2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD. THIS OCCURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. UPON INSPECTION, A FRACTURE WAS OBSERVED ON THE FRAME OF THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE . THE FRACTURE BECAME LARGER OVER TIME. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FRACTURE, BUT RECOMMENDED REMOVING THE BOLTS, AND ADDING A METAL PATCH TO THE FRAME. UPDATED 06/07/2006. *AK *TS

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE LOWER BALL JOINTS IN MY 2003 SPORT TRAC MULTIPLE TIMES. AT 37000 AND AT 60000 MILES. *NM

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 1/12/06 AT 6:15 AM. IT WAS RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY HOOD FLEW UP. I COULDN'T SEE A THING. I HAD TO MERGE OVER 3 LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK COMPLETELY COVERED MY FRONT WINDOW. WHEN I GOT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY A HIGHWAY PATROL STOPPED. HE SAID THAT HE WAS AMAZED THAT I WASN'T SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN DEAD. I GOT THE HOOD TO COME BACK DOWN. THE HOOD WOULDN'T LATCH BECAUSE IT WAS BENT UP. I HAD TO DRIVE 15 MPH DOWN THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY UNTIL I COULD TAKE AN OFF RAMP. I HAD TO TAKE ALL THE BACK ROADS AND DRIVE DOWN THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD TO GET BACK HOME. MY HUSBAND AND I PULLED UP THE HOOD AND WERE SHOCKED TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. THE HOOK THAT LOCKED DOWN MY HOOD WAS GONE. THE ENTIRE HOOD HINGE AND ATTACHMENT WAS MISSING. THE ONLY WAY WE KNEW IT WAS EVER THERE WERE THE 2 SCREWS THAT HELD IT THERE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY KIND OF DISMISSED IT LIKE I WAS OVERSTATING THE FACTS. THE HOOD WAS SHUT. I DIDN'T HIT A POT HOLE OR ANYTHING. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE TRUCK OVER TO THE DEALERSHIP. AS SOON AS THEY SAW IT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. IT HAD TO BE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THEY SAID THEY HAD TO LOOK IT OVER AND TALK TO THEIR MANAGER AND THEN THEY WOULD CALL US. WE CALLED BACK ON FRIDAY, 1-13-06. THEY ASSURED ME IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND THEY WERE GOING TO REPLACE THE HOOD, GRILL AREA UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND DO SOMETHING WITH THE TO FRONT QUARTER PANELS BECAUSE THEY WERE BENT UP FROM THE HOOD FLIPPING UP. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE DONE BY TUESDAY AND AT NO COST TO ME. IT IS 1/19/06 AND THEY TOLD MY HUSBAND THEY HAVEN'T ORDERED ANYTHING AND THEY SAID THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME. THEY SAID THEY AREN'T PUTTING NEW PARTS BACK ON MY TRUCK. WHY IS THAT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR FORD'S MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE KILLED ME. *JB

WHEN FILLING GAS TANK OF FORD SPORT TRAC, GASOLINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING SPRAYED OUT OF FILLER PIPE COVERING MY CLOTHS WITH GASOLINE. I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND TOLD IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. NEXT TIME I FILLED THE TANK, GASOLINE AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING ERUPTED FROM FILL PIPE AND SPRAYED ON MY SHOES AND PANTS. AGAIN RETURNED THE AUTOMOBILE TO DEALER AND TOLD THAT THE VENT PIPE HAD WATER IN IT. TOLD THAT IT HAD BEEN FIXED. AFTER AUTO RETURNED IT FILLED ONCE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. HOWEVER, THE SECOND TIME I TRIED TO FILLED IT, GASOLINE SPRAYED OUT OF FILL PIPE. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO DEALER. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A FORD "SERVICE BULLETIN" ON THE VEHICLE INDICATING THAT VENT HOLE WAS TOO LARGE AND WATER AND OTHER MATERIAL COULD THEREFORE INTO VENT PIPE. DEALER REPAIRED AUTOMOBILE BUT WOULD NOT RELEASE AUTOMOBILE UNTIL $500.00 REPAIR BILL PAID, DESPITE FORD ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN CERTAIN SPORT TRAC MODELS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT, CAUSING GASOLINE TO SPRAY ALL OVER PEOPLE AND RUN OUT ON THE GROUND. WITH THE ADMISSION THAT IT IS A DEFECT, FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL ALL SPORT TRAC AND PAY FOR REPAIRS. DOES IT REQUIRE THAT SOMEONE FIRST BE BURNING TO DEATH BEFORE APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN? *JB

