1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

NHTSA CAMPAIGN #03V281000 SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, WHICH WAS SUBJECT TO THE ABOVE RECALL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO A FORD DEALER SOMETIME IN 2005 TO HAVE SUBJECT RECALL WORK PERFORMED. ALTHOUGH THIS SUV IS USED SPARINGLY AS IT IS MY THIRD VEHICLE (APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES PER YEAR), THE FRONT SEAT HAS SINCE FAILED AS IF THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED AT ALL, OR THE MODIFICATION WAS INADEQUATE. THE FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAS RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NM

1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WITH TIRES THAT WERE RECALLED **CC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS DENIED NEW TIRES. THE TIRES THAT ARE ON THE VEHICLE WERE RECALLED. *JB

I LOST MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS, DOME LIGHTS AND CHIMES, WINDOWS, RADIO, 4X4. AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, I WAS TOLD I NEED A NEW GEM MODULE. AFTER DOING A WEB SEARCH, I FOUND FORD DID A RECALL ON MY SAME VEHICLE STARTING WITH THE YEAR AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS MADE. I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS, AND AFTER TALKING TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR OF VEHICLE. BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *NM

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON 4 LANE ROAD AT 35 MPH THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WIDE OPEN. IMMEDIATELY JAMMED MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO NOT HIT OTHER CARS WHILE TRYING TO USE RIGHT FOOT TO GET BEHIND THE GAS PEDAL AND UNSTICK IT. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET PEDAL UNSTUCK. CHECKED TO ENSURE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PROCEEDING DRIVING WITH HAZARDS AT LESS THAN 25 MPH. WITHIN 10 MINUTES SAME THING HAPPEN EXCEPT THAT THIS TIME I WAS INITIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE PEDAL TO UNSTICK. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, THE PEDAL POPPED OUT OF PLACE. GARAGE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

THE "BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR" THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A NEW IMPROVED PART (F87Z-18471-DA) AT THE CUSTOMER EXPENSE. THE OLD PART WHEN IT FAILS CAUSES A SAFETY ISSUES BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT DEFROST THE FRONT WINDOW UNTIL THE PART IS REPLACED. THIS SHOULD BE A "RECALL" THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR. I HAVE DONE SOME LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE AND MANY VEHICLES (1998 FORD EXPLORER) HAVE HAD THIS SAME FAILURE. *JB

I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER PERTAINING TO THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES DUE TO A BLOW OUT THAT HAD OCCURRED ALL TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE PRIOR TO THE LETTER. I DO STILL CARRY THE P255/70R16 WILDERNESS AS A SPARE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I AM ENTITLED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF MY TIRES. *JB

THE BRAKE LINE ON BOTH OF MY 1996 AND 1998 FORD EXPLORER RUSTED OUT LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ON BOTH SUVS, CAUSING THE BRAKE SYSTEM TO TOTALLY FAIL ON THE 1996 AND LOST ONE SET OF BRAKES ON THE 1998. WE WERE VERY LUCKY. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED WHEN PARKED. *JB

I WAS IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT 12/2003 MY SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN ME, I WAS THE PASSENGER IN MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CAR RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT BOTH AIR BAGS WENT OFF. AT IMPACT I FLEW UP FROM MY SEAT, DIDN'T TOUCH THE AIR BAG BUT I HIT THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE WITH MY FACE. I BROKE THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE, REAR VIEW MIRROR, STEREO, TWO AIR VENTS, AND THE COUNSEL BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS. THE RESULTS FROM MY SEAT BELT NOT WORKING WAS 50 PLUS STITCHES TO MY FOREHEAD AND NOSE, AND A CLOSED HEAD INJURY. NOW I AM SCARED FOR LIFE BECAUSE MY SEAT BELT DIDN'T RESTRAIN ME AND CONTINUES NOT TO WORK. *NM

THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY PROBLEM OR SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT SHOULD STILL BE INVESTIGATED. I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER AND THE LIGHTS ON THE RADIO PANEL NO LONGER WORK. SO I CALLED TO HAVE THEM FIXED WELL THEY CANT BE FIXED YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW RADIO AT $500.00. WELL I WAS NOT GOING TO DO THAT JUST SO THE CLOCK AND RADIO STATION SETTING WOULD WORK. AS I WAS INVESTIGATING WEATHER THIS COULD BE FIXED OR NOT I MET 4 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EACH OF THEM ALSO HAVING TO PURCHASE A $500.00 RADIO SO THE LIGHTS WOULD WORK. THEN I STARTED CALLING FORD DEALERSHIPS AND FOUND THAT EVERYONE I HAVE CALLED HAS TAKEN DOZENS OF PHONE CALLS ON THE LIGHT PROBLEM WITH THE RADIOS. NOW I WOULD SAY AT $500.00 A RADIO TO HAVE THIS FIXED FORD WOULD BE MAKING QUITE A PROVITE OVER SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MINOR PROBLEM. TO ME IT ISN'T A MINOR PROBLEM IF EVERY VEHICHLE THAT HAS THESE RADIOS HAS A LIGHT PROBLEM. TO ME AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKE TO FEEL THIS SHOULD BE FORDS EXPENSE TO FIX THIS NOT THE CONSUMER. IF IT WAS JUST MY RADIO THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT BUT FOR DOZENS AND DOZENS OF RADIOS TO BE THIS WAY IS A BIG PROBLEM. *NM

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY OR BY THE POWER LOCK SWITCH. IF IT IS LOCKED ACCIDENTALLY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE ANY WAY OTHER THAN BY CRAWLING IN FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OR BY PULLING VERY HARD ON THE INSIDE HANDLE WHILE WORKING THE KEY IN THE LOCK. THIS COULD PRESENT A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT IF AN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO FLEE THE VEHICLE. *JB