Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||||
| 982320 | 11/23/1998 | 603780 | Some vehicles with a very low odometer reading may experience a lack temperature control. *yc | 03/04/1999 | |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - BLOWER | |||||
| 11512 | 04/01/1998 | 613774 | Engineering is investigating concerns of noisy front system blower motors on certain vehicles. *tt | 08/02/2000 | |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||||
| 01156 | 08/06/2001 | 623944 | Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc | 10/31/2001 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||||
| 96221 | 10/21/1996 | 50940 | Windshield and interior glass - fog/film. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||||
| BC106049705 | 05/01/1997 | 52884 | Vehicles built after 4/14/97 no longer have a rear washer bottle - redesigned front washer bottle will service the front and rear washers. *tw | 09/18/1997 | |
| BC2246970501 | 05/01/1997 | 52785 | Vehicles built on or after 4/14/97 will no longer have a rear washer bottle - a redesigned front washer bottle will supply the fluid to both washers. *tw | 09/12/1997 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | ||||||
| PE99049 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 07/28/1999 | 04/24/2000 | WINDSHIELD WIPER MALFUNCTION | 00V072000 | |
| Odi has received 35 complaints alleging malfunction of the windshield wipers on certain 1997-1999 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers.the complainants allege that the wiper system is prone to erratic operation including failure to operate consistently during precipitiation as well as inadvertent operation when the control switch is disengaged.of the 35 complaints received,11 allege that the wipers stopped sweeping the windshield without warning, 16 allege inadvertent operation, and 8 allege to have experience both conditions.wipers are a critical automotive safety system without which a vehicle operator is unable to adequately see the road surface and other vehicles during precipitation.this inability to see could result in a crash.a preliminary evaluation is warranted to invetigate the alleged problem. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 126000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact noticed that the defroster was not functioning and the windshield would not clear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the dashboard would have to be removed and the blending chamber would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 126,000. | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 126000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact noticed that the defroster was not functioning and the windshield would not clear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the dashboard would have to be removed and the blending chamber would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 126,000. kmj | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 126000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. while driving at approximately 70 mph the contact noticed the defroster was not functioning and the windshield was not clearing up. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the technician stated the dash board would have to be removed and the blending chamber would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 126,000. ds | |||
| 12/20/2010 | |||
| Waiting at a traffic light the sunroof shattered nothing but rain had fallen on the vehicle. | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 1 | ||
| Have experienced periods when the windshield wipers do not operate when the control is on. has occurred when first turning on the control as well as when changing from a different speed setting on the control. no regularity in the occurrence, seems to be random. this has occurred many times during my ownership since 2000. i was checking the database and found an entry on this problem under defect investigations so i am adding my experience to your records. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 115000 | 1 | |
| When i stopped using my ac and turned on the heat in my 97 ford explorer all i get is cold air. this happens at all heat settings including defrost. i talked to a ford dealership and the service man there said it is probably the blend door and that it would cost $800-1000 to repair. nothing has been done yet as i don't have that much spare cash for this repair. the vehicle does have 116,000 miles on it but i have been checking this out on the internet and it seems to be a major safety issue with 95-99 explorers. is there any recourse from ford on this? *jb | |||
| 12/25/2005 | 90400 | 1 | 11/04/1996 |
| The heater blend door failed on my 1997 ford explorer while driving it in snowy conditions. i only had cold air blowing on my windows. after reviewing web sites, i have found that the top piece of my heaters hot and cold blend door is broken. the cost of replacing this one piece of plastic is around $1000. ford has a replacement part that is now stronger, but fails to realize the defect in the older doors. *nm | |||
| 01/01/1998 | 42000 | 2 | 09/01/1998 |
| In searching the internet, i've found there are many people who have suffered the same problems that i have had. i have a 1997 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. the climate control system failed in 1998 and i took it to les pinkam lincoln mercury in elizabethtown, ky for repair. without even looking at it, the technician told me that the blend air door had broken and it would costs $800 to repair it. thinking he was lying, i took it to bill collins ford in louisville, ky. again, the same results and repair estimate. technicians at both places, told me it's a common problem. i eventually had les pinkam repair it. it seems that ford would design a system that wouldn't require the complete removal of the dash to repair it, much continue with a design with so many problems. years later and the problem has happened again. in addition i came across tsb article number 98-23-20 in my searches, but couldn't find the article at your web-site. i also have had the transmission rebuilt twice and finally replaced it with one from a salvage yard. i couldn't see repairing it a third time when a ford technician and private yard couldn't fix it. both times within 13 months after repair, the car would suddenly completely fail and tach out as if it were in neutral. i could get it to do it with a ford technician and his code sensor plugged in. this has come close to having me get rear ended on the interstate 65, especially when its in cruise control. for no reason at all the transmission would completely disengage and the engine would almost completely tack out before i could hit the brake pedals to dis-engage. to make a long story short, i've spent almost $6000 in repairs since owning this vehicle. in addition, i've had it in for many recalls. all i've ever got out of ford or the dealers is, sorry about your luck. surely there is something your agency can do about this. my transmission problems, were pretty scary. *jb | |||
| 04/06/2003 | 50250 | 0 | 11/24/1997 |
| My heater temperature control became inoperative. the blend door inside the plenum chamber is broken and no longer moves (on full heat). the new plenum chamber now contains a nylon door in stead of plastic. this looks like ford knows there is a problem with the old style doors but will not give any assistance on repairs. the cost of repair is steep! i was quoted $108.00 for the plenum chamber and $598.00 to install it. from what i have learned the problem is not isolated to me, in fact the dealer i phoned had just sold a replacement plenum the previous day and was waiting for one to arrive to fill there stock. when a dealer stocks a part there usually is a large demand for it! *nlm | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 1 | ||
| Blend door on my 1997 ford explorer is not working. its a problem when defrosting, and driving in bad weather due to the fact that the windshield is not defrosting. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 120000 | 1 | 06/02/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated due to the heater being inoperable, the defroster did not operate. the vehicle was driven to the dealer, who determined the blend door needed to be replaced. | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 51000 | 1 | 06/02/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated in an attempt to defrost the windshield, no heat was produced. the vehicle was driven to the dealer, who determined the blend door needed to be replaced. | |||
| 10/15/2006 | 1 | 08/15/2006 | |
| Bought explorer in the summer of 2006, went to turn on the heat only blows cold air unable to defrost windows. this is a 1997 explorer that after talking to three different dealerships told me that they all do break and that ford has made a stronger blend door to replace the defective one and they would be happy to replace for a cost of 1200.00. after speaking to five or six different repair shops and finding the article by larry hammer of mighty auto parts i believe that ford has a responsibility for its admitted factory design flaw. *nm | |||
| 04/18/2006 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The blend door on my 1997 ford explorer failed. this failure did not allow proper de-fogging of the windshield. *nm | |||
| 08/31/2005 | 107000 | 15 | 09/14/2002 |
| Temperature out of control, defogging/defrosting challenged on a 1997 ford explorer. was told it will it is due to defect in the air blend door. i can't defrost the windows which could be an accident waiting to happen. *nm | |||
| 06/25/2005 | 1 | 08/16/2004 | |
| Dt: contact stated while using the defroster system the windshield cracked from the outside to the inside. vehicle had not been to a service dealer, but was scheduled to be taken in this week. *ak | |||
| 08/04/2001 | 67000 | 1 | 07/16/2001 |
| I own a 1997 ford explorer that since its been purchased the air conditioning and the heat were always giving me problems, i have since found out that its a problem with almost every ford explorer out on the roads today. this is a major concern to me due to window defrosting during the winter months, the blend door has a mind of its own and will open and close at any time. please advise me on how i can get this looked into. i believe that ford should be responsible for this and they believe that they dont. thank you for your time | |||
| 02/29/2004 | 72000 | 1 | 05/05/1999 |
| The blend door is broken on my heater...ever try to defrost a window when it is minus 5 with the air conditioner on..? this needs to be addressed in a recall campaign it is poorly designed and dangerous! *ak | |||
| 12/15/2003 | 81000 | 1 | |
| Heater/ac temperature control. temperature control door is stuck in the position for heat. have talked to dealer they say inexpensive part, labor for repair is about 7 hours to be charged for. this dealer has had other complaints and fixed some. checked with other dealers in area, they gave same answer as to cost and complaints. i am told this is a plastic bracket on door assembly that breaks when servo moves door to control hot or cool air flow.*ak | |||
| 11/22/2003 | 75000 | 1 | 07/06/2002 |
| Temperature control blend door does not work properly. stuck on cold. unable to defrost and defog windows. *la | |||
| 03/09/2003 | 30 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Invalid design of plenum door leads to part failure resulting in inability to control temperature setting. condition causes inability to control inside air temperature and possibly failure of defrost/defogging system (safety issue). cost to repair is prohibitive ($500 to $1000) due to the need to remove the dashboard and the replacement of the entire air channel (because plenum door itself cannot be purchased/installed alone). *nlm | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| My explorer only produces warm air for heat and defogging when the temperature outside is too hot to want or need warm air. the dealership service center says it is the blend door & actuator assembly that has failed. i say it defective by design and should be repaired at their expense, they disagree. not being able to properly defogg a windshield is a serious safety issue. *nlm | |||
| 02/05/2003 | 46000 | 05/07/1999 | |
| 1997 ford explorer equipped with an electronic automatic temperature control system. the plastic air blend door in the heater plenum has broken, preventing the system from regulating the temperature. | |||
| 12/05/2002 | 09/08/2002 | ||
| The lend door is broken...ford knows that they put faulty blend doors in and will not replace them! how do i defrost my winshield with a/c???? is a frosted winshield not a hazard???? this happens every day! | |||
| 11/25/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2000 | |
| With heater failure frost builds up on the windshield causing serious driving hazard. dt | |||
| 10/25/2002 | 1 | 05/01/2097 | |
| From what i have read this is a common problem that ford should have to fix via recall. this failure could be quite dangerous during winter conditions. it is apparent that ford knows of this and has made changes in the way this door is constructed. dt | |||
| 09/02/2002 | 07/01/2002 | ||
| The failure of the heater blend door causes uncontrolled windshield fogging and icing. visibility is often reduced to zero. mr | |||
| 09/20/2002 | 1 | ||
| I have discovered many ford explorer owners have this failure--due to a manufacturing defect. when defroster does not work can result in serious accident. mr | |||
| 09/25/2002 | |||
| The temperature control failed to regulate temperature i researched and found the blend door to be broken leaving me without the ability to defrost the winshield or regulate heat /cool this is a safety issue since i live in a climate that has snow /ice and cold as well as hot temperatures. this is a known problem and is dangerous and requires a nearly $1000.00 fix to replace the blend door it was explained to me they had to remove the dash etc. this appears to be a ford design issue and a known safety issue. nlm | |||
| 08/29/2002 | 1 | 08/01/2002 | |
| This heater has the potential to be a serious safety issue. the defroster will not work properly because only hot air will exit the vents, which leads to a foggy windshield. this problem appears to be very well documented and ford has a tsb for it, 99-8-8 and 97-24-25.*ak | |||
| 08/27/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2097 | |
| Defogger/defroster will not operate as blend door is stuck on air conditioner. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/2099 | |
| The temperature control does not control the temperature of the a/c-heater that results in a failure to defog/defrost the windshield. | |||
| 04/12/2002 | 1 | ||
| I feel that ford should address the issue of the air blend door / hvac system at a safety level due to the fact this these problems could result in hazardous driving conditions. | |||
| 05/11/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| Ford has been well aware of the blend door breaking problem for several years now and still is doing nothing to appease their customers. mine is stuck blowing cold air, so should i need it to defog or defrost my windows during a rain or snowstorm (of which we have many in minnesota) i cannot. i've found numerous reports of this part failing and complaints written to ford all over the internet. the problem is prevalent in several ford models, yet they refuse to compensate their customers for a part that is obviously defective.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 1 | 09/01/2097 | |
| 1995 thru 1999 explorers and 1997-99 mountaineers, built through 4/98 were manufactured with a plastic air blend door which breaks due to poor design and prevents temperature regulation . ford revised this plenum using nylon as a reinforcement , which is stronger and less susceptible to breakage. if the air blend door breaks and the system is locked in the a/c mode, defogging/defrosting the windshield is a challenge. this is a safety issue that should be addressed. thank you.*ak | |||
| 10/28/2001 | |||
| Heater defroster/defogger is blowing out cold air,.dealer and manufacturer were notified . feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 11/15/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2097 | |
| This is an example of very poor design; this part should never fail - it is a simple part, subjected to very minor loads. worse, the entire dashboard must be disassembled to replace it, and rather than replacing just the blend door (a little flapper that controls the mix of hot and cold air), you have to replace the entire heater plenum assembly.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2002 | |||
| Defroster is not working properly. contacted dealer, and the dealer is not willing to do anything.*ak | |||
| 02/15/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| Heater plenum hot/cold air blend; door breaks, causing no temperature control for heater & defroster. *ak | |||
| 03/02/2002 | 1 | 12/26/2001 | |
| In middle of a snow storm, defroster would not work, causing vehicle not to have any heat and poor visibility to drive. consumer found a technical service bulletin, nhtsa sb618546 relating to the problem. dealer was contacted to resolve the issue.*akjg | |||
| 10/24/2001 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| The heater and defroster stopped working because of a plastic part on the heater door that fails after to much use. the part has to be replace by a part called the actuator value.ford must have know about this problem, because it has a replacement part already to go when the part fails. (nylon blend door and plenum #f87z-18471-da.) the problem beening that it cost $784.40 in labor to put the part in. if ford new it had this problem , why wasn`t it on a recall list to replace???*ak | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 1 | 12/01/1996 | |
| Broken air blend door, causing no heat for defrosters or heater. *ak | |||
| 04/06/2000 | 3 | ||
| Heater will not control due to manufacturers wrong part installed from the factory. this is the third one we have had to replace | |||
| 11/25/1998 | 100 | 04/01/1997 | |
| The throttle body was replaced at 17,000 miles and at 30,000 miles i was told by ford i needed an air induction cleaning. at 37,000 miles i now have the same gas pedal problem and was told it was the throttle body again. | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||
| 01/01/1997 | 1 | 01/01/1997 | |
| Air deflector installed over back window is damaging hinges on window. | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - BLOWER | |||
| 09/21/2006 | 3 | ||
| I am the original owner of this 1997 ford explorer. after a few years, i started to have problems with the heat/defrost. i have had this repaired twice costing around $2000 total. once again, i no longer have heat/defrost and am scheduled for an evaluation next monday. during snow and rain, not only are you miserable because of the cold but it is dangerous when you are trying to clear the condensation off the window to have complete visibility. *jb | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - CONTROLS/WIRING | |||
| 02/05/2004 | 1 | 02/20/2002 | |
| The heat actuator broke and eliminated any heat to defrost my windows. *ak | |||
| 02/29/2004 | 72000 | 1 | 05/05/1999 |
| The blend door is broken on my heater...ever try to defrost a window when it is minus 5 with the air conditioner on..? this needs to be addressed in a recall campaign it is poorly designed and dangerous! *ak | |||
| 10/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| Defroster does not defrost/defog windshield due to the heat/ac blend door being broken. common problem for ford explorers. ford is remiss in not recalling the vehicle to fix this hazardous condition. *jb | |||
| 03/25/2003 | 115000 | 1 | 09/15/2000 |
| Ford explorer heater plenum/actuator stopped working this past winter. climate control is stuck on cold and defrost does not work in cold weather. during a road trip to a nearby city early this spring i was barley able to see out the windshield because of the ice and fog on my windshield. i believe this is a known mechanical defect by ford and dealers. this is a very dangerous problem. in contacting several seattle-area dealers, all refused to fix as a safety problem, said no recall had been issued, said i was out of warranty, this is absurd for a problem they caused with faulty design and parts that causes serious visibility problems in many older explorers. *jb | |||
| 11/21/2002 | 77000 | 1 | 04/27/2000 |
| The a/c and heat was unable to come out of the blend air door. the dealer was notified. ford found that they installed the wrong blend air door acuator during the manufacturing process. ts scc | |||
| 04/07/2002 | 1 | 11/02/1998 | |
| Temperature control switch broke, cold air was being distributed. consumer unable to defrost windshield.*ak *yh | |||
| 11/03/2001 | 1 | 01/01/1997 | |
| Cylinder heads or head gasgets failed causing coolant leak into cylinders and out exhaust. suspect faulty heater valve leaked coolant causing engine to overheat and damage heads or gasgets. | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 2 | ||
| Windshield washer comes on intermittently while driving. vehicle taken to dealer twice, multi function switch was replaced the first time. it did not remedy the problem. second time dealer could not find cause. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for one day in cold weather outside, problem was replicated and they found relays overheating and sticking caused by shorted malfunction switch on prior repair and they replaced both relays. *yh | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||
| 07/11/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1997 ford explorer developed a defect in the defroster and defogger system. *mr the problem was due to a broken plastic door in the a/c/heater plenum. this created a condition of fogging the windshield uncontrollably and impairing the drivers vision. *sc | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 1 | 04/05/2004 | |
| I bought the explorer last april and the a/c worked fine, but when winter got here the heater would not blow warm air. i took it to a mechanic who replaced the thermostate and looked at other things, but could not fix it. i then took it to a second mechanic who looked at it and told me that he had just fixed the same problem on another 97 ford explorer--and it was the blend door. that the door was a factor defect and would cost about $650.00 to replace it. i did not have the money to have it replaced, and it is a safety hazard when it is stuck on a/c air and you can not defrost your windshild while you are driving. it has not been fixed and restricts vision out of the windshield when fogged or iced which could cause me to have a bad wreck. | |||
| 12/27/2004 | 83986 | 06/15/1999 | |
| Heater in vehicle became inoperative during a sleet and ice storm. heater blend door failed causing only cold air to blow out of heater and defroster, windshield and windows fogged up and i could not see the road. heater box and blend door replaced that cost me $700.00. 8nm | |||
| 03/10/2002 | 107654 | 1 | 02/02/1999 |
| Heater blend door on my 1997 ford explorer does not change positions. it is stuck in the position only giving me air conditioning full time. no matter where the dial on the dash is turned the heat refuses to activate. through a quick series of odd weather occurrences i found my windshield covered in a layer of ice that could not be removed since the heat did not work on the defroster. this almost caused a near fatal head-on collision. i have no option now but to have the heater plenum replaced at a cost $1010. *nm | |||
| 02/25/2003 | 73228 | 1 | |
| Consumer noticed when turning dials on heater unit from hot or cold the unit only blew hot air. the technician stated the heater blend door needed to be replaced.*jb *tt | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 05/01/2099 | ||
| Heater runs at full heat no mater what temperature selected. *ak | |||
| 04/24/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Heater control valve also broke. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | 12/12/1996 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. the contact attempted to open the windows, but was unsuccessful. the windshield wipers, interior lights, and the 4x4 also failed to operate. the dealer has not diagnosed the vehicle. there were no warning indicator lights prior to the failures. the contact is unable to drive the vehicle due to the safety risk involved. the current and failure mileages were 50,000. updated 03-04-08 *bf | |||
| 11/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| Driver's side electric window motor is going out. the motor seems to have trouble rolling the window up and down, and speeds up and slows down when operating. dt | |||
| 02/01/2001 | |||
| Well, the first thing that stopped working was the thermostat, then the window regulator and seat bealt, i went to the dealer and just to see the problem i was charged 160usd . i think it's unfair but they said i had to pay and nothing was done to the car. the tires were replaced at sears because i was scared and simply replaced them 4 months after i bought the car. i called the dealer and firestone recall but they are now asking for a dot code in which sears did not give me. now i am only asking to please try to refund something. i will never buy a ford vehicle because they give too many problems and the dealer gets away with problems in which they need to fix because they are factory problems. *ak (tiresize: 15inches) | |||
| 11/27/2000 | 06/01/2000 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Power windows fail occasionally. | |||
| 07/28/1992 | 1 | ||
| Automatic window motor failed. | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES | |||
| 07/22/1999 | 2 | 07/19/1999 | |
| Vehicle experienced several engine problems, consumer stated that the engine sounded like no oil was in it when started, dealer has replaced gaskets, upper intake cam tensioner three times, and there was a coolant leak. left front door hinge replaced, it was making noise. power steering pump was replaced, it was noisy when turning the wheel. vanity mirror on driver's side would not close all the way and popped when opened, dealer replaced it. the right front of the vehicle was lower than the left front. brakes were squeaky, dealer replaced front brake pads and turned rotors. a tap noise was heard while playing cd's. vehicle experienced several transmission problems, while going over bumps and railroad tracks, transmission jumped out of gear, dealer intalled overhaul kit because the clutch had burned. 4 wheel drive was inoperable and made a rubbing/groan noise, when reversing and putting intor drive, consumer heard popping noise, dealer replaced rear transfer case flange and removed driveshaft. vehicle would not start, it would turn over, dealer found the pcm was not wiring, dealer replaced pcm. *slc | |||
| 1 | 05/27/1997 | ||
| Rear view mirrors create poor visibility. | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - EXTERIOR | |||
| 1 | 10/01/1997 | ||
| Side view mirrors vibrate excessively causing poor visibility resulting in accident. | |||
| VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - INTERIOR | |||
| 07/01/1999 | 1 | 06/01/1997 | |
| Rear view mirror is causing poor visibility. consumer on many counts has had close encounters of accidents. dealer said that it was nothng they could do about it.*ak the rear view mirror is at eye level and is hard to see vehicles that are behind. the service center said that it can not be adjusted or replaced. *yh | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1997 | ||
| Inside rear view mirror failed causing poor visibility. *yc | |||
| 07/07/1998 | 1 | 06/20/1998 | |
| The location of rear view mirror is mounted too low, which obstructs drivers vision. driver not able to see to the right clearly. the dealer has been notified about the problem. *ak *sb | |||
| VISIBILITY - REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | 12/12/1996 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. the contact attempted to open the windows, but was unsuccessful. the windshield wipers, interior lights, and the 4x4 also failed to operate. the dealer has not diagnosed the vehicle. there were no warning indicator lights prior to the failures. the contact is unable to drive the vehicle due to the safety risk involved. the current and failure mileages were 50,000. updated 03-04-08 *bf | |||
| VISIBILITY - REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER - MOTOR | |||
| 06/01/1997 | 3 | 03/01/1997 | |
| Rear windshield wiper failed. yh | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 06/25/2005 | 1 | 08/16/2004 | |
| Dt: contact stated while using the defroster system the windshield cracked from the outside to the inside. vehicle had not been to a service dealer, but was scheduled to be taken in this week. *ak | |||
| 07/14/2003 | |||
| Consumer stated that while driving and without warning rear window shattered. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 09/02/2002 | 07/01/2002 | ||
| The failure of the heater blend door causes uncontrolled windshield fogging and icing. visibility is often reduced to zero. mr | |||
| 01/01/2002 | |||
| Sealant used around front windshield is dissolving and causingt water to leak into passenger compartment. dealer has been notified . feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 2 | 03/20/2000 | |
| Molding on windshield was falling off, causing windshield to leak inside vehicle. *slc | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 2 | 03/20/2000 | |
| Window lock not working properly. *slc | |||
| 1 | 03/31/1997 | ||
| Rear window seal failed. | |||
| 02/17/1997 | 01/30/1997 | ||
| Owner went to put on the defroster button while driving and the window became frozen to the point that he had to pull off the road and clean the window by himself. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 12/01/1999 | 2 | ||
| Windshield washer comes on intermittently while driving. vehicle taken to dealer twice, multi function switch was replaced the first time. it did not remedy the problem. second time dealer could not find cause. *ak the consumer stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for one day in cold weather outside, problem was replicated and they found relays overheating and sticking caused by shorted malfunction switch on prior repair and they replaced both relays. *yh | |||
| 12/02/1999 | 5 | 06/01/1997 | |
| On the first occasion, the headlights would go out when the turn signal was turned on. the vehicle was out of warranty(over 36,000 miles) so we had our regular mechanic repair, but we asked to keep the replaced part. the most recent problem (only 11/2 years& approx 8000 miles later)was that the windshield wipers would not work. this time we took it to a ford dealer. the service manager mentioned that there had been a problem with this part and that ford had made an upgrade, but no recall had been enacted. again we asked to keep the replaced part (both are ford parts#13k359). if there are any questions regarding this claim, please leave message on home phone, or contact diane rutt between the hours of 9-5 at 717 336-7534.*ak | |||
| Windshield wipers intermittently become inoperable in rainy weather conditions. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 02/14/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Freezing rain the night before a trip occured, wipers stopped working 20 miles into a 130 mile trip and refused to work rest of trip. requested an appointment with roth ford in petersburg, wv to enlarge windshield wiper storage area drain hole. dealer refused, said that at least 20 people had call in with wipers frozen. during the remainder of the trip, i tried to get the wipers to work. they would barely move, but would not operate. after vehicle sat in airport parking lot for 10 days, wipers worked. i saw an article in a recent newspaper about this malfunction, so even though i did not prusue it with the local dealer or with the original dealer, i wanted to inform nhtsa that it is probably more of a problem than the 35 incidents mentioned in the article. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1998 | 06/01/1997 | ||
| I saw a tv report about explorer owners complaining about wipers. mine don't work in cold or damp weather. they only work after the suv has been driven several miles. dealership has no clue on how to fix problem. | |||
| 1 | 11/01/1996 | ||
| Rear windshield wiper failed. *yc | |||
| 01/04/1999 | 4 | ||
| While driving in cold/ icy weather the windshield wiper arms froze, causing the windshield wipers to be inoperative, which could cause visibility problems and an accident. *ak.et. | |||
| 12/22/1997 | 2 | 06/04/1997 | |
| Windshield wiper/washer failed, replacement of the multi-function switch and wiper motor did not rectify failures. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - MOTOR | |||
| 01/27/2004 | 58000 | 2 | 04/11/1997 |
| The rear windshield wiper motor has gone bad in my 97, 4wd, ford explorer for the second time. it has 93,000 miles, it was replaced the first time at 58,000 miles. this is due to a maunfacturers defect and should be reviewed for consideration as a national recall or covered by ford as a out of warranty repair. this is a hazard to allow it to remain unrepaired the cost should be paid by ford. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1997 | |||
| Pe99049, windshield wipers malfunction, causing poor visibility which may result in a crash. high mode goes too slowly, and the low mode goes too fast. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 09/10/1999 | |||
| While driving in a rain storm with windshield wipers on high speed, consumer thoughtthat blades came loose, but instead it was the arm connector to the motor tha tloosened. contacted the dealer to have vehicle serviced. *ak | |||
| Windshield wipers intermittently become inoperable in rainy weather conditions. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 01/11/1999 | |||
| Please ad vin #. consumer driving and when she turned on windshield wipers on, the motor froze in the up position. dealership---odaniel ford---service--748-6260, service mechanic said there had been a number of those complaints at this dealership. | |||
| 12/22/1997 | 2 | 06/04/1997 | |
| Windshield wiper/washer failed, replacement of the multi-function switch and wiper motor did not rectify failures. | |||
| 10/21/1998 | |||
| While driving the windshield wiper malfunctioned, causing visibility problems in the rain. the windshield wiper never turned back on. currently at the dealer. cause unknown. please provide further details. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER - SWITCH/WIRING | |||
| 05/01/2000 | |||
| Windshield washer will not spray fluid. safety concern as visibility can be impaired, especially in the winter. have seen ford discussion groups that this is a common problem, possibility related to excessive grease in the electrical contacts of the wiper and washer spray switch. *ak | |||