Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EQUIPMENT | |||||
| 00E11 | 12/01/2000 | 616814 | Service action bulletin regarding on-board diagnostic system upgrade. *tt | 03/13/2001 | |
| 980321 | 01/01/1998 | 607725 | Pats key programming. *ak | 02/06/2001 | |
| 8164 | 02/01/2000 | 612338 | Information on 5r55e - 4r55e - 4r44e pump alignment tools. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||||
| 0285 | 04/29/2002 | 637928 | On some vehicles, the electronic automatic temperature control (eatc) blows cold air from the floor ducts on vehicles produced before 9/30/2000 only. *tt | 12/09/2002 | |
| 00213 | 10/16/2000 | 618546 | Subject regarding climate control - eatc - blower motor control service tips. *jb | 04/16/2001 | |
| 12997 | 07/01/1999 | 614782 | Some vehicles may exhibit no / low a/c performance at high ambient temperatures and prolonged idle. *tt | 12/14/2000 | |
| 6692 | 07/01/1999 | 610733 | Some vehicles may exhibit no / low air conditioner performance at high ambient temperatures and prolonged idle. *tt | 05/11/2000 | |
| 98165 | 04/07/2000 | 609751 | Evaporator core failed, causing the air conditioner to drip on to passenger floor. yd | 04/07/2000 | |
| 13223 | 09/01/1999 | 6090619 | Information regarding manual a/c system- blower works in high setting only. *mjs | 03/22/2000 | |
| 7084 | 09/01/1999 | 6090441 | Subject on manual a/c system-blower works in high setting only. *mjs | 03/20/2000 | |
| 99196 | 09/20/1999 | 6090087 | Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt | 03/08/2000 | |
| 99206 | 10/04/1999 | 6089649 | Concerns with burning odor or smoke, and / or rustling noise while blower motor is on. *tt | 02/11/2000 | |
| 99156 | 07/26/1999 | 608435 | Some vehicles may exhibit a burning odor or smoke, and / or rustling noise occuring when the blower motor is running if leaves or foreign material enters the blower case. *tt | 12/01/1999 | |
| 9988 | 05/03/1999 | 606408 | Concerns or erratic or insufficient temperature control. *tt | 08/19/1999 | |
| 98238 | 11/23/1998 | 603722 | Condensate may leak onto the passenger floor on some vehicles. *yc | 03/03/1999 | |
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | |||||
| 5133 | 12/01/1998 | 615329 | Some vehicles equipped with a dual media (am / fm cass / cd) radio may exhibit an audio concern of no display or graphics. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 12518 | 03/01/1999 | 6091761 | Concerns with the in-dash cd stops operating when hot / radio display reads cd too hot. *tt | 11/14/2000 | |
| 985133 | 11/01/1998 | 613270 | Some vehicles equipped with a dual media (am/fm/cass/cd) radio may exhibit an audio concern of no display or graphics. *tt | 06/20/2000 | |
| 12127 | 11/01/1998 | 613149 | Some vehicles equipped with a dual media (am/fm/cass/cd) radio may exhibit an audio concern of no display or graphics. *mjs | 06/19/2000 | |
| 99129 | 06/14/1999 | 606460 | Experiencing a whine / buzz type noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio on vehicles with an in-tank electric fuel pump. *tt | 08/24/1999 | |
| 12573 | 03/01/1999 | 605297 | Information regarding the audio system selective lighting feature. *tt | 06/07/1999 | |
| 5652 | 03/01/1999 | 605192 | Complaints that the in-dash cd stops operating when hot. *tt | 06/03/1999 | |
| 9873 | 04/13/1998 | 601341 | Experiencing a whining / buzzing noise in the speakers of the entertainment radio or two-way radio. *tt | 07/24/1998 | |
| EQUIPMENT - MECHANICAL - WRECKER AND WHEEL LIFT DEVICES | |||||
| 8149 | 02/01/2000 | 612328 | Subject regarding neutral tow inoperative after gem replacement. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| 13388 | 10/01/1999 | 609664 | Vehicles equipped the neutral tow feature, be aware that when the neutral tow feature is enabled and the customer places the vehicle into the neutral mode, the neutral tow indicator will go out when the gem goes to sleep. *tt | 04/05/2000 | |
| 13222 | 09/01/1999 | 6090598 | Information regarding neutral tow kit available. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 7083 | 09/01/1999 | 6090438 | Information regarding neutral tow kit availability. *mjs | 03/20/2000 | |
| EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS | |||||
| 00L09 | 09/01/2000 | 618532 | Subject pertaining to supplemental tire inflation label. *jb | 04/16/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EQUIPMENT | |||
| 07/28/2008 | 84000 | 1 | |
| 98 ford explorer stereo-cd-cassette player, volume control and display is defective again. had it fixed out of warranty at 40 months, now broke again...many unhappy people had same problem on explorerforum.com. should have been a recall. *tr | |||
| 06/27/2005 | 159000 | 0 | 10/12/2002 |
| Fire started in vehicle in the garage of our home | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 52000 | 11/27/1998 | |
| Radio led display does not work the majority of the time. | |||
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||
| 05/14/2007 | 87000 | 1 | |
| The air conditioning system was leaking in the 1998 explorer, and the accumulator was rusted very badly so that it too may have leaks in it. ford needed to recall these units, and replace the rusted accumulator.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 80000 | 90 | |
| The air conditioner in my 1998 ford explorer gradually did not operate properly. at this time, it is not cooling at all. today (june 12, 2004), i read about problems with the a/c accumulator. i pealed back part of the thermal blanket wrapped around the accumulator, and found it to be rusted. the ac has not been cooling in about 2-3 months, but it is most inconvenient and dangerous now with the summer heat in full force. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2001 | 20000 | 1 | 05/03/1999 |
