Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 98241 | 12/07/1998 | 604053 | Diagnostic service tips on passive anti theft system ( pats ). *yc | 03/16/1999 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 996777 | 08/01/1999 | 608466 | Exhibiting a power steering fluid leak from the steering gear boot(s). *tt | 12/02/1999 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 12510 | 03/01/1999 | 6091750 | Some vehicles may exhibit a power steering grunt / groan / noise while turning. *tt | 11/14/2000 | |
| 13440 | 11/01/1999 | 610879 | Experiencing very light steering vibration / shimmy / nibble at engine idle or low speeds (parking lot type maneuvers). *tt | 05/16/2000 | |
| 99211 | 10/18/1999 | 6089657 | Exhibiting a grunting noise heard from the power steering system during slow speed turning, or while stationary when turning to the left or coming off the steering stops. *tt | 02/11/2000 | |
| 98-3423 | 01/01/1998 | 607762 | Exhibiting a power steering noise. *tt | 10/07/1999 | |
| 996088 | 05/01/1999 | 606964 | Experiencing a grunt noise while turning. *tt | 09/08/1999 | |
| 5812 | 03/01/1999 | 605223 | Concerns with power steering making a grunting / groaning noise while turning. *tt | 06/04/1999 | |
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||||
| 13049 | 08/01/1999 | 6091841 | Exhibiting a power steering fluid leak from the steering gear boot(s). *tt | 11/15/2000 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| PE99045 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 07/06/1999 | 10/29/1999 | STEERING KNUCKLE SEPARATIONS | ||
| The steering knuckle ( at the upper ball joint) and axle separate.the pinch bolt is found to be missing. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/22/2011 | 131000 | ||
| The explorer brake peddle went to the floor to stop the vehicle . there was smoke coming from under the hood . in a few seconds , the truck was in flames. police and firemen were called to the location . they put the fire out in a few minutes . | |||
| 08/10/2006 | 1 | 06/21/1998 | |
| Power steering gear box is leaking. both the gearbox and tie rods need replaced. only 75,000 miles on the vehicle. *nm | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving at highway speeds the steering wandered and swerved. at this time the cause is undetermined. *ak | |||
| 05/31/2001 | |||
| While making a left turn steering failed. as a result, vehicle made a complete turn and damaged front and rear end of vehicle. dealer has advised that there was no problem with steering. please add additional information. *ak | |||
| 10/24/2000 | 1 | ||
| Steering failed. *slc | |||
| 11/07/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1998 | |
| On 11-7, vehicle was making s-like movements, consumer had difficulty keeping vehicle in the lane, after about 10 seconds, the problems ceased, however the following day the same problems occurred and consumer was unable to control vehicle, the vehicle would not respond to the steering wheel being turned, consumer collided twice with the guardrail. *slc | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| When turning at any speed, the steering mechanism makes a soft but loud grinding noise. with car at stop, you can see the power sterring fluid resivour cavitate. after 9 trips to the dealer, they have yet to be able to fix the issue. they have tried new hoses, flushing the system, resetting the computer, and parts from the 6 cl. engine to resolve issue. noise appears after car has been running for at least 5 minutes, and is more prominent the warmer the engine/outside temperature. | |||
| 10/12/1998 | |||
| When driving and trying to switch lanes consumer lost control of vehicle, causing vehicle to run on the side of the road and rollover. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1998 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| I stated to johnson ford ,scrapping noise coming from right front when you turn. buring smell, and worst on left turns. | |||
| 06/26/1998 | 3 | 06/23/1998 | |
| Steering problems associated with grinding, hesitation and vibration. | |||
| While driving 50 to 60 mph vehicle hit water puddle which caused vehicle to flip and roll on its side. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle lost steering control resulting in a collision. | |||
| 04/25/1998 | 1 | 12/28/1997 | |
| While driving on dry straight road at approximately 55 mph vehicle jerked suddenly to the left. when attempting to correct steering, vehicle went out of control and veered to the right, the spun back to the left. turned around on the road backwards and flipped on passengers's side and slid into median. also, abs brakes/suspension and transfer case failed. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 02/22/2007 | 140000 | 1 | 09/19/1997 |
