Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 16040 | 07/01/2002 | 636235 | Experiencing a clicking / popping noise from the upper steering column area when turning the steering wheel. *tt | 11/06/2002 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 12197 | 12/01/1998 | 615464 | Some vehicles built from 11/12/98 until 11/19/98 equipped with keyless entry and pats may exhibit the alarm operating prematurely. *tt | 01/16/2001 | |
| 5242 | 12/01/1998 | 615360 | Some vehicles built from 11/12/98 until 11/19/98 equipped with keyless entry and passive anti-theft system (pats) may exhibit the alarm operating prematurely. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 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 | |||||
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 150000 | 2 | 01/22/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle veered into the left lane then the vehicle rolled over. the road conditions were wet. the tow truck towed the vehicle home because the crash destroyed the vehicle. as of december 5, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. there was a previous roll over crash however, the vehicle had been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 150,000. | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 9999 | 01/01/1999 |
| The steering ratio is much too quick on my 1999 ford explorer. other owners of this vehicle have voiced the same concern to me. ie: on the the hiway just a very slight movement in the steering wheel translates into a lurch of the vehicle in that direction. very dangerous! *tr | |||
| Steering very unstable?.......have to struggle to keep vehicle on the road when there are pavement problems such as cracks and crevices, etc..... have never driven a vehicle with this problem before and have driven quite a few cars..didnt notice it until after the mileage meter got to 54,000 mark...... also have read the death rating in 40 mph crashes was much higher than usual at crash test. com......why?????? | |||
| 02/26/2004 | 70000 | 1 | |
| While driving 30 mph steering wheel swayed away from the consumer. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 86500 | 1 | 08/01/2001 |
| When the consumer made a left turn, smoke started to come from the steering wheel. the consumer continued to drive to her destination. *ak ford recalled two components in the steering column. *scc *jb | |||
| 09/25/2003 | |||
| While driving 70 mph the driver lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle rolled over. don't know if the air bags deployed. please provide further information and police report. *nlm | |||
| 08/14/2001 | |||
| While driving 60mph consumer made a sudden move with steering wheel and almost lost control of vehicle.also, vehicle almost turned over when turning steering wheel 1 to 11/2 inch. contacted dealer, nothing could be done about problem.*ak | |||
| 01/08/2001 | 1 | 04/15/2000 | |
| Automatic transmission is slipping in any gear. it doesn't shift gears correctly when accelerating. transmission only shifts correctly into 1st gear, and double shifts into 2nd and 3rd gears after letting off gas. transmission shifts sometimes from high to low, causing vehicle to pull. overdrive light intermittently would go on and off. was repaired at dealer. on 1-18-2001. dealer replaced multiple parts in transmission 02-15-2001, transmission locked up and wouldn't move.torque converter and pump with housing were replaced. on 6-29-2001, transmission was still pulling. dealer replaced a stuck evr valve and replaced it. *ak front and rear rotors warped, dealer replaced, abs light illumianted, dealer replaced rear speed sensor, brakes are noisy. passenger window shakes, dealer lubed tracks. motor makes rattling noise when being driven steadily. steering gets stiff and makes a whining noise. air conidtioner was repaired. goodyear tire blewout, this tire was a replacement for firestone recall 00t005. *slc | |||
| 05/16/2001 | 1 | 04/15/2000 | |
| Consumer has complained to dealer that steering wheel shakes out of control. steering makes dashboard rumble like front end has hydraulics. turning vehicle right or left, steering shutters hard. consumer would have to add a quart of power steering once a week. dealer found power steering leaking, and replaced rack and pinion and realigned vehicle. on 6-29-01, vehicle was taken back to dealer for still having the problem. dealer found nothing wrong with vehicle. problem has not been remedied. *ak the brake light switch was inoperative causing the brake lights to be inoperative, the brakes squeak and the dealer treated the pads with an anti squeak solution, the a/c blows out warm air due to a leaky compressor and o-ring, the torque converter failed causing the transmission to lock up, passenger side goodyear tire blewout while driving, the window on the right side shakes when going up or down. nlm | |||
| 09/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| Steering is unstable traveling. excessive sway, poor control. dealership is aware of the problem.*ak | |||
| 06/01/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving on highway, steering became wobbly & i pulled over. the tire collapsed just as i reached side of highway. wife and infant were passengers. called aaa & assisted by passing patrol car. brought the tire to firestone dealer in natick, ma who *refused* to replace the tire for free and told me i must have driven over something. i traded in the ford six months later for a lexus. *ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 02/01/2000 | 8 | 02/14/1999 | |
| Pe00020, orginial equipment with 1999 ford explorer, tire size p23575r15. while driving the front end shakes very hard, and on all tires there are lumps forming and making a whistling noise. *ak there was a constant noise in the front of the vehicle, dealer has replaced the following to remedy the problem: drivesahft, lower control arms, left upper ball joint, lower steering shaft on two occasions, front shaft, lower ball joints, outer tie rod ends, power steering pump and rack, left upper ball joint and finally the arm bushing that was hitting the frame. brakes were pulsating, dealer machined the front rotors. there was a delay in starting the vehicle, dealer stated this was normal. radio had no display lights, dealer installed a new radio. the rear brake light burnt out, dealer replaced the bulb. the parking brake sometimes would not release, dealer could not duplicate the problem. the check engine light illuminated. the rear wiper was not cleaning, dealer replaced the wiper arm and blade. *slc | |||
| 03/26/2000 | 11/01/1999 | ||
| Car crashed steering disabled, immediately went into flames. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 10/10/2009 | 170000 | 1 | |
| Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while proceeding from a complete stop at 10 mph smoke began emanating from the steering column. a warning indicator illuminated on the instrument control panel for a very brief period of time. he continued vehicle operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 170,000. the current mileage was 175,000. updated 12/08/09. *lj updated 12/10/09.*jb | |||
| 03/02/2007 | 124776 | 1 | 10/01/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while driving 35 mph, the steering column fumed. a mechanic replaced the combination switch located in the steering column. the current mileage was 133,975 and failure mileage was 124,776. *updated 12/12/2007 *bf the consumer stated for several days prior to 3/2/07, he noticed an odor similar to burning trash. the steering column was smoking and the vehicle was then towed to a repair shop. the consumer stated the cost of repairs was in the amount of $212.54. updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| 05/10/2005 | 12000 | 1 | 02/10/2002 |
| Dt: consumer states that the steering wheel began smoking while driving, and she kept on driving and it stopped. it happened nc ebefore about a month ago. consumer was worried that the vehicle will explode on her.*ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 08/15/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle wont start due to failure with ignition system and anti theft system | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 1 | |||
| Rear middle seat belt continues to tighten on rear passenger. nlm | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 35780 | 2 | 05/15/1999 |
| Failure of rack and pinion and steering shaft on 4-3-03; same problem occurring on 12-12-2003.*ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 09/13/2004 | 59000 | 1 | |
| While driving at 65 mph vehicle lost power steering. the steering wheel tightened, and consumer lost control to the vehicle, and it crashed into a cement wall, rolling over several times before stopping. upon impact, air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained third degree road rash burn on the left side of their body which started from their shoulder to the thigh area. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| We have had a hood latch recall, cruise control recall, questions about a tire recall (firestone), power steering fluid leak, cv boot rip, wipers turning on with the turn signal, 1 engine replaced due to 0 psi oil at idle (did they really replace it or just say they did?) several independent re-evaluations after the new engine had even more noises, fuel injectors replaced, a mysterious clunking sound on the right side during left turns, ~5000mi after 1st engine replacement another ford repair center is now saying that the engine has 0psi at and we need another engine. we feel like this 99 explorer (with currently <35,000mi)is a lemon and we are tired of recalls, repairs, waiting for engines. we want a dependable car! we have taken immaculate care of the car, have had professionals do the work on it (usually ford dealerships) and yet we are afraid that the warrentee will run out and we will have an expensive problem or, worse, the car will fail and someone will get hurt! does this car qualify as a lemon. if not what does? if so, what are our options? p.s. all of the mentioned problems are documented by ford dealership records that are in our possession. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/01/1999 | |||
| Some of the rollover problems could be attributed not only to firestone tires but the steering which oversteers, is as sensitive as the power steering in the 1950 7 1960's. suggest you look into this. this vehicle handles very poorly on wet roads and small puddles, it wants to go whereever it feels like. suggest you look into this. should also have the extremely high center of gravity looked at closely. | |||
| 09/16/1999 | 100 | 09/01/1999 | |
| This truck has overdrive problems. when you put it in rev and then drive most times it will cut the overdrive off, but not all the time. rear passenger door will not open from inside. airbag light goes on and starts blinking then goes off for a while then back on. the power steering makes noise on a hard right or left turn. | |||
| 10/06/1999 | 09/01/1999 | ||
| Power steering rack needed replacement in first week of operation. power steering fluid was sprayed onto and into several other componennts. hazardous condition. environment contaminated. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 10/20/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving with cruise control on and without warning the button snap and consumer was unable to disengage the cruise control. dealer notified ts | |||
| 03/11/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| After starting forwardadvancing about 50ft, vehicle lurched to right, striking bridge rail. inspection revealed broken tie-rod spindle on rf wheel. incident occurred with no impact to cause failure. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Dealer states out of warranty , vehicle allmost rolled over due to complets separation of the front wheel and spindle from vehicle. this will most likely be a defective assembly or poor engineering.bolt for upper spindle to ball joint broken or missing and ball joint shaft sheared off. brake line broken off and axle seperated from the housing. recommend a recall on this very poor design and or a replacement of all these ball joints produced by whatever company made this ball joint. | |||
| 03/11/2000 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| After starting forwardadvancing about 50ft, vehicle lurched to right, striking bridge rail. inspection revealed broken tie-rod spindle on rf wheel. incident occurred with no impact to cause failure. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/14/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Consumer stated there have been numerous problems with the drive train, consumer began hearing an odd n oise in august 2000, and in april 2001, at that time dealer could not duplicate the problem, the dealership however did replace the driveshaft assembly, and the joint assembly spindle-arm, several months later the outer tie-rod ends were replaced, lower steering shaft which was leaking power steering fluid, the power steering pump and the rack and pinion, also parking brake does not release, and the cruise control cable was replaced, the check engine light illuminated.*ak *slc | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 35780 | 2 | 05/15/1999 |
| Failure of rack and pinion and steering shaft on 4-3-03; same problem occurring on 12-12-2003.*ak | |||
| 05/16/2000 | 2 | 03/07/2000 | |
| Consumer states the rear end of vehicle makes a growling noise, the dealer replaced the ring and pinion gear, dealer also replaced the pinion seal.*jb | |||
| 02/14/2002 | 1 | 04/17/1999 | |
| While driving 15mph and without warning front tire collapsed. mechanic stated that upper ball joint was missing a nut which caused brand new tire to collapse.*ak dealer replaced broken right lower ball joint, brake hose, wheel speed sensor and rack/pinion unit. *yd | |||
| 05/16/2000 | 2 | 03/07/2000 | |
| Consumer states the rear end of vehicle makes a growling noise, the dealer replaced the ring and pinion gear, dealer also replaced the pinion seal.*jb | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - PINION SHAFT | |||
| 02/14/1999 | 1 | 02/01/1999 | |
| Consumer stated there have been numerous problems with the drive train, consumer began hearing an odd n oise in august 2000, and in april 2001, at that time dealer could not duplicate the problem, the dealership however did replace the driveshaft assembly, and the joint assembly spindle-arm, several months later the outer tie-rod ends were replaced, lower steering shaft which was leaking power steering fluid, the power steering pump and the rack and pinion, also parking brake does not release, and the cruise control cable was replaced, the check engine light illuminated.*ak *slc | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 07/07/2000 | 08/01/1999 | ||
| On july 7, 2000, while traveling on ih-10 from san antonio, tx to my home in kerrville, at approximately 70 mph, my explorer developed an uncontrollable wobble, best described as a tire losing air pressure. the vehicle was taken to ken stoepel ford inc where several tests were performed, the short rack (part of the power steering) was replaced and then the firestone tires were replaced. the vehicle continues to have a wobble/wander problem at highway speeds and it constantly pulls/drifts to the left. ken stoepel ford inc's rationale for first replacing the short rack was that they thought the wobble was caused by an overly sensitive power steering problem. since july 7 the vehicle has been in the shop five (5) times for the same problem,and each time, all they have checked is the front end alignment. if anything, the problem is just as bad and more constant than the july 7 incident. a ford field service engineer was dispatched to kerrville on may 30, 2001 and all he checked was the alignment and did not wish to consult with me reference the steering problem. ken stoepel ford inc now refuses to perform any additional work on the steering problem even though the problem surfaced within the first year of ownership and the vehicle has more than fifteen (15) months of warranty remaining. they maintain the problem now rests between ford motor company and me. to this date, ford motor company is unresponsive to this steering problem which i view as a serious safety defect. | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| While traveling and without any indication steering wheel locked up, making it difficult to steer. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 08/11/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer's daughter was traveling about 65mph on highway traffic was heavy and vehicles were traveling fast. there was another vehicle in front of the lane. steering column and brakes weren't functioning. consumer continued to travel, and she hit guardrail on side, and went onto grass area. dealership was aware of problem. *ak | |||
| 09/24/2000 | 1 | ||
| There were no warning lights on the dash when consumer turned on turning signal switch and steering column started smoking, and smoke was coming out of the hazard lights switch. consumer stated smoke stopped when turning signal was turned off.*ak | |||
| 1 | 07/01/1999 | ||
| Steering wheel vibrates because transfer case is cycling too frequently. yh | |||
| 01/23/1999 | |||
| Windshield wipers would go on or off on by themselves. would sometimes stop in middle of operation. vehicle would fail to start if steering wheel is not in correct position. the signal lever will not operate properly if the wheels are slightly turned. *ak | |||