1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ON 7/29/2013 WE PURCHASED A SET OF 4 KUMHO SOLUS KR21 TIRES. THE CAR IS USED PRIMARILY FOR HIGHWAY TRAVEL ? ONCE WEEKLY WORK COMMUTE AND FOR VACATION ROAD TRIPS. WE HAD NOT YET DRIVEN IT OFF PAVEMENT WITH THE NEW TIRES. ON 4/16/2014 I STARTED THE CAR TO GO TO WORK. I HEARD AN ODD NOISE FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ALMOST LIKE A RHYTHMIC POPPING SOUND, BUT IT STOPPED, AND SINCE IT WASN'T IDENTIFIABLE I PROCEEDED TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY. ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY, I HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN, BUT AGAIN IT STOPPED. AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS HANDLING FINE. AS SOON AS I GOT ON THE FREEWAY (APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM MY HOUSE), I NOTICED I WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING TO SPEED (65MPH). I ALSO BEGAN TO HEAR A RHYTHMIC BUMPING NOISE, SO BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. BY THE TIME I GOT OVER, I COULD FEEL THE BUMPING AND KNEW I HAD A FLAT. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE SIDEWALL SEPARATION (SEE PHOTO). THE TIRES ONLY HAD 6,624 MILES ON THEM ? ALL PAVED ROAD, NO DIRT. THEY WERE SUPPOSEDLY WARRANTIED TO 85,000 MILES. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE SOUNDS I HEARD IN MY DRIVEWAY WERE THE INITIAL SIDEWALL SEPARATION. THE SEPARATION DID NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE OR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY; THAT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE I GOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND STARTED DRIVING AT 60MPH. THERE WAS NO EXPLOSIVE NOISE LIKE A BLOWOUT. IN SUBSEQUENTLY RESEARCHING KUMHO TIRES, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS BRAND HAS A LONG HISTORY WITH SUDDEN SIDEWALL SEPARATION AND/OR BLOWOUTS ? ALL AT LOW MILEAGES. THIS OCCURS ACROSS SEVERAL TIRE MODELS AND YEARS. THE COMPLAINTS WERE SO CONSISTENT THAT I WENT BACK TO THE TIRE DEALER AND REQUESTED A DIFFERENT BRAND. THEY REPLACED THEM AND I NOTIFIED THEM OF MY RESEARCH RESULTS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT KUMHO IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SELLING TIRES WITH SUCH A SAFETY RISK. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL AND THAT TRAFFIC AT THAT MOMENT WAS LIGHT. *TR

1997 FORD EXPLORER DRIVER'S SEAT BELT LATCH RECEIVER FAILURE. AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR 12 TO 13 YEARS, THE LATCH/RECEIVER WOULD NOT ENGAGE THE STRAP. I REPLACED IT WITH ONE FROM A SALVAGE YARD AND AFTER THREE YEARS THIS REPLACEMENT LATCH/RECEIVER HAS FAILED ALSO. *TR

THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS INEFFECTIVE SERVICE BY AAMCO THAT LED TO FAILURE OF A TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE. AS YOU SEE BY THE ATTACHED LETTER, I VOICED CONCERN ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR AND ALL AAMCO SUGGESTED WAS TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE INEFFECTIVE SERVICE. I REQUESTED THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER AAMCO CENTER, BUT YOUR RESPONSE WAS TO TAKE IT TO THE CENTER THAT I ALREADY HAD DOUBTS ABOUT. LET ME SET THE SCENARIO AGAIN. ?WITH INITIAL GRINDING SOUNDS AND LACK OF REVERSE, I TOOK TO CLINTON TRANSMISSIONS IN 2011 AND THEY INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED UNTIL 2012. ?IN 2012, I CALLED THE WALDORF AAMCO CENTER AND THEY INFORMED ME IT MAY NOT BE THE TRANSMISSION AND TO LET THEM LOOK AT IT. IT WAS TOWED IN AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE BUT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS BAD. ?ALL TOTALED, I PAID $1534.76 FOR TRANSFER CASE, $430.03 FOR PARTS, AND $600 FOR LABOR. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OTHER SERVICES THAT THE CENTER SAID I NEEDED. ?THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TWICE FOR AN OD LIGHT THAT CAME ON AS SOON AS I LEFT THE CENTER. THEY SEEMED UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ?I FELT CONCERN FOR THE PERIOD I WAS DRIVING AND WROTE CORPORATE TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE. ?EARLIER THIS YEAR WHILE DRIVING TO SOUTH CAROLINA, THE GRINDING SOUND STARTED AGAIN AND REVERSE WENT OUT. I NOTIFIED CORPORATE AND THE WALDORF CENTER AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO THE NEAREST AAMCO. ?I WENT TO THE COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA AAMCO AND AFTER DIAGNOSTIC, TOLD ME THE SAME THING THAT THE CLINTON TRANSMISSION TOLD ME IN 2011. THE TRANSMISSION HAD INTERNAL DAMAGE AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. ?I LEFT THE VEHICLE IN COLUMBIA AND HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE. WITH THESE FACTS IN MIND, AAMCO CAN SURELY SEE WHERE INEFFECTIVE SERVICE LED TO A SAFETY FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RIMS WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER WITH WINSTON WIN WINNER AT TIRES, SIZE: 255/70R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIDE WALL OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS LEAKING AND THE OTHER THREE TIRES HAD DEVELOPED CRACKS THROUGHOUT THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE AND TIRES WAS 170,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,000.

APPROX. 2AM, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT. REPORT CONFIRMED ELECTRICAL FIRE. *TR

I OWN A FORD EXPLORER XLT 1997 AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ONLY OPENS FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE OTHER REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUT (CHILD LOCK NOT ACTIVATED). THE DRIVERS DOOR DOESN'T LOCK AND WHEN IT DOES LOCK, IT DOESN'T UNLOCK OR STICKS SO BAD IT HAS BE UNLOCKED WITH PLIERS, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE INTERIOR MAP LIGHT AND REAR INTERIOR DOOR LIGHT ABOVE THE BACKSEATS STAY ON CONSTANTLY EVEN WHEN SWITCHED OFF AND THE LIGHTBULBS HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T TURN OFF AND WERE OVERHEATING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON A STEEP UPHILL GRADE, THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTED THE GAS PEDAL SUDDENLY BROKE AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL AND THE BRACKET AND GAS PEDAL SLID INTO THE FLOOR BOARD AND UNDER THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS BACKED DOWN THE HILL IN NEUTRAL AND MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN LIGHT ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ASSISTANCE WAS SUMMONED AND UPON INSPECTION THE GAS PEDAL WAS FOUND WITH THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL IN A NEW LIKE CONDITION, EXCEPT WHERE THREE SPOT WELDS ATTACHED TO THE GAS PEDAL BRACKET TO THE FIREWALL HAD BROKEN AWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS RIGGED TO A RUNNING CONDITION TO TRAVEL APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES OR LESS TO THE OWNERS RESIDENCE WHERE A MORE RELIABLE REPAIR WAS MADE. THE REPAIR WAS OVER SEEN BY A LICENSED A&P MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY THE OWNER OF THE WELD FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS WELL OVER 100,00 AND IS CURRENTLY BACK IN SERVICE. UPDATED 06/18/13*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BOLTS FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE SEATS TO SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. THE BOLTS WERE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES; HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V281000 (SEATS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE AS 330,000.