1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00V422000 NOTICE CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED AT ANY SPEED AND THE BRAKES ARE DEPRESS VEHICLE WILL SURGE FORWARD. THE ONLY WAY THIS PROBLEM WON'T OCCUR IS IF THE CONSUMER PUTS THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST EIGHTEEN MONTHS. *AK

ONE MONTH AFTER GETTING MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER IN OCTOBER 1998 THE REAR WIPER MOTOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE WIPER ON ALL EXPLORERS. IN JULY 2001 THE REAR WIPER MOTER AGAIN FAILED AND WAS AGAIN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. AGAIN THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE EXPLORERS. ON MAY 13, 2004 THE REAR WIPER MOTOR HAS AGAIN FAILED. NOW THE DEALER WANTS $320 TO REPLACE THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY. THIS TIME THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE EXPLORER. WITHOUT THE REAR WINDOW WIPER BEING OPPERABLE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW DURING RAIN STORMS OR WHEN THE ROAD IS WET AND DIRT SPLASHES UP ONTO THE WINDOW. THIS CREATES A HAZARD THAT FORD SHOULD ADDRESS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.*AK

CONSUMER NOTICED TWO REAR SEAT BELTS DIDN'T HOLD THE PASSENGERS IN THE SEATS. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK DEALER SAID THAT THE CONTINUED PRESSURE FROM THE CHILD SEAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE. *LA

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL, THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS NOT HURT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NM THE HILL WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 BLOCKS AND THE CONSUMER WOULD NORMALLY DRIVE DOWN THE HILL WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED. *SC *JB

ENGINE HEAD GASKET CRACKED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING HOME THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISFIRE AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP A LITTLE. *JB

DEFECTIVE TIRES, HOOD LATCH, SEAT LATCH, CRUISE CONTROL, REAR WINDOW WIPER, ETC... *PH THE CONSUMER STATED THE HOOD LATCH , SEAT RECLINER, CRUISE CONTROL AND TIRES WERE ALL RECALLED. THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER AND PASSENGER POWER WINDOW WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK NOR OPEN FROM INSIDE. POSSIBLE SAFTY HAZARD IF MUST EXIT VEHICLE IN EMERGENCY.*AK

BLEND DOOR BROKEN ON 98 FORD EXPLORER. THIS CAUSED THE HEATING AND COOLING IN THE ENGINE TO BE STUCK IN THE "COLD" POSITION THROUGHOUT WINTER. WHILE DRIVING IN WINTER, I HAD TO LOOK OUT THE FREEZING COLD WINDOW TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE DEFROSTER IN MY WINDSHEILD WOULD NOT HEAT THE WINDOW.

DRIVERS SEAT BOLT BROKE, CAUSING THE SEAT TO RECLINE BACKWARDS. THIS OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BOLT, BUT NOT THE SEAT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING SHUT OFF WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISH-TAIL AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER TWICE. *NM ALL SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED. THE ACCIDENT WAS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURES. *SC