1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

1. MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT BURST INTO FLAMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING WHILE PARKED AT MY DAUGHTER'S HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. 2. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMED BY FLAMES AND IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT BROUGHT TWO UNITS TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. 3. AFTER FILING MY INSURANCE CLAIM, I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE FORD EXPLORER POSES A BIG FIRE RISK. 4. SPECIFICALLY, MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING 3 MONTHS AGO AND JUST AS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY THE NHTSA, THE DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL FIRE. 5. I THANK MY LUCKY STARS NOBODY WAS HURT....BUT IF MY EXPLORER HAD BEEN PARKED INSIDE MY APARTMENT BUILDING THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BURNED DOWN MY BUILDING. PLS LET ME KNOW IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION OR PHOTOS. *NM

THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED ON VEHICLE ON 09 AUG, 2003, NECESSITATING REMOVAL AND RE-INSTALLATION OF THE AIR INTAKE HOSE CONNECTED TO THE THROTTLE BODY. ON THE MORNING OF 09 FEB, 2006 THE ACCELERATOR WAS BRIEFLY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR WHILE NAVIGATING IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. THE ACCELERATOR REMAINED IN THIS POSITION AFTER HAVING REMOVED THE DRIVER'S FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. FULL PRESSURE WAS BEING APPLIED TO THE BRAKES WITH NO APPARENT SLOWING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS STEERED TOWARDS AN OPEN CONSTRUCTION AREA ADJACENT TO THE FREEWAY, AND SHIFTED INTO 'PARK' WHILE STILL MOVING AT ABOUT 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE STOPPED SAFELY, AND WITHOUT COLLISION. THE VEHICLE REMAINED DRIVABLE AFTER THIS INCIDENT. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT APPEARS THAT THE BODY OF THE HOSE CLAMP THAT SECURES THE AIR INTAKE HOSE TO THE THROTTLE BODY WAS INTERFERING WITH THE THROTTLE MECHANISM SUCH THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS FULLY DEPRESSED, A PLASTIC TAB ON THE THROTTLE MECHANISM WOULD RUB AGAINST THE BODY OF THE HOSE CLAMP WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO HOLD THE THROTTLE IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THIS HOSE HAD BEEN REMOVED AND RE-INSTALLED, POSSIBLY CAUSING THE HOSE AND ATTACHED HOSE CLAMP TO BE ROTATED SEVERAL DEGREES FROM THEIR ORIGINAL (FACTORY) POSITION. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE ARE NO FEATURES ON THE HOSE OR THROTTLE BODY TO ENSURE PROPER ORIENTATION UPON RE-INSTALLATION. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THE AIR INTAKE HOSE WAS RE-POSITIONED , AND THE OFFENDING CORNER OF THE PLASTIC TAB ON THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WAS FILED OFF. (DIGITAL PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF THE FAILURE CONDITION ARE AVAILABLE)*JB

1998 FORD EXPLORER, 5.0, SN [XXX], SPEED CONTROL AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE FIRES CAUSED BY THE SPEED CONTROL ON OTHER FORD VEHICLES I CHECK THE '98. VOLTAGE IS MEASURED AT THE SPEED CONTROL DISENGAGE SWITCH LOCATED ON MASTER CYLINDER. USING A VOLTAGE METER I MEASURED 12 VOLTS TO THIS SWITCH WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION WITH THE KEY REMOVED. THIS INDICATES THAT THE SWITCH IS HOT 100% OF THE TIME. I HAVE NOT HAD A FAILURE YET, BUT AM CONCERNED THAT THIS REPRESENTS A POSSIBLE FAILURE IN THE FUTURE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO URN UP. I HAVE NOTED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 16 FAILURES AND FIRES ON 1998 FORD EXPLORERS DO TO THIS PROBLEM. *JB UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ON JANUARY 26TH, 2006 AT 3AM OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER EXPLODED IN 33 DEGREE WEATHER AFTER SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 15 HOURS. THE FIRE CAUSED MY VEHICLE, A 1994 BUICK CENTURY TO CATCH FIRE AS WELL. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR RULED THE FIRE AS AND "UNKNOWN CAUSE" AND RULED OUT ARSON OR FOUL PLAY. WE BELIEVE THIS SPONTANEOUS FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH ON THE FORD EXPLORER DUE TO THE QUICKNESS AND FIERCENESS OF THIS BLAZE. DUE TO QUICK THINKING WE SAVED AND PREVENTED THE FIRE FROM SPREADING TO OUR HOME. *NM

WE RETURNED HOME FROM A CONCERT AT APPROXIMATELY 11 PM ON JANUARY 21,2006. THIS WAS THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. ON S JANUARY 22 2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 AM WE WERE AWAKENED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCERNING 1998 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED WAS IN FLAMES. NO INVESTIGATION WAS DONE , BUT THEY SAID IT WAS AN APPARENT ELECTRICAL FIRE. EXPLODED FRONT TIRES, BUSTED WINDSHIELD ,HOOD AND GRILL DEMOLISHED, ENGINE COMPARTMENT DESTROYED, BOTH FRONT FENDERS BURNT , GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS MELTED, DASHBOARD DAMAGED IT IS BASICALLY A TOTAL LOSS. *AK

1998 FORD EXPLORER CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER'S DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING AN AWFUL KNOCKING/RATTLE IN THE ENGINE ON START UP. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW. UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM DUE TO IT ONLY DOES IT ON COLD START UPS, ONCE THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP IT TENDS TO STOP. HOWEVER, AFTER A COLD START UP IT WILL RATTLE (SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE), THE RATTLE INCREASES AS I ACCELERATE, HOWEVER ONCE VEHICLE HAS RAN FOR ABOUT 10 MILES IT WILL GO AWAY. IF VEHICLE IS PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THEN STARTED UP AGAIN THEN THE NOISE WILL RETURN.*JB

MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER WAS PARKED IN OUR ATTACHED GARAGE. MY WIFE USED THE VEHICLE EARLIER IN THE DAY AND PARKED IT IN THE GARAGE AT ABOUT 2:30 PM. AT ABOUT 8:15 PM A SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE GARAGE ALERTED US THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE GARAGE. I OPENED THE DOOR BETWEEN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND GARAGE TO SEE THE LEFT FRONT TIRE OF THE EXPLORER IN FLAMES. I IMMEDIATELY HAD MY WIFE CALL 911 AND I TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A GARDEN HOSE. THIS DID NOT STOP THE FIRE. I THEN HAD TO REMOVE ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. WE BOTH SAFELY ESCAPED THE FIRE. IN THE TIME BETWEEN THE CALL TO 911 AND WHEN THE CORPUS CHRISTI FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, TWO VEHICLES WERE DESTROYED, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE HOUSE AND MUCH PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS LOST. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED ALL FOUR DOORS WERE SHUT AND WILL NOT OPEN. THE TWO FRONT DOORS WILL UNLOCK WITH THE KEY, BUT THEY COULD NOT BE PULLED OPEN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION, AND THE SERVICE REPAIRMAN DETERMINED THAT THE LINKAGES ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOORS WERE WORN OUT AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN MADE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE COST.*AK