Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 98116 | 01/19/1998 | 605577 | Information regarding comprehensive pull and drift diagnostic procedure developed to assist technicians with vehicle service. *tt | 07/12/1999 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 16735 | 04/01/2003 | 10002643 | Various noise issues from the rear leaf springs while driving. *tt | 09/09/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 06/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| My vehicle was purchased as is and i have had some problems with it . i need rocker panels , 3 ball joints and a new muffler. *tr | |||
| 09/27/2007 | 99999 | 5 | 09/27/2007 |
| I was browsing for a used car and came on an add selling cars i had no vehicle i asked if they can pick me up on the other side of the clinton ferry. they said yes they will pick me up. so checked out their inventory. i picked a 1994 ford explorer little damage to the body, tires needed changing, the front windshield has damage, and rear view mirror was gone. i accepted these and asked for a test ride proceeded off the lot there was no gas making a test drive short. it was as if they rushed me through the deal nothing was said about the problems. returning home is when i began running into problems that were safety issues. the rpms had gone to the limits of safe operation exceeding 6,000 rpms and not shifting to a hire gear making the motor screen nearly exploding the motor this is consistent every time you operate. so drove home with this problem. i accelerated and then let off the gas and it then shifted up. i gave it the gas it screamed and i let off the gas and it shifted into the higher gear i also have steering problems it pulls to the left pulling me into on going traffic, shimmies and the tie rods connected to the steering had some play in them. so when i turned left or right i had no steering until it got to certain point where it steered. the vehicle floats like a boat a strut problem. now when i went to estimates for the repairs its parts and labor came too about the same amount i paid for the truck approximately 4,400.00. so now i have this truck i refuse to drive. i told them to come and get it and no way was i going to drive an unsafe truck so it sits in my driveway. i refuse to pay them any money. they haven't called me, nor made any deal. | |||
| 08/06/2004 | 88500 | 8 | 05/25/1999 |
| I bought my 1994 ford explorer (4wd) in may of 1999 and have had numerous problems since. the vehicle had approximately 50900 miles when i bought it. it now has 89000 miles. i have replaced the brake rotors twice and replaced the brake pads three times. the last time i completed brake work was because the left front caliper overheated and failed. i then replaced both front calipers. there is a bad vibration problem at speeds of 55-67 mph. i recently purchased four new tires, had them balanced, had the front end aligned, and replaced the shocks to fix this problem. it still vibrates at the above mentioned speeds. also, the vehicle had numerous problems with the pcm (check engine light). i replaced the pcm as a last resort because i had already replaced all the sensors that could have been causing the problem. replacing the pcm corrected the problem for about a year, but now the check engine light comes on again during initial starting and then goes out after driving about 2-3 miles. i also have a sound coming from my air vents when the a/c is turned on. now for my most recent problem. the temperature gauge was reading hotter than normal so i overhauled the cooling system including: new thermostat, new cooling fan (old one was cracked all around the hub), new fan clutch, new radiator, new engine coolant temperature sensor, and new fluid flush and refill. the temperature gauge still reads the same. i have no idea what to do now. any recall information you could provide would help. i have all receipts for parts purchased and work performed.*ak | |||
| 68000 | |||
| The vehicle vibrated while driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that all explorers experienced this vibration. the vibration has become worse and the driver feels like he's going to lose control of the vehicle. *nlm | |||
| 08/02/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated the upper and lower ball joints were replaced, the vehicle was realigned, and the right camber bushing was installed on the right side.*jb *yh | |||
| 10/25/2001 | |||
| While driving 55-60mph on wet pavement wheel locked ,could not straighten vehicle. took vehicle to repair shop, and mechanic indicated that metal broke out of radius arm. please add vin. *ak | |||
| 10/22/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1993 | |
| Notification program 94m85 on all 1991 & 1992 explorer recall on radius arm insulaters , but not on 1994 explorer which has same defective radius arm insulators. | |||
| 10/18/2000 | 0 | ||
| Radius arm wore out, and if arm came through, driver will lose complete control. *ak | |||
| 01/29/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| My truck was making an awlful clunk nosie from underneath. i went to have it checked and was told it was my radial arm....keeping my tires from shimmying forwards/backwards. i contacted ford on 1-29-00 & was told it was a manf. defect but never recalled so i was responsible to fix it. when the tire recall was announced, my tires were part of the recall, so i called ford again on 08-07-00. they noted my complaint once again and told me it was my responsibility once again. i had it fixed @ ford dealership to the tune of about $400. this was done only a few months ago and now the clunk is back! i also advised ford that i was worried that this might contribute to the problems with the tires...to no avail. i would appreciate it if someone looked into this. please feel free to contact me if needed. *ak | |||
| 08/13/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 75 mph the vehicle lost all control due to possible axle/suspension failure which resulted in vehicle rollover, ford refuses any responsibility. *mjs | |||
| 01/16/1997 | 1 | ||
| Consumer involved in accident due to possible tire failure or suspention problems when the consumer over compensated lane change resulting in rollover (firestone). nlm | |||
| 05/29/2000 | 1 | ||
| Front radius arm bushing was defective and caused car to not steer properly, and makes a squealing noise.*ak | |||
| 10/05/1994 | |||
| Vehicle been experiencing problem with severe vibration when drving at 50-65 mph, causeing steering wheel and vehicle to shimmy. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on six occasions, and problem still occurring. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/03/2000 | |||
| Vehicle been experiencing problem with severe vibration while driving at 55 mph or more. dealer/manufacturer were not notified at this time. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 04/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| The bottom bolt attaching the shock absorber to the frame broke off causing the vehicle to be uncontrollable while braking. nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle roll over due to possible suspension instability. yh | |||
| When traveling at highway speed over 40 mph consumer noticed vibration within front and rear end, making it very difficult to operate vehicle. consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer noted that a tsb was issued on the same problem, dealer knows of the problem and will fix it. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1998 | |||
| Dp98001, the vehicle experiences heavy lateral vibration which may cause loss of steering control. dealer replaced alignment, tires, etc. problem is reoccurring. cause unknown. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1998 | |||
| Vehicle vibrates when it reaches 60 mph or more. dealer notified, and informed consumer that repairs would be made only if charges are picked up by consumer. | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 07/01/1996 | ||
| Vehicle vibrates from beneath. | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 2 | 10/01/1996 | |
| The radius arm busings do not last due to their composition and the positioning near the exhaust system. | |||
| 11/06/1995 | |||
| Vehicle experiences extreme vibration that starts at around 50 mph, and quits at about 65 mph. in addition, when driving faster than 65 mph and hitting a bump the vibration starts back up and continues. ford knew about this problem earlier, and issued a techical bulletin 96-4-15 in february 1996. | |||
| 04/01/1997 | 02/11/1997 | ||
| Vehicle experiences severe vibration. | |||
| 12/02/1997 | 1 | 11/16/1993 | |
| Front end vibrates. | |||
| Vehicle vibrates. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 10/22/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving at any speed the front end will wobble and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified ts | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer stated that they do not own the vehicle anymore, because it was plagued with front-end problems. their concern is that the car, if sold, will cause death or serious injury if driven on the highway. *yd | |||
| 10/01/1994 | |||
| Vibration in steering wheel and floor starting at approx. 60 mph through 70mph. tire balance and new tires did not solve.*ak | |||
| 07/31/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1994 | |
| Brakes are not functioning properly, and had to replace master cyclinder. also, there is manufacturer's recall 96s35 concerning primary assistance booster for 1994 ford, explorer. however, consumer's vehicle is not included due to vin. consumer feels as though ford needs to do something in near future.*ak 4 wheel drive light illuminated and would not go off, dealer replaced shift motor and shift relay. dealer replaced radius arm bushings and caliper slide pins. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle has experienced problems with the suspension system in the right front wheel area (it appears other information was sent by consumer, however is not within the documentation provided for analyst). *mjs | |||
| 02/10/2000 | |||
| Loud noise coming from the front end vehicle been into a dealer shop and independent repair shop, and both were unable to locate problem. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak | |||
| Premature wear of strut arm bushings. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1997 | 5 | 12/10/1994 | |
| While traveling noticed front suspension shaking. . dealer has been notified, can't duplicate problem. *ak the consumer took the vehicle to several dealership but non of them can fix the problem. the consumer bought a fourth set of tires. *yh | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle has had continued problems with the front end vibrating at speeds of 55 mph to 65 mph, several repairs completed (front end alignment and wheel bearing and tire replacements due to wear), however tsb 96-4-15,96-4-16,96-4-17 all describe the front end suspension shake, consumer believes that this problem in conjunction with the tire issue has caused the numerous incidents. *mjs | |||
| 03/24/2000 | 0 | 03/18/1999 | |
| While driving about 40 mph felt vibration throughout the vehicle: console, seats, floor, mirror. manufacturer has a repair kit but only at consumer's expense. *ak.et. | |||
| 11/07/1998 | 1 | ||
| The consumer has been experiencing problems with front end suspension, while driving at about 60mph the vehicle vibrates. *ak *et | |||
| 02/01/1998 | |||
| Tires on the front end cannot stay balanced, the vehicle has had new tires and front balancing. as informed that there was a tsb issued on this problem (tsb 96-4-15, tsb 96-4-16, tsb 96-4-17). ford is aware of the problem, and cannot duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle has severe problems with vibration while driving at high speeds and while braking rapidly. there is apparently a design defect problem with this particular model and ford has a corrective kit available to attach to the rear wheel frame to alleviate this problem. | |||
| 05/05/1997 | 12/01/1994 | ||
| When the vehicle is under 40 mph or above 50 miles the vehicle vibrates badly. the problem has not been corrected. *ak | |||
| 11/15/1996 | |||
| Intermittent shaking at highway speed. *ak | |||
| Owner states that his vehicle vibrates at speeds up to 65 mph and that it vibrates in the floor area and steering colum area. owner notes that it may be a design flaw within these vehicles. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1994 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle misaligned. | |||
| 06/01/1994 | |||
| While driving on highway at 38 miles the car vibrates and shakes the whole car,the consumers have taken the car to the dealer but they have not fixed it. tt | |||
| When driving at 60 or 65 mph there is a from vibration in the truck . tt | |||
| 07/11/1995 | |||
| Front suspension failure, causes difficulty steering, uneven tire wear. *ak | |||
| 12/06/1994 | 6 | ||
| Vehicle lost control at slow speed, resulting in loss of control/rollover. | |||
| 08/18/1994 | 1 | ||
| Left front camber vibrates. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1994 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle's front end misaligned twice. *skd | |||
| Vehicle has severe vibration and can not be driving at hwy speeds. tt | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 07/20/2000 | 2 | ||
| From time to time tires were showing metal wire coming out. this had happened twice, and consumer was thinking it was the ball joints. *ak | |||
| 03/29/2000 | |||
| Consumer took vehicle to dealer because it wasn't shifting. dealer said transmission needed to be replaced. consumer has 70,000 miles on truck, and it was serviced on time. also told that the truck neede new shocks, ball joints, and tie-rods. vehicle has never been driven off-road or in a harsh manner. *ak | |||
| 04/19/1999 | 1 | 08/31/1994 | |
| Ball joints and u-joints failed causing excessive vibrations. mjs | |||
| 1 | 03/05/1994 | ||
| Noise heard in front end due to failure of the u-joints and ball joints. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Ball joints seize, causing front end to veer to either side. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 1 | |||
| The upper and lower ball joints failed. *mjs | |||
