2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC Complaints

THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUOUSLY STALL AT LOW RPMS BUT COULD BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE CAUSE OF STALLING WAS NOT KNOWN . *AK THE DEALERS TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE IAC. *NM

I HAVE HAD POOR FUEL MILEAGE, STALLING OF ENGINE FROM STOP SIGNED INTERSECTIONS AND ENTERING HIGHWAYS FROM SIDE ROADS. COULD CAUSE MYSELF TO STALL IN FRONT OF AN ON COMING VEHICLE, OR FROM GETTING OUT OF WAY OF A DRUNK DRIVER OR ACCIDENT. I HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS. INTAKE MANIFOLD SEALS WERE REPLACED. THE SOHC 4.0 V6 PERFORMED SOME WHAT BETTER, BUT I'M STILL HAVING SOME OF SAME PROBLEMS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS EVEN THOUGH IT DID NOT PREVIOUSLY SHOW ANYTHING WRONG. IT NOW READS CODES PO174/ PO171/ AND PO442 READ BY LOCAL AUTO PARTS DEALER WITH SCANNER FOR OBD11...HE SAID BANK 1 AND 2 WERE RUNNING TO LEAN AND EVAP SYSTEM WAS SHOWING A SMALL LEAK. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND LEAKS IN FUEL RETURN LINES BUT UPON SOME DISSASEMBLY NOTED THAT AIR INTAKE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY MATE SURFACES DID NOT MATE PROPERLY. SAYS THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM COVERED UP BY THE MANUFACTURER. A DEFECT THAT WAS JUST CHEAPLY AND TEMPORARILY SOLVED JUST TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SALES LINE. ANYWAY, RUBBER SEALS THAT HAVE NOT LASTED EVEN 3 YEARS. JUST A RUBBER STUFFING TO GET THE VEHICLE THROUGH INSPECTION UNNOTICED IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME. THIS COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN A DISASTER AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY. IT STUMBLED WITH MYSELF AND MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER UPON ENTERING ONTO A 4 LANE STATE HIGHWAY WHERE TRAFFIC SPEED IS 65 MPH, AND IT WAS A CLOSE CALL AT BEING HIT BROAD SIDE. FROM OTHER FORUMS ON THE INTERNET WHILE TRYING DESPERATELY TO GET AN IDEA AS TO THE PROBLEM FROM OTHERS, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME SITUATION AS MYSELF. LOCATING THE CAUSE AND GETTING IT REPAIRED..*AK

ME AND MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN LONG TIME FORD CUSTOMERS. I MYSELF HAVE OWNED 3 FORDS AND MANY OTHERS IN MY FAMILY HAVE HAD SEVERAL FORD VEHICLES. MY GRANDFATHER WAS A LONG TIME FORD SALESMAN IN BUNKIE, LA. I CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC WITH 46000 MILES. I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE 2 TO 3 GEAR SHIFT SLIPPING. WELL TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I HAD TO GET A TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL TO THE TUNE OF $1,800. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 46000 MILES AND HAS DONE VERY LITTLE LIGHT TOWING AND NO OFF ROADING ETC. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED FORD QUALITY, BUT IT SEEMS HAS DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS OUT ON THIS TRANNY AND I HAVE RESEARCHED AND DISCOVERED MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS FORD KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM, AND I THINK THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT BEFORE THEY LOSE ANOTHER LONG TIME CUSTOMER LIKE MYSELF. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WILL BE PURCHASING A NEW CAR SOON, BUT PLAN TO TAKE MY BUSINESS TO OTHER BRANDS DEALERSHIPS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING,THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL BY SLOWING DOWN THE ACCELERATION OR COME TO A COMPLETE STOP . THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE POWER STEERING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A SOLENOID SWITCH. *NM A WHINING SOUND BEGAN AROUND 25K MILES. THERE WAS A JERK IN THE STEERING WHEEL. AT 48800K MILES, THE VIBRATION WAS CONSTANT WHENEVER THE VEHICLE MADE TURNS. THE POWER STEERING WAS REPLACED AND THE VALVE IN THE RACK AND PINION. *SC *JB

CURRENTLY FORD HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM UNDER ONP 00M12 WHICH EXTENDS THE WARRANTY FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ON, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, 2001 EXPLORER SPORT TRACS. ACCORDING TO FORD'S SYSTEM, MY CAR, WHILE A 2001 SPORT TRAC WITH THE SOHC MOTOR, IS NOT COVERED. I AM AT THIS TIME EXPERIENCING THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE COVERING UNDER THIS EXTENSION, BUT FOR SOME REASON MY CAR IS EXCLUDED. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY HAD NO INFORMATION WHY MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED, BUT DID ADMIT THAT 2001 SPORT TRACS WERE PART OF THIS EXTENDED COVEREAGE. THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY DETAILS OR FACTS TO SUPPORT THEIR REASONING. IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE SOHC MOTORS, THUS THE REASON FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, MY CAR SEEMS TO BE NOT PART OF THIS PROGRAM, THUS NOT COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY, YET I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS WHAT IS COVERED.*AK

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF MY FORD EXPLOER SPORT TRAC IN DEC, 2000, I HAVE DEALT WITH A STEERING SHUDDER. I HAVE HAD 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIRES ON THE VEHICLE AND ALL EXHIBITED THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, BUT THEY WERE NOT SURE OF THE CAUSE. TODAY I CALLED FORD AND THEY ARE SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF THE NECESSARY REPAIR TO ME DESPITE THAT I BROUGHT THIS UP AT LEAST TWICE DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS ESPECIALLY BAD ON WET SURFACES. I THINK THE REPAIR SHOULD BE DONE AS A RECALL AND NOT BURDEN THE CONSUMER ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE FORD DEALER'S ATTENTION DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN OUT THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH MY VEHICLE. IT CAN AFFECT THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING ON WET PAVEMENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND HAD A BUMPY RIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DIFFERENTIAL AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH. *AK THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

THE BRAKES FAILED. THIS CONSUMER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM BY A PASSING MOTORIST. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT A VERY LOW SPEED VEHICLE SURGED BY APPLYINGTHE BRAKES. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE SHOOK. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ,AND DROVE IT TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT AXLE SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK