1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

HAD STARTED VEHICLE & SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. RESHIFTED BACK TO DRIVEAND THEN INTO REVERSE AGAIN TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. WHEN IT HAPPENED A THIRD TIME, TRANSMISSION DAMAGED LEFT FRONT TIRE. VEHICLE NOW AT DEALERSHIP. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING 35MPH. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO CHECK ON ALIGNMENT. INFORMED NOT ALIGNMENT. MECHANIC INDICATED PROBLEM IWAS LOCATED IN WHEEL HUB. IT WAS NOT REPAIRED.*AK

CAM TENSIONER BROKE. METAL PIECE FROM TENSIONER RAN THROUGH ENGINE AND DAMAGED IT. THERE WAS A RECALL ON VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODEL; BUT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT EXCEEDED 100000 MILE WARRANTY. CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE AND DIDN'T KNOW RECALL.*AK

WHILE MAKING A SLOW TURN TO PARK THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE STOPPED , CONSUMER TRIED TO BACK UP, BUT AGAIN VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. CONSUMER SAW LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS TILTED TO ONE SIDE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER WHO NOTICED THE FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE HAD BROKEN.*AK

THE TREAD OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VEER OFF THE ROADWAY, THE DRIVER OVERCORRECTED TO RETURN TO THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROTATE CLOCKWISE, UPON THE VEHICLE SLIDING THE LEFT REAR TIRE BECAME DEFLATED AND THE WHEEL BEGAN TO GOUGE INTO THE ROADWAY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERTURN SEVERAL TIMES, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED CONTUSIONS AND ABRASIONS TO HIS ARMS AND UPPER TORSO AREA, THE LEFT REAR OCCUPANT WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE ANS SUSTAINED CONTUSIONS AND ABRASIONS TO HIS HEAD, NECK, ARMS AND LEGS, THE OTHER THREE OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES(ATTORNEY FOR CLIENTS, FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL INVESTIGATION, FIRESTONE, NO OTHER TIRE INFO GIVEN)

ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELT LOOSE, PULLED OVER AND EXAMINED. THE BRACKET ON WHICH THE PEDAL WAS MOUNTED HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN OUT FROM THE FIREWALL OF THE VEHICLE. UPON EXAMINATION, THE BRAKET HAD BEEN ATTACHED WITH THREE SPOT WELDS.*AK

PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT DOES NOT RELEASE WHEN SEAT BELT BUTTON IS PUSHED TO DISENGAGE.*AK

THE ORIGINAL DRYER UNIT WAS WRAPPED WITH A PIECE OF RUBBER. THIS PART, AS A NORMAL PART OF IT'S OPERATION WILL SWEAT. THIS PIECE OF RUBBER HELD THE CONDENSATION TO THE UNIT AND CAUSED THE DRYER TO RUST. THE REPLACEMENT PART DOES NOT HAVE THIS RUBBER WARPPING. I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL PART WAS DESIGNED TO FAIL.*AK

BRAKES WOULD MAKE A GROANING SOUND AND PEDAL WOULD VIBRATE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER SHOP, AND HAD BOTH FRONT CALIPER AND PADS REPLACED. BUT, STILL MAKING NOISE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALER SHOP. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT ABS SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SEEKING ASSISTANCE FROM NHTSA, IS IT NORMAL WEAR FOR THIS PART TO GO OUT UNDER 40,000 MILES. *AK *SLC

CONSUMER REPLACED ALL THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES, DUE TO CRACKS AROUND THE TREAD IN DEC 2000, HOWEVER IN MAY 2001 THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE RECALLED AND CONSUMER IS NOW SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT, BUT IS GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM THE DEALER.*JB