1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CALIPER BOLT LOOSENED AND EVENTUALLY CAME OFF OF THE BRAKES. THE FORD SERVICE PART USED TO REPLACE THE BOLD IS N606046-S60, BOLT, AB-20-DA. WHEN PURCHASING THIS PART FOR THE SECOND TIME ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2000 AT MIKE DAVIDSON FORD FROM LEM JOHNSON HE STATED TAHT SEAVERAL FORD CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN IN WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITHIN THE LAST FEW DAYS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH THE FIRST OCCASION BEING ABOUT A YEAR AGO. *AK

ON THE ABOVE DATE I WAS RETURNING FROM JACKSONVILLE ON I-95 SOUTHBOUND WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE CARCAS ON MY LEFT REAR TIRE. THE TREAD TOOK OUT PART OF THE LOWER LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL WHEN IT CAME OFF. I FISHTAILED BUT MANAGED TO COME TO A SAFE STOP, AND NO FURTHER DAMAGE ENSUED. THESE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON MY SUV WHEN I BOUGHT IT. ALL FOUR TIRES ON THE GROUND WERE ROTATED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECS BY A LOCAL TIRE KINGDOM ON 12/03/1999. THEY FELT OUT-OF-ROUND ON THE TRIP BACK. I HAD THE FOUR TIRES ON THE GROUND REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR TIRES ON 04/25/2000. I STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL SPARE. FIRESTONE HAS NOT BEEN COOPERATIVE IN MY EFFORTS TO BE REIMBURSED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME BY PHONE OR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00T-005, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

CONSUMER REPLACED FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRES PRIOR TO RECALL WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SEPARATE, MAKE NOISE AND EXPERIENCE VIBRATION, CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS TOLD THAT HE HAD TO TURN IN THE TIRE TO GET THE REFUND OR ADJUSTMENT. NLM

THE TREAD WAS PULLING APART FROM THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND THE RADIAL COULD BE SEEN ALL AROUND THE TIRE. NLM

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE ATX TIRES (P235/75R15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00T-005, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES(P235 75 15) EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE RESULTING IN COLLISION AND DAMAGING VEHICLE, CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSMENT. *SLC

DRIVING 70MPH WHEN STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE. HEARD THUMPING NOISES AT THE SAME TIME. VEHICLE ALSO STARTED TO VIBRATE. WAS SLOWING DOWN & PULLED INTO WALMART. HAD A SALESPERSON IN THE TIRE SECTION LOOK AT TIRES. THE LEFT FRONT HAD TREAD ON IT, BUT COMPLETELY UNEVEN. THE TREAD STILL ON TIRES BARELY. PULLED ALL FOUR TIRES OFF VEHICLE. FIRESTONE AT P275/75R15 WITH 42,000 MILES.*AK

