1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

BROKEN BLEND DOOR IN 1998 FORD EXPLORER, A/C ONLY RUNS ON HIGH AND HEAT ONLY RUNS ON HIGH, COMMON PROBLEM ON NUMEROUS EXPLORERS FROM 1995 TO 1999-2000. FORD EITHER STATES THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT, OR ITS NOT A BIG DEAL BUT EITHER WAY WILL NOT COVER THE 800.00 TO 1,000.00 COST TO REPAIR THE BROKEN DOOR UNIT.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WOBBLES AND IS NOT STURDY. DEALER WILL FIX THE SEAT AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED WHILE ACTIVATED ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY IN WASHINGTON D.C. TRAFFIC. THEN REALIZED THE HORN HAD FAILED AS WELL DAYS LATER. THE FORD DEALER SEEMS AWFUL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE NEED TO REPLACE A "CLOCK SPRING" IN THE STEERING COLUMN.*AK

WE HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER, WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS AT DIFFERENT TIMES GETTING THE TRUNK OPEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN UNLOCKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ONE TIME WE WORKED ON IT FOR OVER AN HOUR BEFORE GETTING IT UNLOCKED. THIS MIGHT BECOME A PROBLEM IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OR SOMEONE OUT OF THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. *NLM

ALL 1998 V-6 EXPLORER ENGINES (NOT SURE IF OTHER MODELS ARE INVOLVED) HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CARBON BUILDUP. MY 1998 EXLOROER SPORT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THIS PROBLEM AT 43,694 MILES (ENGINE PERFORMANCE WAS AFFECTED). THE DEALER CHARGED ME $388 FOR THE DECARBONIZATION PROCESS. THIS WILL BE A RECURRING PROBLEM. I WROTE TO FORD WITH MY COMPLAINT AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. RECEIVED TELEPHONE CALL TELLING ME I HAD TO RESOLVE WITH THE DEALER. DEALER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY. I WROTE BACK TO FORD TELLING THEM I HAD GONE TO THE DEALER AND FELT THIS WAS FORD'S PROBLEM TO RESOLVE. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, WHICH CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND PROVIDE THE SERVICE AT NO COST TO CUSTOMERS. *AK

VEHICLE ENGINE IDLE WILL JUMP UP TO 2300 RPMS WHILE IN PARK OR NETURAL WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL, A/C AND ACC'S OFF. THE ONLY WAY THIS IS NOTICED IS WHEN YOU SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING, OR HEAR THE TRANSMISSION MAKING A CLUNKING SOUND TYRING TO DOWNSHIFT AT SUCH A HIGH RPM. VEHILCE WILL ALSO INCREASE SPEED ON IT'S OWN WITHOUT PRESSING GAS PEDAL. IT'S ALMOST A DAILY OCCURANCE.

2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED...TENSIONER PULLEY FAILED (BROKE OFF) WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. SERPENTINE BELT CAME OFF, CAR OVERHEATED/ENGINE FAILURE/ETC. FIRST TIME WAS AY 40,000 MILES. THIS TIME, AT 102,000 MILES. TOWED TO A TEXACO STATION IN ABERDEEN, MD. SERVICE MANAGER SAYS TENSIONER PULLEY FAILURE COMMON IN EXPLORERS. HAD TO REPLACE PULLEY/BELT. ONCE I RETURNED HOME TO NJ, I STARTED TO NOTICE MINOR DRIPPING OF RADIATOR FLUID. 2 WEEKS LATER, IT ALL GUSHED OUT, CAUSING ME TO ALSO REPLACE MY RADIATOR. TO KNOW THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TWICE, CAUSED SECONDARY DAMAGE BOTH TIMES, AND THAT YOU GET LEFT STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY EACH TIME IS VERY CONCERNING.

HAVE BEEN HEARING LOUD TAPPING NOISES FROM ENGINE-BROUGHT IT TO STADIUM FORD AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FRONT TIMING CHAIN AND GASKETS WHICH THEY REPLACED FOR $300 (NO DISCOUNT) NOISE HAS CONTINUED SO NEVER BROUGHT CAR HOME FROM DEALERSHIP SAME DAY. LEFT CAR AT FORD SERVICE CENTER (STADIUM AUTO MALL RUTHERFORD, NJ) AND NOW BEING TOLD IT IS THE LOWER/REAR TENSIONER AND WAS ADVISED FORD HAS A PROGRAM FOR THIS DEFECT YET WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS FOR ME. THEY WANT ME TO PAY $2100 MINIMUM TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT WITH CAMSHAFT TENSIONERS. HOWEVER THIS DEFECT/PROBLEM HAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN TO CAUSE ENGINE DMAGE OTHER THAN W/THE TENSIONERS. ALSO READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHERE WAS COVERED. MADE COMPLAINT W/FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND WAS ADVISED THAT CAR W/EITHER 7 YEARS OR UNDER 100,000 MILES IS COVERED. YET THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT COVER IT AND MY TRUCK IS UNDER 7 YRS AND UNDER 100,000 MILES...AT THIS POINT HAS BEEN 3 WEEKS AND STILL HAVE NOT COME TO RESOLUTION AND MY TRUCK IS STILL IN THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. STILL WAITING FOR MANAGER/OWNER TO CONTACT ME BACK...*AK

NHTSA RECALL 98-V-060-000:VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L SINGLE OVERHEAD CAM ENGINES. ENGINE FUEL LINES CAN BE DAMAGED IF THE VEHICLE IS JUMP STARTED AND THE GROUND CABLE IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL LINE BRACKET THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE BATTERY. SINCE THE BRACKET IS NOT GROUNDED, THE STAINLESS STEEL FUEL LINE BRAID COULD ACT AS A GROUND POTENTIALLY OVERHEATING THE PTFE INNER LINER OF THE FUEL LINE, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLEDE DUE TO THE VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH ON A BUSY ROAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR . DEALER FOUND THAT PEDAL MOUNTAIN ATTACHMENT WAS BROKEN. *AK