1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO A DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SWAY BAR SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING, AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK

HEATER BLEND DOOR ON MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER DOES NOT CHANGE POSITIONS. IT IS STUCK IN THE POSITION ONLY GIVING ME AIR CONDITIONING FULL TIME. NO MATTER WHERE THE DIAL ON THE DASH IS TURNED THE HEAT REFUSES TO ACTIVATE. THROUGH A QUICK SERIES OF ODD WEATHER OCCURRENCES I FOUND MY WINDSHIELD COVERED IN A LAYER OF ICE THAT COULD NOT BE REMOVED SINCE THE HEAT DID NOT WORK ON THE DEFROSTER. THIS ALMOST CAUSED A NEAR FATAL HEAD-ON COLLISION. I HAVE NO OPTION NOW BUT TO HAVE THE HEATER PLENUM REPLACED AT A COST $1010. *NM

WHILE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL. WAS ABLE TO ROLL OVER TO SHOULDER. I WAS ABLE TO REACH UNDER THE DASH AND PULLED ON THE PEDAL TO DRIVE. APPARENTLY THE WELDS (3) FAILED (TORE OUT). I REPAIRED IT BY DRILLING OUT HOLES AND SCREWING THE BRACKET BACK TO THE FIREWALL. *AK

1997 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED. WHILE DRIVING GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE OFF FROM FIREWALL. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. HAD TO REACH UNDER DASH TO GRASP THROTTLE LINKAGE TO GET OFF ROAD. (THANKFUL MY WIFE WASN'T DRIVING AT THE TIME). *AK

I HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS DUE TO COOLANT LOSS AND THE TEMPARATURE GUAGE READING COOL. ON EACH OCCASSION THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. THE LAST TIME WAS JUST PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT IT BE TESTED AND CHECKED THOUROUGHLY BECASUE I DID NOT WANT TO REPLACE AN ENGINE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. SHORTLY AFTER I EXPERIENCED THE SAME DIFFICULTY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE GARAGE AND THEY REPORTED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED AND WERE LEAKING. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HE REQUESTED THAT I BRING THE VEHICLE TO THEM FOR TESTS. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED AND THAT COOLANT WAS ENTERING THE CYLINDERS. THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE FOR $4600.00. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.*AK

WHILE HAVING THE TIRES ROTATED DEALERSHIP NOTICED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *LA

ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING IN THE SNOW, THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE FAILED, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE SKIDDING AND HITTING A GUARD RAIL, A MAIL BOX AND ROCKS. *AK WHEN THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGED THE VEHICLE WENT INTO A SKID. *JB

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK. REAR WINDOW WOULD BE ROLLED DOWN SO THAT DRIVER CAN ENTER AND EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL. *AK

FORD EXPLORER 1997 XLT 4 DOOR 4.0L Y AIR BLEND DOOR IS NO LONGER WORKING SUCH THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM IS PERMANENTLY ON HOT AND WITH A 9 MONTH BABY THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN THAT WE CANNOT COOL THE CAR TO THE COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE DURING SUMMER. I FOUND ON THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WHICH FORD HAS FIXED IN LATER MODELS WITH REVISED SYSTEM PART #F87Z-18471-DA. *AK

WITHOUT ANY WARNING, LOST ALL POWER, ENGINE TOTALLY SHUT OFF AT 45 MPH. HAD TOWED AND WAS TOLD CRANKSHAFT BROKE. FORD KNOWS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE CRANKSHAFT AND HAS ACTUALLY REPLACED SOME BUT AS MORE ARE BREAKING, REFUSES TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. HAD THIS HAPPENED THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND WHILE TRAVELING RT. 95 THIS COULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 1997/1998 FORD EXPLORER CRANKSHAFT PROBLEMS. *JB