1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

RIGHT FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE CRACKED IN HALF, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING AND A RESULTING CRASH. *AK

MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. THE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH A KEY OR THE UNLOCK BUTTON WHEN LOCKED(ELECTRICAL). THIS COULD BE QUITE DANGEROUS IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE DRIVER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT AS THE DRIVER DOOR IS UNABLE TO UNLOCK.

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH SHE HEARD A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. SHE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY WARNING LIGHTS, AND THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. SUDDENLY, IT BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND SHE HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, AND IT RELEASED DEBRIS INTO THE RACK AND PINION, WHICH CAUSED THAT TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 65042 MILES.*AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB

LIFTED HOOD, ENGAGED HYDRAULIC AIR LIFT FEATURE TO HOLD HOOD UP. HOOD SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING FELL, STRIKING MY LEFT UPPER ARM, CAUSING SEVERE BRUISING AND PAIN. NO ACTION TAKEN YET TO REMEDY SITUATION OTHER THAN I WILL NOT OPEN HOOD UNLESS I HAVE A STICK OR SOME SORT OF DEVICE TO HOLD HOOD OPEN. *JB

LAST NIGHT I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AFTER COMING HOME FROM WORK, MY FAMILY HAD DINNER AND I WAS SITTING DOWN IN THE LIVING ROOM TO PLAY WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD SON. I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND ASKED MY WIFE WHAT WAS THAT NOISE, SHE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND YELLED YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE ! MY CAR BURNED TO THE GROUND!!! *JB

ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK, PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, CONTACTED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO RESPONDED AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE... THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. *NM

THE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH A KEY OR THE UNLOCK BUTTON WHEN LOCKED(ELECTRICAL). MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH 5 OTHERS IN MY CITY ALONE WITH EXPLORERS AND THEY ARE ALL HAVING THE SAME TROUBLES. THIS HAS GOT TO BE A DEFECT FOR IT TO BE IN SO MANY OTHER EXPLORERS. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT 2 DOOR 4WD WITH A SINGLE REAR LEAF SPRING ON EACH SIDE THE TRUCK SITS ABOUT 1-2 INCHES LOWER ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THE SPRING ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY FLAT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST I HAVE HEARD OF THIS I HAVE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE WITH THE MODEL EXPLORER THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IS THERE SOMETHING THAT THE FACTORY CAN DO TO FIX IT WITHOUT ME THE CONSUMER HAVING TO PUT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA CAMPAIGN #03V281000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, WHICH WAS SUBJECT TO THE ABOVE RECALL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO A FORD DEALER SOMETIME IN 2005 TO HAVE SUBJECT RECALL WORK PERFORMED. ALTHOUGH THIS SUV IS USED SPARINGLY AS IT IS MY THIRD VEHICLE (APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES PER YEAR), THE FRONT SEAT HAS SINCE FAILED AS IF THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED AT ALL, OR THE MODIFICATION WAS INADEQUATE. THE FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAS RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NM

1998 FORD EXPLORER RADIO (ELECTRONIC, WITH SINGLE CD) DISPLAY PERIODICALLY FAILS TO OPERATOR. ALL LIGHTING FADES OUT, CANNOT CAUSE IT TO RETURN. NO KNOW CAUSE OR PRECEDING EVENT... BUT IT MIGHT BE TEMPERATURE-RELATED. RADIO/CD/TAPE STILL FUNCTIONS WELL. THIS IS AN ONGOING EVENT. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR COMMENTS FROM OTHER DRIVERS RESULTS IN MANY REPLIES, APPEARS THIS MAY BE MORE COMMON AN OCCURRENCE THAN JUST ME. *JB