1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

PE00-020; P25570R16, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, ALL 4 TIRES HAD TREAD PULLING AWAY FROM TIRE, ESPECIALLY ON DRIVER'S REAR TIRE CONSUMER CAN ACTUALLY SEE STEEL BELT. *SLC

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 PROBLEM WITHIN THE LAST FEW DAYS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION. EPEOPLFORE THIS HAS OCCURRED ON TW. *AK

FIRESTONE TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION BEFORE RECALL 00T005, CONSUMER IS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING REIMBURSEMENT.

THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED (REPORTEDLY) CAUSING THE CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATE - REFUSING TO DECELERATE. THIS "AGGRESSIVE" FAILURE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I HAD TO REACT AND TAKE THE CARE OUT OF GEAR - SINCE IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT A SPEED OF 47-55 MPH AS I TRIED TO BRAKE. FORTUNATELY I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO REACT QUICKLY - ALTHOUGH I JUST MISSED TAIL-ENDING CARS ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN THIS OCCURED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE COST OF REPAIRS WAS ABOUT $480. FORD MOTOR CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND NO RECALL ON FAILED THROTTLE BODIES ON EXPLORERS. SIMILAR CLAIMS WERE MADE ABOUT FIRESTONE TIRES ON EXPLORERS AND 133 PEOPLE HAVE DIED BEFORE THERE WAS A RECALL. MY STAFF MAINTAINS A LARGE MUNICIPAL FLEET AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH A DANGEROUS/AGGRESSIVE FAILURE THAT CAUSE AN AUTOMOBILE TO FAIL OR PERFORM JUST THE OPPOSITE OF HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO. THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN 3 WEEKS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FATALITIES. I'M NOT HAPPY - AND NOT EVEN SURE THAT THE PART REPLACED IS THE SOLE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: OWNER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION. OWNER PURCHASED NEW TIRES ON HIS OWN AND WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE ATX, ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 50,000. *AK

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1996, FORD, EXPLORER. LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND CREATED A VIBRATION. TREAD KEPT REMAINING WAS 6/32 AND 7/32 INCHES.CONSUMER WILL HAVE THE FIFTH TIRE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE.*AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION ON TWO FIRESTONE ATX TIRES AND REPLACED ALL TIRES WITH GOODYEAR. *YH

STEEL BELTS EXPOSED THROUGH SIDEWALL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

FIRESTONE AT TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY AND CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL HARD TO THE RIGHT, CONSUMER PURCHASED NEW TIRE FOR THE LEFT FRONT SIDE AND PUT THE SPARE ON THE RIGHT AND DOING THAT IMMEDIATELY SOLVED THE PROBLEM, IT APPEARED THAT THE BELTS HAD SLIPPED ON THE FRONT TIRES WHICH CAUSED THEM TO WEAR AND PULL THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER HAD TIRES REPLACED WITH WILDERNESS HT WHICH WERE MADE IN DECATUR PLANT AND WANTS THEM REPLACED WITH TIRES FROM ANOTHER PLANT. NLM

CONSUMER HAS HAD 6 FLAT FIRESTONE TIRES INCLUDING ONE FROM A PLASTIC CUP THAT WAS RUN OVER. NLM

WHILE GOING UP A HILL GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO FLOOR, CONSUMER TRIED TO GET PEDAL UP, IT WAS LIKE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR, THE ONLY WAY CONSUMER COULD STOP WAS TO TURN OFF VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT AS IF SHE WAS GOING DOWN A HILL THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT.*AK