1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WITH TIRES THAT WERE RECALLED **CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS DENIED NEW TIRES. THE TIRES THAT ARE ON THE VEHICLE WERE RECALLED. *JB

I LOST MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DOME LIGHTS AND CHIMES, WINDOWS, RADIO, 4X4. AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW GEM MODULE. AFTER DOING A WEB SEARCH, I FOUND FORD DID A RECALL ON MY SAME VEHICLE STARTING WITH THE YEAR AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS MADE. I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND AFTER TALKING TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR OF VEHICLE. BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER HAD BEEN SITTING FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES SHE PROCEEDED TO DRIVE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELT STUCK. CONSTANT PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL WILL RELEASE IT, BUT IN THE PROCESS THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD WITH GREAT FORCE. *AK UPDATED 2/27/2007 -THE VEHICEL WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED. *NM

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON 4 LANE ROAD AT 35 MPH THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WIDE OPEN. IMMEDIATELY JAMMED MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO NOT HIT OTHER CARS WHILE TRYING TO USE RIGHT FOOT TO GET BEHIND THE GAS PEDAL AND UNSTICK IT. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET PEDAL UNSTUCK. CHECKED TO ENSURE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PROCEEDING DRIVING WITH HAZARDS AT LESS THAN 25 MPH. WITHIN 10 MINUTES SAME THING HAPPEN EXCEPT THAT THIS TIME I WAS INITIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE PEDAL TO UNSTICK. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, THE PEDAL POPPED OUT OF PLACE. GARAGE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

AM/FM/CASSETTE CD RADIO DISPLAY NO LONGER WORKS. AT TIMES THE DISPLAY APPEARS BUT THEN GOES BLANK FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. CURRENTLY THE DISPLAY HAS BEEN BLANK FOR MONTHS. *JB

1998 EXPLORER CAUGHT ON FIRE TO A DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE. *TS THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH, WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *JB

THE "BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR" THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW IMPROVED PART (F87Z-18471-DA) AT THE CUSTOMER EXPENSE. THE OLD PART WHEN IT FAILS CAUSES A SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT DEFROST THE FRONT WINDOW UNTIL THE PART IS REPLACED. THIS SHOULD BE A "RECALL" THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR. I HAVE DONE SOME LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE AND MANY VEHICLES (1998 FORD EXPLORER) HAVE HAD THIS SAME FAILURE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS PERMANENTLY STUCK CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT IT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE DOOR TO STAY JAMMED. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE.

OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT WAS PARKED IN OUR GARAGE (ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF OUR HOUSE). IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THE DAY BEFORE. THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE FIRE AND SMOKE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND TO OUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE. BOTH THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR INSPECTED THE SCENE OF THE FIRE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SWITCH WAS JUST RECALLED BY FORD FOR 1998 EXPLORERS IN AUGUST 2006. HOWEVER, OUR FAMILY DID NOT RECEIVE MAIL NOTIFICATION. OUT SUV WAS TOTALED AND THE ESTIMATED LOSS TO OUR DWELLING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS ALONE IS $350,000. *NM

1998 FORD EXPLORER ENGINE FIRE TOTAL LOSS WILE PARKED OVERNIGHT IN THE GARAGE. *NM