| On 2/22/07 i was driving to work in my 1998 ford explorer xlt 4dr. i had just come off the nj turnpike and was driving through union city at 6:45 in the morning when i stopped at a red light. when the light turned green i accelerated and attempted to turn the vehicle to the left to follow the road. to my shock and horror the steering wheel spun freely without changing the direction of my vehicle. i had absolutely no steering with barely any resistance on the steering wheel itself. my vehicle went straight across the road; i stopped the vehicle up on a sidewalk just before a building. thank god there was no one walking there at that early hour. after i managed to compose myself i tried turning the wheel and found that it would just continue to spin freely either left or right, with nothing stopping it. if i turned the wheel hard and let go the steering wheel would spin completely around 5 or 6 times before coming to a stop. i called the union city police and told them what occurred and that the car was up on a sidewalk with no way to steer it. they told me to call aaa and sent a car by. aaa came with a flat bed and after a long time managed to get the vehicle off the curb and on the truck. the driver had a very difficult time because there was no way to steer the vehicle. i accompanied my vehicle as it was towed to my local repair station 30 miles away. the station found that inside the drivers compartment the steering column is two separate shafts that are held together by a single bolt ( no nut ). the bolt had backed out of the connection and the shafts had become separated. the mechanic found the bolt under the driver's seat. the mechanic told me that once the shafts became separated there was no way to steer the vehicle. he expressed great concern that the bolt did not have a nut or some kind of pin to keep it from falling out. the mechanic put some 'thread locker' on the bolt and put it back in the steering shaft, which fixed the problem. *jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 02/16/2005 | 12/23/2002 | ||
| I have a 1998 ford explorer 4 dr 2wd and the driver door will not open something went wrong with the lock from the inside u can open it from the outside but it wont open from the inside since that occured my anti-theft my security system and my horn also stopped working i have checked the fuses and the relays they tell me that its something in the wiring what should i do | |||
| 08/24/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving at 40 mph steering locked up. *ak | |||
| Recall no. 97v215000 theft protection; mrs. sanchez contacted rich ford 2 weeks after receiving the notice and set an appointment. the day of the appointment the parts were not there. *ak | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 06/18/2004 | 2 | 06/30/2001 | |
| On 6/18/04 my family was in a rollover accident while on vacation in ny. my son was driving and swerved to avoid a car coming at high speeds. the steering became very loose and we rolled over. before rolling over, he tried to regain control and totttled left then tottled right and then flipped and landed on the hood. the three with minor injuries included cuts on hands from cladd, sprain neck and bruises.*ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Steering wheel started shaking slightly at low speed on 5/23/01. i entered a freeway and just as i was approaching 70 mph, the entire vehicle started shaking violently to the point i nearly lost control. started to pull off road, but shaking abated. took veh to dealer & after road test & insp. was told that air bubbles had formed in the steering sys., that certain explorers were known to develop this defect after varying mileages, and that ford says this problem is a no fix and nothing can be done about it. dealer also sd that they had replaced entire rack & pinion systems on explorers still under warranty, but it had no effect on shaking. heard this a.m. that firestone is accusing ford of covering up steering defects that contrib. to explorers rolling; it rang a bell & thought you folks should know about my experience... will make my veh. avail. for insp., should you folks or mfr. want to. | |||
| 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 | 08/21/1998 | ||
| Tie rod failure, power steering gear failed. *slc | |||
| 07/12/2000 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| I think that you explore the steering on the ford explore. it is mich to quick for the adverage driver. this is the reason there is so many roolovers/wrecks when a tire fails. i was driving when the tire failed on my explorer. i have built and drove race cars for years, have been to nascar drivers school (twice), and i believe this helped me control my truck when the tire failed. the every day driver would have reacted when the tire failed, the quick steering would have over reacted and the driver can not catch up with the reaction, thus a wreck. ford should replace the steering boxes on all explorer,s with a slower steering box.*ak | |||
| 07/26/1999 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| These defects happens just months after warranty was out live far from dealership but i tried to get it there as soon as i could being that it was my only source of transportation. i felt that capital ford should of still honored these defects and try to at least offer to help me in anyway they could i feel that they didnt care about it all they had to say to me that the warranty is out and it's going to cost a lot to have these defects fix they wouldn't even give a price all they said is it's going to be a couple of hundred of dollars. i was very dissapointed in their service and the way they handled this situation. if something isn't done, then i plan to return my suv at the end of it's lease and go elsewhere to buy my next usv. i hope that you can resolve this problem i purchase several ford in the past years and have never had any problems with them so i hope you will honor these defects . i look forward to hearing from this request thank you time. no safety defect (s) listed in summary. *ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 08/10/2005 | 78593 | 1 | 09/21/2002 |
| Dt: the consumer states that 1998 ford explorer had a steering problem. the steering wheel was turning to the left, she heard a clung, and the steering wheel was turning, but she was not moving. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and was told that a steering shaft broke. the shaft was replaced, and the vehicle was driving fine now. the consumer stated she called the manufacturer, and they said that the vehicle was not under warranty, and the consumer was looking for someone to pay the bill. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 01/31/2004 | 32000 | 1 | 01/31/2004 |
| The steering wheel makes a grinding noise when making a left of right turn. dealership replaced the power steering hose with an updated one, as stated in the technical servic ebulletin 9821-01 which corrected the problem.*ak | |||
| 03/22/2002 | |||
| While driving at 70 mph the vehicle serverly turned to the left, the consumer had to quickly regain control of vehicle by turning to right to stay on road, the vehicle wa talen to the dealer for a brake job when dealer discovered a vibration in steering column. dealer repaired a steering hose that was routed improperly. there is a bulletin # 98-21-1. | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 1 | 03/28/1998 | |
| Power steering hose failed. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 03/04/2003 | 1 | ||
| Front end felt loose and vehicle was veering to the right due to cracked ball joints. engine check light appeared, and a red brown liquid was leaking from driver's side because power steering rack was defective. also, dealer replaced timing gear, and upper and lower intake manifolds.*ak | |||
| 02/03/1999 | 3 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Serious power steering leakage. taken to dealer twice, and told it's been repaired - still unresolved. also continual squeaking in right front wheel. dealer states cannot repair. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 63000 | 1 | 08/01/1998 |
| Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 1998 ford explorer at approximately 15 mph she heard a rubbing noise coming from the left front of the vehicle. she did not receive any warning lights, and the road conditions were clear. suddenly, it became very hard to turn the steering wheel and she had no control of the vehicle. the contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the dealership informed the contact that the power steering pump failed, and it released debris into the rack and pinion, which caused that to fail. the vehicle was being repaired by the dealership. the vehicle currently has 65042 miles.*ak updated 04/12/07. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| While driving 20 mph and without warning, power steering failed, causing loss of vehicle control. after inspection of vehicle by dealer it was determined that power steering pump needed to be replaced. *ak *slc | |||
| 12/05/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Left side tensioner has been recalled for same reason that right side failed. it is the same piece of equipment and failed for the same reasons yet it has not been recalled yet. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 3 | 08/01/2001 | |
| At high speeds vehicle shakes and will not stay in lane, and steering wheel is very loose. *ak the consumer had rack and pinion installed, but it started leaking and become loose. *yh | |||
| 10/01/1998 | |||
| Attn. nhtsa administrator-mr. robert shelton: i am extremely concerned about the safety of my vehicle. in an effort to help in the investigation of the ford explorer - i would like to offer my vehicle to be used for testing. i would like to be compensated of course and this would allow me to purchase a safer vehicle for my family. the vehicles tested by dr. dennis guenther's study of the oversteering condition were similar to mine. the four door (4x2) design has been chosen by dr. guenther for reasons i don't dare wish to speculate. although, it seems fairly obvious that my family and i are operating an unsafe vehicle. as a ford explorer owner, i encourage you to proceed with an investigation into rollovers associated with this vehicle. i have contacted ford's customer relations department several times via e-mail and have gotten tracking/case id numbers in response. they are refusing to act upon a safety concern where lives are at stake. my vehicle is under warranty until october 2001 and i wish to exchange this unsafe vehicle. if my offer does not appeal to you then please offer me any suggestions that you feel are helpful to my cause. sincerely, gary dennigmann/kim denigman/brent (05-09-96) & nathan (05-24-00). *ak | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| Steering wheel started shaking slightly at low speed on 5/23/01. i entered a freeway and just as i was approaching 70 mph, the entire vehicle started shaking violently to the point i nearly lost control. started to pull off road, but shaking abated. took veh to dealer & after road test & insp. was told that air bubbles had formed in the steering sys., that certain explorers were known to develop this defect after varying mileages, and that ford says this problem is a no fix and nothing can be done about it. dealer also sd that they had replaced entire rack & pinion systems on explorers still under warranty, but it had no effect on shaking. heard this a.m. that firestone is accusing ford of covering up steering defects that contrib. to explorers rolling; it rang a bell & thought you folks should know about my experience... will make my veh. avail. for insp., should you folks or mfr. want to. | |||
| While backing out of driveway there was a sudden loss of steering. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 12/15/1998 | 2 | 05/01/1998 | |
| This vehicle has been in and out of the dealership for service issues with problems related to the steering capabilities. technicians have blown foam in the a-pillers, added sound proofer, riveted the left floor pan, and not to mention, as stated on the service order, repositioned the floor mat, as a solution. the vehicle has a binding in steering between the steering column and something in the left front wheel. no one can seem to resolve the problem. i have also filed a complaint with the dispute settlement board, and at this time, have had no response. this problem has only worsened, and i feel it needs some attention before it becomes a major liability factor on ford motor company, the dealership, and any other parties involved with this matter. what is the point of where enough is enough? or maybe i should get my insurance company involved along with a attorney. this is the point at which i'm at. i need someone to understand this vehicle has a problem, before someone becomes a statistic on the account of all of the problems that no one can resolve with this vehicle.*ak | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| Have problem with a sloppy / loose steering that wonders and has 2 to 3 inches of play. the original steering and the 3rd which was a temporary steering did not have this problem but all of the new steering did. this play / sloppy steering has almost caused my wife with kids to loose control of the vehical. this also happened to me . the steering is pulled by the road differences and the wind and you must constantly correct the steering to stay straight. the original dealer replaced the original steering with a new one. the next few where replaced by a new dealer in another state. the new steering had the same problem but the temporary steering that was put in was fine. the next 2 went back to the loose / sloppy steering again. the new dealer( heritage ford) will no longer replace the rack because he is unable to find the problem. i contacted ford and they sent it back to the ford dealer who stated that we shouild try another dealer to see if they can find it. i just want it corrected so it is safe to drive. *ak | |||
| 02/21/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| While making a left hand turn at approx. 5-10mph vehicle lost all power in steering and braking systems and vehicle became uncontrollable and kept turning left into tree. driver sustained minor injuries. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Power steering failed. yh | |||
| 05/11/1998 | |||
| Power steering makes noise. yh | |||
| 07/01/1998 | 4 | 07/21/1998 | |
| When turning steering to the right or left, it makes a grinding noise and binds up. dealer contacted and is aware of the problem. cannot remedy the problm. problem still exists. extended warranty effective. *ak | |||
| 10/12/1998 | |||
| While driving at 55 mph went off the road into the ditch to avoid an animal and came back onto the road, and the consumer lost control and the vehicle flipped over. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 03/03/2007 | 121916 | 1 | 11/09/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 30 mph, the contact lost steering ability and defective parts punctured the front passenger side tire. the failure caused him to crash into another vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local body shop. the contact felt that the cause of failure was due to a failed steering knuckle. the body shop repaired the steering knuckle and all related parts. no other failures have occurred since the repair. the failure mileage was 121,916 and current mileage was 123,000. | |||
| 08/29/1998 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| Rubbing noise when making normal turns/dealer replaced two separate power steering parts/problem persists/dealer now saying noise is charactaristic of 1998 explorers. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 2 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle a lemon in shop for 9 months, turning steering wheel would not turn tires, steering knuckle broke casting at wheel. *ak | |||
| 08/15/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| R/f/tie rod broke off spindle causing loss of steering and plowing into 2 parked cars | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer hears a grinding noise when slowing down and applying or releasing the brakes. vehicle was taken to the dealer and inner tie rod had deteriorated from wear and tear. the part was replaced.*ak *yh | |||
| 12/04/2001 | 1 | 05/23/1998 | |
| Consumer stated vehicle experiencd premature wear of the front ball joints and tie rods, dealer has been notified. *ak *yd | |||
| 06/18/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2001 | |
| Tie rod on front passenger side broke in half causing explorer to drift over into another vehicle. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| There was squeaking noise coming from front of vehicle as if shocks were going bad in vehicle. in march, dealership informed her that there was nothing wrong with vehicle. on may 11, 2001- after the warranty expired, dealership informed consumer that following components needed to be replaced: both upper ball joints, right outer tie rod , and alignment. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 1 | 08/21/1998 | ||
| Tie rod failure, power steering gear failed. *slc | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/07/2006 | 117069 | 2 | 01/21/2006 |
| I have a 1998 ford explorer that i have been getting a loud grunting noise everytime i turn left. replaced rack n pinion and power steering pump, and still no change. noise is still there. *nm | |||
| 05/07/2003 | 1 | 02/17/1999 | |
| On 5/7/03, i took my 1998 ford explorer to classic ford in smithfield nc., because i had been hearing a roaring noise when ever i turned to the left. i was told they needed to replace my rack & pinion. they will have to keep it a couple days to replace it. i feel that is very unusual for an auto with only 66,000 miles would have that problem with the steering.(incident date should be 5/7/2003) *jb | |||
| 07/22/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was approximately going 60mph when a loss of steering caused vehicle to jerk side to side and roll over. metal fatigue caused the hydrualic rack and pinion to burst and leak fluid. this manufacturer was notified, and vehicle was totaled. | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| When turning steering wheel to the left there is a noise. rack and pinion malfunctioned. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 10/08/2001 | |||
| Rack and pinion steering momentarily locked up while making a left turn. vehicle taken to dealer, and had rack and pinion replaced. currently, it was making noise whenever a turn was being made. dealer unable to locate problem. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 09/08/2001 | 1 | 07/31/1998 | |
| Rack and pinion steering failed. while driving would feel like vehicle had flat tires. would have to overcompensate for steering. the steering was very difficult to control. took vehicle to an independent mechanic, who indicated there was no rack and pinion steering left. *ak nlm | |||
| 07/13/2001 | 3 | 11/01/1997 | |
| 3rd steering rack and pinion in 9 months. 1st failure caused loss of vehicle control, but no injuries.*ak | |||
| 11/04/2000 | |||
| Defective rack and pinion rubbs against front tires, causing more wear and tear on tires. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 10/02/2000 | 4 | 05/01/1998 | |
| This vehicle has been in for repair of the same problem, 4 times in the past year. i have also contacted the consumer complaint center at ford motor co. they told me it was up to the regional rep. to make a decision on the safety of the vehicle. when i took the vehicle in for repair on 10/02/2000, the only repair they made was adding sound proofer and bolts. are they just trying to hide the problem? and what concerns me is that, if i'm on the road with this vehicle, and something does go wrong with the steering, where will i be. the dealership is wanting to get me out of this vehicle before something does happen. but ford is not wanting to take full responsiblity for the problems. also this vehicle has had the tensioner pully replaced twice. which means the motor is being opened to do this. how many more problems do i need to go through before someone will understand that this vehicle needs to be taken off the road, before something or someone gets hurt or killed in the process. all the repairs have been made at the same dealership, and can be reviewed through the database. i need your help in resolving this issue. | |||
| 08/14/2000 | 0 | ||
| Rack and pinion steering replaced at 16000mph. six months later, had to get it replaced again. therefore, mechanic put in a temporary rack and pinion, and there was alot of wandering and sloppyness. *ak | |||
| 05/22/2000 | 1 | 09/05/1998 | |
| While driving about 20-25 mph, driver heard a chain saw sound which got louder and louder. after the explorer was taken to a dealership, a technician found the steerng rack had fallen off. a service bulletin was issued on that subject. the part to correct the problem is on back order. *ak | |||
| When heavy wind occurs it is difficult to gain control of the vehicle due to the rack and pinion steering malfunctioning. please give any further details. *ak | |||
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 11/10/2001 | |||
| When turning steering wheel to the left theres a rubbing grinding sound coming from steering. took to dealer, and they stated that steering wheel case needed replacing. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 03/04/2002 | |||
| Steering wheel makes a clicking noise and vibrates floorboard. sound in the steering has progressed, and has more play since problem occurred. dealer was notified. please more information.*ak | |||
| 10/03/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| While driving a bolt came out of steering column which rendered steering totally inoperative. also, it deactivated air bag . consumer lost control of vehicle. contacted dealer, and dealer was not being cooperative.*ak *jb | |||
| 08/31/1999 | 2 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle a lemon in shop for 9 months, turning steering wheel would not turn tires, steering knuckle broke casting at wheel. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2001 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| While traveling at approximately 30 mph steering wheel came off in driver's hands, causing consumer to lose directional control of vehicle. consumer was able to stop vehicle without incident. no determination has been made as to the cause for this problem. *ak *jb | |||
| 08/11/1999 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| I bought my truck in sept 1998. in aug 1999 i took it into the dealer because the drivers mirror vibrates at speeds of 55mph and up. also the steering wheel vibrates and the left front tire feels like it is going to come off at about 65 mph. i have everything documented and have been in now 7 times. the first time they changed the mirror, the 2nd the balanced/rotated the tires, the 3 time they had me buy new tires, the 4th the put another set of new tires on, the 5th i had the service mgr and head mechanic drive it again the tires were balanced/rotated, the 6th time the regional service manager drove it. then a factory rep from ford motor company came down from detroit and called me on the phone. with each time i had it in i was told it is normal for a mirror to vibrate but each of them said they didn't feel the virbration in the front end or steering column. i wrote a letter to the owner of the dealership along with a c/c to the president/ceo of ford motor co. i stated the ga lemon law/new car warrenty act of 1990 and per the lemon law giving them 1 more opportunity to fix the problem. the service manager called me on 11/4/99 and i took it in the am of 11/5/99 for the 7th time. he looked the suspension over and said he could not find anything wrong. i have copies of everything i mailed out and all the times i have been in. the vehicle has gotten worse, it is hard to see anything out of the drivers mirror at 50 mph and i can not see anything at 70 mph. the left front tire feels like it is going to come off when i reach about 65 mph, and it also is hard to control the vehicle. the steering wheel has a vibration in it and the front seats now have a vibration. i feel very unsafe in this vehicle. i ask on 11/5/99 about a replacement and the service manager said the dealership said they would not do that. i would have to go persue the lemon law. i don't want my children or anyone else to get hurt. please help!! | |||
| 05/26/1998 | 1 | 03/28/1998 | |
| Steering column failed. | |||
| 01/24/1998 | 0 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Loss of control resulted in accident | |||