND KUYKENDAHL ROAD IN SPRING, TEXAS WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TIRES WERE OUR PROBLEM AND WE'D PROBABLY JUST PICKED UP A NAIL. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES IN THAT TOWN.( DOT NUMBER: )

ENGINE HESITATES THEN FAILS PARTICULARLY AT 90 DEGREES PLUS OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE AND ENGINE UNDER LOAD. CONSEQUENT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, BRAKES ETC AND DANGER OF NEGOTIATING TRAFFIC WHILE ATTEMPTING CONTROLLED STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. DATE GIVEN ON PREVIOUS PAGE OF REPORT IS MOST RECENT INCIDENT. PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR IN COLDER CLIMATE. PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN OPERATING AIR CONDITIONING. ENGINE MUST BE OFF FOR 10 TO 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. DEPENDING UPON CONDITIONS, VEHICLE CAN THEN BE DRIVEN ANYWHERE FROM LESS THAN A MILE TO IDEFINITELY WITHOUT INCIDENT REPEATING. HAVE REPLACED EDIS AT A COST OF OVER $200 AND PROBLEM NOW APPEARS FIXED. SAW REFERENCE TO IGNITION FAILURE IN TSB LISTING BUT APPARENTLY DID NOT RESULT IN RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR BY FORD. NOW SEE ARTICLES IN NEWSPAPER REPORTING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF MILLIONS OF VEHICLES (INCLUDING EXPLORER) OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. WHAT RECOURSE, IF ANY, DO I HAVE AT THIS POINT? HAS DECISON BEEN MADE TO MANDATE RECALL? ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE VIGOROUSLY. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS AND REPETITIVE REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE (INCLUDING FRONT BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS THAT MUST BE REPLACED FREQUENTLY), I BELIEVE THERE WERE DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS MODEL THAT HAVE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS AND FOR WHICH FORD HAS NOT PROACTIVELY TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY. HOW WILL I KNOW IF/WHEN A RECALL IS INITIATED? *AK

ACCORDING TO FIRESTONE TIRES NOT RECALLED, P235/75RI5 105S M/S, TREAD CAME COMPLETLY OFF! TIRE STAYED INFLATED. PLEASE LOOK INTO MORE RECALLS ON TIRES. I STILL HAVE THE TIRE. IF YOU NEED A PICTURE LET ME KNOW. NO INJURIES TO MY FAMILY BUT I STILL HAVE THE TWO REAR TIRES. MORE LIVES COULD BE LOST. SUGGEST WIDER RECALL AND INVESTIGATION.*AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75RI5 )

VEH1 BLEW OUT A TIRE-VEH FLIPPED 3 TIMES **TROOPER. OLD INSURED THEY COULD REMOVE PERSONAL BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE-INSURED WAS MOVING BACK FROM COLLEGE** THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE ATX, BUT THEY ALREADY SOLD THE SALVAGE. (CLAIM# 53-C556-170) *MW

LEFT REAR TIRE HAS BLOWN OUT. IT IS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT. THE SIZE IS P235/75R15. INSURED CLAIMED THAT THE TIRE BLEW OUT WHICH IS WHAT CAUSED ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS THAT THIS TIRE HAD BEEN RUN LOW FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT LOOKED LIKE THE SIDES OF THE TIRE HAD GOTTEN HOT. IT MAY PAY TO TAKE THIS TIRE OFF OF THE RIM AND CHECK AND SEE IF THERE IS A NAIL OR SOMETHING IN IT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TIRE TO HAVE GONE FLAT. THERE IS A SPOT ON THE BACK SIDE. THERE LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BACK SIDE OF THE TIRE. THE FRONT SIDE OF THE TIRE LOOKS LIKE THE TIRE HAS BEEN RUN LOW FOR A LONG TIME. (CLAIM# 25-5432-593) *MW

FIRESTONE: INSURED DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY, TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND TIRE. CLAIM# 55-S245-270) *MW

DRIVING VEH TOP WORK AND RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW.. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRESTONE TIRES THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEW.. AT TIME OF LOSS WAS UNAWARE OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE PROBLEM SO HE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES BUT STILL HAS THE THREE THAT HE REMOVED. (CLAIM 34-W488-773) *MW

TIRES INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC/RECOMMENDED TIRE REPLACEMENT DUE TO SHIFTING OF THE TIRE TREADS/SEPARATION...BAD TIRES TAKEN TO FIRESTONE AND REPLACED AFTER PRORATION....RECEIVED SAME TIRES EXCEPT FROM A DIFFERENT DOT (HYUU) TWO OF THE FOUR ORIGINAL TIRES FROM DOT (VDUU) STILL ON THE VEHICLE...AM CONCERNED AS I AM AT A 50% FAILURE RATE ON THIS SET. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VDUU 4FA TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )

TIRES ARE SHOWNING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPERATION , CRACK ALL THE WAY AROUND TIRES ON SIDEWALL JUST BELOW TREAD AREA. YOU CAN STICK A DIME INTO CRACK IN TIRES. WAS TOLD BY FORD & FIRESTONE THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT PART OF RECALL AND WERE OK. FIRESTONE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR TIRES ON LARGE SUV'S. MY FATHER HAS A 4 WHEEL DRIVE CHEVY SUBURAN EQUIPED WITH UNAROYAL TIRES OF THE SAME SIZE AND NO CRACKING OR OTHER SIGNS OF TROUBLE HAVE SHOWN UP. HOW DO I GET THESE TIRES REPLACED< MY WIFE AND 2 GIRLS ARE NOT SAFE WITH THESE TIRES.*AK( DOT NUMBER: 8XHL TIRE SIZE: 235/75R/15 )