1998 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I DRIVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE LOCKS ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR HAVE JAMMED, PREVENTING THE OCCUPANT FROM OPENING THE DOOR. THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN VERY COSTLY (AROUND $800 TOTAL), AND THE FAULTY/JAMMED LOCKS HAVE POSED SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERNS, SINCE THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER HAD TO CLIMB OVER THE ARM REST TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE WITH FORD MOTOR CO. ASAP. IT MAY BE TOO LATE FOR ME. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE A HELP TO OTHERS WHO MIGHT HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE A FIRE OR WORSE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WITH MY MOTHER IN THE CAR, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. THE FRIEND WHO HAD TO CLIMB IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE OVER THE ARM REST ENDED UP WITH A SORE BACK. WE WERE OUT OF TOWN WHEN THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

LARGE FUEL LEAK FROM BRAIDED STEEL FUEL LINES WHERE THEY WERE RUBBING AGAINST THEIR BRACE ON THE TOP FRONT OF ENGINE. THEY WERE CUT, WITH A SPLICE PUT IN, AND THE BRACE REMOVED, RATHER THAN A REPLACEMENT. THE REASON BEING THE REPLACEMENT PART COST OF $600. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE PARKED HE SAW SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDERNEATH OF THE HOOD OF HIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND HE WAS ADVISED TO BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER. THE SPEED CONTROL WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED ; WHICH CAUSED FLUID TO LEAK . NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. HE THEN RECEIVED A LETTER FOR RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V399000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WILL CONTACT HIM WITH A RESPONSE WITHIN A FIFTEEN DAY PERIOD. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 155000.

DOOR LOCKS ARE STUCK ON PASSENGER SIDE OF 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG IN OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THEN IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR. IT OCCURS EVERYTIME WE DRIVE THE CAR NOW. WE TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IT WAS 2000 DOLLARS. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THIRD GEAR. FORD DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED FOR 4000 DOLLARS. WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FROM 98-04 EXPLORERS, AS THEY SHARE THE SAME TRANSMISSION. LINK: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/2002/TRANSMISSION/TRANSMISSION_FAILURE.SHTML FEEL FREE TO CALL ME ANYTIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE ENGINE WAS ON SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. WHEN SHE RETURNED THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED WITH SMOKE. SHE REMOVED HER CHILDREN AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. AFTER WAITING FOR FIVE MINUTES THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE FIRE DAMAGE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER XLT WITH ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS. BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS DO NOT OPERATE USING ANY OF THE THREE AVAILABLE METHODS FOR UNLOCKING. THE REMOTE KEY FOB OPERATION, THE EXTERIOR DRIVER DOOR ENTRY PAD OR THE INTERIOR LOCKING MECHANISM DO NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE DOORS SET TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN PUT IN TO ANY OTHER GEAR THAN 'PARK' AND THE DOORS CAN ONLY BE OPENED USING THE INTERIOR HANDLE WHICH IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE REAR DOOR OF MY 4-DOOR VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TODAY TO REPLACE A SIMILAR VEHICLE (1999 FORD EXPLORER XLT) THAT HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THANKFULLY WHEN I TOTALED THE VEHICLE IN AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT THE DOOR DID NOT STICK CLOSE WITH THE LOCK BEING THE CULPRIT. *TR

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE GAS PEDAL SNAPPED OFF AND FELL TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OUT OF THE INTERSECTION WHERE IT HAPPENED. ONCE STOPPED WE DISCOVERED THAT THE WELDS THAT HELD THE PETAL TO THE FIRE-WALL (I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT THE MECHANIC LATER CALLED IT) HAD BROKEN. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO BOLT THE PEDAL BACK ON. WHILE THERE WERE NO INJURIES, OR IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A FAR MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS WE WERE HEADED FOR A BUSY HIGHWAY AT THE TIME. WE FEEL FORD SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS INCIDENT, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COST OF REPAIR, AND TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. *TR

I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, IN MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER, EDDIE BAUER, THIS AFTERNOON ; I WAS ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES OFF THE INTERSTATE. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY GAS PEDAL BROKE OFF AND WAS JUST HANGING THERE. IT WAS A VERY BUSY STATE HWY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH. LUCKILY A CHP OFFICER CAME BY AND PUSHED MY CAR FORWARD TO A WIDER SPOT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME AND TOWED ME TO A SHOP. IT REALLY SCARES ME TO THINK ABOUT IF MY WIFE OR SON HAD BEEN DRIVING AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO OR WHAT WAS WRONG. ALSO, I WAS VERY LUCKY IT DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. AFTER I GOT THE CAR TOWED AND CAME HOME I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM. ON WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM I FOUND 11 OTHER CASES LISTED WITH VERY SIMILAR STORIES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY STOP WORKING. THIS CAUSES DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS IN RAINY WEATHER. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC MODULE IN THE WIPER/WASHERMOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V072000, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE99049 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS) ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED BECAUSE THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 42,000. UPDATED 09/01/09. *LJ UPDATED 09/04/09.*JB