| Air conditioner mode will cool great in max a/c mode but not in all other modes. only hot air comes out. i've had this investigated once in germany and twice in the states. no dealership claimed to have found anything wrong. finally, the dealer said it was the air blender. it is a common problem that is in a lot of explorers from what i see on the internet. this is a manufacturers defect and should be recalled to fix. the internet shows a backyard garage fix, but is not ideal solution. ford needs to correct defective design. *la | |||
| 11/02/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2097 | |
| The automatic temperature control fails to adjust the temperature of the cabin. only the max a/c condition will blow cold air, while any other setting blows very hot air regardless of the outside or inside air temperature. the dealer diagnosis was to replace the plemun chamber and actuator + freon, which results in a $1,200 repair. this appears to be a defective design issue that should be addressed by the manufacturer as the vehicle is less than 5 years old. dt | |||
| 07/25/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2099 | |
| Air conditioner mode will cool great in max a/c mode but not in all other modes. the hot air only comes out. i also as a result of this have had the thermostat read hot unless i turn on the vent, which also turns out hot air. i went to the dealer who says it is the plenum, a door in the air conditioner. it is a common problem that is in alot of 98 explorers from what i see on the internet. this is a manufacturers defect and should be recalled to fix. if there has been a recall, i haven't heard anything or told about it when i went to my local ford dealer.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Air conditioning system inoperable. nlm | |||
| 10/01/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| The temperature gauge reads cold all the time, the engine whistles sometimes at low speed and idle and the condensor went up - all pretty much at the same time these started. (tiresize: p3575r)( dot number: tire size: p3575r ) | |||
| 1 | |||
| A/c failed. yh | |||
| 11/05/1998 | 07/02/1998 | ||
| Cylinder wasn't firing and needed replacement; ac not functioning at full capacity. | |||
| 01/10/1999 | 2 | 01/01/1998 | |
| When i tried to use the ac in march it blew out only hot air. a new compressor had to be put in it. it still leaks under the dash when it rains hard or going through car wash. rear wiper motor burnt out. wiper would not work, had to be replaced. rear seal, pinon seals, and rear drive shaft were replaced twice. the rear passenger door panel and window rattled really bad. had repaired. now front driver door panel and window rattles. had a vibrating noise repaired. when vehicle idled a piece of metal vibrated. several times i have gone to turn on the headlights and they won't come on. i have to turn the button several times before they will come on. after my auto has set overnight and i start it, it idles very rough for a few minutes. the gas pedal has been sticking for quite a few months. only when you initially push on the gas to go. you have to tap on it to get it to unstick; there has been a recall on this, the pa | |||
| 04/23/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| On friday, may 14th, 1999 at approximately 9:15 pm, i was driving my ford explorer on the ny thruway when the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own to speeds up to 70 mph without any explanation. i applied the brakes, but the vehicle only slowed down to 50-55 mph. after driving the vehicle with the brakes applied for a few minutes (since i didn't know what else to do), i decided to turn the ignition off and that caused the engine to shut off. fortunately, i was able to glide the vehicle to the shoulder road on the highway without damage to the vehicle, ourselves or anyone else. i had the vehicle towed back to the dealership where i purchased it from to investigate and find out what caused this problem. to my amazement, the service dept. indicated that they found nothing wrong with the vehicle and that i could take it home. i told them i can't accept his response as an answer for almost losing my life, and that i want them to further investigate the cause of why the vehicle experienced a sudden and unexplained acceleration. since then i have been given the run-around and need your assistance in getting this matter resolved quickly before someone else's life is put in danger with this vehicle, or other ones in this class that may have the same problem. thank you for your attention in this matter and please call me if you need any futher information regarding this matter. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 141000 | 1 | 02/01/1998 |
| Am/fm/cassette cd radio display no longer works. at times the display appears but then goes blank for some unknown reason. currently the display has been blank for months. *jb | |||
| 01/12/2002 | 78000 | 9 | 04/23/1997 |
| Radio display goes out. cannot see the clock or radio selection. this has been vary dangerious in the winter during early morning driving when i cannot see my watch and travel through school zones and i don't know if the zone is active or not. the radio was replaced once under warranty and has since gone out again. *ak | |||
| 06/06/2003 | 1 | ||
| The information for the radio was visible at times and sometimes it was not visible. *ak *scc *jb | |||
| 4 | 05/01/2001 | ||
| This problem was fixd one time by ford, 2nd time it failed thay said it was out of there hands. the radio get so hot you cant touch it!this might start a fire.*ak | |||
| 11/25/2001 | |||
| Radio lights go out intermittently. vehicle not taken to dealer yet.*ak | |||
| 04/08/1999 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Radios do not operate properly,steerig wheel when go over a bump it swing left/ right. *ak | |||
| 12/18/2000 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Am/fm/casst/cd radio display quit working. told tough luck by dealer, buy a new one for $400. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 1 | 05/06/2000 | |
| Trunk door will not shut properly. consumer is able to slide his hand in while door is shut. *ak consumer contacted dmv and found out vehicle had been in an accident, consumer specifically asked for a vehicle that had not been damaged, however dealer sold it to him anyway, consumer feels deceived and is experiencing multiple problems with vehicle. radio is inoperative at times. hatch rubs agains frame of vehicle. taillight and headlight are out of alignment, fog lights had lamp failure. vehicle experiences problems with absorbing road shock, vehicle pulls to right. check engine light illuminates, vehicle experiences low power. rear power window motor failed. power antenna failed. right windshield wiper interior garnish molding loose, rear wiper blade skips center of glass, dealer replaced rear wiper arm and blade assembly. steering gear assembly replaced due to noisy. bumper not even. *slc | |||
| 1 | |||
| Radio/cd player works sporadically. nlm | |||
| 07/31/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1997 | |
| The cds in the single cd player heat up to where it is hot to touch. this could be a fire hazard. the outside of the cd/radio unit is also hot. i was told by ford that this was common. the advisor at ford said he has a 2000 ford truck and his wife a 1998 mustang that does the same thing. i noted this on my 30000 mile service and ford did not even look at the problem. it was dismissed and not even noted on my repair record/invoice. also, the rear windshield wiper motor has been replaced for the second time. in fact, i only used it once or twice after the first time it was replaced. . | |||
| 12/01/1998 | 10 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Cd's become very hot, removal causes rapidmovement as if hand will burn. could cause a fire or accident. *ak | |||
| 12 | 01/23/1998 | ||
| Audio volume control mounted on steering wheel is out of order. yh | |||
| 01/01/1998 | 1 | 11/11/1997 | |
| Cd player is not working. *yc | |||
| 1 | 05/24/1998 | ||
| Radio led indicators failed. nlm | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| Radio failed. mjs | |||
| 12/15/1998 | 1 | 09/30/1997 | |
| Stereo reciever failed. | |||
| 04/30/1998 | 20 | 03/01/1998 | |
| I have the 6 disc changer 91p eddie bauer radio with controls on the steering wheel. at times, when i use the controls on the steering wheel to turn up the volume, the volume shoots all the way up and i have to use the knob on the radio to turn the volume down. another problem is the radio stations lock up. the radio gets locked up and i have to turn it off and then back on to clear the problem. the dealer has had the truck at least 4 times and can't duplicate the problem. it is a random problem. the servicing dealer is kings ford at 9555 kings automall drive cincinnati oh 45249 513-697-2414. they act like they don't care since they can't duplicate the problem. | |||
| 05/09/1998 | 1 | ||
| Started to eject cd. the cd had overheated & melted cd. a design flaw. called manufacturer. & dealer. mechanic heard of overheated cd player. checked out electrical system & could not locate problem. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT - MECHANICAL - CARRIER/RACK | |||
| 06/03/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2098 | |
| Spare tire is retained by a cable. cable end failed. tire came loose and rolled into busy traffic, sending vehicles swerving to avoid it. very nearly caused a serious accident. had this been at night, or on a busy freeway, there could be serious consequences to having 50 lbs of wheel and tire let loose on the freeway. from internet newsgroups, this appears to be a frequent problem and a design flaw. cable is about 1/4 inch thick, and once it fails there is nothing (no retaining bar or other safety feature) to prevent the spare wheel from dropping into following traffic. i am so thankful no one was hurt this time, but want to make sure ntsa is aware of the problem. thanks.*ak | |||
| 05/24/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| The inserts, which hold the roof rack to the roof, came loose while driving on the highway with luggage on the roof. had i not further tied the luggage to the front bumper, i believe that the roof rack could have come loose from the roof, with potentially severe consequences to other vehicles. i did talk to the dealer when i returned from the trip, but the vehicle was out of warranty by that time, and they said that they did not know how to repair the problem. | |||
| 05/31/2000 | |||
| At highway speeds luggage rack separated from the roof of vehicle, causing damage to the vehicle. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT - MECHANICAL - JACKS | |||
| 02/01/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Consumer had a flat and while jacking up vehicle , metaljack crumbled into pieces. dealer was to contact consumer per manufacturer, but they have not called.*ak consumer states that the vehicle fell off jack. *slc | |||