2008 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I'VE HAD MY 2008 EDDIE BAUER FORD EXPLORER JUST OVER A YEAR. AS I'M DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD, IT STARTS ACTING LIKE IT'S ABOUT TO CUT OFF. I GET TO A RED LIGHT AND AS I'M ABOUT TO TAKE OFF, IT SHUTS OFF. I PLACED IT IN PARK AND RESTARTED IT THEN IT SPUTTERS AND THEN CATCHES. A FEW MINUTES LATER THIS ERROR MESSAGE COMES UP ON THE DASH WITH A WRENCH. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST AUTO STORE, THEY PLACED IT ON THE MACHINE AND SAID IT LOOKS LIKE MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OR ECM/PCM. I HAD THE HARNESS REPLACED (ALMOST $900) AND A WEEK LATER THE WRENCH ERROR MESSAGE RETURNED AND THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AS WELL.

WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED IT CAME FROM NOWHERE. I WAS DRIVING AS NORMAL THEN THERE WAS AN INITIAL LOSS OF POWER AS I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AN UNFAMILIAR ORANGE WRENCH WERE NOW ILLUMINATED. SEEMING AS I HAD NO POWER I CAUTIOUSLY GUIDED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE EXPRESSWAY. SINCE THEN I'VE TRIED HAVING THE PROBLEM FIXED TO NO AVAIL, BECAUSE IT'S INTERMITTENT AND FORD THEMSELVES HAVE NO REMEDY. ALSO, TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO CONTACT FORD TO BE TOLD THE VEHICLE IS PAST WARRANTY SO GO THE DEALER AND HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE AND STILL OCCURRING OCCASIONALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING OR MOVING, THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER SYSTEM REBUILT ITSELF IN ORDER FOR THE POWER TO RETURN SO THE VEHICLE COULD BE FUNCTIONAL. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND, A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AND RECONFIGURED THE WIRING ON THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE'S PCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.

CPSC:FORD EXPLORER 2008, IGNITION SWITCH IS MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THE KEY MECHANISM OVER TIME HAS COME LOOSE AND ALLOWS FOR MECHANICAL SEATS TO RETRACT OR ENGAGE DURING TRAVEL IF HITTING SMALL BUMPS. *BF BUMPS OR MINOR ADJUSTMENTS CAUSE THE SEAT TO RETRACT. *JS

KEY CYLINDER HAS LOOSENED INSIDE IGNITION HOUSING. THIS CONDITION WHILE DRIVING IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR SHORTER INDIVIDUALS AS WHEN A BUMP OR CERTAIN MOTIONS CAUSE THE AUTOMATIC SEATS TO RETRACT TO "OFF POSITION" CREATING A 4-6" GAP BETWEEN FOOT AND PEDAL FOR MY WIFE IS SHE WERE WILLING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND DEALER SERVICING KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AS WELL AS A LOCAL LOCKSMITH I HAD CONTACTED FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR OPTIONS. IT HAS BECOME MORE EVIDENT IN THE PAST 2 YEARS FROM THEIR KNOWLEDGE. NO CURRENT RECALL EXISTS AS NO MAJOR INJURY HAS RESULTED. THIS OCCURS IN STATIONARY POSITION OR IN MOTION OF THE VEHICLE ADDING TO CONCERNS. I WILL HAVE THIS REPAIRED AT LOCAL FORD IN THE NEXT WEEK. SEAT RETRACTS ON ITS OWN AND IF ANY BUMPS ARE HIT MAY ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE AT WILL. AND HAS BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS. I AM THE ONLY OWNER FOR THE VEHICLE AND LESS THAN 70K MILES CURRENTLY

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE STARTED MISSING AND CAR SHAKING; PULLED IN TO FORD DEALER IN NEXT TOWN; DIAGNOSIS SAID COULD BE THIS OR THAT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT BUT GOT CAR RUNNING SMOTHER; WE WENT ANOTHER 300 MILES TO OUR DESTINATION; TOOK CAR TO LOCAL FORD DEALER; REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR; TOOK IT HOME; STILL RAN ROUGH SEEMS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO STALL AN A LIGHT OR SITTING IN TRAFFIC; TOOK IT BACK; THEY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS; MECHANIC DROVE IT; COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND SAID THEY THOUGHT IT WAS OK BECAUSE MECHANIC COULD NOT MAKE IT DRIVE LIKE IT WAS MIS FIRING OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL; DROVE HOME AND IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED ACTING LIKE ONE CYLINDER WAS MIS FIRING. AM GOING TO TAKE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND LET THE SEE IF THEY CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS THE MATTER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE WINDSHIELD BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

WHILE I AM DRIVING THE DRIVERS SEAT AUTOMATICALLY SLIDES AS FAR BACK AS IT CAN, AND THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS COME ON. THIS IS AN ACTION THAT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS PULLED FROM THE IGNITION. HOWEVER THIS IS HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING PULLING ME AWAY FROM THE GAS, BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. THE ONLY IMMEDIATE FIX I CAN DO IS JIGGLE THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION TO GET THE SEAT TO COME BACK. I FEEL THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AS TURNING INTERIOR LIGHTS ON WHILE DARK CAN BE DISTRACTING AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUTSIDE, NOT TO MENTION BEING PULLED AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE GO OUT OF CONTROL. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO FORD AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE AND NOT CONSIDERED ANYTHING ELSE SUCH AS A RECALL. *TR

THE DRIVER SAFETY SEAT BELT DOES NOT EASILY LOCK IN PLACE EVEN WITH A HARD PUSH AND COMES OUT OF THE RETAINER UNDER PRESSURE ON THE BELT - ONLY REPEATED HARD PUSHES UNTIL A CLICK SOUNDS IS EFFECTIVE! THE LOCKING MECHANISM APPEARS TO BE LOCKED WHEN IN FACT IT IS NOT. THE DRIVER IN A FATALITY WOULD BE ACCUSED OF NOT FASTENING HIS SEAT BELT WHEN HE THOUGHT IT WAS LOCKED IN PLACE. THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH INDICATING THE SEAT BELT IS NOT FASTENED DOES NOT COME ON WHEN THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS NOT LOCKED IN PLACE MAKING THE DRIVER THINK THAT THE BELT IS SECURE WHEN IT IS NOT.

WHEN THE ABS SENSORS IN THE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES FAIL, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM GOES INTO A SPORADIC LIMP MODE THAT CUTS POWER TO THE WHEELS CAUSING A TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL LEAVING THE VEHICLE POWERLESS IN ON COMING TRAFFIC. THIS EVENT USUALLY OCCURS WHEN TURNING ON TO A ROAD WAY, BRAKING WHILE TURNING, OR ACCELERATING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. *TR