1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I AM THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF MY NIECE'S 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. ONE AFTERNOON I DROVE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TO THE SUPERMARKET, AND PHARMACY. THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WAS RUNNING FINE, ALL THE GAUGES WERE IN THE MIDDLE, NO SMOKE, NO SMELLS, NO PROBLEMS. . AFTER ARRIVING HOME I PARKED THE FORD 1998 EXPLORER SPORT IN MY DRIVEWAY, APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET FROM THE GARAGE DOOR, AND APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET FROM THE ENTRANCE TO MY HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, SHUT OFF AND SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. DURING THE NEXT HOUR, I BEGIN TO HANG CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ON MY FRONT DOOR, AND I WAS IN & OUT OF THE HOUSE. THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WAS STILL FINE IN THE DRIVEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER I FINISHED MY DECORATING, I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING LIKE RUBBER BURNING. I CHECKED MY STOVE, AND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS, AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE FINE. I FIGURE THE BURNING SMELL WAS COMING FROM MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. THEY HAD WORKERS THERE DRILLING AND MAKING REPAIRS. SO I THEN CONTINUE TO DO MY CHORES. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER I WENT TO LOOK OUT MY FRONT DOOR, AND I SAW DARK SMOKE POURING OUT THE HOOD OF THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. I PANICKED, CLOSED THE DOOR, GRABBED THE PHONE, RAN OUT TO THE BACKYARD, AND CALL 911. I WAS TO AFRAID TO GO OUT THE FRONT DOOR, AND ALSO AFRAID TO STAY IN THE HOUSE, THINKING THE HOUSE AND GARAGE WOULD ALSO CATCH FIRE. THANK GOD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED SWIFTLY, AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO THE VEHICLE ONLY, THE FIREMEN AT THE SCENE EXAMINE THE 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, AND DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD, THE CAUSE APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE KEY DID NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. IT STILL WORKED ON THE IGNITION AND THE REAR DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSIS. BUT ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THE COMPUTER CHIP IN THE KEY FAILED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY COULD MAKE A NEW KEY FOR THE DOORS, BUT IF IT WAS PUT IN THE IGNITION IT COULD DAMAGE THE IGNITION. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE ON A WARRANTY. SHE DISCOVERED THE REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES WERE BROKEN. ALSO, THE FRONT SEATS DID NOT RECLINE PROPERLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATED THAT RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE HE HAD REPLACE THE BRAKES, TIRES, FUEL FILTER, THE FUEL INJECTION WAS CLEANED , THE ANTI LOCK SENSORS WHERE REPLACED, THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED . THE AIR BAGS ARE ALSO DEPLOYED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT VIBRATES ON THE LEFT SIDE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC THEY PUT THE VEHICLE ON A RACK TRYING TO LINE THE VEHICLE. IT WOULD NOT LINE UP. THEY FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINTS BAD, ALSO THE MOTOR MOUNTS ARE BROKEN. THE MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT THE FRAME IS BENT BEYOND REPAIR. *NM

1998 FORD EXPLORER, PLENUM DOOR FAILURE, RESULTING IN NO HEAT. CANNOT DEFROST WINDOWS CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD EXPLORERS. SHOULD BE A FACTORY DEFECT. GARAGE WANTS $1000 TO FIX. *JB

PROCEEDING SLOWLY AT IDLE SPEED WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. AUTO SUDDENLY ACCELERATED SPONTANEOUSLY REQUIRING MUCH HARDER BRAKING TO STOP. HAPPENED TWO TIMES WITHIN 10 MINUTE SPAN. SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRED ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO AND WAS FIXED BY FORD DEALER. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. *JB

DT: 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A BROKEN SWAY BAR LINK PIN. HE STATES THIS IS HAPPENING AGAIN AND AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SINCE THEY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WILL PULL TO THE LEFT AND THEN PULL TO THE RIGHT REAL BADLY. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE. THEY REPLACED THE SWAY BAR LINK PIN TWICE. THIS STARTED ON AUGUST 4, 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER ON AUGUST 8, 2005 . THEN THE PROBLEM STARTED LESS THAN 20 DAYS LATER. *AK

FORD EXPLORER SPORT 2 DOOR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. IT WAS NOT TURNED ON IT JUST CAUGHT FIRE ON IT'S OWN. *JB

I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER XL 4 DOOR MODEL WITH 29744 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR 3 DIFFERENT SAFETY RECALLS, THROTTLE CABLE, HOOD LATCH AND DRIVERS SEAT IN THE EARLY PART OF MY OWNERSHIP. ON SEPTEMBER 21 2005 WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK THE DRIVERS SEAT FELL BACKWARDS ABOUT 4-5 INCHES MAKING ME MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND NEARLY CAUSED AND ACCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION OF THE SEAT WHEN I GOT HOME IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE SEAT FRAME JUST IN FRONT OF THE HINGE MECHANISM HAD BROKEN AND BENT UPWARD ALLOWING THE ENTIRE MECHANISM AND THE BACK OF THE SEAT TO MOVE REARWARD. THE VEHICLE IS NOW UNUSABLE DUE TO THIS EXTREME SAFETY DEFECT. ON SEPTEMBER 22 2005 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SOUTH BAY FORD AT 5100 W ROSECRANS AVE. HAWTHORNE CA. 90250 AND PRESENTED TO THE SERVICE ADVISER AARON ESTRADA AND ASKED IF THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE SAFETY RECALL OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL AND THAT FORD WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SEAT DEFECT AND OTHER THAN SELLING ME A NEW SEAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT THAT FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING. SOUTH BAY FORD SAID THEY WANTED A MINIMUM OF $87 TO EVEN INITIATE A REPAIR TICKET TO LOOK AT THE DEFECTIVE SEAT. I NOW OWN A FORD VEHICLE THAT LOOKS TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION BUT IS IN FACT, THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN OR SOLD. I COULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS VEHICLE TO ANYONE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE KNOWING IT COULD KILL THEIR FAMILY!. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 1998 FORD EXPLORER HAD A LIFTGATE PROBLEM. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HINGE BUSTED AT THE TOP. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE HINGES, BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE HINGE WAS NOTICED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. THE LIFTGATE CANNOT ABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY DUE TO THE BROKEN HINGE. THE CONSUMER TALKED TO FORD, AND THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY FREE REMEDY. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED YET, BUT WAS GOING TO DO SO. *AK