2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

IN JANUARY 2008 I TOOK MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER TO COURTESY FORD, IN ALTOONA, PA TO HAVE THE RECALL SERVICE PERFORMED. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY PARTS, SO THEY ORDERED THEM AND DISCONNECTED MY CRUISE CONTROL TO MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO DRIVE. ON FEBRUARY 26, I CALLED AND WAS TOLD MY PART HAD ARRIVED. WHEN I TOOK IT IN, THEY DISCOVERED THAT ONLY ONE OF TWO REQUIRED PARTS HAD ARRIVED, AND THEY COULD NOT REPAIR MY CRUISE CONTROL. I LEFT ON A BUSINESS TRIP THE FOLLOWING DAY. I WAS TO RETURN ON MARCH 7, 2008 AND MY GIRLFRIEND AND THREE DAUGHTERS WERE DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK ME UP. ABOUT 40 OR 50 MILES INTO THE TRIP SHE NOTICED THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PULLING UP A HILL WELL AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY. SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, THE EXPLORER HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED A MOMENT, THEN SAW THE SMOKE GETTING WORSE. SHE AND MY DAUGHTERS GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SHE CALLED 911 FOR HELP. OTHER DRIVERS STOPPED TO ASSIST, BUT WHILE SHE WAS ON THE PHONE THE EXPLORER BROKE INTO FLAMES, STARTING FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE EXPLORER AND MY BELONGINGS WERE DESTROYED, BUT LUCKILY EVERYONE GOT OUT SAFELY. MY DAUGHTERS SAID THAT THEY COULD SEE FLAMING LIQUID (MELTED PLASTIC OR BRAKE FLUID) DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND UNDER THE CAR WHILE IT WAS BURNING. *TR

JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO, FORD CORP ORDERED A RECALL #05S28 -SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM MODIFICATION FOR MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER. AFTER REPEATED INQUIRES TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, THE "PART" HAS STILL NOT ARRIVED. I CALLED FORD HEADQUARTERS TODAY, AND THEY SAID PERHAPS IN JUNE. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? *TR

AUG 2007, RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD MOTOR CO TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). SEP 2007, RECEIVED NOTICE FROM FORD MOTOR CO ADVISING OF PARTS SHORTAGE TO REPAIR DEFECT AND AUTHORIZING "AN INTERIM REPAIR OF DISCONNECTING THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM" ON THE VEHICLE. ON SUBSEQUENT SERVICE VISITS AND ON MOST RECENT VISIT OF 3-MAR-2008, SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT FORD DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PART TO EFFECT A REPAIR. *TR

SPEED CONTROL DIS-ENGAGED BY PACIFIC FORD, LONG BEACH CA, ON 09/26/07, DUE TO FORD RECALL LETTER AUG 2007. TO DATE (03/03/08), THE 05S28 RECALL HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP FORD HAS NOT FILLED THE REPLACE PARTS. I HAVE WAITED AN EXCESS OF 7 MONTHS TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. FORD NEEDS BE BETTER PREPARED AND TIMELY ACTION MUST OCCUR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST OF 2007. SINCE THEN, HE WAS INFORMED THREE TIMES THAT THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD BE AVAILABLE THE FOLLOWING MONTH. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 03-18-08 *BF

2000 FORD EXPLORER WITH SPEED SENSOR RECALL. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER KEEPS TELLING HIM THAT THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. HE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE PART COULD BE DIRECTLY DELIVERED TO HIM AND HE WILL PUT IT ON HIMSELF. *KB

IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, MY TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE ON A TRIP WITH MY FAMILY. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS UNDER 85,000 MILES. IT COST ME OVER $1500 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. APPARENTLY, OTHER FORD EXPLORER XLT OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, BOTH WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY'S HAVE GONE BAD TO THE TUNE OF OVER $800. THE MILEAGE IS STILL UNDER 90,000. I HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN AGAIN TODAY AND FOUND OUT THAT A BALL JOINT HAS GONE BAD NEAR THE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY AND IT'S GOING TO COST AROUND $250 TO REPLACE THAT. IT'S UNFATHOMABLE THAT FORD WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT OUT SUCH A SHODDY VEHICLE THAT FALLS APART ONCE YOU GET OVER 80,000 MILES USAGE. *TR

IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT FORD ISSUED A RECALL IN AUGUST 2007 AND THE REPLACEMENT PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE AS OF TODAY 2/18/08. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FORD IS TELLING THEM TO TELL OWNERS TO CHECK BACK AT THE END OF APRIL 2008 FOR THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. I'VE BEEN CHECKING SINCE SEPT. 2007 WHEN THEY TOLD ME TO CHECK BACK AT THE END OF JAN. 2008. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN SHE ENGAGED THE SIGNAL SWITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN SHE ENGAGED THE SIGNAL SWITCH. AS OF FEBRUARY 14, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 64,347. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF UPDATED 03/04/08 *TR

REC'D RECALL #05S28 FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. RECALL WAS FOR POSSIBLE FIRE DUE TO A LEAK IN THE CRUISE CONTROL. WE REC'D THIS RECALL IN AUGUST OF 2007. WE CALLED DEALER IN KLAMATH FALLS, OR AND PUT ON A WAITING LIST SINCE THE PART TO FIX THE RECALL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. WE KEEP CALLING BUT THE PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. I USE MY CRUISE CONTROL ALL THE TIME AND AM VERY CONCERNED THAT MY CAR MAY START ON FIRE. I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN IN CAR SEATS THAT I AM AFRAID I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT QUICKLY ENOUGH. THIS IS A TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE LENGTH OF TIME TO WAIT FOR IT TO BE FIXED WHEN THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WE TRIED CALLING THE FORD MOTOR CO.CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND GOT A RECORDING TELLING US TO CALL OUR LOCAL DEALER. WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP WITH THIS MATTER. *TR