1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ABS WOULD ENGAGE DURING NORMAL BRAKING AND ON DRY PAVEMENT. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON FLAT SURFACE AND NO WARNING VEHICLE STARTS SMOKING UNDER HOOD. CONSUMER PULLED OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

REAR SEATBELT WILL NOT STAY LOCKED. IT TO WOULD BE HARD TO KEEP CHILD SEAT LOCKED IN PROPERLY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHEN STARTING UP THE CAR, A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM ENGINE. MY PERSONAL MECHANIC ADVISED IT WAS A TIMING CHAIN. FORD TOWED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS ADDITIONAL WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS PART. IT WAS A FAILED TIMING CHAIN GUIDE. THEY ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING IT FOR FORD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. ENTIRE ENGINE MAY NEED REPLACED.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A SENSOR THAT IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO HEAT UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART. *SLC THE CAMSHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE RADIO GOES OFF AT ANYTIME, THE CONSUMER HAS DIFFICULTY SHUTTING THE RADIO OFF MANUALLY. *JB

WHILE HAVING VEHICLE JUMPED STARTED FUEL LINE BEGAN TO LEAK. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM.*AK

THE KEYLESS NUMBER PAD ON VEHICLE QUIT WORKING, THEN THE REMOTE FOR ANTI THEFT SYSTEM QUIT WORKING AND FINALLY THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS QUIT WORKING

TIMING CHAIN WAS MAKING A RATTLE NOISE AND WE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD A SAFETY RECALL .*AK

WHILE ON VACATION FROM CALIFORNIA GOING TO MONTANA I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 7% GRADE WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR, OUR TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SPIN AND WE LOST ALL FOWARD/BACKWARD PROPULSION. UPON CONTACTING THE NEAREST FORD DEALER, THEY STATED THE O-RINGS ON OUR NEW TRANSMISSION FILTER WERE BROKEN. THEY STATED THEY REPLACED THEM AND CHARGED US 200+ DOLLARS (WE HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE NO O-RINGS ON THE TRANSMISSION FILTER FOR THIS MAKE AND MODLE OF VEHICLE) THE PROBLEM REOCCURED WHILE IN THE MOUNTAINS. FORD THEN STATED THAT WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER, IN THE TOWN WE WERE IN ON VACATION, THEY WERE UNABLE TO PUT ONE IN. WE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE GMC DEALER WHO PUT IN THE TRANSMISSION ACCORDING THE INSTRUCITON AND RECOMMENDATION FROM FORD AT A COST OF $2700. THE GMC DEALER WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING A SUITABLE PLACE TO ATTACH THE OVERDRIVE WIREING TO THE NEW TRANSMISSION. FORD TALKED THEM THROUGH IT AND I AND MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN WERE ON OUR WAY HOME (AFTER FLYING MY HUSBAND HOME WHO HAD TO RETURN TO WORK). WE WERE HEADED OUT OF TOWN AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SPIN AGAIN. WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GMC DEALER WHO CONTACTED THE FORD TECHS. THE FORD TECHS. STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HARNESS THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PUT ON OUR VEHICLE WAS NOT CORRECT AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT PROPERLY AND EVENTUALLY EVERYTHING LOCKS UP. THEY STATED THAT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BUT HASN'T YET. THEY SENT THE GMC DEALER A NEW HARNESS WHICH STILL WAS NOT THE RIGHT ONE. THE GMC DEALER THEN BUILT A HARNESS FOR MY VEHICLE TO GET ME HOME AS I HAD BEEN STRANDED IN MONTANA FOR THREE WEEKS AT THIS POINT LIVING IN MOTEL ROOMS WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. AT THIS POINT FORD IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBLITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. NOW MY VEHICLE IS AT THE FORD SERVICE CENTER IN TEMECULA CA AND THERE CONT. TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. HELP PLEASE THIS IS AN EXTREME DANGER!!*AK

WHILE TRAVELING 10-15MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CONSUMER WAS TURNING LEFT APPROCHING HER DRIVEWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RACK AND PINION PART OF THE STEERING UNIT FAILED. FORD MOTOR COMPANY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. *SCC