1999 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR SIDE COLLISION WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH. UPON IMPACT, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES FROM BROKEN WINDOW GLASS.*AK

CONSUMER HAD ALREADY FIXED RECALL 03V280000. ORIGINAL INVOICE WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER IN MARCH 2003, BUT WAS STILL WAITING FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT. *AK

DEALERSHIP WILL NOT HONOR THE NHTSA RECALL NHTSA 03V280000. DEALER STATED THIS RECALL HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION.*AK

2 1/2 DAYS OUR CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG, SAID HEADS NEED TO BE REPLACED ALONG W/ THE #4 VALVE $350.00 FOR LABOR. $1600 TOTAL. A FEW MONTHS AGO WE HAD TO PUT A NEW RADIATOR ON THE EXPLORER $600.00, PURCHASED EXPLORER BRAND NEW ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES SUPPOSEDLY THE EXPLORER IS ONLY WORTH $6500.00 WE OWE $15000.00. THIS CAR IS USED ONLY TO GO TO AND FROM WORK, WE TOOK A 900 MILE TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO, TX (THAT IS ABOUT THE ONLY TRIP WE TOOK IN THIS EXPLORER, BESIDE VERY MINIMAL MILEAGE SMALL TRIPS. I THINK THIS EXPLORER IS A DEFECT. I AM ALSO UPSET THAT IS DOES NOT HAVE A "POWERTRAIN WARRANTY" TO COVER THESE DEFECTS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL AND SEEM TO BE RIDICULOUS THAT WERE HAVING TO FIX THEM WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY A 1999 AND HAS 60,000 MILES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT. I ALSO THINK THAT THESE EXPLORERS HAVE LOST THEIR VALUE DUE TO THE FIRESTONE RECALL. THEY ARE NOT SAFE AND IT APPEARS TO BE A PIECE OF JUNK. *LA

THE DOOR FAILED TO LOCK PROPERLY IF NOT MANUALLY PUSHED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE HATCHBACK DOOR WOULD POP OPEN IF NOT MANUALLY LOCKED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER XLS FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SLIPPING INTERMITTENTLY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND REPAIR. THE DEALER FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID TO DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE FLUSHING DID NOT WORK AND THREE DAYS LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED IN THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT IS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMIT OF THE WARRANTY BY 4000 MILES. *LA

THE RADIO DISPLAY HAS GONE OUT ON MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER MACH STEREO SYSTEM. (IT'S BEEN OUT FOR ABOUT A YEAR.) THE RADIO STILL PLAYS BUT THE DISPLAY IS UNREADABLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED AT THE INTERNET NEWSGROUP REC.AUTOS.MAKERS.FORD.EXPLORER. FORD CLAIMS THE FIX IS REPLACING THE RADIO AT A COST OF $600. THE RADIO WORKS FINE EXCEPT FOR THE DISPLAY THEREFORE AN ENTIRE RADIO REPLACEMENT AT $600 IS NEEDLESS AND WASTEFUL. AS A KNOWN DEFECT, SHOULDN'T THIS BE COVERED ABOVE AND BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD? *LA

FORD EXPLORER 1999 WITH 70,000 MILES HAS BURNING OF ANTI-FREEZE. WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALER NEED NEW LONG ENGINE BLOCK AND RADIATOR. THIS CAR HAS HAD ALL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND HAD COMPLETE TUNE UP, HOSES AND BELTS AND FLUIDS CHANGED AT RECOMMENDED INTERVALS INCLUDING 60,000 MILES. HAS NEVER OVERHEATED NOR BROKEN DOWN PRIOR TO THIS LEAK. WHEN ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TO DEALER, WAS TOLD PROBLEM WERE NEW HOSES WERE LEAKING. THIS "PROBLEM" WAS ADJUSTED BY MY MECHANIC AND IT STILL CONTINUED TO LEAK ANTIFREEZE. IN ADDITION, CAR WAS FINE UNTIL BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR RECALL WORK ON ON 10/1/03. ONCE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE, THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE. *LA

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BOLT FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE REAR SEATS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK WHEN GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE HANDLE THAT RECLINED THE SEAT BROKE. *TS *NLM

OWNER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. TO INSTALL BOLTS FOR THE RECLINING SEAT MECHANISM, WHICH WAS PART OF THE RECALL. HOWEVER, DEALER DECLINED TO DO REPAIRS BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BROKEN SEAT FRAME. OWNER WAS TOLD HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR BROKEN SEAT FRAME REPAIRS. *AK