1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

SUDDEN AND TOTAL RELEASE OF ALL AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANT (R134A) AND COMPRESSOR OIL.*AK

MY 1996 EXPLORER IS A 5.0 LITRE AWD EDDIE BAUR PURCHSED USED. AFTER DRIVING USING THE CRUISE CONTROL WITHOUT INCIDENT, I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT. COASTING SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SLOT APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE APPEARED TO INCREASE POWER MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE MORE I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE MORE THE ENGINE POWER INCREASED PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING UNTIL COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE IN FRONT. WITH THE BRAKE STILL APPLIED, THE ENGINE RACED WHEN PUT IN NUETRAL UNTIL SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF. THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER RESTARTING. DAMAGE RESULTED TO THE EXPLORER BUMPER. I DID NOT OBSERVE THE GAS PEDAL POSITION DURING THE INCIDENT BUT ASSUMED IT COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE UNDER UNCOMMANDED OPERATION AND SEVERED THE CRUISE CABLE BEFORE PROCEDING. A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAD OCCURED DURING A PRIOR STOP THE SAME TRIP BUT ABRUPTLY RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION POSSIBLY AFTER HAVING PUMPED THE BRAKES TO CHECK THEM. THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM WITH ENGINE POWER SURGE DURING BRAKING TO A STOP OCCURED ON PRIOR DAYS WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD NOT BEEN USED AND MAY HAVE CORRECTED AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKE. REVIEWING NHSTA COMPLAINT ODI ID 736277 AND SUBSEQUENT EXPERIMENT ON MY VEHICLE, IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT FROM INADVERTANT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DURING BRAKING DUE TO PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS BUT I CAN'T RULE OUT UNCOMMANDED CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION ACTIVATED BY A BRAKE SIGNAL. PLEASE ADVISE IF INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERY HAVE RESULTED IN ANY PROBABLE CAUSES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD. DOES NOT DISPLAY SYMPTOMS CORRECTED BY RECALLS FOR THROTTLE BODY STICKING AND JAMMED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE.*AK

I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT BLOWN OR LEAKING HEAD GASKETS ON THE 1996 FORD EXPLORER, AND THAT IS MY COMPLAINT IS.I HAVE A 1996 FORD EXPLORER XLT WITH 66,000 MILES IS GARARGED YEAR ROUND AND IS MAINTAINED REGULARLY AND IS ONLY DRIVEN BY MY WIFE LOCALY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK APPROXIMATLY 10-20 MILES A DAY I FEEL THAT THERE IS NO WAY I SHOULD HAVE BOTH HEAD GASKETS LEAKING COOLANT WITH REALITIVLY LOW MILEAGE FOR THE YEAR.THERE IS DEFINATLY A PROBLEM HERE AND FEEL THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER BY FORD, I WAS ALSO SPEAKING WITH A GENTLEMAN AT A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE (WHERE I WORK PART TIME ) AND HE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT, BOTH ENGIES INVOLVED ARE THE 4.0 V6. I HOPE FORD WILL DO WHAT IS NESESARY TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF BUT FOR OTHERS THAT WILL ULTIMATLY HIT THEM QUITE HARD IN THE POCKETBOOK FOR WORK DONE AT A SEVICE CENTER.I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTILL I FIND OUT WHAT CAN BE DONE BY FORD BUT HAVE TO IN ORDER TO GET MY WIFE BACK AND FORTH TO WORK, I DO NOT KNOW IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE TO SEAL THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING THE HEADS OFF AND REPLACING THE GASKETS.I HAVE CHECKED INTO WHAT THE COST WOULD BE AND HAVE BEEN TOLD ANYWHERE FROM $1,200-$1,500 DOLLARS,A BILL I CANNOT AFFORD.IT IS A SHAME BECAUSE WE LOVE THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF FORD PRODUCTS BUT ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING TRADING IT IN ON ANOTHER BRAND OF VEHICLE.*AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH WHILE THE OCCUPANT WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE DRIVER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE DRIVER THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WENT TO DRIVE CAR AND THE DRIVER SEAT FLEW BACK AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN BOLT. *LA

THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT LATCH PROPERLY AND BECAME UNFASTENED WHILE DRIVING. *JB

A BOLT THAT HOLDS THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK UPRIGHT BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO FULLY RECLINE BACKWARDS IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS SEAT BOLT HAS FAILED. THE ORIGINAL FAILURE WAS IN JULY, 1999 (NHTSA REPORT #708738). *LA

RECALL 97V074000 CONCERNING THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHILE REVVING UP THE ENGINE IT WILL RACE VERY VIOLENTLY. ENGINE WOULD RACE TO THE POINT WHEN IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PRESS THE BRAKES REAL HARD TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED TEN TIMES IN 2003 . THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

THE SEAT BELT FAILED DUE TO A FATIGUE CRACK IN THE BUCKLES SPRING. *AK *JB *NM

THE HEADS ON THE ENGINE CRACKED. AS A RESULT THE ENGINE SKIPPED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM