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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||||||||||||
| 98V060000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 08/01/1996 to 02/01/1998 | V (Vehicle) | 320000 | 04/20/1998 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 03/19/1998 | 03/27/1998 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l single overhead cam engines. the engine fuel lines can be damaged if the vehicle is jump started and the ground cable is attached to the fuel line bracket that is located near the battery. since the bracket is not grounded, the stainless steel fuel line braid could act as a ground potentially overheating the ptfe inner liner of the fuel line resulting in damage to the fuel line. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The fuel lines can leak, and in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could potentially result. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a warning label on the fuel line bracket advising owners not to use it for a jump start ground. also a revised bolt will be installed in the alternator bracket to provide a convenient jump start ground location. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification is expected to begin april 20, 1998.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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||||
| 6203 | 05/01/1999 | 607024 | Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition when parked on an incline with the vehicle in a nose down position and less than 1/4 tank of fuel. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
| 976011 | 11/01/1997 | 605804 | Experiencing difficulty diagnosing vehicles with evaporative fuel system diagnostic trouble codes. *tt | 07/26/1999 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||||
| 00201 | 10/02/2000 | 618539 | Some vehicles may exhibit hesitation on acceleration or while turning. *jb | 04/16/2001 | |
| 9818 | 01/19/1998 | 605568 | Fuel pump replacement procedure - service tip. *tt | 07/09/1999 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||||
| 15532 | 01/01/2002 | 630018 | Information on vehicles exhibitng fuel line damage due to pinching/squeezing of the fuel return line. *tt | 04/11/2002 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE | |||||
| 982732 | 04/01/1998 | 603590 | Brief information on performing the fuel economy test. *yc | 02/25/1999 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 12710 | 05/01/1999 | 6091686 | Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition when parked on an incline with the vehicle in a noise down position and less than 1/4 tank of fuel. *tt | 11/09/2000 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | |||||
| 0398 | 05/12/2003 | 10002780 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt | 09/17/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | ||||||
| RQ98020 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 11/03/1998 | 11/15/2000 | FUEL LINE DAMAGE FROM JUMP STARTING | 98V060000 | |
| Fuel leak and possible fire from engine compartment fuel lines damaged by electrical sparking and discharge. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 01/19/2010 | 158000 | 1 | |
| Check engine light comes on and o2 sensors have to be replace every thirty to forty thousand miles. now o/d off light is flashing and car drives like it is in first gear, shifts hard. *tr | |||
| 11/19/2005 | 1 | ||
| Doors and locks on my 1998 ford has been out of order they work when they want to!! i saw that it had a recall in 1999 i guess the last owner didn't get it fixed im sometimes locked out of my car 10-15 min at a time!! i was wondering can you do something or is it too late!! i really need to get this taken care of because when i leave work it's dark!! *tr | |||
| 11/14/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 10/06/2005 |
| Dt: contact stated that right after purchasing the vehicle he had replace the brakes, tires, fuel filter, the fuel injection was cleaned , the anti lock sensors where replaced, the windshield was replaced . the air bags are also deployed. while driving the vehicle it vibrates on the left side. he took the vehicle to a mechanic they put the vehicle on a rack trying to line the vehicle. it would not line up. they found that the ball joints bad, also the motor mounts are broken. the mechanic told him that the frame is bent beyond repair. *nm | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 98000 | ||
| Fuel leaked onto the engine, causing a fire. the location of the fuel leak had not been determined. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 34100 | 20 | 10/23/1998 |
| Vehicle engine idle will jump up to 2300 rpms while in park or netural without touching gas pedal, a/c and acc's off. the only way this is noticed is when you shift out of drive while engine is running, or hear the transmission making a clunking sound tyring to downshift at such a high rpm. vehilce will also increase speed on it's own without pressing gas pedal. it's almost a daily occurance. | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 3 | ||
