1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER IN 2003, MY DRIVER'S DOOR HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME TROUBLE WHEN USING THE KEY TO UNLOCK IT. RECENTLY, THE LOCK STOPPED WORKING WITH THE REMOTE AND I WAS FORCED TO OPEN THE FRONT DOOR BY REACHING FROM THE BACK DOOR. AFTER USING THAT METHOD FOR A WHILE, MY INTERIOR HANDLE IS NOW PERMANENTLY BROKEN AND THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM EITHER SIDE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND AN INCONVENIENCE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HATCHBACK LIFT GATE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BALL JOINT ON THE BRACKET CRACKED AND BROKE DUE TO RUST. THE ENTIRE LIFT GATE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB

THE FRONT SIDE PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK OR OPEN AT ALL. THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS BEGINNING TO EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEMS. *NM

DRIVING ON I-10 WHEN MY REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED CAUSING MY SUV TO SERVE AND ALMOST LOSE CONTROL. IT CAUSED OVER $3,000 IN DAMAGE. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. IT IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REVIEWED BY THE TIRE COMPANY TO SEE IF IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S ERROR. *JB

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM MY ENGINE I TOOK IT TO A SHOP TO LOOK AT IT AND THEY NEW WHAT IT WAS RIGHT AWAY IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND THE OWNER OF THE SHOP TOLD ME THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 4.0L ENGINES WITH THAT SAD WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL ON THIS PART THEY MAKE REPLACEMENT KITS JUST FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THIS LEAD TO MORE DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK REPLACING THE CHAIN IN ALL IT'S COASTING ME ABOUT 800 DOLLARS SHOULD THIS BE A RECALL BECAUSE IF THE CHAIN WOULD HAVE BROKE THE MOTOR WOULD HAVE BENT THE RODS IN THE ENGINE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD OF HAPPENED? *NM

THE APPARATUS THAT HOLDS MY SPARE TIRE IN PLACE, BENEATH MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER SLS BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAUSED THE SPARE TIRE TO FALL OUT FROM UNDER MY SUV,ONTO THE ROAD. THANKFULLY, I WASN'T ON A BUSY 65 MPH HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. OTHERWISE, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT INVOLVING VEHICLES BEHIND ME, COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *NM

ON 2/14/03, I WOKE UP SCREAMING THAT I SMELL SMOKE. MY FIANCE JUMPED UP, AND WE SCREAMED FOR EVERYONE TO GET OUT- BECAUSE THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE. THE HOUSE BURNED DOWN WITH ME BREAKING BOTH ANKLES AND MY 2 OLDEST CHILDREN DYING. FOR TWO YEARS I NEVER KNEW WHAT HAPPENED. THE CAUSE WAS LEFT UNDETERMINED. THERE WERE SO MANY HOLES INTO WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT. EVERYTHING WAS INVESTIGATED, EVEN THE STOVE. NOTHING LEADS TO THE FIRE, EXCEPT FOR THE 1999 FORD EXPLORE TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. NO ONE INSPECTED THE TRUCK BECAUSE THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH RECALL. I FEEL THAT HAD WE KNOWN ABOUT THE FORD CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE THOROUGHLY LOOKED INTO, BECAUSE THE PLACE OF ORIGIN WAS IN THE AREA OF THE GARAGE.

WE WERE FORCED TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE FROM HANSEL FORD IN SANTA ROSA WHEN THEY FELT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE 2004 FORD F-150 WE PURCHASED THEY HAD SOLD MY TRADE IN HADN'T MADE A DEAL WITH COMPANY FOR CONTRACT CAME A FEW DAY BEFORE FIRST PAYMENT DUE AND REPOED IT SINCE WE HAVE HAD CAR NIGHTMARES THE SEAT ON DRIVER SIDE BROKE JUST REGULAR TIME IT DOES A LOT OF JERKING AND SPUTTERING THE LIGHT WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO ETC..... PLEASE GET ME A DECENT VEHICLE FOR AFTER. *JB

ON 08/11/05,I HAD A GENTLEMAN INTERESTED IN PURCHASING MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. HE CAME TO LOOK AT IT, HE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD & MENTIONED THAT FORD WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CONNECTORS IN FRONT OF THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR & THAT SOME VEHICLES HAD EVEN CAUGHT ON FIRE! HE SAID IT LOOKED AS THOUGH IT HAD ALREADY MELTED. VERY CONCERNED, I MADE AN APPT FOR THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MOORE MOTOR SALES IN CARO, & HAD THE RECALL DONE. ON MY WAY HOME, I TRIED OUT THE CRUISE CONTROL - TO MY SURPRISE, IT DID NOT WORK! WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD TO FIND THE PART THAT I THOUGHT WAS TO BE REPLACED WAS STILL THERE! SO, I CALLED MOORE MOTOR SALES AND SPOKE TO HEATH PETERS. I QUESTIONED HIM WHY THIS MELTED PART WAS NOT REPLACED AND HE SAID THAT THE ONLY THING ON THE RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE WAS THE CABLE, NOT THE SWITCH. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WAS CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND MYSELF AT 8 MONTHS PREGNANT AS PASSENGERS. HE IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULED ME FOR ANOTHER APPT ON 08/15/05(MONDAY). OVER THE WEEKEND I TOOK THE TIME TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE FURTHER. I DISCOVERED THIS "SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, " HAD BEEN RECALLED IN SOME FORD VEHICLES, UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR OTHERS & MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME SWITCH AS THOSE UNDER THE RECALL. ON MONDAY, I WENT TO MY APPT AS SCHEDULED. I INFORMED HEATH THAT I WANTED TO BE THERE WHEN THEY LOOKED AT MY SUV. I SHOWED HIM & THE SERVICE TECH THE CHARRED SWITCH. THEY BOTH AGREED THAT THIS PART HAD MELTED. I WAS INFORMED HOWEVER THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ON THE RECALL AS OF YET, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE COSTS TO FIX IT UP FRONT, WITH HOPES OF EVENTUALLY BEING REIMBURSED. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER FURTHER, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE SAME PART JUST IN A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. AND I HAVE PROOF THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A DEFECTIVE PART NO MATTER WHAT VEHICLE THEY DECIDE TO PUT IT IN. I THANK GOD THAT NOTHING MORE HAPPEN IN MY CASE. I'M SURE OTHERS WON'T BE SO LUCKY. *NM

COMPLAINED OF LOUS RATTLING NOISE IN ENGINE ON 7/07/03, AND AGAIN ON 09/29/04 AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALER. THERE ARE MAJOR MECHINICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IN CONCERN TO THE ENGINE CAM GUIDES, REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND LOWER BASLL JOINTS WORN, WHY WASN'T MY FORD EXPLORER SPORT RECALLED FOR THESE PROBLEMS OR GIVEN THE SAME TSB AS THE 1999 FORD EXPLORER?