2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

PURCHASED FORD EXPLORER 2000 IN SEPT OF 04. FIRST THE CRUISE WENT OUT. FRONT TIRES LOOSES AIR ABOUT ONCE A WEEK HAVE TO FILL. STARTS HARD AND WILL NOT IDOL IN MORNINGS SPECIALLY WHEN COLD OUT SIDE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON TWICE, PURCHASED AT SEELYE WRIGHT KIA IN KALAMAZOO MI. CANNOT GET DEALER TO FIX VEHICLE. *NM

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. VEHICLE DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH ANYTHING. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT END CRASH AT 10 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY CONSUMER. *AK

FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO DECEMBER 5TH, 2004, THE HEAT ELEMENT IN MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER DRIVER SEAT WOULD BECOME PAINFULLY HOT UNDER THE LEFT LEG NEAR THE TORSO TO THE POINT WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF EACH TIME. IT WAS TURNED OFF AS IT BECAME PAINFUL, AND WE WERE CONCERNED WE WOULD BECOME BURNED AND WOULD THE SEAT CATCH ON FIRE. MY OTHER CONCERN FOR THIS IS SOMEONE, SUCH AS A DIABETIC, WITH NEUROPATHY WOULDN'T FEEL THE INTENSITY OF THE HEAT AND BECOME BURNED. 2) APPROX 2 WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL EVENT THE SEAT LIGHT WILL COME ON BUT NO HEAT IS PRODUCED. WHY DID IT TAKE 2 WEEKS FOR THE ELEMENT (ASSUMED) TO BURN OUT? 3) THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO AN INDEPENDANT MECHANIC AS I DO NOT TRUST FORD TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE DEALER IS NOT CONCERNED THAT MY DRIVER AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AT WILL FOR DAYS OR WEEKS AT A TIME. THEY RECALLED THE 98 AND 99 MODELS FOR A TENSIONER PULLEY PROBLEM AND ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE '00 BUT THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $500 FOR THE REPAIR......MOST DEFECTS I TOOK IN FOR WARRANTY REPAIR REMAIN UNFIXED, (MOSTLY ELECTRICAL IN NATURE) INCLUDING A REAR WIPER THAT RARELY GOES ON, RADIO STATIONS AND CLOCK DISPLAY THAT OCCASIONALLY CAN BE SEEN AND A REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE THAT AFTER 5 ATTEMPTS (FORD WENT AGAINST THEIR ENGINEER RECOMMENDATIONS TO DO A RECALL) WILL UNLOCK WITH POWER LOCK BUT THE UNSUSPECTING OR IN A HURRY WILL JUST ABOUT RIP A HAND OFF TO GET IT OPEN.*AK

AT 53,000 MILES, THE TRUCK'S TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING AND MISSING SHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS 2-3 AND 3-4. WE TOOK IT TO FORD FOR WARRANTY WORK, AND THEY REPLACED THE VALVE BODY. NOW AT 76,000 MILES, AND 15 MONTHS LATER, IT'S EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS, ONLY WORSE. FORD REFUSES TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THEY REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM IN FORD TRUCKS WITH THE 5R55E TRANSMISSION.*AK

WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT WILL NOT MOVE. CONSUMER HAS TO FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY DOWN BEFORE IT WILL MOVE.*AK

1) INADEQUATE DRIVER'S SEAT LATCH - DRIVER CANNOT POSITION SEAT BACK PROPERLY; 2) RUNNING BOARDS RUSTING WITHOUT CAUSE; 3) ROOF RACK PEELING WITHOUT CAUSE, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS; FORD DEALERSHIPS CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY THE RUNNING BOARD IS RUSTING OR THE REASON FOR THE ROOF RACK PEELING. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL STICKS AND CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN SPEED. APPLICATION OF BRAKE, PRESSING COAST OR OFF SWITCH DOES NOT RELEASE OR STOP CAR FROM ACCELERATING. ONLY WAT TO STOP RUNAWAY ACCELERATION IS TO SHUT OFF IGNITION. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRD THREE TIMES OCTOBER 3RD, 16TH AND 25TH. THE DEFECTIVE CABLE WAS PART OF A FORD PROGRAM AND WAS REPLACED SEPTEMBER 5, 2003 AND FAILED AFTER THIRTEEN MONTHS.*AK

9 MONTHS OF SERVICE VISITS FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON WITH NO APPARANT CAUSE EXCEPT ONCE; CAR WOULD RIDE ROUGH AND SOMETIMES FELT LIKE IT WOULD STALL; TWO CRACKED ENGINES WOUDL CAUSED THE CAR TO NOT RUN IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRIP; HAD TO REBUILD THE CRACKED CYLINDER HEADS. *AK

THE ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SMOKE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DEFECT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *JB THE KNOCKING WOULD ONLY OCCUR IN THE FALL AND WINTER MONTH'S. ON ONE OCCASION THE WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. *SC