1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THE CONSUMER HAS THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES, HOWEVER THE ONES ON THE VEHICLE ARE NOT PART OF THE RECALL, THE TREAD IS BEGINNING TO SEPARATE AND STRESS CRACKS ARE FORMING, THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT SHE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED, THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON 11-5-00. *SLC

CONSUMER REPLACED FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES (P235/75R15) IN 1999 DUE TO UNWARRANTED WEAR, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. *SLC

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL VEHICLE OVER TO SAFETY. LEFT REAR FIRESTONE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM RIM. CONSUMER DID NOT PROVIDE TIRE BRAND OR SIZE. *SLC

NOTICED HAIRLINE CRACK CIRCLING TIRE AT BOTTOM OF TREAD. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE, INITIALLY I WAS OFFERED 1 REPLACEMENT TIRE OF THE SAME TYPE AS THE FAILED TIRE IF AN INSPECTION OF THE PROBLEM TIRE VERIFIED MY CONCERN REGARDING THE BEGINNING OF TREAD SEPARATION PROBLEM. I INFORMED THE FIRESTONE HOTLINE AND DEALER REP THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE, I WANTED ALL TIRES REPLACED EVEN THOUGH THESE WERE NOT UNDER RECALL. I INFORMED THEM THAT IT WAS LUDICROUS TO BE PUT IN A SITUATION WHERE I WOULD BE FORCED TO CONTINUE CHECKING ALL TIRES EVERY THREE DAYS. I WOULD NOT BE PUT IN THAT SITUATION. BEING PERSISTANT, I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT DIST MGR. NO TOLL FREE #, AT MY OWN EXPENSE (PHONE) I CONTACTED DIST MGR. HE APPROVED ALL REPLACEMENT, WHEN CONFIRMED. CONFIRMED BY COMPANY OWNED TIRE STORE 11/13/00. ALL FIVE REPLACED 11/14/00 WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER AT. I AM SATISFIED AT THIS TIME. I SIMPLY WANTED TO REPORT FAILURE OF TIRE MADE IN WILSON, NC. AFTER BEING PUSHED, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE DID THE RIGHT THING, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD TO BE PUSHED, AFTER THE FIRST LINE OF CONTACT TRIED TO MINIMIZE AND DEFLECT. I PRAISE FIRESTONE FOR EVENTUALLY DOING THE RIGHT THING. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HLIPYL08 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

I AM ASSOCIATED WITH THE U.S. AIRFORCE, STATIONED AT RAF LAKENHEATH, ENGLAND. WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT RODS CONNECTING THE FOWARD ANTI-SWAY BRACE TO THE FRAME HAVE SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE EFFECT OF THIS WAS EXCESSIVE BOUNCING AND LOSS OF SMOOTH CONTROL OF THE STEARING. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT APROXIMATELY FIFTY MILES AN HOUR. MY SPEED HAD TO BE REDUCED TO APROX. THIRTY MILES AN HOUR TO MAINTAIN A REASONABLE CONTROL AND STABILITY. PART OF THE RODS REMAINED IN THE SWAY BAR, UNTIL I REMOVED THEM FOR REPLACEMENT. THE ONLY DAMAGE THAT I OBSERVED TO THE ROD WAS WHERE THE SHEAR OCCURRED.*AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE TO BRAKE PEDAL ONE INCH AWAY. THE MASTER CYLINDER DEVELOPED A LEAK ALLOWING THE BRAKE PEDDLE TO TRAVEL PAST THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS SO CLOSE THE INCIDENCE OF HITTING BOTH PEDALS BECOMES GREATER AS IT WAS WITH MY VEHICLE. WE HAD COME TO AN ALMOST COMPLETE STOP THEN THE 1996 EXPLORER ACCELERATED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US. SIMPLE FIX BEND THE ACCELERATOR ARM AWAY FROM THE BRAKE PEDDLE. ON 98 EXPLORER'S THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS THREE INCHES AWAY INDICATING FORD DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM, FIXED IN LATER MODELS, BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY 96 EXPLORER OWNERS OR THEIR DEALERS. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS SUV USED AND I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A GREAT VEHICLE, BOY WAS I WRONG. IT HAS BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER WITH THIS SUV. PLEASE CHECK ALL OF MY COMPLAINTS THIS IS AN INTERIOR PROBLEM, THESE THINGS CANNOT BE CAUSED BY EVEY DAY USE. THE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING ARE, BACK SEAT DOOR HANDLES ARE BROKE, THE SPARE TIRE RELEASE BROKE THE FIRST TIME IT WAS USED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT OFF AND CAUSED AN INCONVIENCE TO MY FAMILY, THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THE ALINGMENT HASEN'T BEEN RIGHT SENSE I'VE OWNED IT, THE BACK SEAT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, IT WILL NOT RELEASE TO FOLD FORWARD, AND THE MOTOR ON THE HATCH HASEN'T WORKED PROPERLY FROM DAY ONE OF MY OWNERSHIP. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. THANK FOR ALL YOU DO. MARGIE HULSEY. ML

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES (P255 70 R16) ARE EXPERIENCING SIDEWALL AND TREAD SEPARATION. *SLC

THE FIRESTONE ATX P 234/75R15 105S M/S DOT VDHL 1PM-435 TIRES WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL (00T-005) DUE TO VIBRATION PROBLEMS, CONSUMER HAD PREVIOUS REPAIRS TO THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM TO TRY AND REMEDY VIBRATION WITHOUT REMEDY, CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *MJS

DESIGN OF CONSOLE CAUSES REARVIEW MIRROR PLACEMENT TO BE TOO LOW. THIS CREATES A BLIND SPOT FOR DRIVER WHEN TRYING TO MERGE RIGHT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SEEMS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. FORD HAS AGREED TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK