1994 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED RECALL LETTER # 01X001000 FOR THE TIRES: TREAD/BELT WAS RECEIVED FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE FOR THE TIRES ON THE 1994 FORD EXPLORER. THE PAPERWORK WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE REFUND, BUT THE REFUND WAS DENIED.

WHEN I BOUGHT MY FORD EXPLORER USED IN 1997 WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT THE TIRES WERE BLOATED OUT OF SHAPE AND THE VEHICAL SHOOK VIOLENTLY AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 35 MPH. I REPLACED THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THEN THE TIRES WERE RE-CALLED. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TIRES BECAUSE I DID NOT SAVE THEM AFTER THEY WERE REMOVED AND I COULD NOT PROVE I EVER HAD THEM. NOW I HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SPARE TIRE (WHICH IS THE ORIGIONAL FIRESTONE ATX DEFECTIVE TIRE. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE BY EMAIL WITH THIS FACT AND FIRESTONE IS IGNORING ME. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO NOW THAT I HAVE THE PROOF THAT FIRESTONE DEMANDED THAT THEY SOLD ME DEFECTIVE TIRES. THANKS, JOHN ULRICH. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TWO FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND EMBANKED INTO A DITCH. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER WHO PROVIDED USED TIRES TO MAKE THE VEHICLE OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT END, WHICH THE TIRE DEALER DID NOT RECOGNIZE AS CONSEQUENCE OF THE TIRE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECENTLY, RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER # 00T005000, WHICH WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE DEALER. THE RECALL LETTER WAS NOT HONORED FOR THE TIRES REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO KEEP THE USED TIRES PROVIDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT I, SIZE: 23575R/15.

MY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE INTERSTATE. SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE CAR AND PULLED OFF. A FIRE FIGHTER HAPPENED TO BE BEHIND HER AND HE OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THE TOP OF THE ENGINE ON FIRE. HE CUT THE BATTERY CABLES AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS MINIMAL. THE ENGINE WIRING AND HOSES WERE EITHER COMPLETELY MELTED OR DAMAGED IN SOME WAY. THE FIRE BURNED FROM CENTER ENGINE AND MOVE ACROSS TO THE LEFT REAR. *JB

VEHICLE'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AT 2500 RPM DURING A CA. STATE SMOG INSPECTION . RESULTED IN TECHNICIAN BEING PINNED AND CRUSHED TO VEHICLE PARKED IN FRONT . TECH WAS AMBULANCED TO HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE LOWER LEG AND ANKLE INJURIES TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AT OTHER SHOP AFTER SAID FAILURE. *JB

(1) PURCHASE OF A NEW 2002 FORD EXPLORER; (2) DEFECTIVE VEHICLE FROM THE ONSET. ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH SERIOUS "SAFETY" ISSUES. (3) HAVE REPEATED TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE PROBLEMS HAVE NOT BEEN RECTIFIED. *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING THE BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE NORTH AMERICAN TIRE RECALL IN 2000 AND 2001**CC THE CONSUMER DIDN'T RECEIVE THE RECALL INFORMATION UNTIL AFTER HE HAD ALREADY REPLACED HIS FAULTY TIRES (1993 AND 1994 FORD EXPLORER XL 4X4). THE RECALL INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER COULD TAKE HIS RECEIPT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO BE REIMBURSED. THE LOCAL DEALER REFUSED TO HANDLE THE PROCESSING OF THE PAPERWORK. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO GRACIOUSLY PROCESSED THE PAPERWORK, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER STILL WASN'T REIMBURSED FOR THE TIRES. *NM

I EXPERIENCED AN UNEXPLAINABLE VIBRATION IN MY VEHICLE 2 DAYS PRIOR TO MY TIRE ( UNIROYAL RADIAL TRAIL KING A/T 31-10.50/R15) HAVING A TREAD SEPARATION/BLOWOUT ON MY TRUCK. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SEARCH FOR WHERE I COULD OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT , I FOUND A RECALL ( NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 91T001000) FOR THESE TIRES. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER UNIROYAL WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO GO TO SEARS & ROEBUCK AUTOMOTIVE. I WAS THEN INFORMED BY SEARS THAT THEY DO NOT DEAL IN UNIROYAL TIRES AND COULD NOT HELP ME. I THEN RE-CONTACTED UNIROYAL AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THIS RECALL EVEN THOUGH I COULD SUPPLY THEM WITH THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT IT WAS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE MY TIRES ARE OVER 6 YRS OLD ANYWAY ( * THESE TIRES WERE STORED IN LIKE "NEW" CONDITION, DEW TO MY DEPLOYMENT IN THE MILITARY). I EXPERIENCED THIS BLOWOUT WITHIN ONLY A FEW HUNDRED MILES AFTER REMOUNTING THEM ( THIS CAN BE TOLD BY THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF TREAD THAT IS ON THE TIRES , REGARDLESS OF THERE MANUFACTURE DATE. THIS VEHICLE STILL HAS THREE MORE OF THESE TIRES ON IT AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT A SIMPLE FLAT TIRE, THIS TIRE EXPLODED AND TREAD SEPARATED SIMILAR TO HOW A TRACTOR TRAILER TIRE VIOLENTLY BLOWS. THESE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THIS TRUCK , MY COMPLAINT IS AGAINST UNIROYAL NOT THE CAR MANUFACTURER. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD EXPLORER THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND EXPLODED. SHE BELIEVES THIS WAS RELATED TO THE FORD RECALL 05V388000 CONCERNING THE SCDS. THIS HAPPENED ON 9-22-05. THE CAR WAS PARKED, AND THE FIRE DID ORIGINATE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE CALLED. SHE REPORTED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT AND NOT WORK. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. HAD NO ANYONE TO TELL HER THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. BUT, BECAUSE OF THE RECALLS A AND THE RECENT PROBLEMS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL THE CONTACT FELT THIS WAS RELATED TO THE FORD RECALLS OF SCDS WHICH CAUSED COMPARTMENT FIRES. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER SHE WOULD NEED THE VIN NUMBER BEFORE THEY COULD TELL HER IF HER VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL. SHE HAS NOT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS 1994 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER SUV FROM A DEALER. THE CAR HAD A PROBLEM WITH ALARM SO THE DEALER REMOVED IT. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. A WEEK AFTER THE PURCHASE, WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STOPS, CAR COMES TO A HALT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND THE STEERING LOCKS. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCK. IT STARTS BACK ON AFTER FEW MINUTES. IT DOES NOT START IF HAZARDS, HEADLIGHTS OR ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ARE ON. AFTER THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN 2 WEEKS ONCE AT NIGHT 12''O CLOCK. IT IS HIGHLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW. I'M NOT DRIVING IT ANYMORE. THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. *JB