1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN ACCIDENT. STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, HIT IN REAR BY CAR TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, CAR PUSHED FORWARD INTO CAR IN FRONT OF ME, THIRD CAR PUSHED INTO FOURTH, FOURTH INTO FIFTH, AND FIFTH INTO SIXTH CAR. FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS DESTROYED, SIGNIFICANT FRONT AND REAR DAMAGE, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

DUE TO DEFECTIVE REAR DEFROSTER, CAR BURNED AND WAS COMPLETE LOSS. FORD WAS CONTACTED BUT CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE BECAUSE NO OPEN RECALLS EXISTED. THE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS REFUSED TO GIVE ME THEIR NAME AND REFUSED MY REPEATED (3X) REQUESTS TO SPEAK WITH THEIR SUPERVISOR. *AK

PASSENGER'S DOOR IN REAR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. *AK

WHILE RETURNING FROM CHRISTMAS VACATION ON I-70 WE SUFFERED A BLOWOUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE OF OUR 1996 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WE HAD JUST PASSED A TRACTOR-TRAILOR AND I WAS IN THE INSIDE LANE. THE THIS CAUSED ME TO SWERVE IMMEDIATELY INTO THE OUTSIDE LANE IN FRONT OF THE SEMI AND THEN ONTO THE SHOLDER OF THE ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND STOP PARTIALLY OFF THE ROAD IN THE SNOW. I LATER TOOK THE TIRE TO MY MECHANIC AND HE EXAMINED IT AND STATED THE TREAD HAD SEPERATED TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY STATED IT WAS A GOODYEAR PROBLEM. I CONTACTED GOODYEAR AND THEY STATED IT WAS A FORD EXPLORER PROBLEM. NEITHER I, MY WIFE WHO IS 4 MONTHS PREGNANT, NOR MY 21 MONTH OLD CHILD WERE INJURED BUT HAD I BEEN IN THE OUTSIDE LANE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WENT INTO THE DITCH AND THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I AHD JUST HAD THE FROD EXPLORER RECALL FOR THE SWAY BAY LINKS AND A TIRE INSPECTION COMPLETED BY THE FORD DEALER BEFORE WE LEFT ON OUR TRIP (900 MILES BEFORE THE TIRE FAILURE) AND I WAS GIVEN NO ADVICE ABOUT NEEDING NEW TIRES OR IF THE SWAY BAR LINKS HAD CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO THE TIRES. I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AT 35281 MILES. I BELIEVE THERE IS POSSIBLY A PROBLEM WITH MY GOODYEAR TIRES OF THE EXPLORER IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEMS. (TIRESIZE: P265/75R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P265/75R15 )

CONSUMER PURCHASED THREE PRORATED FIRESTONE TIRES, AFTER RECALL CONSUMER PURCHASED A DIFFERENT BRAND AND WAS REIMBURSED AND CONSUMER BELIEVES HE SHOULD ALSO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE THREE PRORATED TIRES. NLM

FIRESTONE TIRES, ATX 23575R15 TOO WORN AND WOULD NOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE. *CJ

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SUBJECT VEHICLE HAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE AFTER AN INITIAL START FROM BEING STOPPED, I.E., AT A STOP LIGHT. FORD CLAIM FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATING I HAVE DISCOVERED ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN THIS INCIDENT AND THE 60+ SIMILAR COMPLIANTS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *AK

DURING ROUTINE BRAKE INSPECTION, MASTER CYLINDERS WERE FOUND TO BE LEAKING. BRAKE PADS WERE FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. THIS CONCERNS ME AS '95 EXPLORERS WERE RECALLED FOR PROBLEMS WITH MASTER CYLINDERS, NOT TO MENTION THE NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK

IN AUGUST OF 1999 I HAD A TIRE SEPARATING ON MY EXPLORER, I REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES IN THE SAME MONTH AT FIRESTONE. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THE FOLLOWING YEAR.I TURNED IN THE REQUIRED INFO AND WAS DENIED BECAUSE IT HAPPENED BEFORE JAN 2000. I GUESS IF I HAD BE INJURED OR KILLED FIRESTONE WOULD ACCEPT MY CLAIM OF 324.00 FOR THE TIRE REPLACEMENT EXPENCE. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THERE RESPONCE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN , REACHING SPEEDS OF 90 MPH . CONSUMER PUT BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL, BUT VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSUMER HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF IGNITION, AND IT TOOK ABOUT 2 MILES BEFORE VEHICLE STOPPED. *AK