1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORTS THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE ENGINE WAS OFF AND PARKED IN MY GARAGE. I PARKED THE CAR AT AROUND 7:00 PM AND AROUND AFTER 10:00 PM HEARD A LOUD EXPLOTION IN THE GARAGE. MY FAMILY WAS ALREADY IN BED AND I WAS WATCHING TV. WHEN I OPEN THE ACCESS DOOR TO THE GARAGE THE FRONT PART OF THE EXPLORER WAS IN FLAMES. WE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE, BUT THE CAR IS RUINED. MY SECOND CAR IS DAMAGED AND MY GARAGE IS ALSO DAMAGED. NO ONE WAS HURT BECAUSE WE GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE ON TIME.*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY, REMOTE, KEY PAD ENTRY OR WITH DOOR HANDLE INSIDE. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998 EXPLORER SPORT.*AK

I TOOK MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP BECAUSE MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING (I CAN ONLY GUESS HOW LONG THEY WERE NOT OPERATING). AFTER DOING A DIAGNOSTIC THEY DETERMINED I HAD TO REPLACE MY (FORGIVE ME, AS I AM NOT MECHANICAL, BUT IT IS ALL ON MY RECEIPT) CRUISE CONTROL HARNESS AS THE COMPONENT HAD COMPLETELY MELTED. MY CRUISE CONTROL HAD STOPPED WORKING A COUPLE OF MONTHS EARLIER, BUT I HAD NOT BOTHERED TO FIX IT. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD GOTTEN SO HOT THAT IT BURNED A HOLE THROUGH MY MASTER CYLINDER SO THAT IT ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AM NOTIFYING YOU BECAUSE I FEEL MY AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY WERE JEOPARDIZED IN THREE WAYS: INOPERABLE BRAKE LIGHTS, THE FIRE HAZARD OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND CONSEQUENTLY POOR BRAKES.*AK

REAR WIPER MOTOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN. WIPER JAMS AND HAS TO BE PHYSICALLY ROCKED TO UNJAM. PROBLEM IS YOU COULD BE DRIVING IN RAINSTORM & COULD NOT USE WIPER AT THAT CRITICAL TIME. THIS VEHICLE IS PAST WARRANTY NOW.*AK

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ON 3/29/05 WHILE DRIVING MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION XLT THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. I PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE AND CHECKED ALL DOORS, ALL DOOR WERE CLOSED PROPERLY. THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND SHUT THE DOOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I HAD TO REMOVE THE FUSE TO MAKE LIGHTS GO OUT, BUT WHEN I AM DRIVING I HAVE NO INTERIOR LIGHTS AND I CANNOT PUT DOWN WINDOWS

SPEED CONTROL SWITCH FAILED ON MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER, RESULTING IN CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE, MAJOR ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT, BLOWN 20A FUSE, NO TAIL LIGHTS, LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM MASTER CYLINDER THRU FAULTY SWITCH, AND WIRES, SWITCH AND CONNECTOR BURNED APPROXIMATLY SIX INCHES BACK FROM SWITCH. SWITCH WAS BURNED, ALSO. A NEW SWITCH WAS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, ALONG WITH A PIGTAIL (WIRES & CONNECTOR), THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE BLED AND A NEW FUSE INSTALLED. AT THAT TIME, I KNEW NOTHING OF A DEFECT. FORD SAID NOTHING OF THE PROBLEM. THE REPAIR WAS MADE 1/14/05. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEGE, THE DEFECT IS NOT CORRECTED, BUT ONLY REPAIRED AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL, IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY 1998, EXPLORER, SPORT. I HAVE SAVED THE OLD SWITCH. THE NEW SWITCH NUMBER IS SW-5945, F3TZ-9F924-BB. *AK

1998 FORD EXPLORER CAUGHT FIRE AT 4:30 AM,UNDER THE HOOD ENGULFED IN FLAMES CALLED FIRE DEPT THEY CAME AND PUT FIRE OUT. THE WHOLE ENTIRE MOTOR, AND FRONT OF TRUCK RUINED,NOT DRIVABLE. I FILED A CLAIM WITH FORD THE DAY AFTER FIRE,THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE LIABLE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON 1998 EXPLORERS. *JB

THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM OF MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR OF MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT IS BROKEN. A SMALL METAL PIN BROKE WHICH MAKES THIS LOCKING MECHANISM NOT WORK. SO SOMETIMES I HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH TO THE PASSENGER SIDE TO GET OUT IF MY VARIOUS TECHNIQUES DO NOT WORK TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE METAL PIN WILL EVENTUALLY CORROD AND BREAK SO I HAVE NOT YET FIXED IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAVE NO FAITH IN A PRODUCT THAT WILL MOST LIKELY BREAK AGAIN. I THOUGHT I WAS WAS JUST HAVING THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I VISITED THIS MESSAGE BOARD (HTTP://WWW.OFFROADEXCHANGE.COM/MODFORUMS/INDEX.PHP?BOARD=9;ACTION=DISPLAY;THREADID=1749;START=25). I REALLY HOPE YOU INVESTAGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEBODY IS IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION AND TRAPPED IN THEIR EXPLORER BECAUSE THE METAL PIN OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM BROKE. THANK YOU. *AK

DOOR LOCK WAS NOT WORKING WHEN IT WAS COLD. NOW, DOOR LOCK ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS COMPLETELY OUT, THE KEY JUST TURNS IN THE LOCK AND DOES NOT WORK. THE OTHER LOCKS (PASSENGER AND BACK WINDOW) DO NOT WORK EITHER. YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KEY MANY TIMES BEFORE LOCK WORKS, THEN YOU HAVE TO EITHER CRAWL OVER THE SEATS OR PRESS THE UNLOCK BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE LOCK ENGAGES. I WAS OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES TRYING TO GET THE LOCK TO WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR BECAUSE DRIVER'S SIDE IS BROKEN. ON GOING PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS.*JB

I OWN A FORD EXPLORER 1988 BOUGHT NEW IN 1999. I HAVE ONLY 36.000 MILES ON IT AND LAST MONTH I WAS JUST DRIVING FOR ABOUT 2 MILES WHEN I SENSED A POWERFUL SMELL OF GAS. PULLED OVER IMEDIATELY, OPENED THE HOOD A I SAW GASOLIN POURING ON THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERIES FROM THE TWO FUEL LINES GOING INTO THE FEUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IN TOP OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS. IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE THE FORD DEALER WHERE I HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM(700$ !!!!). OLD ME THEY ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM OTHER TIMES. PLEASE DO AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE PEOPLE WILL DIE BURNT ALIVE. I DROVE NEW, OLD AND VERY OLD CARS AND I HAVE NEVER HAD OR HEARD OF THIS KIND OF PROBLEM. *AK IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL DO SOMETHING THANKS SORIN