1994 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING, INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE ACCELERATING WITHOUT CAUSE. CONSUMER HA CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTED WHICH STOPPED VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

LEAVES/PINE NEEDLES/DUST, ETC. COLLECTS IN AIR INTAKE; RESISTOR ON BLOWER MOTOR IGNITES MATERIAL. WHEN MATERIAL REACHES HIGH ENOUGH TO CONTACT RESISTOR. NO WAY FOR AVERAGE CONSUMER TO CLEAN OUT MATERIAL. DEALER IN HOUSTON HAD TO REMOVE PARTS, INCLUDING A METAL COWLING TO CLEAN OUT MATERIAL. HEAVY SMOKE FILLED PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WITH MY WIFE, BABY AND I INSIDE. I SMELLED BURNING LEAVES ABOUT 3 MINUTES AFTER STARTING CAR, BUT IN HOUSTON, THE SMELL IS NOT UNCOMMON. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES, I NOTICED SMOKE. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER, I STOPPED, SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND EXTINGUISHED THE SMOKE. DIDN'T WAIT TO SEE FLAMES. THE DEALER THEN CLEANED OUT THE MATERIAL, BUT SAID NO RECALLS HAD BEEN ISSUED, DESPITE THE RECENT NEWS STORIES AND ADMISSION OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE GAS CYLINDER ATTACHMENT BRACKETS PULLED AWAY FROM THE TOP OF THE LIFTGATE. NEITHER DEALER(HUB CITY FORD, CRESTVIEW, FLORIDA OR FORD MOTOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER, WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM.

TRANSMISSION ONLY ENGAGES IN PARK AND REVERSE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REPLACE CONVERTER RESULTED IN COMPLET TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION IS BEING REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURE DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WITH THE EXPLORER. *AK

I HAD THE HEATER/DEFROSTER ON WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM INTO THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS. I SAW A GAS STATION SO I STARTED UP THE CAR AND PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. I TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE HEATING COIL HAD BURNT OUT BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHECK IT OUT. I TRIED THE HEATER A FEW DAYS LATER AND A BURNING SMELL CAME OUT OF THE VENTILATION. I HAVE NOT PUT ON THE HEAT SINCE THEN.

THE FEMALE SIDE OF THE MIDDLE REAR SEATBELT FAILED UNDER THE 5/50,000 RESTRAINT WARRANTY. SEAT BELT HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FROM ASHLEY FORD IN NEW BEDFORD, MA AND UPGRADED TO VEHICLE INOPERATIVE ORDER STATUS SINCE 9/9/98. PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. HAVE TO USE REAR SEAT AND CAN NOT BUCKLE CHILD IN MIDDLE REAR SEAT. THAT OCCUPANT MUST REMAIN UNBUCKLED. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF MASSACHUSETTS STATE LAW.

WHILE PARKING IN DRIVEWAY, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. HAS NOT YET BEEN INSPECTED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *ML

DEBRIS HAS BEEN SUCKED INTO THE AIR CHAMBER BY THE HEATER/ AIR CONDITIONER. BECAUSE THE FAN MOTOR SPEED IS CHANGED BY VARIOUS SIZED RESISTORS IN THIS CHAMBER, WHEN THE FAN OPERATED AT LOW SPEED, IT HEATED THE RESISTORS AND CAUGHT THE DEBRIS ON FIRE, WITH SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE VENTS, NEARLY BLINDING ME THE DRIVER AND BURNING MY LUNGS. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I NEEDED TO CLEAN OFF THE CAR TO PREVENT THIS, AND I PAID FOR REPAIRS. CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHER MEANS TO VARY A FAN SPEED, LIKE MULTIPLE WINDING MOTORS. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THEIR TO CAUSE INJURY OR BURN UP THE EXPLORER.

FAN/HEATER WHEN USED ON PANEL, SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING, IF USED AS DEFROST OR FLOOR I DON'T NOTICE THE SMELL AS MUCH. ONCE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS, WE TURNED IT OFF AND IT STOPPED. A MECHANIC CHECKED IT FOR US AND COULDN'T FIND ANY SMOKE. IT HASN'T SMOKED SINCE THEN, BUT IT CONTINUES TO SMELL LKIE SOMETHING IS BURNING IF WE USE THE PANEL VENTS.

ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FEB 9,15,19,26 1999 THE FORD EXPLORER ACCELERATOR ENGAGED ITSELF, 3 TIMES WHILE COMMUTING ON ROAD APPROX. 30 MILES PER HOUR. EACH TIME THE RPM WAS OVER 4. QUICK ACTION BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH HALTED THE ACCELERATION, WHICH WAS A POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER. THE 4TH TIME HAPPEN WHEN FROM A PARKING STARTUP, (WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELARATOR) THE GAS PEDAL ENGAGED ITSELF, LUCKLY WHILE SITTING IN FRONT OF A MAJOR SHOPPING MALL GLASS PLATE WINDOW THE THE WASN'T IN MOTION. SO WITH THE DEPRESSING OF THE BRAKE PEDAL IT DISENGAGED THE ACCELARATOR. I'VE CONTACTED THE FORD CAR DEALER WITHIN MY AREA FOR SERVICE CHECK AND ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE WITH NO INDICATIONS OF NOTED PROBLEMS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT IT COULD BE THE CRUISE CONTROL CERVIAL, WHICH COULD BE REPLACED FOR $275.00. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE.