1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

(FIRESTONE ATX TIRES EXPERIENCED SEPARATION, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED FROM A COMPETITOR PRIO TI AUGUST 9,2000. NLM

THE BELTS OF THE FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRES EXPERIENCED SEPARATION WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE TIRES WERE PURCHASED PRIOR TO AUGUST 9, 2000 AND WERE NOT PURCHASED ON A PRORATED BASIS. NLM

FIRESTONE TIRE BLEWOUT WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED REFUND BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENTS WERE PURCHASED PRIOR TO JAN 1, 2000 (SERIAL # VHDLF0A219). NLM

THE ORIGINAL FIRESTONE ATX (P235/75R15) TIRES WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL 00T-005 DUE TO SEPARATION, CONSUMER IS BEING DENIED RECALL REIMBURSEMENT, THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED PRIOR TO AUGUST 9, 2000. *CJ

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, AND CONSUMER MADE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT BEFORE APPOINTMENT. *AK

ON DEC. 13, 2000, MY 22 YEAR OLD SON TOTALLED THIS VEHICLE AFTER HITTING A PATCH OF "BLACK ICE" WHILE TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH. THE VEHICLE ROLLED ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS 4 TIMES AND LANDED ON ITS ROOF. MY SON WAS, THANK GOD, WEARING HIS SEATBELT! HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE HIS SEATBELT AND CRAWLED THROUGH THE DRIVER'S WINDOW WHICH HAD BEEN BROKEN OUT. HE ESCAPED WITHOUT ANY INJURIES! MY CONCERN IS SO MUCH EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE ROLLOVER POSSIBILITIES WHEN A TIRE BLOWS, WHY NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF FLIPPING WHEN HITTING ICE? IS ANYTHING BEING INVESTIGATED TO CORRECT THE TOP HEAVINESS OF THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY THE 2-DOOR MODELS. MORE EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE NECESSITY OF WEARING SEATBELTS TO SURVIVE A ROLLOVER.. *AK

THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNCONTROLLED (RUNAWAY) ACCELERATION AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN 20 DEGREE F TEMPERATURE. UPON EXITING THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE FIRST LIGHT (GREEN) WITH OUT NEEDING TO BRAKE OR STOP. THE SECOND (IMMEDIATE) LIGHT WAS ALSO GREEN AND I PROCEEDED THROUGH IT WITH SLIGHT ACCELERATION (NO BRAKING). THE NEXT LIGHT WAS RED WITH A LINE OF CARS WAITING TO PROCEED AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES. AT THAT POINT, THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW AND THEN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND WAS AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE WITHIN A SECOND OR SO. I BRAKED AS HARD AS I COULD AND MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER TO NEUTRAL AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE VEHICLE HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO CRASH INTO THE REAR CAR IN LINE, WHICH, IN TURN CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF IT. BOTH OTHER DRIVERS WERE INJURED AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THIS ACCIDENT IS COVERED IN THE BRIGHTON, NY POLICE REPORT #100220. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. AFTER EXPLORING THE NHTSA DATABASE AND DISCOVERING NHTSA CAMPAIGN 97V07400. MY VEHICLE, ACCORDING TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT RECALLED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN, ALTHOUGH THE CRITERIA DESCRIBED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN SUMMARY APPEAR TO BE MET BY MY VEHICLE. NOTE: I AM VERY SURE THAT I DID NOT MISTAKENLY APPLY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RATHER THAN THE BRAKE PEDAL. *AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDEEN ACCELERATION WHILE CONSUMER WAS BRAKING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS STOPPED, CONSUMER FOUND RECALL 97V-074 WHICH SPEAKS OF THE SAME FAILURE BUT THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED RECALL DUE TO VIN. NLM

LEFT FRONT SEAT ROCKS IN FULL ELEVATED POSITION, DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL PLAY IN THE POWER SEAT TRACK. NLM

CONSUMERS FRONT LEFT FIRESTONE TIRE WAS BAD AND WAS CAUSING NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURESEMENT BUT WAS UNABLE TO SUBMIT ORIGINAL RECIEPT BECAUSE IT WAS SUBMITTED FOR A REBATE OFFER, CONSUMER BELIEVES AMPLE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED FOR REIMBURSEMENT. NLM