2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE FOUR 02 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE PERSISTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER SERVICED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO TO LUNCH FROM MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WITH MY CEO. WHEN I SAT DOWN THE SEAT FELL BACK AND THE SEAT BACK WOULD NOT CATCH AGAIN. I TOOK MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS DRIVING HOME THAT EVENING. CONTACTED OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, THEY SAID THE PART WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. THEY NEVER INFORMED US OF A RECALL. UNTIL EXPLORING THE INTERNET TODAY 10-25-2013 WE DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS A RECALL AT ALL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 03V281000/NHTSA ACTION #PE03020 OF AUGUST 5-2013. NOW WE CAN NOT LOCATE THE PART. *TR

THIS WAS A TERRIBLE EVENT... MY CAR WAS AIMED DOWN MY 300 FT DRIVEWAY. I DON'T BELIEVE AT THAT POINT OR IF IT WAS STUCK I DIDN'T KNOW THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK BUT I SOON REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AS I HEADED TO NEW ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL FOR WATER CLASS THE EXPLORER WENT FASTER AND FASTER ON RT 161... THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ALLOW A DOWN SHIFT AT ALL AFTER THE FIRST TIME OR TWO... I MAY HAVE BLOWN IT OUT... THE SUV WENT FASTER AND FASTER AND IN 3RD GEAR IT WAS REVVING SO HARD... WHEN I COULD I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF... I LET IT COOL AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE EXPLORER BUT IT WOULD HAVE RED WARNING LIGHTS WHEN I STARTED IT IN NEUTRAL AS IT REVVED SO HIGH... I PUSHED IT INTO GEAR AND WHEN I GOT TO THE TWO RED LIGHTS I TURNED THE KEY OFF... ONCE I STOPPED IN THE INTERSECTION AND ABOUT 8 CARS WERE HONKING AT ME. I HAD TO DEAL WITH FIVE TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS. WHEN I GOT HOME I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND FOUGHT THE WHEEL TO GET TURNED INTO THE DOWNSWING OF MY DRIVEWAY... I RACED AROUND MY HOUSE TO FACE OUT AND TURNED OFF THE KEY... THE EXPLORER WAS SMOKING AND "LAID RUBBER" AND TORE OUT GRASS IN MY HOUSE... IT ALMOST SKIDDED INTO MY POND. I THINK THE CLUTCH IS BURNED OUT AND THE BRAKE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AS I HAD TO BRAKE ALL THE WAY HOME... I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL IF THAT WAS IT DURING MY TERROR RIDE BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT... THE BRAKES COULD NOT STOP THE SPEEDING VEHICLE, THE GEARS WERE LOCKED WHILE THE SPEED ACCELERATED SO THERE WAS NO DOWNSHIFTING, THE PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT CHANGE SPEED WHEN I PULLED IT UP WITH MY HAND OR TOE OF MY SHOE... *TR

2000 FORD EXPLORER, O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, CAR SPUTTERED, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, CAR WOULD NOT GO AT ALL AS THOUGH IT WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. WILL NOT GO IN GEAR. NO DRIVE, NO REVERSE, NOTHING. TOWED TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP, $1800. TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. *TR

LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINT MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE, I DID GREASE BUT STILL HAVE NOISE. *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING,POWER WINDOWS NOT WORKING, DOME LIGHT NOT WORKING, FOG LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND AUTO NOT WORKING. *TR

SMOKE COMING OUT OF STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURN SIGNAL ENGAGED. TOOK TO DEALER AND TOLD IGNITION SWITCH HAD SIGNS OF A HOT POINT AND WAS MELTING. HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AT A SERVICE STATION, HOWEVER, THEY SAID THEY SAW NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE. *TR

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THREE YEARS AGO IT HAD JUST A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IN IT. LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED IT I HAD TO HAVE A 2ND REBUILT TRANSMISSION PUT IN IT WHEN MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. JUST YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY(I-5 IN SEATTLE, WA) WHEN MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AND I HAD TO COAST ACROSS 3 LANES OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC TO COME TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER BUT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE ENDED VERY DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ONLINE AND AM FINDING THAT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUES THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE! IT MAKES ME SICK THAT FORD HAD YET TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT, WITHOUT WARNING, RECLINED COMPLETELY. MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT THE BOLT HOLDING THE RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN. CURRENTLY USING THE REAR SEAT TO PROP UP THE DRIVER'S SEAT UNTIL A REPLACEMENT SEAT CAN BE FOUND. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BOTTOM FRAME FAILED IN A NON MOVING AREA. THIS CAUSE THE BACK OF THE SEAT TO FALL BACK AS THE HINGE FOR SEAT TILT CAME OUT OF THE TOP DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THANK GOD I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY OR WE WOULD HAVE HAD A WRECK. STRUCTURAL STEEL IN A SEAT FRAME SHOULD NOT FAIL IN AN 8 YEAR OLD CAR. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN A WRECK ON THE SEAT ABUSED. THE DRIVER WEIGH 200 LBS OR LESS. *TR