| Consumer stated that the fuel pump failed three times and the fuel line had broke causing, the fuel to leak and vehicle to stall. *yd | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Consumer stated that the vehicle might not start if parked with nose down and has ? tank of fuel. consumer is concerned about the safety. *yd | |||
| 02/17/2002 | 3 | 02/01/2002 | |
| When making turns, especially right turns, vehicle slides and almost turns over.*ak. consumer states vehicle is experiencing acceleration problems,and there was a humming noise coming from the engine, signals are not working, dealer replaced a defective connector and multi-function switch, firestone tires have experienced tread separation, which were replaced in july 2001, the rear seats move/bounce when driving, the rear seat belts were inoperative, the dealer replaced the buckles, there was smoke coming from the steering column, dealer replaced the multi-function switch, the windshield was chipped, the alarm would not chut off at times, dealer replaced a bad loose wire.*jb | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Consumer stated that the vehicle might not start if parked with nose down and has ? tank of fuel. consumer is concerned about the safety. *yd | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 3 | ||
| Consumer stated that the fuel pump failed three times and the fuel line had broke causing, the fuel to leak and vehicle to stall. *yd | |||
| 10/22/2000 | 1 | 10/04/1997 | |
| There was a massive fuel system failure under the hood of the vehicle resulting in fuel odor, consumer request reimbursement. nlm | |||
| 1 | 08/10/1998 | ||
| When filling gas tank, fuel spills out before nozzle shuts off. nlm | |||
| 10/22/2000 | 1 | 10/04/1997 | |
| There was a massive fuel system failure under the hood of the vehicle resulting in fuel odor, consumer request reimbursement. nlm | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 5 | 05/15/1998 | |
| The vehicle will stop operating if the fuel level is below four gallons or if the vehicle is on a down slope - if parked in that position and engine shut off, it will not restart. | |||
| 12/24/1997 | 12/17/1997 | ||
| When vehicle is parked on an incline and fuel tank has less than 9 gallons of fuel, vehicle will not crank. | |||
| When vehicle has less than 8 gallons of fuel and is parked on an decline, it will not start until the vehicle is rolled to a level grade. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - CARBURETOR SYSTEM | |||
| 01/23/2001 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| While starting explorer an explosion occurred blowing off (into many pieces) the intake cover. the explosion lifted the car up into the air and the noise could be heard from inside our house.*ak | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| When our explorer had 29,000 miles on it, i brought it into the dealership because the check engine light had come on and the vehicle was stalling out at stoplights. they replaced the oxygen sensor, a gasket on the intake manifold, and a fuel injector. now, 3,000 miles later, i returned to the dealership complaining about the same problem, except that the check engine light had not come on. at times, the explorer sounds and feels like it's going to stall out at stoplights or when shifting from reverse to drive. the dealership had the truck for 2 days and ran up 11 miles on it, but they could not recreate the scenario. they could find no problem at this time. | |||
| 04/05/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle runs rough and check engine light came on due to lower intake gasket failure. yh | |||
| 05/01/1998 | |||
| Intermittant stalling when acclerating from a stop. ford claims to have a re-calibration of the air/gas mix.did no good. still having the same problem. | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Experiencing noise from air intake manifold. *yc | |||
| 10/05/1998 | 04/23/1998 | ||
| Noisy engine. dealer replaced intake manifold/timing chain/alternator and starter. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY | |||
| 10/16/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2098 | |
| When hood was lifted during routine smog certification test, gasoline was observed spraying on engine from fuel line. the hole was behind the tie down bracket on front of the engine. the obviously extremely dangerous condition was repaired on site. upon examination, the metal braid hose did not appear chafed but rather appears to have spontaneously ruptured. the hose was defective and repair costs should be paid by the manufacturer. (hoses are available for examination) a very serious situation would have developed had the gasoline ignited at highway speed. dt | |||
| 08/13/2001 | |||
| While driving smelled strong fuel smell, vehicle taken to dealer who replaced a leaking fuel rail. *ak | |||
| 04/01/2001 | |||
| Fuel lines going into engine were leaking fuel near spark plug. consumer repaired this himself, and informed dealership when he went in for replacement parts. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 06/15/1999 | 5 | 07/10/1998 | |
| Possible faulty fuel lines, valves and gas cap may be causing check engine light to illuminate. nlm | |||
| 06/15/1998 | 2 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Rack and pinion steering was replaced 2x for a griding noice that is still hear...car has been in the shop for a total of over 45 days for warentee work drivers window constantly rattles. window gate has been replaced numerous times to no help. fuel pump failed and was replaced | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||
| 07/25/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| While driving late at night in a residential neighborhood my wifes explorer stalled in the middle of the street. she had the explorer towed home for me to diagnose. i examined the explorer and found that the inertia switchs electrical connector had slid off. this resulted in the loss of power to the fuel pump. ford has located this switch near the floor on the passenger side foot area with the wiring routed under the carpet. repeated passenger foot pressure on the floor had resulted in the connector sliding off. while driving this reduces steering and braking efficiency as well as forward movement. thank goodness she was not on a freeway, bridge, tunnel or maneuvering through a curve which could have resulted in a serious accident. | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 9999 | 05/01/1998 | |
| This vehicle was the replacement for the 1997 model with the same problem that ford insisted did not exist 2yrs. ago. they have now acknowledged a problem with the fuel pump that we feel very strongly is a safety isssue. they have also informed us that there are other explorers in the state of colorado that have the same problem. we feel that ford is deliberately trying to minimize this problem. vehicle cuts out/stalls upon accelleration which by definition of the nhtsa is a safety defect!! we filled a report on our 1997 vehicle in january of 1998. please see nhtsa ref. #523114. *ak | |||
| 10/22/1998 | 1 | 06/08/1998 | |
| Fuel pump failed. *yc | |||
| 07/19/1999 | |||
| Fuel pump wiring became dislodged. *ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 07/23/2005 | 1 | 03/14/1998 | |
| Vehicle is a 1998 ford explorer equipped with a 4.0l sohc engine purchased in march of 1998. battery had died and attempted to jump start the battery (wouldn't jump, was replaced). ground cable was placed at a location that appeared to be a safe location. unknown to me at the time, it turned out to be the fuel line bracket. later that day and the next day a strong gas smell was eminating from vehicle. took to adamson ford dealership in birmingham, al and was informed that the fuel line was damaged resulting in a fuel leak which could result in fire. after getting over shock of a $889 repair estimate, i searched the internet for more information and came across a link to your website concerning a recall issued by your group (id# 98v060000). the summary of the recall described my situation perfectly. you issued the recall the exacth month and year of my purchase, march of 1998. found another internet article stating that ford motor company issued a voluntary safety recall in may, 1998 for the same subject matter as your recall. i never received any recall notification from ford motor company regarding this matter. i've pressed the issue with the dealership as to why i did not receive notification of the recall and they are claiming it is due to the build date of my vehicle. they claim ford's recall of may, 1998 covered explorers with a build date up to 02/01/98 and that the build date for my vehicle was 02/03/98, a difference of 2 days. was told that my vehicle did come from the same plant as those covered by the recall. i have a hard time accepting that a 2-day difference would be grounds for ford to designate that the recall in question was not applicable to my vehicle when the danger existed. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 33846 | ||
| Massive fuel leak under the hood of 1998 ford explorer xlt.*mr another fuel leak occured when a woven part of the fuel line broke. *nm | |||
| 12/21/2003 | 1 | ||
| The harmonic balancer came loose and the camshaft had broken right at the engine block. *ph consumer was given an option by the dealer to either overhaul the engine, with no warranty, or replace the engine, with a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. a service technician found out that upon inspecting the harmonic balancer camshaft area that the long bolt holding the pulley to the camshaft was never tightened was able to removed with the technician's fingers. in addition, the bolt should have some markings on it consistent with an impact wrench. it was confirmed that the bolt would have been removed in order to replace the timing chain. when engine was replaced and performed additional test on vehicle, dealer found a small fuel line leak. fuel line was repaired and made another test on vehicle. consumer currently seeking reimbursement of all expenses incurred due to mechanical error that rendered vehicle inoperable. *la | |||
| The consumers were never notified of three recalls that applied to their vehicle until the defect occurred. the dealership refused to honor the recalls them because the campaigns had ended. the recall numbers are: 99 v 164 000, 98 v 060 000, and 00 v 422 000. *nlm | |||
| 07/11/2003 | 1 | ||
| Nhtsa recall 98-v-060-000:vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l single overhead cam engines. engine fuel lines can be damaged if the vehicle is jump started and the ground cable is attached to the fuel line bracket that is located near the battery. since the bracket is not grounded, the stainless steel fuel line braid could act as a ground potentially overheating the ptfe inner liner of the fuel line, resulting in damage to the fuel line. consumer has the same problem. however this vehicle was not recallede due to the vin. *ak | |||
| 07/25/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| While driving late at night in a residential neighborhood my wifes explorer stalled in the middle of the street. she had the explorer towed home for me to diagnose. i examined the explorer and found that the inertia switchs electrical connector had slid off. this resulted in the loss of power to the fuel pump. ford has located this switch near the floor on the passenger side foot area with the wiring routed under the carpet. repeated passenger foot pressure on the floor had resulted in the connector sliding off. while driving this reduces steering and braking efficiency as well as forward movement. thank goodness she was not on a freeway, bridge, tunnel or maneuvering through a curve which could have resulted in a serious accident. | |||
| 08/13/1998 | 01/10/1998 | ||
| Dealer was contacted on july 28, and the bolt was not in. they would contact consumer when it arrived to reschedule an appointment, consumer contacted dealer on august 13, and bolt was in. she had not been notified concerning rescheduling of appointment. *ak | |||
| 07/19/1998 | |||
| While driving the gas line exploded. dealer has repaired the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/04/1998 | |||
| Received recall notice 98v060000, fuel lines. had called dealer for appointment. took vehicle in on due date. after arriving was informed had no parts for the repair work. parts on order. will call when they are in. has not heard anything as of yet. *ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | |||
| 11/28/2007 | 102250 | 1 | 08/09/2002 |
| While accelerating the vehicle hesitates as if it is going to stall. i've taken it and had it checked out. the only thing that has ever been found is faulty o2 sensors. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2006 | 84000 | 1 | 11/24/1999 |
| The water pump was replaced on vehicle on 09 aug, 2003, necessitating removal and re-installation of the air intake hose connected to the throttle body. on the morning of 09 feb, 2006 the accelerator was briefly depressed to the floor while navigating in freeway traffic. the accelerator remained in this position after having removed the driver's foot from the accelerator. full pressure was being applied to the brakes with no apparent slowing of the vehicle. the vehicle was steered towards an open construction area adjacent to the freeway, and shifted into 'park' while still moving at about 50 mph. the vehicle stopped safely, and without collision. the vehicle remained drivable after this incident. upon investigation, it appears that the body of the hose clamp that secures the air intake hose to the throttle body was interfering with the throttle mechanism such that when the accelerator was fully depressed, a plastic tab on the throttle mechanism would rub against the body of the hose clamp with enough force to hold the throttle in the fully open position. as previously mentioned, this hose had been removed and re-installed, possibly causing the hose and attached hose clamp to be rotated several degrees from their original (factory) position. it should be noted that there are no features on the hose or throttle body to ensure proper orientation upon re-installation. to correct the problem, the air intake hose was re-positioned , and the offending corner of the plastic tab on the throttle linkage was filed off. (digital photos and video of the failure condition are available)*jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| After the vehicle had been parked for about two hours it caught on fire. fire department was called, and they said fire was due to a fuel leak. *ak | |||
| 3 | |||
| Car keep stopping and dying, the plenums (fuel injector) that melted and had to be replaced. | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 24 | 01/01/2000 | |
| Vehicle began stalling earlier this year. thought it was just seasonal. took it for service in april. fuel induction system cleaning performed. problem persists and now vehicle cuts off completely after stalling. also stalls during quick accelerations. am afraid that injury or fatality will occur before dealership locates difficulty. have heard of other ford vehicles stalling. is this related? any help is greatly apprecieted and needed!*ak | |||
| 07/05/2001 | |||
| Vehicle stalled when making a 90 degree left turn. consumer stepped slightly on gas and it hesitated. consumer has to press down giving vehicle gas to by pass hesitation. dealer really had no remedy. but once before replaced fuel injection. *ak | |||
| 11/19/2000 | 11/01/2000 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| Engine starting failure has caused the car to be left two times, each time it stumbled and when it did start my wife put it into drive at which time it rolled into traffic and cut off again. this is dangerous, the shop i took it to could find no bad codes and had no idea why it happened. i found a tsb concerning it on your website so now i know others are having the same problem. concerning the squeeling coming from the front end at speeds from 0-40, i took it to a shop and they sprayed some lubricant on it but the noise returned, i am afraid that something is going to fail in the front end and again. i found a tsb concerning the same problem on your site, so i am not alone in this problem. the oil leak was noticed when the squeal problem was investigated and again i noticed a tsb conserning the rear main seal leaking.*ak | |||
| 02/27/1999 | 4 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Although this vehicle has not been in an accident yet, i am afraid that it will sooner or later due to this problem. since i have purchased this vehicle, it has stumbed/hesitated (for 1 -2 seconds) when taking off from a dead stop. so far, this problem has only occurred when making a left turn, from a dead stop, in front of oncoming traffic. if it was only a split second thing, it would not be so bad, but it takes a couple of seconds before i have power again. since it is an intermittent thing that only occurs once every 3-4 months, the dealer was unable to find any problem when it was brought in. *ak | |||
| 10/30/1999 | 2 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Check engine light lit on 10/29/99 took to university ford, durham 10/30/99 - replaced air flow sensor $320.22. on 11/4/99 check engine light came on again - took back to university ford - stated that it was the fuel injector intake gaskets & o-rings $179.23. very disappointed in the service of this vehicle no older that it is. what is going to happen next. there was a lady in the lobby who also had a 1998 ford taurus that the check engine light had came on. i think this is something that ford should look into - could this possibly be a recall problem - if so i have copies of all bills which i can submit as proof work was done. i can't understand why ford is having so many problems - this is the 3rd ford that i've owned & they way things are looking will be my last. what happened to quality is job one not with this vehicle - i can't believe that ford would put out a product that could give all of these problems so soon with no more miles on this vehicle. i'm a very, very disappointed customer. if ford can't do any better that this - they need to close their doors. it's very hard to make monthly payments when i'm having to spend out $500.00 on something that should not be giving problems this soon. i've had vehicles with close to 100,000 miles & have never had to replace these things & they were ford products. i think someone should check into this - this may possibly be a re-call problem that had not been addressed as of yet. please feel free to contact me - i'll be happy to discuss any part of this with you or a ford representative - at this point in time, i can't recommend any ford product to anyone & if anyone ask me about a ford i will have to state the true - unless ford is willing to fully rectify this situation. | |||
| 07/18/1998 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| While driving the vehicle will not move and the engine is working which almost caused an accident. had to pull over and problem still occurring. dealer cannot determine problem. *ak *jb | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - FUEL RAIL | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 107000 | 1 | 03/01/2003 |
| The consumer parked the vehicle at her house for at least 7 hours. then, vehicle caught on fire. the fire department was contacted, and they indicated that the cause of the fire was possibly electrical. also, consumer contacted the manufacturer, who was no help at all. *ak the vehicle was totaled. *sc | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - INJECTORS | |||
| 04/09/2007 | 2 | 04/23/2005 | |
| Vehicle hesitating and stalling. all six fuel injectors melted and had to be replaced. after the replacement of fuel injectors, strong gas smell, and the vehicles still currently stalls or idles to high. *tr | |||
| 03/01/1998 | |||
| When our explorer had 29,000 miles on it, i brought it into the dealership because the check engine light had come on and the vehicle was stalling out at stoplights. they replaced the oxygen sensor, a gasket on the intake manifold, and a fuel injector. now, 3,000 miles later, i returned to the dealership complaining about the same problem, except that the check engine light had not come on. at times, the explorer sounds and feels like it's going to stall out at stoplights or when shifting from reverse to drive. the dealership had the truck for 2 days and ran up 11 miles on it, but they could not recreate the scenario. they could find no problem at this time. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Vehicle is blowing fuel inside of gas tank, it has been on more than one occasion. dealers will be notified. *ak | |||
