1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE THE REAR END SAGS LOWER THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED ON MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. I SAID SOMETHING TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE PURCHASING IT SO THEY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG. IT IS NOW A YEAR LATER AND AND THE REAR END OF MY EXPLORER HAS STARTED SITTIND LOWER EVERY MONTH I'VE HAD IT, AND I HAVE ALSO REPLACED MY SHCKS THREE TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD FOR 1YEAR. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT.*AK

STOCK JACK WITH FORD EXPLORER WILL NOT ALLOW THE TIRE TO BE CHANGED. ALSO FOUND DEALER DID NOT REPLACE RECALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT RECALLED TIRE AS PER INVOICE. TIRE EXPLODED AND RUINED. NEAR MISS 16 WHEELER. *JB

PRIOR TO RECEIVING LATCH RECALL, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE DEFECT AND WAS TOLD ONLY THE BOLT WOULD BE REPLACED, NOT THE LATCH. *PH *JB

WHILE IDLING OR DRIVING VEHICLE VIBRATED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

I HAVE A 98 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE RADIO WORKS BUT DOES NOT HAVE A LIGHTING DISPLAY. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT MOSTLY ALL EXPLORERS WILL LOSE THE LIGHTING DISPLAY, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL AS OF YET. THIS IS EXPENSIVE TO FIX. IT'S NOT LIKE REPLACING A BULB OR SOMETHING. YOU'RE BASICALLY BUYING A NEW RADIO. IF THAT'S THE CASE IT WON'T BE FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP, AND IT WON'T BE THE MANUFACTURERS RADIO WHICH WE ALL KNOW WILL CRAP OUT. *JB

THE HARMONIC BALANCER CAME LOOSE AND THE CAMSHAFT HAD BROKEN RIGHT AT THE ENGINE BLOCK. *PH CONSUMER WAS GIVEN AN OPTION BY THE DEALER TO EITHER OVERHAUL THE ENGINE, WITH NO WARRANTY, OR REPLACE THE ENGINE, WITH A 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. A SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND OUT THAT UPON INSPECTING THE HARMONIC BALANCER CAMSHAFT AREA THAT THE LONG BOLT HOLDING THE PULLEY TO THE CAMSHAFT WAS NEVER TIGHTENED WAS ABLE TO REMOVED WITH THE TECHNICIAN'S FINGERS. IN ADDITION, THE BOLT SHOULD HAVE SOME MARKINGS ON IT CONSISTENT WITH AN IMPACT WRENCH. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE BOLT WOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. WHEN ENGINE WAS REPLACED AND PERFORMED ADDITIONAL TEST ON VEHICLE, DEALER FOUND A SMALL FUEL LINE LEAK. FUEL LINE WAS REPAIRED AND MADE ANOTHER TEST ON VEHICLE. CONSUMER CURRENTLY SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT OF ALL EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO MECHANICAL ERROR THAT RENDERED VEHICLE INOPERABLE. *LA

I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. IN JANUARY I TOOK IT TO BE SERVICED BECAUSE THE STEERING SEEMED OFF AND I DO ALOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE THE SUSPENSION--THE UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION. I WAS TOLD I WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THIS WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR AND I WOULD HOPE THIS COULD BE INVESTIGATED TO PREVENT ANY ACCIDENTS THAT COULD OCCUR IF THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NO ONE REALIZES IS OUT THERE.

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED THAT BATTERY WAS LEAKING ACID. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL RELATED TO THIS FAILURE THE DAY AFTER THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. *LA THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE BOLT NOT THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE SEAT REPLACED AT NO COST TO HER (RECALL #03S04). * NM

CONSUMER WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT SEAT BELT PROBLEM ON DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN BELT WAS LATCHED INTO THE BUCKLE, IT DIDN'T HOLD. *AK