1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELL OFF. I WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND ACCELERATING TO 65 MPH WHEN I FELT A POP. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED WORKING. DESPITE THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS, I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED BY A CAR THAT DIDN'T NOTICE I WAS SLOWING DOWN ON THE FREEWAY. LUCKILY, I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED SAFELY. LOOKING AT THE BREAK, I THINK THE SHEET METAL HOLDING THE RIVETS WAS TOO WEAK.*AK ON 5/23/07 I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS HOT LINE. THEY REFUSED TO HELP STATING ONLY THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN VERY EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT AND DEATHS. FORD SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AND PAY FOR REPAIRS OF DEFECTIVE MATERIALS USED OR IMPROPER INSTALLATION. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD OF AN ACCELERATOR PEDDLE FALLING OFF?

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WAS LEAKING IN THE 1998 EXPLORER, AND THE ACCUMULATOR WAS RUSTED VERY BADLY SO THAT IT TOO MAY HAVE LEAKS IN IT. FORD NEEDED TO RECALL THESE UNITS, AND REPLACE THE RUSTED ACCUMULATOR.*AK

MY WIFE WAS JUST LEAVING OUR HOUSE AND THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND LED TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT MISHAP. THIS WAS AT A LOW SPEED. THIS FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED COULD RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK

I SPOKE WITH 3 OTHER MOTHERS THAT HAVE 1998 EXPLORER AND ON EACH THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT WON'T WORK, I HAVE THREE LITTLE GRANDCHILDREN, AND BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM I COULD NOT TAKE ALL THREE ANYWHERE. THEY COULD NOT SEAT UP FRONT. WHY DO 4 OUT OF 4 1998 EXPLORERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM? AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST ORDER A NEW ONE, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE $80.00 FOR PART AND INSTALLATION. UPON TALKING TO THESE OTHER EXPLORER OWNERS I REALLY FELT THAT INFERIOR BELT BUCKLES WERE USED. MY DAD WAS A FORD MAN AND WE WERE FORD PEOPLE. PLEASE HELP. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE POWER DOOR LOCK DID NOT UNLOCK EITHER WITH THE KEY OR LOCK BUTTON. IT TOOK MANY ATTEMPTS TO GET THE DOOR UNLOCKED, LEAVING ME NO CHOICE BUT TO EXIT OUT OF THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. *AK

FORD EXPLORER BURST INTO FLAMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD IN A SHOPPING PLAZA GARAGE PARKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT ALL, HAD BEEN PARKED MORE THAN A COUPLE HOURS. PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE SHOPPING PLAZA. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. FRONT DRIVER SEAT LEVER WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE. DRIVING ON THE ROAD ONE AFTERNOON, THE SEAT RECLINED OUT OF CONTROL. THE SEAT MUST BE RECLINED IN A REASONABLE POSITION WHEN DRIVING. HOWEVER, IT WAS UNSAFE FOR HIM TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS LISTED IN RECALL NUMBER 03V281000. THE RECALL STATED THAT ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT ATTACHED THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME COULD FRACTURE. THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN, AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD OR WILL DO TO FIX IT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE NAME OF THE DEALER WHERE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. *AK UPDATED 06/14/07. *JB

1998 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING EAST ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE IN THE CENTER LANE WHEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT WHICH CAUSED HIM TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE GOING OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. *MC THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CASING WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT)*JB

ON MARCH 29, 2007, MY WIFE DROVE OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT TO A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT AT 9:00 A.M. AND THEN TO HER WORK LOCATION. AT 9:36 A.M., MY WIFE PARKED THE EXPLORER, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WENT INTO WORK. AT 10:50 A.M, MY WIFE WAS NOTIFIED BY AN EMPLOYEE FROM ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT THE EXPLORER WAS SMOKING. AT THAT TIME, MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT STARTED BURNING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE SUMMONED TO THE SCENE. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE AND THERE WAS A CLOUD OF DARK HEAVY SMOKE. THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND CONFINE THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE INTERIOR COMPARTMENT WAS SATURATED WITH SMOKE. THE COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED US THAT SIMILAR SPONTANEOUS ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES IN FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO A DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH AND THAT FORD IS CURRENTLY RECALLING VEHICLES WITH THOSE DEFECTIVE SWITCHES. THE FIRE MARSHALL INDICATED THAT THIS ENGINE FIRE MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN ATTRIBUTABLE TO A DEFECTIVE OR FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THE FIREFIGHTERS DOCUMENTED THE INCIDENT. UPON BEING APPRISED OF THE RECALL. WE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND CONFIRMED THAT FORD IS CONDUCTING A RECALL OF VEHICLES WITH DEFECTIVE AND FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCHES AND THAT THE VEHICLES BEING RECALLED INCLUDE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORERS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND/OR ITS AFFILIATED DEALERSHIPS. WE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONS TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT AND INFORM THEM OF THE ENGINE FIRE. WE ALSO CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO FILE A CLAIM. TO CLARIFY THE QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THIS NARRATIVE, THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS CONTACTED THEY DID NOT NEED TO GENERATE A REPORT IN LIGHT OF THE FIREFIGHTERS INCIDENT REPORT. ADDITIONALLY, THE ONLY PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS TO THE VEHICLE ITSELF.

ON 2/22/07 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK IN MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4DR. I HAD JUST COME OFF THE NJ TURNPIKE AND WAS DRIVING THROUGH UNION CITY AT 6:45 IN THE MORNING WHEN I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I ACCELERATED AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT TO FOLLOW THE ROAD. TO MY SHOCK AND HORROR THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN FREELY WITHOUT CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF MY VEHICLE. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO STEERING WITH BARELY ANY RESISTANCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL ITSELF. MY VEHICLE WENT STRAIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD; I STOPPED THE VEHICLE UP ON A SIDEWALK JUST BEFORE A BUILDING. THANK GOD THERE WAS NO ONE WALKING THERE AT THAT EARLY HOUR. AFTER I MANAGED TO COMPOSE MYSELF I TRIED TURNING THE WHEEL AND FOUND THAT IT WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO SPIN FREELY EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT, WITH NOTHING STOPPING IT. IF I TURNED THE WHEEL HARD AND LET GO THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SPIN COMPLETELY AROUND 5 OR 6 TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. I CALLED THE UNION CITY POLICE AND TOLD THEM WHAT OCCURRED AND THAT THE CAR WAS UP ON A SIDEWALK WITH NO WAY TO STEER IT. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL AAA AND SENT A CAR BY. AAA CAME WITH A FLAT BED AND AFTER A LONG TIME MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE CURB AND ON THE TRUCK. THE DRIVER HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. I ACCOMPANIED MY VEHICLE AS IT WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL REPAIR STATION 30 MILES AWAY. THE STATION FOUND THAT INSIDE THE DRIVERS COMPARTMENT THE STEERING COLUMN IS TWO SEPARATE SHAFTS THAT ARE HELD TOGETHER BY A SINGLE BOLT ( NO NUT ). THE BOLT HAD BACKED OUT OF THE CONNECTION AND THE SHAFTS HAD BECOME SEPARATED. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE BOLT UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ONCE THE SHAFTS BECAME SEPARATED THERE WAS NO WAY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. HE EXPRESSED GREAT CONCERN THAT THE BOLT DID NOT HAVE A NUT OR SOME KIND OF PIN TO KEEP IT FROM FALLING OUT. THE MECHANIC PUT SOME 'THREAD LOCKER' ON THE BOLT AND PUT IT BACK IN THE STEERING SHAFT, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. *JB