2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

DT: CONTACT STATED NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER ASKED IF THERE WAS A COVERING TO PUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT THERE WAS NOT. THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. CONSUMER DID PUT AN AFTER MARKET STEERING WHEEL COVER, BUT DID NOT HELP, IT WOULD ABSORB THROUGH THE COVER. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THE WHEEL WAS GRIPPED. THE SERVICE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

ON JULY 8,2005 I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXIT RAMP TO GET ON TO 435 AND I NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS SPEEDING UP WITHOUT MY FOOT BEING ON IT. I THEN TRIED TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND THAT WOULD NOT WORK. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AT STATLINE AND MY CAR THEN WENT THROUGH THE RED LIGHT AND WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER CAR. MY CAR IS NOW A TOTALED OUT AND I ONLY HAD IT FOR 7 MONTHS. *JB

DT: 2000 FORD EXPLORER WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER SAW T HE VEHICLE ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY A FAULTY CIRCUIT BREAKER. *AK *JB

THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ONLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAVE PREMATURELY WORN OUT. THE UPPER BALL JOINT MOVES FREELY WITH THE CAR'S VERTICAL MOTION RATHER THAN BEING RESTRICTED TO SIDE-TO-SIDE MOTION. THE LOWER BALL JOINT HAS ALSO FAILED. THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOWS NO SUCH WEAR. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND NO ACCIDENT CAUSED FROM IT-- YET.

I READ AN AP ARTICLE ABOUT THE NHTS INVESTIGATING "STUCK THROTTLES" FROM 2002 AND NEWER FORD EXPLORERS. I HAVE A 2000 XLT EXPLORER, ALL WHEEL DRIVE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND IT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED 3 YEARS AGO. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE AND HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAYS THERE IS NO INFO ON THIS FROM FORD AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. FOR ME, THE STUCK THROTTLE HAS ONLY HAPPENED IN REVERSE AS I AM BACKING UP. THE THROTTLE WILL GO TO FULL THROTTLE BY ITSELF CAUSING THE CAR TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO FIRMLY HIT THE BRAKES WITH ALL MY MIGHT, SHIFT THE GEAR INTO PARK OR SHUT OFF THE CAR. MY POINT IN CONTACTING YOU IS TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AT LEAST GOING BACK TO 2000 WITH THE FORD EXPLORER AND TO HOPEFULLY FIND A CURE FOR THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION.

VEHICLE FIRE.ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO MY GARAGE BURNED DOWN.IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HOT SPOT ,THE POINT WHERE THE FIRE STARTED WAS WHERE MY 2000 EXPLORER WAS SITTING.IT HAS THE SAME SWITCH THAT THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED HAVE!

DT: CONTACT STATES 2000 FORD EXPLORER XLT FULLY LOADED VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 16 HOURS WITHOUT BEING MOVED. AT 5:00AM. ON 7-8-05 HER CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED ALONG WITH A LAPTOP COMPUTER. THE WHOLE INSIDE OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATED THE FIRE AND SAID THE FIRE SEEMED TO ORIGINATE FROM NEAR THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH PANEL. SHE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. *AK

1) SLIPPAGE IN 2-3 SHIFT OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAR WITH 63K MILES 2) PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; COSTLY REPAIR ($2700) 3) REQUIRED REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION

DT: 2000, FORD EXPLORER XLS, LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. THE WHEEL PASSED THE CONSUMER AS THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVING TO THE LEFT. CONSUMER TOOK OUT 4 OR 5 CABLE BARRIERS, AND THEN BOUNCED BACK OUT TO THE INTERSTATE, THEN THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND HIT MORE CABLE BARRIERS, THEN, HIT ONE HEAD ONE AND THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE THIS. *AK THE LEFT REAR WHEEL (FACTORY ALLOY WHEEL) CAME APART AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL. THE CENTER OF THE FACTORY ALLOY WHEEL WAS STILL BOLTED WITH ALL 5 LUG NUTS. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED . *TT *NM

BOUGHT A SET OF CONTINANTAL TIRES FOR MY 2000 FORD RANGER. AFTER USING THE TIRES FOR SOMETIME (APPROX 40% WARE) I NOTICED A SLIGHT SHAKING WITH THE VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE SAME SHOP I GOT THE TIRES AND HAD THEM ROTATED AND THE FRONT END ALIGNED. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO GET WORSE. I WAS WAITING FOR MY NEXT DAY OFF BUT THE DAY BEFORE MY DAY OFF I WAS TRAVELING AT 75 MPH ON I-95 IN PALM BAY, FLORIDA AND THE TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPERATED. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IT DID TURN SIDEWAYS ON THE ROAD THREE TIMES AND AT ONE POINT I WAS UP ON ONLY TWO TIRES. UPON CHECKING I FOUND THAT ALL TIRES WERE INFLATED BUT THE TIRE TREAD ON THE RIGHT REAR SIDE HAD SEPERATED FROM THE TIRE. THAT SAME DAY I RETURNED TO THE TIRE SHOP AND HAD THE MANAGER LOOK AT THE TIRE. HE SAID THAT THE TIRE SHOULG NOT HAVE DONE WHAT IT DID WITH THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF MILES ON IT. HE SAID THAT FIRESTONE WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES AND REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE RIGHT REAR AREA OF MY TRUCK BED. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE THE FIRESTONE CLAMES OFFICER WHICH I DID ON THE MORNING OF 06-27-05. ALSO ON THAT DATE I WAS CONTACTED BY THE TIRE DEALER THAT FIRESTONE WOULD NOT HANDLE THE CLAME AS THE TIRES WERE "CONTINANTAL". I HAD TO CALL CONTINTAL AND THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. AFTER A VERY LONG CONVERSATION THEY FINALLY AGREED TO COVER A NEW SET OF TIRES WITH A 60% DISCOUNT. I GOT FIRESTONE TIRES. THEY ARE ALSO INSISTING THAT I SEND THEM THE DEFECTIVE TIRE FOR THEIR EXAMINATION TO SEE IF THEY WOULD FIX THE DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK. I DO NOT THINK THAT I SHOULD SEND THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR DEFECTIVE TIRE TO THEM AND LOOSE CUSTODY OF IT. I ASKED IF SOMEONE IN FLORIDA COULD CHECK THE TIRE AND THEY SAID NO> I FEEL THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE, I FEEL THAT MY LIFE AND SAFETY WAS IN QUESTION AND I FEEL THAT CONTENTIAL TIRE COMPANY IS ATTEMPTING TO CONCEAL THIS BY TAKING, OR ATTEMPTING, TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE TIRE.