1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN 1200.00 REPAIRING THIS VEHICLE LATELY. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

ABS BRAKES SYTEM WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. ABS BRAKE SYSTEM CONTINUED TO FUNCTION THROUGH DRY WEATHER ANY TIME BRAKES WERE APPLIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CANYON LOST ALL BRAKE POWER AND FLUID. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. ALSO, VENT HOSE CAME OUT OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL, LAYING ON TOP OF BRAKE LINE, AND WORE A HOLE IN LINE. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK A WORN HOLE IN THE RUBBER BRAKE LINE CAUSED THE FAILURE. *SLC

THE VEHICLES FIRESTONE TIRES WERE RIDING EXTREMELY ROUGH, TIRES WERE TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THEY WERE INCLUDED IN RECALL 00T-005, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES AND SUBMITTED ALL PAPER WORK TO THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HAS NOT RECIEVED REIMBURSEMENT OR CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN 10 MONTHS (FIRESTONE). NLM

PASSENGER RESTRAINT DID NOT RELEASE AT THE BUCKLE OR RESTRAINT. OWNER HAD TO CUT RESTRAINT TO RELEASE PASSENGER. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND NEITHER ACCEPTS FAULT OR LIABILITY OF FAILED PART. *AK

ONE YEAR AGO I REPLACED FOUR FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WHICH WERE SHOWING VISIBLE SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION WITH NEW BFGOODRICH (MICHELIN) TIRES. TODAY I NOTICED THAT TWO OF THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE SUFFERING FROM TREAD SEPARATION IN THE EXACT SAME MANNER AS THE FAILED FIRESTONES. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAILED TIRES IF THEY WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANKS, MATTHEW A. TRESKOVICH. *AK (TIRESIZE: 235/75R15)

VEHICLE HAD SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT CAMSHAFT HAD FAILED. PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL, AND WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH CONSUMER LOST STEERING CONTROL AND VEHICLE DROPPED TO RIGHT SIDE. DEALER IS REPLACING BROKEN RIGHT TIE ROD. IN OCT 1997, LEFT TIE ROD HAD BROKEN.*AK

ON 6/30/01 THE TIRE TREAD ON THE LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) REAR TIRE OF OUR 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE TIRE. THIS RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE INJURED WHILE THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY SHOOK AND CHANGED DIRECTION MULTIPLE TIMES. BOTH PEOPLE WERE IN THE FRONT SEATS AND WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS. ONE PERSON HIT HER HEAD ON THE SIDE WINDOW AND IS NOW EXPERIENCING NUMBNESS IN ONE OF HER HANDS AND OTHER AREAS. BOTH PEOPLE SUFFERED WHIPLASH AND SPRAIN TYPE OF INJURIES. THERE WAS NO IMPACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES OR OBJECTS DUE ONLY TO THE LOCATION OF THE ROAD AND THE TIME AT WHICH THE TREAD SEPERATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. IF THE TREAD HAD COME OFF THE TIRE 5 SEC. EARLIER MUCH MORE SERIOUS INJURY AND PROBABLY DEATH WOULD HAVE RESULTED AS THE VEHICLE WAS CROSSING A BRIDGE WITH A LOW GUARD RAIL. IF THE TIRE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON A RAOD WITH ANY HEAVIER TRAFFIC PRESENT A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN UNAVOIDABLE AS THE VEHICLE JUMPED FROM LANE TO LANE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHEN THE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE TIRE IT CAME OFF IN ESSENTIALLY 1 PIECE AND IN 1 ROTATION OF THE TIRE. THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WAS NEARLY INSTANTANEOS. THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS A RESULT OF THE TREAD SEVERING CABLES, BENDING THE BODY AND UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR AS WELL AS SHATTERING THE TAIL LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN FROM LAS VEGAS, NV TO VISIT REALITIVES NEAR TEHACHAPI, CA. THE TIRE FAILURE HAPPENED AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON HWY. 58 APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES OUTSIDE OF TEHACHAPI, CA. THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT LEFT LAS VEGAS. UPON STOPPING, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE TREAD WAS BEGINING TO SEPERATE FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS WELL. IF IT HAD BEEN THE FRONT RATHER THAN THE REAR TIRE THAT FAILED FIRST, OR IF BOTH HAD FAILED AT THE SAME TIME, A ROLLOVER AND VERY SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITY WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY HAPPENED.*AK (TIRESIZE: 235/75/R15)

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 40 TO 50MPH, WHEN IT WAS REARENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. VEHICLE COMPLETELY ROLLED OVER, AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. NONE OF AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE FOUR INJURIES.*AK