1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

PRIOR TO RECALL, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOW OUT AND REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THE TIRE BLEW OUT BEFORE THE RECALL.(FIRESTONE TIRES)*JB

THE CRANKSHAFT FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING, AS THE CRANKSHAFT FELL OUT IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOCKUP RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE NOT STEERING OR BRAKING VERY WELL. NLM

NEW ENGINE NEEDED. I HAVE HAD FORD REPLACE THE CAM TENSIONERS, ONLY TO HAVE HAD IT FAIL NOW FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 8 MOS. I AM GOING TO REQUEST THE ENGINE BE REPLACED AT DEALER COST, AS IT WAS A RECALLED PART. THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 72K MILES BACK IN JAN 0F '01. I NOW HAVE 90K AND THE PROBLEM HAS REOCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER REALLY CORRECTED, SO ITS MY OPINION THAT FORD IS OBLIGATED TO CORRECT THIS. WAS TOLD ENGINE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. HAVE HAD A CONSTANT 'TICKING' SINCE PURCHASED. NOW VERY LOUD CLATTERING AND 'RAPPING' NOISES IN TIMING CHAIN AREA. I WAS TOLD THERE ARE 6 CHAINS ON THIS ENGINE AND THEY ONLY REPLACED THE FRONT, SAYING IF THE BACK ONES ARE BAD, THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED...AND THAT THAT IS THE PROBLEM SINCE THE FIRST 2 REPLACEMENTS HAVE GONE BAD AGAIN.*AK

FORD DEFINITELY HAS AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM. IS THE NHTSA GONNA DEAL WITH IT OR, ARE WE GOING TO WAIT TILL WE HAVE ANOTHER WILDERNESS TIRE ISSUE. MY EXPLORER HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN SEVERE SKIP/MISS FOR THE PAST 2-MONTHS. AT FIRST INDICATION....I SCHEDULED IT IN TO MY LOCAL DEALER (ROCHESTER AUTO COLLECTION - A DIVISION OF FORD), WHO DETERMINED THAT IT NEEDED NEW IGNITION WIRES. (MIND YOU, THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 42,000 ORIGINAL MILES, AS I BOUGHT IT NEW). THREE HUNDRED BUCKS LATER, I NOTICE THE VEHICLE PERFORMING NO BETTER ON THE DAY I PICKED IT UP. SO....WE SCHEDULE A SECOND VISIT. DURING THAT VISIT, THEY "DINK AROUND" WITH THE THROTTLE. AGAIN, THE DAY I PICKED IT UP, I NOTICED IT WAS NO BETTER. SO....IN WE GO FOR A THIRD VISIT. DURING THAT VISIT I AM ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAS BROKEN OFF AND THAT THEY WILL NEED TO PULL THE ENGINE OUT TO REPAIR. SO, WE SCHEDULE THAT 3-DAY SERVICE VISIT. AND HERE I AM TODAY.....AFTER HAVING PICKED UP THE VEHICLE, AND NOW IT IS WORSE!! THIS IS A $30,000 VEHICLE WITH 43,000 MILES THAT RUNS WORSE THAN MY SON'S '95 CAVALIER. AS I REVIEW THE DATABASE OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, I NOTE MANY, MANY ISSUES RELATING TO THIS TIMING BELT TENSIONER. SO......WHEN IS THE NHTSA GONNA STEP UP TO THE PLATE, AND MAKE FORD GET THEIR "DUCKS IN A ROW" AND FIX THIS ISSUE. AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, BETWEEN THE TIRE INCIDENT AND THEN THIS, I SINCERELY DOUBT I WILL EVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. *TR

WHEN VEHICLE IS SITTING OR MOVING THERE IS A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS AT REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A CAM CHAIN GUIDE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK DEALER REPLACED THE TIMING CHANIN, ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE.*JB

AN UNKNOWN CAUSE LEAD TO THE HEAD GASKET CRACKING AND THE CYCLINDERS BLOWING-OUT ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH NOW REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 46M MILES AND THE RETURN OF A LEASE ORIGNATED WITH THE DELAERSHIP THAT SOLD THE SAME VEHICLE TO US. THIS WAS FORD CERTIFIED LEASE VEHICLE WE WERE TOLD, WHICH MEANS IT SUPPOSEDLY WNET THROUGH THE HIGHEST INSPECTION UPON IT BEING TURNED IN FROM THE LEASE. THE VEHICLE BROKE-DOWN ON 8/12/01 ON BUSY INTERSTATE 84 AT THE JUCTION OF THE MERGE OF INTERSTATE 91 AND 84, STRANDING MY WIFE ( WHO WS DRIVING) BETWEEN TWO HEAVILY USED HIGHWAYS. BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INHERENT DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. ACORDIG TO THE DEALERSHIP A THEIR FORD REPRESENTATIVE, TARYN, STATED FORD REFUSES TO PAY FANY PART OF THE REPAIR BECUSE THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED AND WE DID NOT DO OUR SERVICE (OIL CHANGES) WITH THE DEALERSHIP, ALTHOUGH WE DID DO SO AT OTHER PLACES. WE WANT FORD AND THE DELEARSHIP TO PAY FOR THE FULL COST OF REPAIRING THIS VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AND WHEN DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL IT WAS STUCK ,CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO GAIN ANY SPEED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND THE CONSUMER NOTICED A MAJOR SHIMMY WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE RESULTING IN FRONT TIRES MAKING NOISE. THE CAUSE WAS DISCOVERED TO BE A MISSING PART CALLED A CAMBER KIT. THE CONSUMER WANTS A REFUND FROM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM. *YH

TREAD SEPARATION - TIRES REPLACED BY DEALER MIKE DAVIDSON FORD, JACKSONVILLE, FL. FIRESTONE CONTACTED - STATED THAT TIRE IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL - ONLY SUBJECT TO STANDARD WARRANTY; REQUESTED THAT TIRE THAT FAILED BE SHIPPED TO FIRESTONE, NORCROSS, GA FOR INSPECTION. WITH THIS TIRE FAILURE, I HAD 4 TIRES REPLACED WITH ANOTHER BRAND AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2UUIPO237 TIRESIZE: P225-70R15)

VEHICLE STALLED AT 25 MPH, ALSO , WHEN GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP RPMS WENT UP TO 4000-5000. MECHANIC THOUGHT VEHICLE STALLING WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK