1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED HOT. DROVE TO DEALER 5 MILES AWAY. DIGNOSIS: BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYVEHICLE WAS GOING UP A HILL WHEN IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND SUDDENLY CUT OFF DUE TO A BROKEN TRANSMISSION PART.

INTERMITTENTLY BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. IT FEELS LIKE "DRIVING ON ICE" WHICH MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

THIS IS A LEASED VEHICLE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE DOOR LOCKS AND TAIL GATE LOCK HAVE A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THE LOCKS TO GO UP AND DOWN AND THE MOTOR TO STAY ON INSIDE THE DOORS CAUSING THEM TO OVERHEAT AND CREATE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS. THE FUSE HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO SHUT THE LOCK MECHANISHMS OFF, THE FORD COMPANY REFUSES TO FIX THIS DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE.

SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE PULLING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT RETURN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL AND RUN OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE STOPPING. NO INJURIES TO REPORT. *AK

BOTH REAR INTERIOR DOOR LATCHES FAIL TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. FIRST THE RIGHT REAR DOOR FAILED TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE, THEN THE LEFT REAR ALSO FAILED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT "TRAPS" THE REAR PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS IS FROM THE OUTSIDE. I CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPAIR.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 20-25MPH, FORWARD DRUM BROKE ON THE TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE KEPT TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE WOULD WORK FINE IN REVERSE, BUT NOT IN FORWARD. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL SETTING, UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM WITH CRUISE CONTROL HOWEVER CONSUMER HAD IT DISCONNECTED. MJS

TRAVELLING AT 45MPH IN CENTER LANE OF 6 LANE HIGHWAY WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC IN A MODERATE RAIN STORM. ROAD WAS STRAIGHT. DID NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. DID NOT APPLY BRAKES. VEHICLE STARTED FOR NO APPARENT REASON TO SPIN BY ITSELF TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS MOMENT, BRAKES WERE APPLIED HARD AND STEADY. VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AND CONTINUED TO SPIN TURNING BACKWARDS REGARDLESS OF FRANTIC TURNING OF STEERING WHEEL INTO TURN INTO THE SKID. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL BACKWARDS AND SLIGHTLY TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE SLOWED SOMEWHAT, BUT CONTINUED TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE REMAINING LANES OF THE HIGHWAY AND SHOULDER HITTING THE GUARDRAIL WITH THE LEFT REAR CORNER FIRST, THEN BOUNCING UNTIL THE RIGHT FRONT HIT THE GUARDRAIL AND FINALLY STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS NOW FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC. ABS DASH LIGHT WAS BURNING INDICATING A FAILURE. THE IMPACT KNOCKED MOST OF THE AIR OUT OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WHICH CONTINUED TO HOLD AIR PERFECTLY ONCE REINFLATED. MY PASSENGER WAS SLIGHTLY HURT ON THE SCALP AND CHEEK. SEATBELTS WERE BEING WORN. THIS FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. THE REPAIRS WILL REACH ABOUT $8000.00. I HAVE REQUESTED TO THE REPAIR SHOP TO PROVIDE ME AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE ABS LIGHT IS STAYING ON AND IF IT COULD HAVE GONE ON CAUSING THE START OF THE VEHICLE ROTATION. THIS IS THE 3RD EXPLORER I HAVE OWNED AND HAVE CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE DRIVING THESE TYPE SUV'S IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. SOMETHING HAD TO CAUSE THIS ACCIDENT OTHER THAN DRIVER ERROR.