2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SEAT FRACTURED AND ROTATED BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V281000 (SEATS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 FOR EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH DEFINITY DAKOTA A/T TIRES, SIZE: P235/75 R15 A/T (NA). WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER TIRE BEGAN TO SHRED. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO VISIBLE INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED; HOWEVER, A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,346 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,870. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR AND ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WARNING INDICATOR FOR THE SIDE AIR BAGS WAS ILLUMINATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INDICATED THAT THE SIDE CRASH SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH A REVISED DESIGNED PART. THE CONTACT WAS TO CHECK WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE OR IT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PASS INSPECTION. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 00V179000 (AIR BAGS). THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. ....UPDATED 08/29/16 *BF

2000 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL STATES ENGINE RUNNING WITHOUT IGNITION KEY COULD START A FIRE. CONSUMER STATES THOUGHT DEALERSHIP REPAIRED RECALL PROBLEMS. VEHICLE EXPLODED SEVEN MINUTES AFTER CONSUMER EXISTS VEHICLE. *SMD

THE POWER STEERING RANDOMLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS MY CAR WON'T ACCELERATE. I TURN MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IT FIXES IT TEMPORARILY

WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL COMMANDED CONSIDERABLY MORE THROTTLE ON AN INTERSTATE AT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY TOOK OFF AT VERY HIGH SPEED (85+MPH AND ACCELERATING WHEN I FINALLY SHUT THE IGNITION OFF). I ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA OFF SWITCH AND USING THE BRAKES TO NO AVAIL. I SHUT THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER SAFELY. ATTEMPTED A RE-START, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO START AT FULL THROTTLE. I RAISED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE THROTTLE CABLE RETAINING HAD BROKEN, AND THE CABLE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN PUSHED OUT OF ITS BRACKET BY THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO'S FORCE. ONCE OUT OF ITS BRACKET AND PUSHED TO NEARLY FULL THROTTLE, THE THROTTLE RETURN SPRING HAD HOOKED ON THE BRACKET (SEE ATTACHED IMAGE), PREVENTING A RETURN TO IDLE FROM NEARLY FULL THROTTLE. THE PLASTIC RETAINING TABS ON THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN BROKEN BY THE LONG-TIME FORCE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, POSSIBLY AGGRIVATED BY YEARS HEAT FROM THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DESIGN, DEPENDING ON TINY PLASTIC TABS AS THE ONLY BLOCK TO SUCH SUDDEN, UNCOMMANDED VEHICLE ACCELERATION. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT DEFECTIVE, BUT HAD INSTIGATED THE CONDITION MY BREAKING THE THROTTLE CABLE RETAINING TABS OVER TIME. THE ATTACHED PHOTO SHOWS THE DISPLACED THROTTLE CABLE, WITH THE SPRING HOOKED ON THE BRACKET, HOLDING THE THROTTLE NEARLY FULL THROTTLE. THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A HIGH SPEED CRASH. AS A RETIRED AIR FORCE FIGHTER PILOT AND AIRLINE CAPTAIN, I REMAINED CALM AND WORKED THE PROBLEM STEP BY STEP TO A SAFE CONCLUSION, BUT A LESS DISCIPLINED DRIVER IN DIFFERENT TRAFFIC COULD HAVE LED TO A DIFFERENT AND TRAGIC CONCLUSION. A SECOND PHOTO SHOWS THE CABLE END MISSING THE RETAINING TABS. A THIRD SHOWS THE TINY PLASTIC TABS ON A NEW CABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE STRONG FUMES OF FUEL EMITTING FROM THE EXTERIOR TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINE PREMATURELY FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO REMOVED THE FUEL TANK AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL LINE THROUGH THE FLEX LINE THAT LINKED TO THE FUEL RAILS. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

I WAS DRIVING SLIGHTLY UPHILL IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OFF EXIT 16 ON THE PALISADES PARKWAY, DUE TO A CONTROLLED STOP SET UP BY POLICE TO CHECK INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION. I SAW SMOKE AROUND MY VEHICLE, SO I LOOKED AT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL TO SEE IF MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING. MY INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. WHEN I LOOKED UP, AN OFFICER WAS MOTIONING FOR ME TO PULL OVER SAYING MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, GOT IN THE BACK SEAT TO GET MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD TO GET FAR AWAY. TWO POLICE OFFICERS TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH EXTINGUISHERS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET THE HOOD OPEN. WE WERE OUT OF THE CAR NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES WHEN IT WAS ENTIRELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER, BY THEN THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.