1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

1998 FORD EXPLORER ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE LOOSE FROM THE FLOORBOARD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO BECOME UNABLE TO HANDLE THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE MANNER. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

WE HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. ON JANUARY 25TH, 2005 O EXPLORER WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY & HAD BEEN THERE APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. CONSUMER'S WIFE HAD PUT CHIDREN IN THE CAR & NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. WHEN SHE OPENED THE HOOD THERE WAS A FIRE NEAR THE BRAKE FLUID ASSEMBLY. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE TO GET CHILDREN OUT AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. HAD THE EXPLORER TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALER WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NOT RUNNING THEY SEEMED TO HAVE NO IDEA & SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THE NEXT NIGHT WHILE WATCHING THE NEWS SAW THE RECALL FORD HAD FOR LATER MODEL VEHICLES DUE TO THE ENGINE CATCHING ON FIRE. ICONSUMER CALLED FORD, AND THEY TOLD HIM THISCAR DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL SINCE IT WAS A 1998 EXLPLORER EVEN THOUGH THE PICTURES ON THE NEWS SHOWING WERE THE FIRE OCCURED LOOKED IDENTICAL TO THE ENGINE ON THIS VEHICLE. FORD DID NOT SEEM OVERLY CONCERNED & THE DEALER JUST TOLD ME TO KEEP RECIEPT IN CASE THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND ABOUT THE RECALL. I TOOK PICTURES OF MY ENGINE IF NEEDED. PRIOR TO THE FIRE MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. REPAIR COST WAS OVER $700.00 PLUS RENTAL CAR FEE & TOWING EXPENSE. THE CRUISE CONTROL SWICTH, BRAKE FLUID ASSEMBLY, & HOOD INSULATION WERE REPLACED. DO NOT HAVE THE OLD PARTS.*AK

AT ABOUT 6:00 PM ON SATURDAY 13 AUG 2005 I WENT INTO MY GARAGE TO GET SOMETHING AND NOTICED IT WAS FULL OF SMOKE. I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHEN I RAISED THE HOOD, FLAMES ROLLED FROM BENEATH IT. I IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THEN DISCONNECTED THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL. MY WIFE HAD ALREADY CALLED 911 BY THIS TIME. THE FIRE FIGHTERS DETERMINED THE SOURCE OF THE ELECTRICAL FIRE TO BE A CONNECTOR ON THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE CAUGHT THE FIRE IN TIME. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE SLEEPING WE MIGHT NOT BE ALIVE NOW. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A NOTICE OF RECALL FOR THIS. I AM SENDING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY, IF THIS IS NOT A RECALL PART I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND PROBABLY NOT PARK THEIR FORD IN THE GARAGE. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. HAD FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES ON VEHICLE. WENT FOR INSPECTION AND FAILED BECAUSE THE TIRES WERE RECALLED. HE CONTACTED FORD AS WELL AS FIRESTONE, AND THEY TOLD HIM THE RECALL WAS OVER AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE TIRE SIZE WAS P235/70R16. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE SPLIT BETWEEN THE THREADS, AND SIDEWALLS. IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE SEPARATING ON ALL FIVE OF THE TIRES, INCLUDING THE SPARE TIRE. *AK *NM

I HAVE ALREADY PUT IN ONE COMPLAINT ON MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER, BUT NOW I GOT IT BACK A FEW DAYS AGO FROM THE DEALER THEY CHECKED IT AND FOUND OUT IT HAS RACK AND PINION PROBLEMS ALREADY. I HAVE ONLY 24000 MILES ON IT. THERE IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT IN HERE FOR THE SAME THING. I AM WORRIED THE STEERING IS GOING TO GO OUT, AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY $900.00. WHY IS FORD NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THESE 1998 EXPLORERS. *JB

DT: THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHECKED IT AND CONCLUDED FIRE CAME FROM DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE AROUND THE BATTERY. THIS HAPPENED ON JUNE 30, 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ABOUT 6 OR 7 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT IN FIRE. CONTACTED FORD, THEY SENT A LETTER SAYING SORRY, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECALLS ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. *AK

ROUTINE TRAVEL, COMING TO INTERSECTION WHEN THROTTLE STUCK AND VEHICLE PROCEEDED THROUGH INTERSECTION. BRAKES APPLIED, BUT DUE TO THE HIGH ACCELERATION THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF IGNITION TO STOP VEHICLE. ONCE VEHICLE STOPPED AND WAITED FOR A FEW SECONDS, EVERYTHING RESUMED AS USUAL. AFTER RESEARCHING ISSUE, THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES AS IN RECALL NUMBERS: 00S58 & 99S09. *NM

DT: DRIVER'S SIDE BACK SEAT BELT LATCH BROKE. ON JUNE 1, 2005. CALLER SAID THE OTHER TWO SEAT BELT LATCHES BROKE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND CALLER HAD THEM FIXED. ALSO, SHE LOW BEAM IWASNOT WORKING . SHE HAD IT CHECKED AT A REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK

DT: THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED, THE REMOTE KEY PAD OR KEYS DID NOT WORK. HAD USED THE REMOTE TO UNLOCK DOORS THE SAME AS ALWAYS. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, WHO SAID TO CONTACT THE DEALER. BUT DEALER SAID NEVER HEARD OF IT. CONSUMER DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE DEALER TO FIX IT. FOUND A FORUM ONLINE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED JULY 29, 2005. *AK

DT: 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE BRAKES LIGHTS FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD THE BRAKE LIGHT FUSES CHANGED. THEY USED THE FUSES THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE. AS SOON AS THE SECOND FUSE WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ANOTHER PERSON PUT THE FIRE OUT BY BEATING IT WITH A TOWEL. THEN, CONSUMER CONTACTED A DEALERSHIP BY PHONE, THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MASTER CYLINDER BUT, HE WAS UNSURE OF THE MODEL YEARS INCLUDED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD, THEY TOLD CONSUMER WOULD GET BACK TO HER. THERE WERE NO FIRE OR POLICE REPORTS AVAILABLE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 7-262005 BEFORE THE HOOD LATCH HAD ACTED UP. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. . IT MELTED THE WIRES FOR THE ABS AND THE SPOT FOR PUTTING IN THE BRAKE FLUID. *AK