I PURCHASED MY 96 FORD EXPLORER IN NOV. 95 AND HAVE HAD A VEHICLE SHUDDER PROBLEM THAT BECOMES A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN TIRES ARE INFLATED BEYOND THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE OF 26PSI. FORD HAVE NOW RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURES OF 30PSI, WHICH I CANNOT DO WITHOUT RISKING A VEHICLE LOSS OF CONTROL SITUATION. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, IT ABSOLUTELY SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME, TO PUT IT POLITELY! I HAD JUST PICKED UP THE TRUCK FROM THE MISSION VALLEY FORD AFTER SOME BRAKE WORK. I TOOK THE TRUCK UP TO FREEWAY SPEED AND WHILE TRAVELING OVER SOME ROUGH FREEWAY SURFACE THE TRUCK ALMOST WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHERE FAILURE ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. THE ONLY ISSUE THE SERVICE ENGINEER IDENTIFIED AS ABNORMAL WAS THEY HAD SET THE TIRE PRESSURE TO 30PSI(ALL TIRES). RESETTING THE TIRES BACK TO 26PSI ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM.THIS PROBLEM RESURFACED TWICE MORE SINCE AND RESETTING THE TIRES TO 26PSI CORRECTED THE LACK OF CONTROL PROBLEM. THE SHUDDER I NORMALLY FEEL APPEARED TO EXTEND INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CONTROL THE TRUCK WHEN I TRAVELED OVER A ROUGH PATCH IN THE SURFACE OF A FREEWAY. EMERGENCY BRAKING BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK UNDER CONTROL. I NO LONGER ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE EXPLORER. IM FAMILIAR WITH STEERING WHEEL SHUDDER AS A RESULT OF POOR WHEELING BALANCING, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHUDDERS, NOT THE STEERING WHEEL, AT CRUISING SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AND ABOVE, AND IS PARTICULARLY OBVIOUS ON LONG JOURNEYS. THIS WAS IDENTIFIED TO THE FORD SERVICE DEPT., WHO SUGGESTED THAT THE TRACKING AND/OR THE TIRES MAY BE AT FAULT. TRACKING HAS BEEN CHECKED AND NEW TIRES PURCHASED, BUT NEITHER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE SHUDDER PROBLEM HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE SERVICE DEPT OF THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY EXPLORER. SEE ATTACHED SERVICE RECORDS DATED 6/12/97 AND 12/1/98 FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

I PURCHASED MY 96 FORD EXPLORER IN NOV. 95 AND HAVE HAD A VEHICLE SHUDDER PROBLEM THAT BECOMES A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN TIRES ARE INFLATED BEYOND THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE OF 26PSI. FORD HAVE NOW RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURES OF 30PSI, WHICH I CANNOT DO WITHOUT RISKING A VEHICLE LOSS OF CONTROL SITUATION.THE FIRST TIME TIS HAPPENED, IT ABSOLUTELY SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME, TO PUT IT POLITELY! I HAD JUST PICKED UP THE TRUCK FROM THE MISSION VALLEY FORD AFTER SOME BRAKE WORK. I TOOK THE TRUCK UP TO FREEWAY SPEED AND WHILE TRAVELING OVER SOME ROUGH FREEWAY SURFACE THE TRUCK ALMOST WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHERE FAILURE ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. THE ONLY ISSUE THE SERVICE ENGINEER IDENTIFIED AS ABNORMAL WAS THEY HAD SET THE TIRE PRESSURE TO 30PSI(ALL TIRES). RESETTING THE TIRES BACK TO 26PSI ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM.THIS PROBLEM RESURFACED TWICE MORE SINCE AND RESETTING THE TIRES TO 26PSI CORRECTED THE LACK OF CONTROL PROBLEM. THE SHUDDER I NORMALLY FEEL APPEARED TO EXTEND INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CONTROL THE TRUCK WHEN I TRAVELED OVER A ROUGH PATCH IN THE SURFACE OF A FREEWAY. EMERGENCY BRAKING BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK UNDER CONTROL. I NO LONGER ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE EXPLORER.IM FAMILIAR WITH STEERING WHEEL SHUDDER AS A RESULT OF POOR WHEELING BALANCING, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHUDDERS, NOT THE STEERING WHEEL, AT CRUISING SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AND ABOVE, AND IS PARTICULARLY OBVIOUS ON LONG JOURNEYS. THIS WAS IDENTIFIED TO YOUR SERVICE DEPT., WHO SUGGESTED THAT THE TRACKING AND/OR THE TIRES MAY BE AT FAULT. TRACKING HAS BEEN CHECKED AND NEW TIRES PURCHASED, BUT NEITHER CORRECTED THE PROBLEMT SHUDDER PROBLEM HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE SERVICE DEPT OF THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY EXPLORER. SEE ATTACHED SERVICE RECORDS DATED 6/12/97 AND 12/1/98 FOR THIS PROBLEM.PLEASE REVIEW THE ABOVE INFORMATION AND ATTACHED SERVICE RECORDS. I EAGERLY AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE.