1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND TO HAVE TIRES BALANCED, BUT WAS ADVISED BY DEALER TAHT TIRES COULD NOT BE BALANCED BECAUSE THEY WERE BEYOND BALANCING AND THAT INSIDE CONTAINED ONLY WIRE, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR FIRESTONE ATX TIRES, CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE TIRES WERE PURCHASED BEFORE RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT. *JB

BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP, BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO ITS LIMIT. DUE TO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR ALONG WITH THE HEIGHT OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BOTH WERE DEPRESSED AT ONCE CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS IN TURN WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR A RECENT COLLISION AND SEVERAL PAST NEAR MISSED ACCIDENTS DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. WIPER CONTROL ARM AND FLUID DISPENSER DOES NOT WORK ON OCCASION. THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE IN THE PAST UNDER WARRANTEE. SECOND PART IS ACTING THE SAME AS THE FIRST.

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS RIDING ROUGH AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE STEERING, CONSUMER THEN NOTICED THAT THE TREAD OF THE REAR TIRE HAD STARTED TO PEEL OFF, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRE BUT VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RIDE ROUGH SO ALL 5 FIRESTONE ATX P235/75R15 WITH THE VE SERIAL NUMBER WERE REPLACED CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED BEFORE RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT. *AK FIRESTONE SEND THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CONSUMER. *YH

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION (00V402000) CONSUMER THEN TOOK VEHICLE TO HIS OWN PERSONAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE WORK, CONSUMER THEN TOOK THE SERVICE INVOICE AS WELL AS RECALL NOTIFICATION INTO DEALERSHIP, THE DEALERSHIP THEN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO VERIFY THAT THE PROPER REPAIR HAD BEEN DONE, CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE PAPERWORK WOULD BE PROCESSED FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT CONSUMER NEVER HEARD BACK FROM DEALERSHIP, CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT HIS REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT WAS NOT PROCESSED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT LISTED ON THE INVOICE, CONSUMER THEN WENT BACK TO HIS MECHANIC AND OBTAINED THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WAS NEEDED, CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WOULD NOW PROCESS REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST BUT WAS NOT SURE IF MANUFACTURER WOULD APPROVE REQUEST EVEN WITH THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONSUMER IS SEEKING ASSISTANCE WITH REIMBURSEMENT IF DENIED. *JB

STICKING THROTTLE BODY, CAUSES GAS PEDAL TO STICK AFTER PARK. IDENTICAL TO FORD RECALL OF SOHC ENGINE, HOWEVER FORD RECALL DOES NOT COVER THIS ENGINE (4.0L PUSH ROD V6). STICKING PEDAL CURED BY REPLACING DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. FORD WILL NOT RECALL THROTTLE BODY FOR THIS ENGINE. STICKING PEDAL CAUSED "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" FROM STOP, RESULTING IN CLOSE CALL BACKING INTO SHOPPING CENTER STORE FRONT. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY, ALL SERVICES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED SINCE NEW AT FORD DEALER. THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED BY DEALER IN DECEMBER 2000.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG, APPLIED BRAKES, AND PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, AND NO BRAKING ACTION. USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. DEALER FOUND 2 BOLTS THAT HOLD BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO BOOSTER HAD SHEARED OFF.*AK

CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN CAR SLIPPED SIDEWAYS ON WET ROADS FOR 20 FEET. VEHICLE STRAIGTENED OUT, AND WAS HEADED TOWARDS A UTILITY POLE. SON ATTEMPTED TO APPLY BRAKES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE, AND VEHICLE WENT INTO A POLE. NEW BRAKES PADS WERE PUT ON VEHICLE IN JANUARY OF 2000. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE. *AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK FOR 4TH TIME. PROBLEM STATED A YEAR IN A HALF AGO. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 60MPH AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK. CONSUMER TRIED BRAKES, ALMOST STANDING WITH BOTH FEET ON THEM, AND THEY WOULDN'T WORK. CONSUMER PRESSED DOWN ON ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SEE IF SHE COULD GET IT UNSTUCK AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL LIFTED AND BECAME NORMAL. CONSUMER IS CURRENTLY INSISTING THAT FORD TAKE A LOOK AT PROBLEM. DEALER IS TELLING CONSUMER THAT SHE NEEDS TO BUY A NEW VEHICLE. OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN OF BOARD IS WHO THE CONSUMER IS DEALING WITH IT CURRENTLY. *AK

3-4 HOURS AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN ENGINE BLOCK, FIRE MARSHALL THOUGHT FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COOLING FAN. VEHICLE STILL AT DEALER AT THIS TIME. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING WRONG, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT SEEMED LIKE ONE OF THE TIRES WAS GETTING READY TO SEPARATE, CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACED TIRES. NLM