| 01/19/1998 | 2 | 11/01/1993 | |
| The lower ball joints failed some what prematurely on this vehicle. i had them replaced under an extended warranty. the alarming part of the lower ball joint looseness was the rapid wear that it caused to the inside edge of the tires. this vehilce went through the state safety inspection at spence ford 5/12/97 with 38817 miles. i changed my own oil twice at 42,039 and 45,175 miles and you can't help but to observe the tires. the point is that by 47,050 the very inside edge of the front tires had worn right down to the steel cord. fortunately for me the tire went flat while sitting in the parkind lot at work. the tires were firestone atxs p235/75r -15 the type and size just recalled and i replaced them with the same. the publicity of this recalled has made me wonder if the lower ball joints on this vehicle may have contributed to some of the tire failures. while the loosenes that developed in the lower ball joints seemed somewhat premature, it is how quickly this caused the tires to wear on the inside edge right down to the steel cords that scares me and seemed extreme in my experience. i was driving on tire that were ready to blow out at anytime before i realized anything was wrong. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 1 | |||
| The upper and lower ball joints failed. *mjs | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 06/02/1998 | 1 | 08/31/1994 | |
| Brake pads, hub seals failed. mjs | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 07/24/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1994 | |
| At speeds of 55 to 70 mph the vehicle shakes and vibrates excessively. dealer recommends replacing the motor mounts and rear axle-to-frame lateral shock absorber.*ak | |||
| 03/29/2000 | |||
| Consumer took vehicle to dealer because it wasn't shifting. dealer said transmission needed to be replaced. consumer has 70,000 miles on truck, and it was serviced on time. also told that the truck neede new shocks, ball joints, and tie-rods. vehicle has never been driven off-road or in a harsh manner. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| All this vehicles seem to have this problem. the bushings on the stablizer bars go bad. which makes control of the vehicle hard. i feel this should be a recall since this is a continueing problem. i was told this repair will only last the most 2 years.*ak | |||
| 06/01/1996 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 65 to 72mph, the vehicle shakes and vibrates due to a probelm with the driveshaft. dealer wants to replace motor mounts and stabilizer bar. dealer also wants to replace the transmission mount, however he is will not guarantee that these fixes will remedy the problem. *slc | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 01/12/2007 | 42000 | 1 | |
| Tl* - the contact stated that the bearings on the 1994 ford explorer were installed incorrectly. the failure mileage was 42,000. the contact cannot give details of the events leading up to the failure. the bearings were not pre-loaded. the wheels on the vehicle were vibrating. the contact was told that the previous mechanic did not preload the bearings. once bearings were loaded properly and the vehicle no longer vibrated. *ak the reapir shop installed the bearings incorrectly, however they denied they did anything wrong. updated 02/27/07. *jb | |||
| 1 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| Front bushings worn out needed replacement. mjs | |||
| 01/20/1995 | 0 | ||
| Front drive axle wheel bearing failed, causing left front wheel to lock up. *dh | |||
| 02/23/1995 | 1 | ||
| Front wheel bearings out of adjustment, causing knock/clunk in front end upon acceleration from stops or when turning. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 7300 | 17 | 05/18/2002 |
| (1) purchase of a new 2002 ford explorer; (2) defective vehicle from the onset. ongoing problems with serious safety issues. (3) have repeated taken the vehicle into the dealership, but the problems have not been rectified. *nm | |||
| 05/02/2000 | 08/01/1994 | ||
| Harmonic vibration occurs at 65 mph not due to tires etc. ford wants to install $1000.00 worth of new parts to correct a design flaw which has been done on newer models. | |||
| 07/25/1999 | |||
| While driving on wet roadway at about 45 mph, rear end began to fishtail and made a complete complete turn and came to a stop on the other side of the road. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1994 | 1 | ||
| Loose sway bar bolts. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 11/15/1994 | 4 | ||
| The vehicle has been to the dealer 4x, for a broken/disconnected rear shock absorber. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS | |||
| 03/26/1998 | 12/01/1994 | ||
| Check noises in rear springs. | |||