Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||||||||||||
| 00V402000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 08/11/1994 to 10/31/1996 | V (Vehicle) | 810000 | 12/15/2000 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/28/2000 | 11/29/2000 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. under certain conditions, a front sway bar link can fracture. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace both the left and right front sway bar links. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began december 15, 2000. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 15692 | 03/01/2002 | 636326 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak, snap, rattle, or clunk in the front end when turning or going over bumps. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| 5249 | 12/01/1998 | 615366 | Information on vehicles exhibiting steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 4634 | 08/01/1998 | 615172 | Steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns. *tt | 01/03/2001 | |
| 13426 | 10/01/1999 | 609691 | Exhibiting very light steering vibration / shimmy / nibble at engine idle or low speeds. *tt | 04/06/2000 | |
| 97050110613 | 05/01/1997 | 52892 | When performing tsb 97-4-9, do not use a baffle to correct hte issue, use the revised axle cover plate. *tw | 10/30/1997 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 98-4732 | 09/01/1998 | 607144 | Steering wheel shimmies, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns.. | 11/02/2000 | |
| 985045 | 11/01/1998 | 613097 | Revised message regarding steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns action on sohc equipped vehicles, perform tsb 98-21-01. *tt | 06/16/2000 | |
| 98021698311 | 05/27/1998 | 600596 | Some vehicles may exhibit a drift/pull, show signs of tire wear, or exhibit poor ride quality. *yc | 05/27/1998 | |
| BC5231961101 | 11/01/1996 | 50842 | Vehicle lean. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - AIR SUSPENSION - LINES AND FITTINGS | |||||
| 9749 | 02/17/1997 | 51692 | Axle- front axle leaks fluid from vent tube- vehicles built through 8/96 equipped with 4x4 and awd. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | |||||
| 16385 | 11/01/2002 | 10008322 | Air ride control lamp on after shock absorber replacement / contact request. *tt | 07/27/2004 | |
| BC1019497230 | 01/23/1997 | 51553 | Vehicles may exhibit reverse operating characteristics when switching the air suspension switch from normal to off road. *jd | 06/27/1997 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - TORSION BAR | |||||
| 00M11 | 09/01/2000 | 625866 | Information regarding front sway bar link . *yh | 12/10/2001 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||||
| 7360 | 11/01/1999 | 610786 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak noise from the rear while driving, especially when going bumps. *tt | 05/15/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 16735 | 04/01/2003 | 10002643 | Various noise issues from the rear leaf springs while driving. *tt | 09/09/2003 | |
| 00M11 | 10/01/2000 | 618536 | Subject regarding additional coverage program for sway bar links. *jb | 04/16/2001 | |
| 0083 | 04/17/2000 | 613577 | Some vehicles equipped with a 5.0l engine may exhibit a rubbing noise during right hand turns from the rear of the vehicle. **mr | 07/21/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||||
| 13415 | 10/01/1999 | 609679 | Exhibiting a squeak type noise from the rear stabilizer bar while driving, especially when going over bumps. *tt | 04/06/2000 | |
| BC0881961004 | 10/04/1996 | 50438 | Thump/clunk noise in turns or over bumps may be caused by the kevlar patch wearing through on the torsion bar adjusters. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| PE00039 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/20/2000 | 11/30/2000 | FRONT SUSPENSION STABILIZER BAR LINK | 00V402000 | |
| Alleged that one or both front stabilizer bar links break, contributing to vehicle oversteer and excessive suspension travel | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 12/18/2012 | 170000 | ||
| I replaced the front hub assemblies in december 2011 with parts purchased from autopartsmidwest.com. on december 18, 2012, the left hub assembly failed and the wheel came off. the outer portion of the ball bearing race came off the splined hub. i was going very slowly at the time the failure occurred and there was no injury or damage other than to the hub assembly, caliper bracket and some other brake parts. the total cost of repair parts not including labor is about $500. i have no knowledge of the manufacturer of the hub assembly. it should be reasonable to expect a critical part like a hub assembly to last more than about 6000 miles. if the hub assembly had come apart two minutes or a half mile earlier, i might not be filing this report. i have asked autopartsmidwest to refund the purchase price of the defectuve hub assemblies as well as the cost of replacement parts. the sale of dangerously defective parts by autopartsmidwest and other on line seller must stop. it is impossible to inspect something like a hub assembly to verify its quality. buyers must depend on the seller and manufacturer to provide safe car parts. | |||
| 11/22/2010 | |||
| My wife and i are scared to drive our 96 explorer once we learned of all the recalls ( rear side glass, bad suspension, exterior lighting, headlights.) just to name a few i know of. | |||
| 04/01/2008 | 140000 | 1 | 10/15/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. while driving between 45-55 mph, the vehicle began shaking and could not be steered. the vehicle flipped and rolled over. the contact and her baby received minor bruises. the vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. the contact has pictures available. her vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v402000 (suspension). the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 140,000. | |||
| 03/23/2008 | 164827 | 1 | 10/30/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. while driving 20 mph, the contact lost control of her vehicle when she drove over a bump. there is a recall for the suspension (nhtsa campaign id # 00v402000) however; the manufacturer stated that the repair was previously performed. the current and failure mileages were 164,827. updated 04/11/08 *bf the consumer stated the sway bar link broke. updated | |||
| 10/03/2007 | 172000 | 1 | 01/19/1996 |
| I bought my 1996 explorer new on 01/19/1996 from wade ford smyrna ga. i have not had any other mailing address other than the one where i lived at time of purchase and i still live there today. ford did not send me a notice of nhtsa id # 00v402000. can you please have ford send a notice that i can take to a ford dealer for the specified repairs? i learned of the recall 10/3/07. thank you. *tr updated 12-12-07. *kb updated | |||
| 08/08/2004 | 1 | ||
| Sudden tread separation on left rear tire of ford explorer caused loss of control and on-road rollover. tire was a cooper eldorado radial zr1, size p23575r15, dot# 3dhlekn2900. | |||
| 05/07/2003 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| We purchased our vehicle used in 1999 with 33000 miles. 6 months after the purchase we needed a new transmission, another new transmission last year (2002), new ball joints, and now we are being told the rack and pinion needs to be replaced. ford has not offered any recalls on this part but i have seen other complaints regarding this. my vehicle is constantly shaking (feels like i am going over rumble strips) when i am over 30-40 mph. we also just had our vehicle aligned and it is out of alignment again because of this problem. *jb | |||
| 03/14/2003 | 4 | ||
| The recall componet regarding the front sway bar link failed four times. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer received recall notification (00v402000) consumer then took vehicle to his own personal mechanic who performed the work, consumer then took the service invoice as well as recall notification into dealership, the dealership then inspected the vehicle to verify that the proper repair had been done, consumer was then told that the paperwork would be processed for reimbursement, but consumer never heard back from dealership, consumer then contacted dealership and was told that his request for reimbursement was not processed because the vehicle identification number was not listed on the invoice, consumer then went back to his mechanic and obtained the additional information that was needed, consumer was then told by dealership that they would now process reimbursement request but was not sure if manufacturer would approve request even with the additional information, consumer is seeking assistance with reimbursement if denied. *jb | |||
| 09/10/1999 | 1 | ||
| The driver of the vehicle was involved in a accident, the vehicle was hit on the rear left side which caused the driver to loose control of the vehicle resulting in it rolling over 3 1/4 times, the passenger was killed and the driver sustained extensive injuries including a broken neck, the consumer believes that the recall 00v-402 for front sway bars may or may not have contributed to the accident and was received after the accident occured, during the accident neither air bags deployed. nlm | |||
| 11/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| The sway bar (00s47) and two firestone tires failed prior to recall notices, while the consumer was attempting to dodge another vehicle in front of his vehicle two of the firestone tire failed and the sway bar broke causing the vehicle to rollover 3 times into a ditch, the consumer sustained cuts, bruises and muscle pulls and tears in the upper body (firestone wilderness at 255/70r16). nlm | |||
| 07/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Sway bar link failed prior to recall 00v402, however wheel bearing also had to be replaced on the first failure prior to the recall, consumer is questioning if the sway bar link breaking causes the wheel bearing to go out also. *slc | |||
| 03/31/1999 | 1 | ||
| The consumer discovered that front sway bar link was missing which caused a banging noise in the front end, this problem occured prior to recall notice 00v-402. nlm | |||
| 01/12/2000 | 1 | ||
| Owner demanded vehicle after waiting 2 1/2 hours to have recall (00v-402)work performed, owner was not told job was completed, owner drove 31 miles to another dealership only to be told that recall work was performed by first dealership. cj | |||
| 02/20/2001 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had found a safety notice from manufacturer that vehicle may be affected with sway bar problem. consumer had experienced this problem when driving over a pothole, could feel vehicle wandering side to side. then, had taken vehicle for check up, and dealer told consumer that vehicle could not be taken care under recall because they found out that vehicle had been involved in a wreck. *ak dealer sent consumer reimbursement. *slc | |||
| 01/19/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer has experienced various suspension problems, installation of the caster/camber kit was necessary to properly align the vehicle, however consumer was in an accident due to possible suspension problems which caused the vehicle to fishtail and crash into a utility pole, two injuries due to collision. *mjs | |||
| 01/19/2000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer has experienced various suspension problems, installation of the caster/camber kit was necessary to properly align the vehicle, however consumer was in an accident due to possible suspension problems which caused the vehicle to fishtail and crash into a utility pole, two injuries due to collision. *mjs the consumer now believes the accident was due to the advisiory to inflate all 15 inch tires to 26 psi, the consumer had 45 psi on rear tires and the dealer deflated them to 26 psi which she believes caused the vehicle to spin out of control. nlm | |||
| 06/12/1999 | 100 | 06/01/1999 | |
| I bought this suv used and i thought i was getting a great vehicle, boy was i wrong. it has been one thing after another with this suv. please check all of my complaints this is an interior problem, these things cannot be caused by evey day use. the problems i am having are, back seat door handles are broke, the spare tire release broke the first time it was used, the air bag light went off and caused an inconvience to my family, the tires have been replaced and the alingment hasen't been right sense i've owned it, the back seat doesn't work properly, it will not release to fold forward, and the motor on the hatch hasen't worked properly from day one of my ownership. please help me with this matter. thank for all you do. margie hulsey. ml | |||
| 05/02/2000 | 3 | 11/01/1995 | |
| Consumer had vehicle new michelin tires, and was serviced for the abs light and two days after work completed vehicle flipped over for no known reason (02-may-00), dealer claims it is no fault of the abs, the vehicle flipped on two other occasions (07-oct-00 and 14-oct-00). *mjs | |||
| 10/23/2000 | |||
| Noise was coming from vehicle. been in dealer shop on several occasions, and informed consume rthat nothing could be found. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.*ak | |||
| 06/15/1998 | 0 | ||
| While wife was driving felt some vibration and started to slow down, then automibile began to sway- later, found out from the police officer that firestone tire that was on and tread had began to peel off. *ak | |||
| When making a left turn or when going over bumps in the road a squeaking noise occurs within the front driver's side wheel area. dealer cannot identify the problem. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 06/12/1998 | 12/01/1996 | ||
| While traveling at 50 mph, day-time, sunny, dry, without cause the vehicle began to sway - about 50 yards, then vehicle rolled over three and one half times, slid down highway approximately 50 feet, on its top. vehicle end on its side with roof in to the steering wheel, all windows broken, and windshield shattered. | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 1 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Accident caused alignment failure. | |||
| 1 | 09/20/1995 | ||
| Radius arm bracket failed. | |||
| 1 | 02/13/1996 | ||
| Poor suspension causes vehicle to lean to one side. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 04/26/2009 | 105000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard a strange noise. he noticed that the front driver's side sway bar failed. the dealer and manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 00v402000 (suspension); therefore, they would not assist. the vehicle will be repaired. the current and failure mileages were 105,000. | |||
| 07/07/2008 | 180000 | 1 | |
| Driver side front torsion bar broke/split, approximately at its half length position, while sitting in the driveway during the summer. fix was to donate vehicle. *tr | |||
| 03/09/2004 | 109000 | 1 | |
| In feb 04 the vehicle was taken in for the sway bar replacement. since that time, it has been riding worse and making rattling noises when going over bumps. talked to dealership that fixed it the first time and they said it most likely is not the same thing and will charge $35-$68 fee to inspect the front end. the did not do a diagnosis the first time the vehicle was brought in according to their rep walt. therefore my question is, has there been any other front end problems with this vehicle that has a pending recall on it? *ak | |||
| 02/10/2003 | 106000 | 2 | 04/14/2001 |
| While traveling at 50 mph 10:30p.m., without cause vehicle slid across highway to the left, rolled and flipped, and collided with a tree - vehicle landed on its side with roof in to the steering wheel: all windows broken and windshield shattered. roof actually caved in on teenage driver -fatality from multiple brain injuries.*ak | |||
| 1 | 04/01/1996 | ||
| While driving, vehicle makes a loud humming sound which comes from front end of vehicle. also, transmission has failed. consumer constantly has to take vehicle to dealer. *ak the check engine light illuminated. the speed sensor and the o2 sensor were replaced. jg | |||
| 01/20/2002 | 04/01/1998 | ||
| Over the past several weeks my explorer seems to have lost it's handling ability. the vehicle has excessive sway and too much play in the steering wheel. i have stopped using the vehicle until i can get to the dealer for inspection. | |||
| 01/11/2002 | |||
| Vehicle would start vibrating at 40 mph or less. took vehicle to an independent mechanicto check. mechanic indicated one bolt was missing, and others were halfway out of suspension. *ak | |||
| Noise coming from front suspension(creeking & poping),vehicle steering is eratic, tends to oversteer. local ford dealer performed sway bar recall on 02/12/01. where can i get more info. on this problem. can i get help from ford? what. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1997 | 4 | 02/10/1996 | |