DT THE PASSENGERS REAR DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR HANDLE WAS STUCK. HAD TO GET OUT AND OPEN THE DOOR IN ORDER TO GET THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN. NOW, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR THE HANDLE HAS BROKE OFF. STARTED NOTICING THE PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LATCHES ON JULY 31, 2005. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE OVER $300.00 TO HAVE THEM FIXED. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC SPECIAL EDITION WITH AVALANCHE ON THE BACK WAS HAVING A STALLING PROBLEM. THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE LIGHT BLINKED ON THE DASHBOARD, AND THEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF THE POWER. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE REPAIR SHOP SEVEN TO EIGHT TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP LONGER THAN IT HAS BEEN WITH THE CONSUMER. THE DEALERSHIP PUT THE EDR ON THE TRUCK, AND FOUND NO INFORMATION. THE TRUCK STALLED WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP WAS STUNNED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS. THE CONSUMER WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. HE TRIED TO TRADE THE TRUCK IN FOR A NEW VEHICLE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT GIVE THE CONSUMER ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY DID NOT WANT THE TRUCK AND WOULD BE AFRAID TO SELL THE TRUCK TO SOMEONE ELSE. THERE HAVE BEEN ENGINEERS FROM FORD TO EXAMINE THE TRUCK AND STILL NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. SPEED WAS 30 MPH AND UNDER. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD PERSONALLY, AND THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

ISSUE IS NON SAFETY RELATED. ISSUE WITH KNOWN MANUFACTURERS DEFECT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED AND WILL NOT BE REPLACED. PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. DESIRED FEATURE WAS HARD TONNEAU COVER TO KEEP BED DRY AND SECURE. COVER LEAKED. TOOK BACK TO DEALER AFTER APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF TO GET REPAIRED AND WAS TOLD THAT "LEAKING" WAS NOT A COVERED ITEM PER FORD WARRANTY GROUP AND THAT IT WAS EXPECTED. TOLD TO RESOLVE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE IF HAD FURTHER QUESTIONS. CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE TO CLARIFY WHY THEY DIDN'T CONSIDER LEAKING A COVERED ITEM AND WAS TOLD IT WAS COVERED AND THEY WOULD WORK WITH DEALER TO UNDERSTAND WHY NOT FIXED. GOT CALL BACK NEXT DAY STATING THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF LEAKING ISSUES AND WHILE SHOULD BE A WARRANTY COVERED ITEM, THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX OR IF THEY EVER WOULD. WAS TOLD TO CHECK BACK PERIODICALLY TO SEE IF ANY FIX HAD BEEN ISSUED. FORD IS NOT HONORING THEIR STATED WARRANTY. IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS SINCE MY 2003 WAS PUT ON THE MARKET AND STILL NO FIX FOR THE ISSUE WHICH FORD SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF. MY $600 SPENT ON A TONNEAU COVER TO KEEP THE BED DRY IS WASTED AND FORD IS STILL SELLING THIS TONNEAU COVER TO OTHER CONSUMERS.

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH DRIVER HEAR A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR LEFT TIRE BLEW OUT. DRIVER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *AK

MY AUNT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE FRONT PILLAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE COLLAPSED ALLOWING THE ROOF TO COLLAPSE ALMOST DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WAS ALSO A LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS ON THE VEHICLE. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT ENGAGE MOST OF THE TIME. I POWER THE SYSTEM ON, BUT WHEN PRESSING THE SET BUTTON, THE SYSTEM POWER QUICKLY BLINKS ON AND OFF. BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED, IT OCCURS AT ANY SPEED.*AK