2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP FROM ANY SPEED BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER HAS TO STAND ON THEM IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE DEALER STATED THE ROTORS HAD BEEN CUT AND HOT SPOTS DEVELOPED. *AK

I PURCHASED A FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC IN DEC. 2002. I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT A NUMBER OF TIMES. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF ITEMS THAT I'VE HAD REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY: 1.) FRONT BRAKES: A LOUD RUBBING/GRIDING SOUND BECAME INCREASINGLY LOUDER. THE FIRST TIME THE SERVICE DEPT. FOLKS SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE NEXT TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR IN, THEY COULD DENY THE NOISE AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACE ONE ROTOR AND RESURFACED THE OTHER. 2.) REAR AXLE: A BROKEN SEAL ALLOWED HYDROULIC FLUID TO COVER INSIDE OF THE REAR WHEEL CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN BRAKING. THE SERVICE DEPT. REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY 3.) THE TRANSFER CASE FOR THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WAS LEAKING FLUID. THE SERVICE DEPT. REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. 4.) THE VEHICLE STALLS A NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF TIMES (10-15 TIMES) SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. IT STALLS WHILE I'M DRIVING AT 35 MILES PER HOUR, IN REVERSE, DAY OR NIGHT. WHEN I GO FOR AN ERRAND AND PARK, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. AN HOUR LATER, WHEN THE TOW TRUCK IS THERE, THE VEHICLE START. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!! THE SERVICE DEPT. SAYS THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE NOTHING REGISTERS ON THE COMPUTER AND THEY CANNOT SIMULATE THE PROBLEM. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED (08-04-04) MERGING ON TO THE FREEWAY IT STALLED. UPON START-UP, BLACK SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE EXHAUST AND IDLING WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH. I HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE DEPT REPLACED A MASS AIRFLOW METER UNDER WARRENTY. THE VEHICLE RUNS...I'LL CROSS MY FINGERS!! MY CURRENT PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRONT TIRES ARE SEVERLY CUPPING AND THE FRONT END VIBERATES AT 60 MPH AND OVER. THE VEHICLE HAS 25K MILES AND THE TIRES HAVE BEEN ROTATED 5 TIMES ABOUT EVERY 5K MILES. I HAD THE WHEELS CHECKED FOR ALIGNMENT AND BALANCE AND IT IS TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE SERVICE DEPT SAYS ITS NORMAL AND TO CONTINUE WITH THE ROTATIONS. THE TIRES ARE WEARING UNEVENLY AND PREMATURELY. THE TIRE SHOP RECOMMENDS THAT THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE DEPT DOES NOT.*AK

REAR ENDED , SUBSTAINED SURIOUS INJURIES, 2000 FORD EXPLORE DRIVER SEAT ROKE WHEN OTHER CAR REAR ENDED ME , IT WAS THE RECLINER BOLT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE GAS PEDAL SEPARATED FROM IT'S LINKAGE AND FELL ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE TRUCK. THIS RESULTED IN THE DRIVER NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE DRIVER THEN PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE GAS PEDAL CABLE HAD BROKEN AT THE CONNECTIONS. *JB

THE PAINT IS BUBBLING AND PEELING FOR THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALSO NOTICED DRIVER SEAT FEELS LOOSE. NOW TODAY NO A/C. DOES NOT GET COOL. *LA

THIS DISCREPANCY APPLIES TO A EXPLORER SPORT TRAC NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP IN SEPT 2001. THE VEHICLE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE REACHED 15,000 MILES. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATED THAT IF THE LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT AFTER 3 CONSECUTIVE COLD STARTS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE WINDOW FOR SERVICING AT ITS 15,000 MILE CHECK-UP ANYWAY, SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND SHOWED THEM THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. I EXPECTED THE VEHICLE WOULD BE FINISHED WITH ITS REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM FIXED IN A DAY OR TWO. I WAS WRONG, AND FROM READING SIMILAR PROBLEMS REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS, IT APPEARS THIS COULD BE A TREND FOR THE SPORT TRAC MODEL- IF NOT FOR THE ENTIRE EXPLORER GENRE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING AND IT WAS WHAT WAS CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THEN I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD OFTEN NOTICED DROPS OF FLUID ON THE DRIVEWAY EACH TIME I BACKED OUT. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS CONDENSATION FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. I DIDN'T CARE WHAT IT TOOK TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER HAD TO ORDER A WHOLE NEW GAS TANK, BECAUSE AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, THE FUEL PUMP WAS INTEGRAL TO THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL TANK AND PUMP ASSEMBLY WAS NOT IN STOCK AND HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM THE FACTORY. THE DEALER SUPPLIED A RENTAL CAR WHILE THE SPORT TRAC WAS BEING REPAIRED. IT TOOK 2 WEEKS FOR THE DEALER TO RECEIVE THE FUEL TANK AND PUMP. AFTER THEY RECEIVED IT, IT ONLY TOOK TOOK A COUPLE OF HOURS FOR THE TECHNICIAN TO INSTALL IT AND CHECK IT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY REPAIRED AND I NO LONGER SEE ANY DROPLETS ON THE DRIVEWAY, NOR IS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. MOST OF THE TWO WEEKS THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS DUE TO AWAITING PARTS. ANY FUEL LEAK SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CRITICAL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I ASKED THE DEALER'S REPRESENTATIVE IF THE TANK/PUMP PROBLEM WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MODEL AND THEY DENIED IT. *AK

MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC STALLS WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD. IT'S LIKE YOU'RE TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS AND BACK ON IT AGAIN EXCEPT THAT ISN'T WHAT I'M DOING. TODAY IT DID THAT AND THEN WENT DEAD WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD PLACE BUT THEY SAID WITH NO LIGHTS ON IT WOULDN'T DO ANY GOOD TO HOOK IT UP TO A MACHINE. THEY SAID IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM ELECTRONICS, FUEL PUMP, ETC. MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT IN ABOUT 4,500 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR WITH THE STALLING OUT BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT ACTUALLY WENT DEAD WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR THAT IT HAS STALLED AT LEAST 25 SEPARATE OCCASIONS BUT ONLY 1 TIME SO FAR DID IT GO DEAD. *NM

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED THE WRONG GAS MEASUREMENTS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED AND DURING RAIN OR SNOW VEHICLE HYDRO PLANED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT GOODYEAR TIRES CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HYDRO PLANE. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. GOODYEAR, SIZE 255/70R/16, DOT NUMBER T301936GRF70M4MWS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND COMING INTO A TURN CONSUMER STARTED TO BRAKE. THE BRAKES GRABBED SEVERELY, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COLLIDED WITH A GUARD RAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AND BOUNCED TO THE LEFT, COLLIDING WITH AN EMBANKMENT. CONSUMER STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE LEFT WINDOW, AND THEN DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES FROM THE GLASS, AND BURNS FROM THE AIR BAGS. THE POLICE DID ARRIVED, AND CONSUMER WAS CITED. *AK