Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 15692 | 03/01/2002 | 636326 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak, snap, rattle, or clunk in the front end when turning or going over bumps. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| 14371 | 09/01/2000 | 618639 | Subject regarding pop / creak noise from the rear underbody while driving. *jb | 04/18/2001 | |
| 5249 | 12/01/1998 | 615366 | Information on vehicles exhibiting steering wheel shimmy, vibration or grunt on slow speed turns. *tt | 01/13/2001 | |
| 13166 | 08/01/1999 | 6091985 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak noise from the rear while driving, especially when going over bumps. *tt | 11/17/2000 | |
| 12558 | 03/01/1999 | 6091804 | Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds due to tire/wheel imbalance. *tt | 11/15/2000 | |
| 13056 | 08/01/1999 | 6091850 | Some vehicles with a4wd may exhibit a vibration / moan at highway speeds. *tt | 11/15/2000 | |
| 6699 | 08/01/1999 | 608437 | Some vehicles with a4wd may exhibit a vibration / pulsation felt from the driveline in the steering wheel and floorpan on acceleration / light tip-in at 25-35 mph when in 4 auto mode. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
| 13813 | 01/01/2000 | 612829 | Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds. *mjs | 06/12/2000 | |
| 13807 | 01/01/2000 | 612824 | Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds. *mjs | 06/12/2000 | |
| 8022 | 01/01/2000 | 612692 | Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds. *mjs | 06/12/2000 | |
| 13843 | 02/01/2000 | 612437 | Engineering is currently investigating concerns with vehicles exhibiting a vibration at highway speeds. *tt | 06/08/2000 | |
| 8037 | 02/01/2000 | 612230 | Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at highway speeds. engineering is currently investigating this issue and is looking for vehicles that have been into dealerships more than once for the concern. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| 8090 | 02/01/2000 | 612287 | For vehicles exhibiting a vibration at highway speeds, engineering is currently investigating this issue and is looking for vehicles that have been into the dealership more than once for the concern. *tt | 06/07/2000 | |
| 12947 | 07/01/1999 | 610749 | Some vehicles may exhibit a high pitched squeal or whistle type noise from the front end at speeds from 10 mph to 40 mph. *tt | 05/12/2000 | |
| 13004 | 07/01/1999 | 610753 | Some 4.0l vehicles with a4wd may exhibit a vibration / pulsation felt from the driveline in the steering wheel and floorpan on acceleration / light tip-in at 25-35 mph when in 4 auto mode. *tt | 05/12/2000 | |
| 13426 | 10/01/1999 | 609691 | Exhibiting very light steering vibration / shimmy / nibble at engine idle or low speeds. *tt | 04/06/2000 | |
| 13350 | 10/01/1999 | 609644 | Some vehicles with a4wd built prior to 9/13/99 may exhibit a vibration / pulsation at 0 - 45 mph. *tt | 04/05/2000 | |
| 6937 | 09/01/1999 | 6090283 | Concerns with squeak -type noise from the rear while driving or going over bumps. *tt | 03/13/2000 | |
| 996887 | 08/01/1999 | 608882 | Some 4.0l vehicles with a4wd may exhibit a vibration / pulsation at 0-45 mph on dry pavement under light to moderate acceleration. *tt | 12/06/1999 | |
| 996784 | 08/01/1999 | 608472 | Engineering is currently investigating vehicles with a4wd exhibiting a vibration / moan at highway speeds. *tt | 12/02/1999 | |
| 9998 | 05/17/1999 | 606430 | Experiencing drift / pull to the right conditons. *tt | 08/20/1999 | |
| 5915 | 03/01/1999 | 605261 | Experiencing vibration at highway speeds due to tire / wheel imbalance. *tt | 06/07/1999 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 042419 | 12/13/2004 | 10014096 | Revised procedure for adjusting alignment on all suspensions - new right hand upper control arm design for torsion bar front suspensions. *tt | 04/28/2005 | |
| 12947 | 07/01/1999 | 610749 | Some vehicles may exhibit a high pitched squeal or whistle type noise from the front end at speeds from 10 mph to 40 mph. *tt | 05/12/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | |||||
| 13483 | 11/01/1999 | 610896 | Some vehicles equipped with rear load leveling system may exhibit an air suspension light on with diagnostic trouble code c1726 in self test. *tt | 05/18/2000 | |
| 7470 | 11/01/1999 | 610835 | Some vehicles equipped with rear load leveling system may exhibit an air suspension light on with diagnostic trouble code c1726 in self test. *tt | 05/15/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||||
