1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TRANSFER CASE FAILED WITH NO REASON. THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE IS NEVER USED. WHEN BEING FIXED THEY FOUND CHUNCKS OF METAL IN THE TRANSFER CASE. IT APPEARED TO BE DEFECTIVE. FORD IS IS DENYING THIS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT THE CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE AND THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACED, CONSUMER HAD USED ENGINE PUT IN VEHICLE, CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER (O00M12) EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER (00M12) AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS, IF ANY REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED BECAUSE OF A FAULTY CAMSHAFT CHAIN PRIOR TO DECEMBER OF 2000, FORD WOULD GIVE A FULL REIMBURSEMENT, THE USED ENGINE THAT WAS INSTALLED HAS THE SAME DEFECT AND CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A NEW ENGINE BE INSTALLED PLUS REFUND OF THE USED ENGINE, FORD STATED THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE ENGINE, ONLY GIVE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE USED ENGINE. *SLC

ON 12/18/00-I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO ROMEO FORD,BECAUSE MY MOTOR DIED SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WAITING TO TURN ,ROMEO FORD INFORMED ME THAT SOMETHING IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE MOTOR LET GO AND THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY DID NOT RECOMEND THE MOTOR BE REPAIRED-THAT A FACTORY REBUILD IS RECOMENDED-MY COST WOULD BE 1,600.00-AND THAT FORD WOULD PICK UP THE REST-I THOUGHT GREAT A NEW MOTOR FOR 1,600.00 DOLLARS-I SAID FIX IT-I GOT THE CAR BACK 01/18/01-RUNS GREAT-ON 01/24/01 I GET IN THE MAIL A SAFTY RECALL PACKET FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY-IN THIS PACKET IS A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER-(THATS WHAT LET GO TO KILL MY MOTOR) I THOUGHT GREAT MY NEW MOTOR IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY-I GET MY $1,600.00 BACK! -NOPE- ROMEO FORD -FORD MOTOR COMPANY-WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY EXTENSION-CAN YOU HELP ME?*AK

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES REPLACED 5/13/00 BECAUSE OF CONSISTENTLY UNEVEN WEAR AND CONSTANT ROUGH RIDE, CONSUMER SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT UNDER RECALL (OOT-005), AND IS HAVING TROUBLE OBTAINING REFUND. CJ

I HAD TO HAVE TWO TIRES REPLACED IN MAY 2000. ONE WAS DAMAGED FROM BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE OTHER HAD GONE FLAT AND, WHEN INSPECTED FOR REPAIR, WAS FOUND TO BE CRUMBLING AND IN SUCH POOR CONDITION THAT IT ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN SEPTEMBER 2000 I NOTICED CRACKING AROUND THE EXTERIOR WALLS AND TIRE TREAD, AND IN SOME SPOTS IN THE TREAD ITSELF, ON THE LAST TWO ORIGINAL TIRES. I CONTACTED FIRESTONE REGARDING THE RECALL AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE TIRES CHECKED. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO FIRESTONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD OR WOULD DO SINCE THE TIRES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I CONTACTED NHTSA AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL MIGHT BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THESE TIRES IN THE FUTURE. I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND HAD TO PUT AIR INTO THE TIRES AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK (THE TIRES WERE FILLED TO 30 LBS. PSI, NOT AT THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED PRESSURE). SINCE WE FELT THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE TIRES, WE HAVE REPLACED THEM. IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN EXAMINING THEM, WE STILL HAVE THEM IN OUR POSSESSION. THE EXPLORER IS USED PRIMARILY UNDER MODERATE SPEED AND SHORT DISTANCE CONDITIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING TO THE STORE. THESE TIRES WERE NOT SUBJECTED TO ANY CONDITIONS THAT COULD BE AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS CRACKING. THE TIRES WERE NOT SUBJECTED TO ABNORMAL HIGH-SPEED CONDITIONS, EXTREME TEMPERATURES OR ANY OTHER ABUSE. ALTHOUGH WE NO LONGER HAVE THESE TIRES ON OUR TRUCK, IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THESE TIRES SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BEFORE THERE ARE ANY MORE INJURIES OR DEATHS DUE TO ACCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. *AK (DOT NUMBER: W2HL TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

THE CONSUMERS TIRES WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF TREAD SEPARATION THEREFORE THEY WERE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REINBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRE WERE PURCHASED FROM A COMPETITOR PRIOR TO AUGUST 9, 2000. NLM

SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

REAR TAILGATE DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALR HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

AIR CONDITIONER BLOING ONLY COLD AIR DURING WINTER MONTHS HERE IN NY. MECHANIC SAID BLEND DOOR WAS BROKE AND IN CLOSED POSOTION AND THEREFORE ONLY ABLE TO BLOW COLD COLD AIR. NO HEATER, NO DEFROSTER ONLY COLD AIR FROM ALL DUCKS.MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPLETE HEATER PLENUM BOX ASSEMBLY SHOING ME BROKEN CHEP PLASTIC PART. THE WHOLE DASHBORD CAME OUT AND WAS 2 DAYS OF WORK. COST OF PLENUM BOX ASSEMBLY WAS 160.00 AND BLEND CONTROL UNIT WAS 80.00. THE REST WAS LABOR. FORD GETS 850.00 FOR JOB AS WELL AS 150. TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM.

FIRESTONE TIRE EXPERIENCED A SLOW LEAK, FIRESTONE DEALER STATED THE TIRE HAD SEVERAL HOLES IN IT AND COULD BE REPLACED WITH A $275.00 SIMILAR TIRE TO THE OTHERS, HOWEVER CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE ACROSS THE STREET TO FIND THE TIRE HAD ZERO HOLES, THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY VALVE STEM. *SLC