1997 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK EXCESSIVELY. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. HE NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE WAS SPLIT IN HALF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING IN THE VEHICLE. SHE THEN SAW A BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND A PERSON CAME UP TO THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HER TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. ANOTHER PERSON APPROACHED THE SCENE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT BY THIS TIME THE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEY USED UP THE ENTIRE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT COULD NOT PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE TIRES EXPLODED AND ALL OF THE WINDOWS BLEW OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, THEY TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH WATER PRESSURE BY THE TIME THE SECOND FIRE TRUCK CAME OUT THE FIRE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE GASOLINE TANK. LUCKILY THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE IT GOT TO THE GAS TANK, BUT THE THING THAT IS LEFT OF THE VEHICLE IS THE METAL FRAME. SHE HAS NOT YET CALLED FORD, BUT BELIEVES THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE DAMAGES WERE SO SEVERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO TELL WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. ALL SHE KNEW WAS THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TRIGGERED THE FIRE. SHE NEVER RECEIVED ANY SORT OF RECALL NOTICE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 5/18/09 *CN ACCORDING TO THE FIRE INSPECTOR, A FUEL TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE FROM RETURN HOSE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. UPDATED 05/20/09*JB

1997 FORD EXPLORER 4.0 SOHC, MY ENGINE IS MAKING A TERRIBLE RATTLE SOUND WHILE RUNNING, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY THAT ITS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS, AND THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP OWNERS TO GET THIS REPAIRED. *TR

THE RIGHT REAR LEAF SPRING IS BAD AND THIS CAUSES THE TIRES TO WARE WHICH HAS CAUSED US SEVERAL DOLLARS TO REPLACE TIRES. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT LEAF SPRINGS DON'T GO BAD BUT MINE HAS. *TR

I BOUGHT A 1997 FORD EXPLORER ON FEBRUARY 23, 2008. ON OCTOBER 3, 2008 I USED MY EXPLORER TO JUMP ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAD THE NEGATIVE CABLE GROUNDED TO A BRACKET RIGHT NEXT TO THE BATTERY (THE MOST OBVIOUS PLACE TO GROUND TO). WHILE TRYING TO JUMP THE OTHER VEHICLE FUEL STARTED LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINES THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THAT BRACKET. THE FUEL LINES WERE MELTED BECAUSE OF JUMPING ON THAT BRACKET AND THERE WAS FUEL RUNNING OVER THE JUMPER CABLES AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT MOST LIKELY KILLED IF THE JUMPER CABLES SPARKED. I WAS LOOKING ON THE INTERNET TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HAVE THE FUEL LINES REPLACED AND I STUMBLED ACROSS A RECALL STATING THAT ON MY SPECIFIC EXPLORER " THE 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. CONSEQUENCE: THE FUEL LINES CAN LEAK, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WARNING LABEL ON THE FUEL LINE BRACKET ADVISING OWNERS NOT TO USE IT FOR A JUMP START GROUND." I WENT AND CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF WARNING AND THERE WAS, BUT IT WAS NOT ON THE FUEL LINE BRACKET LIKE THE RECALL SAID THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD DO, IT WAS ON THE FUEL LINES AND TUCKED UP BEHIND THAT BRACKET WHERE IT WAS IN NO WAY VISIBLE UNLESS YOU KNEW IT WAS THERE. SO NOW IM GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $608.05 FOR FUEL LINES BECAUSE FAULKNER-CIACCO FORD DEALERSHIP DID NOT SERVICE MY EXPLORER CORRECTLY. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ASKING IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE FORD, OR THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY SINCE THE WARNING LABEL WAS NOT CORRECTLY PLACED ON MY VEHICLE. THE FORD RECALL # IS 98S09. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HIS VEHICLE (NUMBER 98S09) REGARDING THE WARNING LABEL THAT WAS TO BE INSTALLED ON THE FUEL BRACKET; HOWEVER, HIS WAS INSTALLED ON THE FUEL LINE ITSELF. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 102,266.

FORD 4.0L SOHC TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. CURRENTLY MY TIMING CHAINS ARE STILL IN ONE PIECE. THE PLASTIC TENSIONERS BREAK, LEADING TO CHAIN SLACK, AND EVENTUALLY, BREAKAGE. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT IT AS OF YET, THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THEM IS TO BUY $500-$600 WORTH OF PARTS AND TOOLS, REMOVE THE ENGINE FROM THE CAR AND REPAIR AND REPLACE THE TIMING CHAINS AND GUIDES. *TR

THE FRONT SUSPENSION BAR LINKS ARE BROKEN, THE FOG LIGHTS OF THE EXTERIOR DOES NOT WORK. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1997 FORD EXPLORER WHEN SHE SAW WHITE SMOKE COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE WAS PARKED IN MCDONALD'S PARKING LOT. SHE CALLED ME TELLING ME THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I ASKED HER IF THERE WAS LIQUID RUNNING FROM THE CAR AND SHE SAID YES. IT WAS CLEAR AND ON THE DRIVES SIDE. THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE. WHEN I GOT TO THE BODY SHOP TO SEE WHAT THE DAMAGES WERE I FOUND THE MASTER CYLINDER COMPLETELY MELTED AWAY AND THE WIRE HARNESS BURNT. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL MOTOR BIKE LODGED UNDER THE VEHICLE, WHICH SOMEHOW CAUSED IT TO CATCH FIRE. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT CABIN SEATS WERE DESTROYED. THERE ARE THREE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RECALLS ON THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF THE VIN WAS INCLUDED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE RECALL NUMBERS AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,000.