| 7360 | 11/01/1999 | 610786 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak noise from the rear while driving, especially when going bumps. *tt | 05/15/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 16735 | 04/01/2003 | 10002643 | Various noise issues from the rear leaf springs while driving. *tt | 09/09/2003 | |
| 0083 | 04/17/2000 | 613577 | Some vehicles equipped with a 5.0l engine may exhibit a rubbing noise during right hand turns from the rear of the vehicle. **mr | 07/21/2000 | |
| 13193 | 09/01/1999 | 6090555 | Information regarding rear axle whine at highway speeds. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 7005 | 09/01/1999 | 6090378 | Information regarding rear axle whine at highway speeds. *mjs | 03/20/2000 | |
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||||
| 13415 | 10/01/1999 | 609679 | Exhibiting a squeak type noise from the rear stabilizer bar while driving, especially when going over bumps. *tt | 04/06/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 11/10/2007 | 120000 | 1 | |
| Front and rear ball joints went bad. *tr | |||
| 11/19/2003 | 58000 | 1 | 10/01/2003 |
| While traveling downhill, the vehicle began to swing violently when the brakes were applied. *ph at the time of the incident, the consumer was pulling a 5x 10 single axle trailer on the back of the vehicle *jb | |||
| 03/02/2000 | 11 | 07/31/1999 | |
| Several problems with 1999 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. *mr when the vehicle was turned right, the windshield wipers would come on, the right rear tire had blown, there was a whine noise, a leaking on the garage floor along with a burning smell when the vehicle was shutoff, it was discovered the front axle seal needed to be replaced. check engine light had come on and the heat gauge showed hot, the dealer determined it was the thermostat. the engine surged, the light emitting the display had gone out, there was a problem with the right front hub assembly/axle seal. *scc *jb | |||
| 07/27/2002 | 1 | 06/01/2002 | |
| I was on the moterway {uk} towing a caravan i was doing 45/50 mph truck past me by and made us sway i gained control and then the car&caravan started bouncing. caravan parted from the car and then we flipped over on to the passinger side and then rolled onto the roof across 3 lanes. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Truck is subject to vibration when driven highway speeds. several components that relate to control and stability were replaced by dealership with no change incondition. owner is concerned about losing control with no warning.*jb | |||
| 06/15/2000 | 1 | 03/07/2000 | |
| While driving in the left lane, consumer states that vehicle would sway into the right lane, very hard to control the steering, the suspension is not stable, also, rear axle was replaced.*jb | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1999 | ||
| Vehicle has been serviced twice for a front end alignment within 20 days of each other. *jg | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer is having problems with the vehicle's suspension. *jg | |||
| 06/22/2001 | 3 | 03/19/2001 | |
| While driving in overdrive at 50 mph and going up an incline, vehicle vibrates erratically. problem has not been remedied. *ak o2 sensor failed and was replaced. fuel pressure regulator failed and was replaced. consumer stated that the dealer can not do anything to fix the problem, which seems to be a manufacturer defect.*yh *slc | |||
| 03/01/2001 | |||
| When going up a hill at 55-60 mph in overdrive there is a vibration sensation. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated it was normal. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer is having problems with the vehicle's suspension. *jg | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1999 | ||
| Vehicle has been serviced twice for a front end alignment within 20 days of each other. *jg | |||
| 06/15/2000 | 1 | 03/07/2000 | |
| While driving in the left lane, consumer states that vehicle would sway into the right lane, very hard to control the steering, the suspension is not stable, also, rear axle was replaced.*jb | |||
| 04/01/1999 | |||
| While driving at 45 mph and above vehicle wanders all over the road, and is very difficult to control. this wandering is worse under windy conditions. consumer has contacted dealership, and was informed that vehicle' handling is typical of sport utility vehicles. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak | |||
| 04/06/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1999 | |
| When roads were wet vehicle started to fishtail. consumer had an accident while driving 65-70mph in rain. vehicle started to fishtail, spun 180' went down an embankment then hit a tree. consumer could not control vehicle. vehicle was totalled. on december 15, 2000 consumer had a similar accident, road was wet, hit a patch of slushy snow, vehicle went into tailspin, and rolled over, damage was around $ 4500. *ak tires were firestone wilderness, p235/70r16. *slc | |||
| 1 | 03/12/1999 | ||
| Vehicle does not handle well in any wet weather it slips and slides. yh | |||
| 01/05/2001 | |||
| It admits noise from front right wheel between 0-30 mph. has not contacted dealer yet. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The vehicle became very unstable when the consumer turned the steering wheel to the right gradually. *mjs | |||
| 10/11/2000 | 1 | ||
| While driving 10- mph , had stopped raining about 15 minutes earlier, vehicle headed towards the highway, and suddenly lost control and rolled over into an embankment. *ak | |||
| 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. | |||
| 12/13/1999 | 1 | ||
| While driving 65mph vehicle swerved and rolled over, resulting in injury. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 05/01/1999 | |||
| I have a problem with viberation when i get a tire rotation. everytime the back tires are rotated to the front, i have increased viberation, so i have since rotated the tires back to where the viberation is much less. i read an article in the paper today that said the firestone wilderness tires were under investigation. i travel quite a lot between texas and louisiana and i am concerned about my safety and others on the highways. should this be a concern, since i seem to have a tire problem at this present time? i didn't appreciate the comment in the paper today austin american statesman about the fact that the spare tire was there for a reason after nhtsa had cited cases about safety concerns of tires peeling off their casings, including reports of 21 deaths as there car is barreling down the road.. *ak( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 ) | |||
| 08/02/2000 | 0 | ||
| While driving about 60 mph consumer felt like he was losing grip of road, and vehicle would wander from side to side. *ak | |||
| 07/11/1999 | 0 | 06/01/1999 | |
| When traveling about 60mph vehicle pulls to the right. when making a turn, vehicle makes a thumping noise. truck sways and tires ride as if they need to be balanced, although tires have been balanced and problem still exists. dealer says that there is nothing else that they can do. *ak *ml | |||
| 04/15/2000 | |||
| While driving about 25mph vehicle began to shake, and then cut off. *ak | |||
| 03/02/1999 | 6 | 02/25/1999 | |
| Brake lights do not stay on when brakes are applied. lights come on, but go back out while brakes are still being applied. dealer has seen vehicle, and said that it is normal. *ak brake switch has been replaced 6 times and power booster has been replaced with no remedies, brake pedal makes a popping noise when released. message center, miles per gallon, is inaccurate and has been replaced, however consumer states it still does not work. rear suspension squeaks and groans over bumps, consumer states there is too much roll stiffness built into suspension, alignment checked and toe set due to vehicle wandering. water leaks inside door frames. automatic transmission is reluctant to downshift unless the accelerator is pressed flat to the floor. inside rear view mirrow mounted too low. consumer states squeaks and rattles show up all the time in the interior of the vehicle, rattles in dash, drivers door area, and b pillar. cd changer jammed twice. limited emblem replaced twice. speedometer reads too fast. *slc | |||
| 07/01/1999 | |||
| (1) vibration on applying brakes - car shudders and there is a noise that sound like metal hitting metal. have brought car to dealer twice. situation improved, but not eliminated(b) vibration at 60mph- vibration starts at about 55mph and is most pronounced at 60. can feel vibration in throttle and steering wheel. vibration greater when engine under load like when going up a grade. have made appt. to have dealer check this( c) whistling noise- people standing in street told me that a whistling sound emanated from car. made appointment to have dealer check this. thus far dealer has been very diligent in trying to address and eliminate problems. *ak | |||
