1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

BOTH SEAT RELEASE LATCHES HAVE BROKEN OFF. BACK OF DRIVERS SEAT WILL NOT RELEASE(TILT FORWARD) TO ALLOW ACCESS TO BACK SEAT. PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NOT SLIDE OR TILT FORWARD TO ALLOW ACCESS TO REAR SEAT PASSENGER SEAT BROKE ON 3/30/03. PASSENGER SEAT LATCH REPAIRED (SPOT WELD) DRIVERS SEAT BROKE ON..*AK

ALL 1998 V-6 EXPLORER ENGINES (NOT SURE IF OTHER MODELS ARE INVOLVED) HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CARBON BUILDUP. MY 1998 EXLOROER SPORT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THIS PROBLEM AT 43,694 MILES (ENGINE PERFORMANCE WAS AFFECTED). THE DEALER CHARGED ME $388 FOR THE DECARBONIZATION PROCESS. THIS WILL BE A RECURRING PROBLEM. I WROTE TO FORD WITH MY COMPLAINT AND REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. RECEIVED TELEPHONE CALL TELLING ME I HAD TO RESOLVE WITH THE DEALER. DEALER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY. I WROTE BACK TO FORD TELLING THEM I HAD GONE TO THE DEALER AND FELT THIS WAS FORD'S PROBLEM TO RESOLVE. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, WHICH CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND PROVIDE THE SERVICE AT NO COST TO CUSTOMERS. *AK

THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT RECLINER ON MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. *NLM

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND BROKE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. THEREFORE THE SEAT BACK ADJUSTMENT HANDLE NO LONGER WORKS. ALSO, THE FRAME ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR IS CRACKED NOW. *AK

VEHICLE MAKES A VERY LOUD HUMMING NOISE WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON AND THE CAR IS RUNNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IDLING OR IN TRAFFIC.*AK

NOT A SAFETY ITEM. HOWEVER THERE IS A RADIO DISPLAY PROBLEM WITH THE FORD EXPLORER'S. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE RADIO DISPLAY WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE EXPLORER'S. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $275. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, I WONDER WHY IT IS NOT A RECALL ITEM. I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE FORD HAS SCREWED OUT OF $275 FOR A PROBLEM CAUSED BY THEIR FAULTY RADIOS AND NOT BY FAULT OF CONSUMERS. *NLM

SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AND PARK LIGHTS TURNED ON ALTHOUGH THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION. ALSO MOVING THE MULTIFUNCTION LEVER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN SIGNAL ,THE INSTUMENT PANEL SHOWED THAT THE LEFT SIGNAL LIGHT WAS STUCK "ON" AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DIDN'T WORK AT THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE TRUCK. HOWEVER, THE RIGHT SIGNAL HAS NEVER MALFUNCTIONED. THIS IS VERY TROUBLING. THIS EVENT OCURRED TWICE WITHIN A WEEK. DEALER HAS REPLACED TWO RELAYS(I PAID FOR), ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THIS IS THE FIX.*AK

BLEND DOOR IN THE VENTILATION SYSTEM DOES NOT OPERATE. LEADS TO HEAT IN THE SUMMER AND DIFFICULITY DEFROSTING THE WINSHIELD IN THE WINTER. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 1998 EXPLORERS. I ALSO HAD THE EVAPORATOR TANK REPLACED LAST YEAR. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED TO FIX. I ALSO HAD TWO SETS OF BRAKES AND ROTORS ON THIS VEHICLE AND THE RADIO STILL DOES'NT WORK RIGHT. *JB

WHILE TRAVELLING AT 75 MPH ON I-10, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED AND DISINTEGRATED.

VEHICLE HAS AIR LEAKS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO HAVE AN ERRATIC IDLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PH