1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WINDSHIELD WASHER COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE, MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME. IT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. SECOND TIME DEALER COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR ONE DAY IN COLD WEATHER OUTSIDE, PROBLEM WAS REPLICATED AND THEY FOUND RELAYS OVERHEATING AND STICKING CAUSED BY SHORTED MALFUNCTION SWITCH ON PRIOR REPAIR AND THEY REPLACED BOTH RELAYS. *YH

CYLINDER HEADS OR HEAD GASGETS FAILED CAUSING COOLANT LEAK INTO CYLINDERS AND OUT EXHAUST. SUSPECT FAULTY HEATER VALVE LEAKED COOLANT CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE HEADS OR GASGETS.

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON ROAD TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE., AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, VEHICLE ACELLERATED ABOUT 100MPH. HAD FOOT ON BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING. CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

ACCELERATOR SUDDENLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY CAUSES VEHICLE TO GO FROM A STOPPED CONDITION, FOOT ON BRAKE, CRUISE CONTROL OFF. EXTREME BRAKING EFFORT AVOIDS COLLISION. PROBLEM PRESENTED TO FORD SERVICE AT DEALER, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS DONE AND NO REPAIR PROVIDED. FORD SERVICE DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF ANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE AND OFFERED NO RECALL REPAIRS.*AK

WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT STOPPED WORKING WAS THE THERMOSTAT, THEN THE WINDOW REGULATOR AND SEAT BEALT, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND JUST TO SEE THE PROBLEM I WAS CHARGED 160USD . I THINK IT'S UNFAIR BUT THEY SAID I HAD TO PAY AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE CAR. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT SEARS BECAUSE I WAS SCARED AND SIMPLY REPLACED THEM 4 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND FIRESTONE RECALL BUT THEY ARE NOW ASKING FOR A DOT CODE IN WHICH SEARS DID NOT GIVE ME. NOW I AM ONLY ASKING TO PLEASE TRY TO REFUND SOMETHING. I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY GIVE TOO MANY PROBLEMS AND THE DEALER GETS AWAY WITH PROBLEMS IN WHICH THEY NEED TO FIX BECAUSE THEY ARE FACTORY PROBLEMS. *AK (TIRESIZE: 15INCHES)

THREE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT TIRE FAILURES. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH ON DRY ROAD CONDITONS WHEN FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE WENT FLAT WITHOUT WARNING. SECOND TIRE FAILURE WAS ON FRONT PASSENGERS SIDE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATED HE IS UNABLE TO GET ANY ASSISTANCE FROM FIRESTONE OR DEALER, CONSUMER HAS NOW REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES.*SLC

AFTER PARKING VEHICLE CONSUMER COULD NOT UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT. CONSUMER HAD TO CUT SEAT BELT TO FINALLY GET OUT OF VEHICLE.*AK

WHEN A MICHELIN DEALER RECENTLY REPLACED THE FOUR 16 INCH 255 FIRESTONE TIRES, HE COMMENTED THAT THE SPARE IS A FIRESTONE 15 INCH 225 TIRE. IS IT SAFE TO MIX THES SIZES? THE 16 INCH TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIUPMENT ON THE CAR -- NOT PURCHASED AS AN OPTION. FORD HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY INQUIRY. *AK

THE FAILURE OF THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT WHICH IS AN LED (LIGHT EMITTING DIODE) ASSEMBLY IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED I WENT TO THE MANUFACTURER'S DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. FIRST I WAS QUOTED A REPAIR PRICE 35 TIMES HIGHER THEN THE AVERAGE BRAKE LIGHT REPLACEMENT OR $350.00. ULTIMATELY, I HAD THE REPAIR DONE FOR $265.00 AFTER SOME SERIOUS DIALOGUE ABOUT THE COST OF THIS PART VERSUS NORMAL BRAKE LIGHT REPLACEMENTS. I EMPHASIED A PART COSTING $35 TIMES THE NORMAL BRAKE LIGHT BULB REPAIR SHOULD BE ENGINEERED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IF IT DID NOT THEN IT MUST BE AN ENGINEERING OR MANUFACTUREING DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID FORD WOULD NOT RESPOND POSITIVELY TO MY ARGUEMENTS AND THE BEST THEY COULD DO WAS $265.00. I BELEIVE THE SAFETY ISSUE IS DRIVEN BY THE COST OF THIS ASSEMBLY. THERE MAYBE MANY FORD EXPLORERS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE COST TO REPAIR IS PROHIBITIVE. IN SOME STATES VEHICLE INSPECTIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED UNTIL THE VECHICLE IS RESOLD AND THEREFORE THE PROBLEM COULD GO UNDECTED CREATING A SERIOUS RISK FOR THE DRIVER OF THE FAILING VEHICLE AND ANYONE FOLLOWING BEHIND. I SUGGEST A SAFETY ALERT BE ISSUED IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN DONE GIVING CONSIDERATION TO THE NUMBER OF LED ASSEMBLIES, BRAKE LIGHT FAILURES AND THE COST OF THE REPAIR THAT A RECALL ALSO BE CONSIDERED.*AK

THERE'S A WINDING AND GRINDING NOISE WHENEVER TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE GOING INTO REVERSE WITHOUT WARNING.*AK