| 04/04/1999 | |||
| Suspension makes the truck bounce like a ping pong ball while driivng at any speed. ford has determined that the problem was a normal characteristic of the truck. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| While driving steering wheel pulls to the right. dealer can't find the problem. *ak | |||
| 08/17/1999 | |||
| Vehicle was involved in a side collision at 30mph. the point of impact was between the front and rear doors on the passenger's side. upon impact, vehicle rolled over 40 feet, resulting in minor injuries. manufacturer will be notified. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL (ASC) | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer hit an icy patch on the road, the vehicle started to skid, the vehicle was over corrected, hit side of road and vehicle turned over several times. driver sustained injuries, and vehicle was totaled. *ak *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| When we took delivery of the 2000 explorer, the firestone tires were inflated to 20psi. we discovered this after an 800 mile trip. when inflated to 30 psi, the ride is terrble! when we complained to the dealer about the ride on the next service trip, they gave us paper work stating the tire pressure had been adjusted to 30 psi. the ride was bettter on the 10 mile trip home. checking the tire pressure when we arived home showed them to be inflated to 20 psi. reinflating to 30 psi caused the bone jarring ride to reoccur. bottom line: ford has a suspension problem that their dealers are fixing by lowering tire pressure to 20 psi. how much of the firestone tire problem have the dealers created trying to sove custome ride complaints?*ak | |||
| 1 | 08/20/1999 | ||
| The firestone wilderness at (p235/75r15-105s) tires are continually in need of air, once or twice a week, the front end suspension was out of alignment causing the tires to wear unevenly. *mjs | |||
| 01/15/2000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle pulled to right at any speed. dealer notified, and was unable to find a solution. *ak *slc | |||
| While traveling noticed that front wheel made loud noise. dealer has been contaced. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 4 | 05/01/1999 | ||
| The left side front tire have been replaced 3 times due to excessive wear, the right side front tire has been replaced once due to excessive wear, the vehicle has been aligned many times to correct the problem, however the tires still continue the wear pattern, no name or size of tire was given, the problem could be the tires or the suspension. *slc | |||
| 08/05/2000 | 1 | 02/01/2000 | |
| I saw the recall on earlier vehicles, but the ford dlr on this request replaced the front end suspension on my truck after claiming they had seen a lot of problems like this and ford called it an engineering flaw. i am hoping the nhtsa will review this problem and expand it's recall. | |||
| 08/09/2000 | 1 | 01/01/1999 | |
| The firestone tires on the vehicle were replaced due to recall, prior to recall replacement the vehicle experienced problems with road handling and front end alignment,after tire replacement the vehicle still had trouble with the front end alignments, consumer is concerned that the problems are not just related to the tires but the front end suspension as well. *mjs | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 4 | 09/01/1999 | |
| From new we have complained about the car wandering at freeway speeds, it feels like you have limited control of the car. also there is a vibration on the steering as if the wheels are unbalanced. the problem actually got worse after the tires where replaced as my car was one of the cars which had the recalled firestone tires on it. its been to the dealer on 4 occasions and they cannot solve the problem, they are now calling in the ford engineers to try and solve the problem. we have also had a suspension squeek which occurs when you are driving normally and also on bumpy roads.the car has been in 4 times as well and the dealers have just lubed the suspension, the squeek is back after a day or so, the dealers also cannot solve the problem, and find some lovely excuses as to why there is a squeek ie after market running boards. the front brakes had a vibration and the dealer found the rotors out of round and skimmed them. when i queried why they did not replace the rotors, i was informed it was normal for rotors to go out of round,this has never happened on any of my other cars so i find this a poor excuse. there have been other problems as well with this car and i feel the dealers have had enough attempts to repair the car,and its time for ford to take this car back and give me a new one,or refund me my money so that i can go and purchase something else.i bought a new car so that i would not have to worry about brake downs ect and because new cars are supposed to be safer. this is not the case with this ford explorer. | |||