| 11/24/2000 | 4 | 08/01/1998 | |
| This component has failed four times starting jun 24 2000, then again aug 15th 2000, oct 7th 2000 and then nov 24th. no sadfety defect mentioned in summary. *ak | |||
| 07/01/1998 | |||
| The gas tank will not fill completely. i have had the vehicle back to dealer at least 4 times regarding this problem, they took the tank off at least twice. when filling the gas tank it shuts off & i am able to continue to fill the tank at least putting in 5 to 6 gallons more. i am never sure if the tank is full or not. this has been an ongoing problem since i took this vehicle home from day 1. | |||
| 10/07/1998 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| I was driving explorer on the freeway at about 65mph with a full tank of 21 gallons fuli saw at the last moment a type of hand tool in my lane. it looked like a wrench or something. because of the size i couldn't see it until the last moment. i did not swerve to miss it because i did not have time to check for a clear lane to swerve into, and did not want to just move over quickly and cause an accident with a car next to me. also i did not think that running over this small tool would have such a serious out come. i only heard a small thump as the tool went under my tire. then less than a mile later when i got off at my exit and stopped at a red light, a man that was at the light next to me ran over to my window and began pounding on it and yelling a t me to get out of my car because it was dumping gasoline all over. i got out and even with the fast response of the fire department and the highway patrol my car had dumped gas all over the road. it is a wonder that even with the car (from driving on the highway) the gasoline did not catch fire. if it had caught fire not only myself, but all those stopped at the red light could have been seriously injured or killed. when ford was making the repairs they informed me that my explorer does not come with skid plates that would have prevented this type of accident, they stated that they are standard on the 4x4 (which mine is not) and an option on my 2wd. they then stated that this kind of problem can happen very easily and the best protection is to pay the extra and have them install the skid plates which you bet your life i did because i already risked my own more than i ever care too. now tell me how it is that they can know that there is a serious chance that a person could have a small rock or object fly up and rupture a gas tank and cause a fire and that the owner never knew that the car had no protection from this problem. if they knew this was a problem why dont they need to put the skid plates on all of the cars. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - FILLER PIPE AND CAP | |||
| Gas tank cap is not holding pressure, allowing gas fumes to escape from the tank. dealer has not seen vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/15/1999 | 5 | 07/10/1998 | |
| Possible faulty fuel lines, valves and gas cap may be causing check engine light to illuminate. nlm | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Gas cap would not lock in correctly,difficult to open and close properly. yh | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | |||
| 12/28/2003 | 90 | 2 | 03/01/1998 |
| Dealership refuse to repair car parts that are important and have serious safty issues. drivers car seat back collapse, accelerator pedal support bracket ell off the floor boad...needs to be welded back on.*ak | |||
| 04/01/1998 | |||
| The gas indicator malfunctioned while applying the brakes. dealer cannot determine the cause. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 04/10/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| The inertia switch is located in an area where a passenger's right foot can hit it's wiring and could cause it to become disconnected while driving. causing the fuel to be shut off unexpectedly.*ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Reference the fuel tank sender assembly on explorers and mountaineers model years 1997 thru 2000 does not reach far enough into the tank causing the sensors to believe the vehicls are out of fuel when parked on a down hill slope, this could also occur when driving downhill with less than a quater tank of fuel. this problem, supposely, was corrected with the 2001 models, by extending the length of the sender assembly. should this , for safety sake, be done on 97 thru 00 models. i am aware of only one incident where an explorer with a few gallon s of fuel remaining the the fuel tank, was parked on a down slope and could not be started until vehicle was placed on the level. | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Gas tank float failed. | |||