2000 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE SPARE TIRE THAT WAS MOUNTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE FELL OFF INTO THE ROAD AND VEHICLE RAN OVER IT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

GEAR SHIFT WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. VEHICLE CAN BE TURNED ON ,BUT CANNOT BE PUT IN GEAR.*AK

2000 FORD EXPLORER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SMOKE COMES FROM STEERING COLUMN WHEN USING LEFT TURN SIGNAL. TURN LIGHT WOULD FREEZE ON AND ACRID SMOKE COME FROM AROUND HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH AREA. THEN WILL BE OK FOR A WHILE AND COULD NOT RECREATE FOR MECH BUT STILL HAPPENS ON OCCASION UNEXPECTLY. WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE.*AK

WHILE MERGING ONTO A RAMP AT 25-35 MPH CONSUMER ALLOWED A VEHICLE TO PASS. SITTING AT A STAND STILL AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED. CONSUMER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. POLICE DID ARRIVE ON THE SCENE AND NO ONE WAS CITED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS ON A SLIGHTLY WET SURFACE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE TRACTION AND SLIDE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS UNDETERMINED. *AK

MY WIFE & I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE WHEEL VIBRATION (OSCILLATION) IN THE FRONT END OF OUR 2000 FORD EXPLORER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE SEVERITY OF THE VIBRATION ALMOST MADE THE TRUCK UNCONTROLLABLE. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN QUOTED ITS A DESIGN FLAW; YOU HAVE AIR IN THE RACK & PINION STEERING. THE AIR APPARENTLY ENTERS THROUGH THE HOUSING SEALS WHEN THE TRUCK WAS BEING SERVICED AFTER A FAN BELT TENSIONER RUPTURED AND THE TRUCK HAD TO BE MANUALLY STEERED. THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE THE AIR FROM THE HOUSING WAS TO RUN THE VEHICLE FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL THE AIR CIRCULATES WITH THE POWER STEERING FLUID THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND ESCAPES AT THE RESERVOIR. THIS DESIGN FLAW KNOWN BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. NOT ONLY DO MY WIFE AND I FEAR FOR OUR LIVES NOW WHEN WE DRIVE THIS VEHICLE, BUT MY KIDS ARE TERRIFIED TO RIDE IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL. WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS PRE-CERTIFIED FORD EXPLORER IN FEBRUARY OF 2003 AT PARKWAY EAST FORD IN PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA. I TRULY BELIEVE WITH MY YEARS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING BACKGROUND THAT THIS KNOWN DESIGN FLAW MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECENT ROLL-OVER FATALITIES OF THE FORD EXPLORER IN CERTAIN CASES. THE EXCESSIVE NORMAL LOAD STRESS AND SHEAR STRESS FORCES ENDURED FROM THE WHEEL OSCILLATION WOULD DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. THE P255-75R16 TIRE HAS A MAXIMUM LOAD OF 2271 LBS. THANK YOU, CONCERNED CONSUMERS DAVID & JULIA WEBER. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TOP HINGE OF DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. *PH *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. *AK *SCC *JB

MULTIPLE FAILURES REPORT FROM THE VEHICLE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR FAILING TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR IS BARELY THREE YRS OLD WITH LOW MILEAGE AND THE TRANSMISSION IS ALREADY FAILING. FORDS SERVICE EXPLANATION IS THAT THE VEHICLE REQUIRES REGULAR TRANSMISSION CODDLING (SERVICE) TO MAINTAIN THE OVERALL LIFE OF THE TRANSMISSION. AND OF COURSE I'M JUST OVER THE MILEAGE FOR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY CONVERAGE. I UNDERSTAND FROM MORE THAN ONE REPUTABLE CAR SERVICE DEALERS THAT THE EXPLORER IS NOTORIOUS FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURES.*AK

ONE YEAR AGO I STARTED MY CAR AND PRESSED ON THE GAS AND IT WOULDN'T GO. THE DEALERSHIP CORRECTED THE PROBLEM UNDER MY WARRANTY. IN JULY 2003, MY EXPLORER BEGAN SLIPPING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT BY REPLACING THE GASKETS THIS SEEMS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER FORD EXPLORER VEHICLES. THE COST WAS $500. REPLACING THE GASKETS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM ,AND THE DEALER SAID THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THEY ALSO STATED THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER COVERED BY A WARRANTY. I HAD 41,000 MILES AND THE WARRANTY ENDED AT 36,000. I CONTACTED FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX SINCE MY WARRANTY ENDED. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS NO RECALLS. MY VEHICLE BEGAN SLIPPING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND AND 2ND AND 3RD. I TOOK MY EXPLORER TO AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS KNOWING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY BUT I DIDN'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN FORD FIXING MY VEHICLE. APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAME APART AND PIECES WERE THROWN THROUGHOUT MY TRANSMISSION--TOTAL COST THIS TIME WAS $2,800. *AK