2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK PROPERLY WITH BOTH THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY OR THE UNLOCK LATCH ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS IS ATTEMPTED THE DOOR OPENS. HOWEVER, THE LATCH IS STILL LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DON'S FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DID NOT OFFER AN EXPLANATION. THE CONSUMER STILL PLANS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *AK A NEW LATCH AND ACTUATOR WAS INSTALLED. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BUT THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL INFERIOR AND UNSAFE. *SC *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT WARING LIGHT CAME ON, INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAGS ARE NO LONGER WORKING. INITIALLY THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON PERIODICALLY AND THEN GO OFF FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS KNOWN PROBLEM THE DEALER STATED THE ONLY WAY FORD WILL INSTALL THE WIRING KIT 3L2Z-14B455-AB, THAT FIXES THE PROBLEM, IS IF THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50000 MILES ON IT. I HAD TO PAY THEM TO INSTALL THE FIX KIT, BECAUSE THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT WORK WITHOUT DOING SO.

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND TOLD THEM THERE WAS A CLATTERING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE, AND ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRED, THE MOTOR WENT OUT. CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MERLE KELLY FORD IN CHANUTE, KANSAS TO HAVE THE DRIVETRAIN REPAIRED, BUT WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE DRIVETRAIN, AND ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. THERE WAS A SPAN OF YEARS I BETWEEN THE TIME SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WHEN THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000, FORD. CONTACT'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRES STARTED IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT LOST POWER PRIOR TO THE FIRE. IT WAS A FUEL FIRE BECAUSE IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *AK

WHEN TURNING ON THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, IT ACCASIONALLY FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY AND SMOKE ARISES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING WORSE AND I WAS AFRAID I MIGHT NOT NOTICE AND MY CAR WOULD CATCH FIRE. UPON TAKING IT TO FORD TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED HOPING IT WAS SOME TYPE OF RECALL I MISSED, BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED WEAR AND TEAR. AFTER REVIEWING A NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT JEOPARDIZES SAFETY THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER.

ON A CLEAR, SUNNY MORNING IN PHOENIX I WAS MAKING A TURN ON THE AIRPORT EXIT RAMP LEADING TO THE 143 AT 35-45MPH. SUDDENLY I FEEL A CLUNK IN THE FRONT STEERING/SUSPENSION AND MY 4 DR, 4X4 2000 EXPLORER OVERSTEERS. I STRUGGLE TO KEEP THE EXPLORER STRAIGHT AND NOT ROLL OVER. I LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING MECHANISM FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE I REGAIN TOTAL CONTROL. I STOP IN A EMERGENCY LANE AND VISUALLY INSPECT EXPLORER FRONT SUSPENSION/STEERING. I NOTICE FROM THAT POINT FORWARD THAT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH RESISTENCE WHEN I STEER AND THAT IT STEERS TOO EASILY. I BRING THE CAR IN TO THE FORD DEALER ON JUNE 16, 2005 AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE DEALER ADVISES ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATES THAT IT IS COMMON ON THE EXPLORER TO REPLACE BALL JOINTS BECAUSE THE EXPLORER WEARS THEM OUT QUICKLY. MY EXPLORER ONLY HAS 52,000 MILES AND I'VE HAD IT FOR ALMOST 5 YEARS. I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET SINCE THIS INCIDENT THAT FORD EXPLORERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BALL JOINTS, THAT THEY COME WITHOUT A LUBRICATION NIPPLE AND THAT THEY TEND TO DRY OUT AND DETERIORATE!!! I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE I COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED DUE TO THESE FAULTY BALL JOINTS. I AM AN EXCELLENT DRIVER AND I KEEP MY EXPLORER IN TIP-TOP CONDITION. PLEASE ACT BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES LOSE CONTROL AND ROLLS OVER. I AM GETTING RID OF THIS VEHICLE AS SOON AS I CAN.

WHEN USING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, FLASHING PAUSES, THEN SMOKE DRIFTS UP FROM THE AREA OF THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH OPENING. WITH SO FEW COMPLAINTS, I ASSUME THE REMEDY IS TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE AND FILE SUIT AGAINST FORD. WOULD SEEM MORE REASONABLE FOR FORD TO INVESTIGATE AND RESOLVE THEIR QUALITY ISSUE.

2000 FORD EXPLORER MOTOR SKIPS AND RACES WHEN STARTED UP.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE VEHICLE RAN ROUGH AND THE GAS MILEAGE WAS POOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER. THE DEALER CLEANED THE MANIFOLD BUT THIS DID NOT RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AND INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST CONCLUDED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REMOVED AND CLEANED. IT APPEARED THAT THE DEALER NEVER CLEANED THE MANIFOLD AS THEY STATED. *NM

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO A POLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SC *JB

LEFT FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BRACKET WELD BROKE FREE AND CAUSED ME TO LEAN FORWARD UNEXPETEDLY WHILE MAKING A TURN. I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT SOMETHING FEELING LOOSE DURING THE RECALL OF THE SEAT LEANBACK FASTENER(RECAL #03S04 A99).THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT THEY COULD REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT TRACK AT MY EXPENSE. THIS WAS ON 10-9-03. I BELIEVE THE WELD HAD BROKEN FREE AT THE TIMES WHEN THE SEAT LEANBACK FASTENERS BROKE BUT DIDN'T COMPLETELY SLIP OFF THE BRACKET. OVER TIME AND USE THE BRACKET LOOSENED UP ENOUGH TO POP OFF THE SEAT BRACKET DRIVE ROD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SUNSET FORD AND THE SERVICE TECH AND SERVICE MGR DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEY JUST SAID IT'S TOO OLD AND HAS 83,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I FIND IT SAD THAT THEY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE PROBLEM OR WHAT MIGHT HAVE LED UP TO OR CAUSED IT. THE AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP I TOOK IT TO FOR REPAIRS SAID FORD EXPLORERS AND EXPEDITIONS ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE, BUT I THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOULD MAKE OTHERS AWARE OF THIS IF IT IS. THE AUTO BODY SHOP SPOT-WELDED THE BRACKET BACK IN PLACE FOR $74.10. I ALSO CALLED FORD'S !-800 # BUT THEY ALSO DENIED MY COMPLAINT BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE.