1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TIRE TOTALLY BROKE DOWN LIKE NEVER BEFORE SEEN; INSPECTED BY GOODYEAR; SAID NORMAL BLOWOUT OF UNDER INFLATED TIRE. INSPECTED BY CERTIFIED MECHANIC. STATED SUCH NEVER BEFORE SEEN AND SHOWDED WHY UNDERINFLATION COULD NOT BE THE CAUSE. STILL HAVE TIRE IN MY POSESSION.*AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15) (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DEFECTIVE SPARE TIRE, THE CONSUMER ONLY RECIEVED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRE MOUNTING, THE CONSUMER IS STILL AWAITING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACED TIRE (FIRESTONE ATX II).

WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS ENGINE SURGED AND WOULD NOT DECELERATE. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND HAS INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 97V074000 DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

PRIOR TO RECALL, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THREE TREAD SEPARATIONS AND ONE BLOW OUT, IN WHICH ONE OF THE TREAD SEPARATIONS WAS A REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO THE OCCURENCES HAPPENING BEFORE RECALL WAS ISSUED, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A FIRESTONE DEALER THAT ONLY THE TIRES BEING REPLACED IN THE YEAR 2000 WOULD BE REIMBURSED. FIRESTONE TIRES ATX/P235/7R15.*JB

I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MYH 1994 EXPLORER. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS OVER 85 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON, WE GET AN EXTREMELY STRONG ODOR OF RAW GASOLINE INSIDE THE CAR. IT MAKES US NAUCEOUS. THIS HAPPENS ESPECIALLY WITH IN-TOWN STOP AND GO DRIVING. *AK

CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO UNLOCK TAILGATE BECAUSE RIGHT SIDE LATCH WILL STICK. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED A SMALL RING AND SEPARATION ON ALL FOUR OF THE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES, A MICHELIN DEALER ALSO NOTICED THIS AND CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, CONSUMER RECEIVED LETTERS FROM FIRESTONE AND FORD REGARDING THE RECALLED TIRES, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS DENIED ANY REIMBURSEMENT FROM BOTH PLACES. *SLC

I HAVE TRIED TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT FROM FORD AND FIRESTONE EVER SINCE AUGUST 2000 FOR FOUR FAILED FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ATX'S. FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES ON MY FORD EXPLORER. WHEN WE TRAVELED AT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD AND FIRESTONE DEALERS WHO TOLD US THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. SO FOR THE NEXT 2 1/2 YEARS, WE DID NOT DARE DRIVE ABOVE 60MPH. WHILE THESE TIRES WERE ON THE EXPLORER, I MADE SURE TO HAVE THEM ROTATED AND PROPERLY INFLATED PER THE DIRECTIONS ON THE TIRES. ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER, WE NOTICED EXTREME WEAR ON THE OUTER PERIMETERS OF ALL FOUR TIRES, AS WAS NOTICED BY THE PLACE WHERE WE GOT THE TIRES ROTATED, AS WELL AS STRANGERS AT GAS STATIONS. I TOOK IT AGAIN TO FIRESTONE AND DEMANDED REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO MILEAGE WARRANTY, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE SO WORN OUT (STEEL BELTS VISIBLE) ON THE PERIMETER (BUT NOT THE MIDDLE TREAD AREA) THERE WAS NO WEAR CREDIT. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL I COULD DO WAS PURCHASE NEW TIRES AT MY COST. NOT WANTING TO PUT MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY, IN EARLY 1999, I REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AT MY COST ($367.29) WITH MICHELINS. SINCE THEN, NOT ONLY IS THE CAR RUNNING SMOOTHLY ABOVE 60MPH, WITH 20,000 MILES ON THEM, THEY STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TREAD FOR ANOTHER 20-30,000 MILES. WHEN THE RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST 2000, I REJOICED BECAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING WAS INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE TIRES, AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT (MISTAKINGLY) I WOULD BE REIMBURSED. BUT...BECAUSE I HAD REPLACED MY TIRES BEFORE THE OFFICIAL RECALL, I AM NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. IRONICALLY, WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD DEALER RECENTLY FOR A DIFFERENT RECALL, HE NOTICED THAT I STILL HAD A WILDERNESS ATX AS A SPARE, SO I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THAT ONE. IT IS HIGHLY UNETHICAL AND INSULTING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR A NEVER-USED SPARE AND NOT FOR THE OTHER FOUR, (DOT NUMBER: VDHL 1PM 4 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

POWER DOOR LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING, THEREFORE THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF TRAPPED INSIDE. SHOULDN'T THEY ALWAYS OPEN MANUALLY? ISN'T THERE A LAW PROVIDING SAFETY FOR DOOR LOCKS?

NOISE COMING FROM FRONT SUSPENSION(CREEKING & POPING),VEHICLE STEERING IS ERATIC, TENDS TO OVERSTEER. LOCAL FORD DEALER PERFORMED SWAY BAR RECALL ON 02/12/01. WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO. ON THIS PROBLEM. CAN I GET HELP FROM FORD? WHAT. *AK