| The consumer began to hear noise in the front end if the vehicle at 9k miles, the consumer had the front end checked and the tires rotated, at 22k miles the noise developed again and one tire blewout while driving, the vehicle was driven for another 10k miles when the noise started again and upon inspected it was noted that the tread was separating, the consumer is requesting reimbursement for the tires (firestone p 235 at). nlm | |||
| On dec. 13, 2000, my 22 year old son totalled this vehicle after hitting a patch of black ice while traveling at a speed of approximately 45-50 mph. the vehicle rolled according to an eyewitness 4 times and landed on its roof. my son was, thank god, wearing his seatbelt! he was able to release his seatbelt and crawled through the driver's window which had been broken out. he escaped without any injuries! my concern is so much emphasis has been placed on the rollover possibilities when a tire blows, why not the possibility of flipping when hitting ice? is anything being investigated to correct the top heaviness of the vehicle, especially the 2-door models. more emphasis needs to be placed on the necessity of wearing seatbelts to survive a rollover.. *ak | |||
| 11/27/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| I never contacted ford to make a complaint because i thought my suspension was falling apart due to towing and bad roads in my area.. then i get a recall for end links... but they refuse to pay for addition damaged related to the sway bar links. i'm not looking for payment but i think that it should be looked into by someone. i have almost rooled the vehicle many times because of the end links breaking and i am a very unhappy consumer. the parts were replaced twice and the ball joint once, the ball joint failed when the end link failed the second time. i might add i was a ford lover at one time, and i own many classic fords, but i will never buy a new ford again, nor will any of my family members. i just feel that the conser gets ripped off by big business like in my case, i'm forced to pay for damage done to my vehicle that was caused by the manufacturer. what a joke, henry ford is rolling in his grave. what a shame that a company doesn't care about the people that line thier pockets with money. i would like to that you for reading this. sincerly john bugdonovitch. *ak | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 1 | ||
| In june of 1996, 1 new tire blew out, and i was lucky to get a replacement and goodyear reinbursed me for the cost of a new tire. eventually, my tires started wearing oddly, and after getting a whole new set, my sway bar link broke. i had the sway bar replaced, but my new tires are also wearing very oddly. i have had several front end alignments, tire balance and frequent rotations. no one is sure why my tires are wearing as they are, on the inside only. the tread is very thin, and i think i will need a third set of tires on this truck. i wonder if the sway bar is part of the problem. it seems like everything big and expensive went out on this car as soon as it hit just over 100k miles. of course my transimission, and catalytic converter problems were not covered under warranty, even though both were very close. i plan to take the car to ford to discuss the tire problem, i hope someone can explain why i am going through so many sets of tire. i have never had an accident in this vehicle, and have maintined it carefully. could the sway bar be a problem? *ak( dot number: tire size: lt23s/75r1 ) | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 1 | ||
| In june of 1996, 1 new tire blew out, and i was lucky to get a replacement and goodyear reinbursed me for the cost of a new tire. eventually, my tires started wearing oddly, and after getting a whole new set, my sway bar link broke. i had the sway bar replaced, but my new tires are also wearing very oddly. i have had several front end alignments, tire balance and frequent rotations. no one is sure why my tires are wearing as they are, on the inside only. the tread is very thin, and i think i will need a third set of tires on this truck. i wonder if the sway bar is part of the problem. it seems like everything big and expensive went out on this car as soon as it hit just over 100k miles. of course my transimission, and catalytic converter problems were not covered under warranty, even though both were very close. i plan to take the car to ford to discuss the tire problem, i hope someone can explain why i am going through so many sets of tire. i have never had an accident in this vehicle, and have maintined it carefully. could the sway bar be a problem? *ak (tiresize: lt23s/75r1)( dot number: tire size: lt23s/75r1 ) | |||
| 12/01/1998 | 3 | 11/01/1995 | |
| I purchased my 96 ford explorer in nov. 95 and have had a vehicle shudder problem that becomes a safety problem when tires are inflated beyond the recommended tire pressure of 26psi. ford have now recommended tire pressures of 30psi, which i cannot do without risking a vehicle loss of control situation. the first time this happened, it absolutely scared the living daylights out of me, to put it politely! i had just picked up the truck from the mission valley ford after some brake work. i took the truck up to freeway speed and while traveling over some rough freeway surface the truck almost went out of control. i returned to the dealer where failure analysis was performed. the only issue the service engineer identified as abnormal was they had set the tire pressure to 30psi(all tires). resetting the tires back to 26psi eliminated the problem.this problem resurfaced twice more since and resetting the tires to 26psi corrected the lack of control problem. the shudder i normally feel appeared to extend into the steering wheel and it became very difficult for me to control the truck when i traveled over a rough patch in the surface of a freeway. emergency braking brought the truck back under control. i no longer allow my wife to drive the explorer. im familiar with steering wheel shudder as a result of poor wheeling balancing, but this is different. the whole vehicle shudders, not the steering wheel, at cruising speeds of 60 mph and above, and is particularly obvious on long journeys. this was identified to the ford service dept., who suggested that the tracking and/or the tires may be at fault. tracking has been checked and new tires purchased, but neither corrected the problem. the shudder problem has been verified by the service dept of the dealer where i purchased my explorer. see attached service records dated 6/12/97 and 12/1/98 for this problem.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Pe-00-020; original equipment tires were wranglers.. tires have been replaced with four other sets of tires every 15 thousand miles due to the cupping on the frontal tires, around the outter edge, which was causing excessive wear and vibration when driving at any speed. vehicle have been aligned. excessive wear control to occur ..*ak *jb | |||
| 09/06/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| Tire delaminated while driving on a multi-lane highway in moderate traffic. the vehicle suddenly slowed and my wife reacted by further slowing the vehicle to prevent further vehicle jarring/swaying. she was able to fight the loss of vehicle control, and cross several lanes of traffic to stop the vehicle on the shoulder. the tire flap tore the wheel well and side of the vehicle, causing over$2000 damage. this failure put the lives of my wife, two young children, two other passengers, and other drivers in grave danger. i am offended that firestone and ford have not accepted responsibility and put containment plans into action. this is the second occurrance of a tire issue on this vehicle (with the original equipment firestone radial atx tires). when the first occurred, we noticed a thumping sound and upon inspection found that the tread was missing (down to he steel belt) in one localized area of the inner edge of the tread (about 4 diameter failure). i found this an odd failure and approached the local ford dealership, who attributed it to wheel alignment. they claimed no responsibility and offered no suggestion. the service manager even resorted to vulger language directed at me. i spoke to a customer mediator and berge ford eventually performed a wheel alignment free, but i paid for the tire replacement (2 tires). i did not report this to firestone at the time. the fluid has leaked out of both front shock absorbers. i continue to have issues with engine ping and gave up after bergeford attempted 3 times to resolve the issue. *ak( dot number: tire size: 235/75r15 ) | |||
| 07/14/2000 | 0 | ||
| Consumer was traveling on the highway about 70mph and then she felt vibration, and all of a sudden tread came off of the tires and damaged vehicle. also, tail light was broken, as well as fender well and the bumper. the original atw tires were on this vehicle. consumer had them replaced. *ak | |||
| 05/05/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving about 55 mph could feel vehicle pulling to the right. also tires were worn out on the outside. *ak | |||
| 02/02/2000 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| I was driving along and heard a big bang, like someone threw something and hit the side of the truck. i took it into ford and they couldn't find anything wrong because the bolt broke holding the arm to control the front end. it was just hanging on by a thread waiting to pop out and me to lose control and be seriously injured or worse, killed. they found this out a week later when i returned to have the other work completed. my check engine light came on (the second time within 16,000 miles) and my window washer was broke. when they went to check the front end again they put it up on the rack and that is when the bolt fell out. i was told i was lucky to be there. if it went when i was driving i could have been killed. what really upsets me is, they told me the first time i took it in, that i would have to wait until it did it constantly. i am still counting my blessings to this day. no one could explain to me what caused this problem or why it happened. i was told by ford motor co. that this isn't a recall item and financially they couldn't help because it was out of warranty. warranty or not, this should have never happened!! to me this is shoddy workmanship on ford's part. the price you have to pay for these vehicles is outrageous and they shouldn't be death traps. i'm constantly putting money into it (besides my monthly car payments) to keep it on the road. i am very dissatisfied with this vehicle and will never buy a ford product again! i just want buyers to beware!! | |||
| 06/06/1997 | 9 | 10/01/1995 | |
| Excessive tire wear due to inability to align front and rear ends of vehicle to toe, cantor, and curb. ford says its a design flaw and all future models, including the year 2000 model of the explorer and expedition are using the same design. our vehicle leaped off of the highway, nearly causing us to go airborn and leave the interstate. this would have most definitely caused serious injury if not multiple fatalities. ford is not concerned with this defect, yet, millions of folks buy these suv's each year. please help affect the change. thank you. *ak( dot number: tire size: p255/70r15 ) | |||
| 11/11/1998 | 2 | 08/01/1996 | |
| I noticed bouncing of the vehicle when traveling over dips in the road. i would imagine this problem is very wide spread but is not noticeable to many people because the of the firmness of the other parts of the suspension. such as the torsion bars. i had front shocks replaced after pressuring the ditschman ford(flemington, nj) dealership pretty hard. i noticed the difference immediately. the problem seemed to reappear again after only 4,000 additional miles.the same problem seems to be true of the rear shocks also. this problem results in bouncing and diving of the nose of the vehicle during hard braking. i would imagine in emergency(severe)handling the vehicle would not perform as expected. i am now considering an aftermarket set of shocks. | |||
| 04/01/1996 | |||
| The front tires havecupped within 2000 miles of purchasing the vehicle. i have been to the dealer and to goodyear over this issue. i have noticed that braking takes longer to accomplish because of the uneven wear pattern that has developed. i've had to replace 2 tires at 46,000 mles(as compared with 70,000 miles on a 1992 explorer that i owned that was equipped with firestone tires). goodyear has told me that i have to rotate my tires every3,000 miles to prevent this wear pattern. i believe this is excessive maintenance and cost to the consumer. goodyear has also told me that these tires were not engineered for this vehicle, but ford equpiped these vehicles with these tires as standard equipment in 1996. i've noticed that since1997, ford has gone back to firestone tires for explorers. i have called the ford consumer hot line. i spoke with the person answering the calls and explained the problem. i was told i would hear from a ford rep, but after a year i have heard nothing. goodyear has looked at all mechanical components, including suspension bushing and alignment that could be causing this problem and has found nothing wrong. i believe this problem may be inherent to ford putting tires on this autmobile that are not matched to the vehical suspension. *ak( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 ) | |||
| 08/21/1998 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle out of alignment replacement of faulty front wheel bearing did not rectify required installation of caster/camber kit to allign properly due to design of suspension system. | |||
| 07/27/1996 | 1 | 06/27/1996 | |
| Steering alignment off. | |||
| 08/27/1996 | |||
| While driving on interstate highway and attempting to correct direction of vehicle. it rotated conter-clockwise and went into a slide. vehicle rolled over 4 timess. in addition, during its first rotation, door latch failed, door opened and driver partially ejected. driver died from fatal injuries and passsenger wa s injured. driver was not informed by ford of recall regarding door latches and locks (96v-070). *ak | |||
| 08/01/1997 | 3 | 09/16/1995 | |
| Front end misalignment, causing vehicle vibration and premature wear of the tires. *ak | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1996 | ||
| The front end of the vehicle vibrates and has been making noises, after repairs they are still present. | |||
| 11/01/1996 | 1 | 10/01/1996 | |
| Misalignment caused premature tire wear. | |||
| 06/16/1997 | 12/06/1996 | ||
| Front end is misaligned and the mud was found in the transmission. | |||
| Vehicles front end has severe vibration, making vit ery difficult to control. the front wheels are wearing unevenly and both steel radials are coming out.vehicles is riding on the inside of the tire.the kits are non-adjustable. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1996 | |||
| Vehicle wanders left to right, and when owner took vehicle dealer he was told that it was set to the proper specs. he also had taken vehicle to an independent dealer. *ak | |||
| 12/30/1996 | 1 | 06/01/1996 | |
| Vehicle misaligned. | |||
| Rearended/fishtailed, resulting in vehicle rolling over at 25 mph. please describe details. *ak | |||
| The vehicle shakes while driving. please describe. *ak | |||
| 02/18/1996 | |||
| While driving 10-15 mph, w/reason clearly not identified by ford truck rolled flipped on drivers side. please describe details. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 50000 | 1 | 10/01/1995 | |
| Consumer stated problems with the ball joints. manufacture was contacted and stated that they will pass the information to the engenieers but has been 8 days and he has not heard about them. *ts the rubber boots fell apart causing dirt and water to enter the ball joints. consumer is aware of other complaints on the internet regarding this condition. however a month has pasted and consumer has yet to hear from manufacture. *tt | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 12/02/1998 | 01/30/1998 | ||
| Lower ball joint failed to operate at 44,000 mail of wear; dealer/mfr notified and refused to replace/repair unless cost goes to consumer. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM | |||
| 1 | 09/20/1995 | ||
| Rod upper control arms failed. | |||
| 1 | |||
| The upper control arm broke, causing wheel to come off/accident/injury. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 03/11/1998 | |||
| Springs and shocks failed. | |||
| 1 | 09/20/1995 | ||
| Front shock absorber failed. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | |||
| 2 | |||
| Check air ride light illuminates intermittently. mjs | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - TORSION BAR | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| Consumer received recall letter concerning the front swaybar links, but had problems with dealership concerning the actual implementation of service, consumer was informed that the parts were not available as of yet and to return a later time. *jg | |||
| 03/12/2002 | 8 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Front sway bar bracket broken, check engine light on, rear suspension bad, rear bumper & frame bent, electrical shortage, front & rear brakes needed, rear -end shifts. at the time of purchase i was lied to because i did inquire about and accident but was told it was not. also, allignment needed. | |||
| 1 | 08/01/1996 | ||
| Consumer received recall letter concerning the front swaybar links, but had problems with dealership concerning the actual implementation of service, consumer was informed that the parts were not available as of yet and to return a later time. *jg | |||
| 11/19/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Left front sway bar link snapped off at the top bolt. vehicle started swaying back and forth heavily. at 60 mph.*ak | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 1 | ||
| In june of 1996, 1 new tire blew out, and i was lucky to get a replacement and goodyear reinbursed me for the cost of a new tire. eventually, my tires started wearing oddly, and after getting a whole new set, my sway bar link broke. i had the sway bar replaced, but my new tires are also wearing very oddly. i have had several front end alignments, tire balance and frequent rotations. no one is sure why my tires are wearing as they are, on the inside only. the tread is very thin, and i think i will need a third set of tires on this truck. i wonder if the sway bar is part of the problem. it seems like everything big and expensive went out on this car as soon as it hit just over 100k miles. of course my transimission, and catalytic converter problems were not covered under warranty, even though both were very close. i plan to take the car to ford to discuss the tire problem, i hope someone can explain why i am going through so many sets of tire. i have never had an accident in this vehicle, and have maintined it carefully. could the sway bar be a problem? *ak( dot number: tire size: lt23s/75r1 ) | |||
| 12/23/1999 | 1 | ||
| In june of 1996, 1 new tire blew out, and i was lucky to get a replacement and goodyear reinbursed me for the cost of a new tire. eventually, my tires started wearing oddly, and after getting a whole new set, my sway bar link broke. i had the sway bar replaced, but my new tires are also wearing very oddly. i have had several front end alignments, tire balance and frequent rotations. no one is sure why my tires are wearing as they are, on the inside only. the tread is very thin, and i think i will need a third set of tires on this truck. i wonder if the sway bar is part of the problem. it seems like everything big and expensive went out on this car as soon as it hit just over 100k miles. of course my transimission, and catalytic converter problems were not covered under warranty, even though both were very close. i plan to take the car to ford to discuss the tire problem, i hope someone can explain why i am going through so many sets of tire. i have never had an accident in this vehicle, and have maintined it carefully. could the sway bar be a problem? *ak (tiresize: lt23s/75r1)( dot number: tire size: lt23s/75r1 ) | |||
| 11/13/2000 | 2 | 05/01/1998 | |
| I am associated with the u.s. airforce, stationed at raf lakenheath, england. within the past three weeks both left and right rods connecting the foward anti-sway brace to the frame have sheared off while driving. the effect of this was excessive bouncing and loss of smooth control of the stearing. both incidents occurred at aproximately fifty miles an hour. my speed had to be reduced to aprox. thirty miles an hour to maintain a reasonable control and stability. part of the rods remained in the sway bar, until i removed them for replacement. the only damage that i observed to the rod was where the shear occurred.*ak | |||
| 09/15/2000 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| The sway bar linkage was entirely missing. at approximately 70 mph, the car started swaying back and forth progressively harder, until the brakes were apprlied. i installed the new parts to replace those missing and the car now drive prefectly normally. it felt like the car would roll over if allowed to continue the side-to-side oscillation. *ak | |||
| Front torsion bar separated, causing vehicle to sway from side to side . dealer has repaired vehicle.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 04/23/2007 | 85000 | 2 | |
| Front sway bar link broke, dealer repaired it, (charged me for repair, but soon after, the other front sway bar link broke. there was recall 00v402000, but this y car was not included in the recall. i think this car should have been included in the recall.*ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| Was driving and engine check light came on & stayed. been to dealer. had sensors replaced, but problem came back. temperature gauge had failed to register. fuel guage was not working, and stablizer bar had broken and was replaced. also, power locks failed to release. *ak the sensors were being replaced over and over again. *yh | |||
| 04/28/2000 | 1 | ||
| Recall 00v402000/stabilizer bar link stub: driver's side stub broken while making a left turn at 15-20 mph; manufacturer notified and informed that vehicle was under a recall. consumer would like to know how come. no recall notice was sent to him on this problem ? *ak both link stubs had been replaced. *yh | |||
| 10/31/2000 | |||
| Bushing that holds stabilizer bar is gone, causing vehicle to vibrate at highway speeds.*ak | |||
| 10/12/1999 | 1 | ||
| Front stabilizer linkage had to be repaired. afted consumer heard a snap, a minute later, car went to shoulder like a big wind had pushed it. vehicle started to rock back and forth, and it was hard to steer.*ak | |||
| 11/08/1999 | 1 | ||
| Left front stabilizer bar link (sway bar link) broke when driving over bump in road. car drove poorly after that. ford replaced both front links and charged me a total of $81 for the repair. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 09/03/2007 | 1 | ||
| 1996 ford explorer was beginning to have mechanical issues. consumer pulled over and the right front wheel fell off and it caught fire. the vehicle was removed from the scene. *kb the police report stated the wheel bearing area was dry and rusty, which under noraml circumstances would be lubricated with oil. (ohio traffic crash report)*jb | |||
| 09/11/1999 | |||
| When brake pads were being replace, mechanic noticed that the bushing on the front left driver's side was missing. the bushing has not been replaced. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 08/21/1998 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle out of alignment replacement of faulty front wheel bearing did not rectify required installation of caster/camber kit to allign properly due to design of suspension system. | |||
| 10/09/1997 | |||
| Front wheel bearing started to wobble, causing the sensor to fail, which caused the abs to fail. the dealer has repaired the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1996 | 1 | 11/01/1995 | |
| Fron wheel bearing failed. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 10/02/2001 | 165865 | 1 | 08/07/1996 |
| Summary was unreadible, and then disappeared. *ak | |||
| 03/12/2002 | 8 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Front sway bar bracket broken, check engine light on, rear suspension bad, rear bumper & frame bent, electrical shortage, front & rear brakes needed, rear -end shifts. at the time of purchase i was lied to because i did inquire about and accident but was told it was not. also, allignment needed. | |||
| 02/27/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer took car in for a recall repairs on sway bar, upon receiving vehicle consumer noticed a loud grinding sound, and hard to steer wheel.*ak | |||
| Rear sway bar links broke. please provide further details.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Sway bar repair is not included in recall 00v-402 for the consumers 1996 model due to vin #. nlm | |||
| 11/20/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Consumer was traveling 35mph in snow. while going up a hill rear end came around & it rolled over. dealer & manufacturer were no help, they referred consumer to nhtsa hotline. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 2 | 10/01/1996 | |
| I have replaced the sway bar links twice since new | |||
| 09/01/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| Pe# 00039; nut to hold front sway bar had sheard away. consumer has had nut replaced by dealer. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1996 | |||
| Vehicle has always swayed. even after new tires and rotations.replaced axle seal. | |||
| A bolt that holds the sway bar bracket to the wheel snapped due to corrosion which could have caused loss of control. dealer will replace bolt with the same design. *ak | |||
| 04/08/2000 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| My wife commented that she had difficulty steering her ford explorer on 4/8/00. i drove the vehicle and agreed that it seemed to sway from side to side. examining the vehicle, i noticed a part was missing from the front right wheel/axle assembly. i later found the part in my driveway. it was a sway link assembly according to the dealer. i had dealer replace lf as well as rf as i feel the part was defective. it simply snapped in half. things like this should last the life of the car, not break after 5 years.*ak | |||
| 11/11/1998 | 2 | 08/01/1996 | |
| I noticed bouncing of the vehicle when traveling over dips in the road. i would imagine this problem is very wide spread but is not noticeable to many people because the of the firmness of the other parts of the suspension. such as the torsion bars. i had front shocks replaced after pressuring the ditschman ford(flemington, nj) dealership pretty hard. i noticed the difference immediately. the problem seemed to reappear again after only 4,000 additional miles.the same problem seems to be true of the rear shocks also. this problem results in bouncing and diving of the nose of the vehicle during hard braking. i would imagine in emergency(severe)handling the vehicle would not perform as expected. i am now considering an aftermarket set of shocks. | |||
| 05/25/1999 | |||
| Making turns there is a clicking noise in the rear end of his truck.dealer was contacted, and stated that the problem was common. *ak | |||
| 1 | 09/20/1995 | ||
| Sway bar failed. | |||
| 01/27/1996 | 7 | ||
| Rear end slid out of control, causing accident. *sd | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - AXLE - NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/17/1996 | 18462 | 2 | 03/27/1996 |
| Explorer sport (4x2),( manual transmission)(18,462 miles) dodging truck tire retread on interstate was oversteered. then oversteered back when left rea hub assembly broke off. then car fliped 6 times. when the car lost the rea wheel, control was lost.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 1 | 07/09/1997 | ||
| Rear shock absorbers failed. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS | |||
| 07/17/1996 | 18462 | 2 | 03/27/1996 |
| Explorer sport (4x2),( manual transmission)(18,462 miles) dodging truck tire retread on interstate was oversteered. then oversteered back when left rea hub assembly broke off. then car fliped 6 times. when the car lost the rea wheel, control was lost.*ak | |||