1999 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #00V072000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE STALLED IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING CONSTANTLY. THIS WAS THE FIFTH OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER ON FOUR OTHER OCCASIONS, WHERE THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE IDLE BYPASS VALVE WAS STICKING. THE VALVE WAS REPLACED EACH TIME, BUT THE PROBLEMS PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED.

EVERY SINCE I HAD MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER WORKED ON FOR THE SEAT RECLINER RECALL I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY DRIVER'S SEAT MOVING LIKE IT WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PIN HOLDING MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT TO THE RAIL THAT THE SIDE SLIDES ON, FRONT TO REAR, HAD PULLED OUT OF THE HOLE. THIS MEANS THAT MY SEAT WAS NOT SECURED TO THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE PIN BACK INTO THE SEAT RAIL BUT IT WILL NOT STAY IN. THE RESULT IS THAT THE SEAT REMAINS UNSECURED TO THE FLOOR AND WILL FALL BACK IF I LEAN BACK IN IT! *NM

1999 EXPLORER LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT AND THEN VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE NEAR THE LEFT REAR TIRE. THE ENTIRE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. *NM

99 FORD EXPLORER, 1. NO BRAKES, 2. BRAKE LINE WORE THROUGH DOWN BY THE METAL POWER STEERING PUMP PIPES. 3 HAD IT TOWED TO THE GARAGE. *NM

THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT IN MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER (105,000 MILES) BEGAN FLASHING TODAY & THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY.*JB

ON 10/06/2006 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 1999 FORD EXPLORER ON I-35 NORTH OF WACO, TX WHEN HER RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. IT WAS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER HT. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED THE NEXT DAY IN DALLAS BY A DEALER. THIS IS RELATED TO COMPLAINT # 10171809.

ON 10/06/2006 MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 1999 FORD EXPLORER ON I-35 AT APPROX 70 MPH WHEN HER RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. ON 10/19/2006 SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE SAME STRETCH OF ROAD AND HER LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. BOTH TIRES WERE GOODYEAR WRANGLER HT WITH APPROX 21K MILES ON THEM AND WERE INFLATED TO 35 PSI. SHE WAS EXTREMEMLY FORTUNATE IN BOTH CASES AND DID NOT ROLL THE SUV HOWEVER, SHE DID TOTAL THE SUV.

1) 1999 FORD EXPLORER 2 DOOR (MINE) AND 2000 FORD EXPLORER 4 DOOR (MY BROTHER'S). BOTH VEHICLES ARE OPERATED AS NORMAL DAILY DRIVER VEHICLES. THERE WAS NO KNOWN EVENT LEADING TO THE FAILURE IN EITHER VEHICLE (NOT OPERATED UNDER HARSH CONDITIONS/GRAVEL ROADS, ETC.). 2) BOTH VEHICLES WITHIN A FEW MONTH PERIOD BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR LATCH MECHANISM -- PASSENGER DOOR ON MY EXPLORER, AND BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS ON MY BROTHERS. WHEN LOCKED, THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE POWER LOCK CYLINDER WAS ACTUATING, BUT NOT DISENGAGING THE LOCK. THE DOOR COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE NOR THE FOB/KEY CHAIN. ALSO, THE REAL CONCERN - THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE BY PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE (WHICH NORMALLY WOULD UNLOCK AND OPEN THE DOOR). IN EACH OF THE THREE DOORS, A SMALL RETRACTING SPRING INSIDE THE DOOR LATCH WAS BROKEN. HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR SOME OTHER SITUATION REQUIRING AN EMERGENCY EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE, THE OCCUPANT SITTING BY THE AFFECTED DOOR POSSIBLY COULD NOT EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT MOVING TO ANOTHER DOOR OF THE VEHICLE. 3) I REPAIRED THESE LATCHES MYSELF, USING SPRINGS PURCHASED FROM A LOCAL HARDWARE STORE, AS THE LATCHES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AFTERMARKET IN STORES SUCH AS AUTO ZONE OR NAPA (FORD DEALER MAY HAVE THEM BUT HAVE NOT CHECKED). THE SMALL SPRING APPEARS TO KEEP THE LOCK MECHANISM PULLED OFF UNLESS THE LOCK IS ENGAGED, WITHOUT THE SPRING, THE LOCK WOULD NOT DISENGAGE UNDER NORMAL OPERATION. THE ONLY WAY THE DOOR WOULD UNLOCK WAS TO PUSH THE UNLOCK BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES (SOMETIMES 30 + TIMES) AND IT WOULD EVENTUALLY UNLOCK. REMOVAL OF THE DOOR PANEL AND LATCH ASSEMBLY WAS REQUIRED TO FIX THE BROKEN SPRING. WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF THE BROKEN SPRINGS (ABOUT 1 1/2 INCHES LONG). *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRE THREADS SEPARATED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AT 55 MPH, AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND WAS UNSURE HOW OLD THE TIRE WAS. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS DUNLOP. SIZE: P235/75R15.