| 05/15/2000 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| When accelerating a rubbing noise was heard on accelera as the car lifted on take off. dealer replaced a lower bushing, but noise is back again.*ak | |||
| On july 26, 2000 i took my explorer to sheehy ford springfield in reference to a vibrating/humming noise coming from my left front tire. they checked and stated that everything appeared normal. however, the vibrating/humming noise still exists. *ak( dot number: ) | |||
| 10/14/1999 | 3 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Car pulled left and right on highway. *ak( dot number: tire size: p235/70r15 ) | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 2 | 07/01/1999 | |
| Vehicle started pulling right after dealer rotated tires. dealer aligned, rotated tires back and installed cams. no change. horn does not honk on demand without excessive pushing. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 05/23/2000 | 3 | 03/01/1999 | |
| The front end just stops moving forward when it wants to. it has so far only happened while turning at slow speeds. when this occurs we have no control over where the vehicle is going. has been into the dealership (not the one we purchased it from) 3 times for this problem. they cannot determine the cause of the problem so nothing has been repaired at this time. i am currently waiting on the dealership to see if they can finally determine the cause of the malfunction. *ak | |||
| 02/17/1999 | 2 | 01/01/1999 | |
| First occurrence 2/17/1999 when shaking and vibration occurred when you were above 45 miles per hour and depressed the brakes. my ford dealership replaced three tires and turned the rotors. (does not state how many trued) second occurrence 04/22/2000, when the shaking and vibration returned. since my dealereship is not opened on saturday's, i took it to another ford dealership. again they turned the rotors and gave no explaination to why we are having this problem. i am very concernced of the safety and reliability of the brake system. has anyone else had this problem? do i need to do something else to get this corrected for good? | |||
| 02/17/1999 | 2 | 01/01/1999 | |
| First occurre 2/17/1999 when shaking and vibration occured when you were above 45 miles per hour and depressed the brakes. my ford dealership replaced three tires and trued the rotors. (does not state how many trued) second occurre 04/22/2000, when the shaking and vibration returned. since my dealereship is not opened on saturday's, i took it to another ford dealership. again they turned the rotors and gave no explaination to why we are having this problem. i am very concernced of the safety and reliability of the brake system. has anyone else had this problem? do i need to do something else to get this corrected for good?*ak | |||
| When traveling under any normal braking conditions, consumer noticed vehicle was pulling to the right. also, doors locked without operating the door locks. consumer has contacted dealer. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 01/27/2000 | 07/12/1999 | ||
| Intermittently while driving vehicle will pull to the right. vehicle was taken to the dealership. problem was unable to be corrected, later resulted in an accident. *ak *ml | |||
| 03/18/1999 | 4 | 12/30/1998 | |
| While driving about 60 to 70mph front wheels shake and vibrate. also the steering wheel jerks out of the driver's hands. dlr has seen vehicle 4 times, and cant duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| When driving vehicle at 70 mph it began to shake vigorously, it shook so badly that when trying to look out the rear view mirrior, driver could not see. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 03/01/1999 | |||
| Although this is not a faliure of a part, at least not yet, there is an intermittant rubbing sound coming from the front of the vehicle when slowly excelerating. my vehicle makes this noise and my friend's makes the same noise. we purchased both these vehicles at the same time. the vehicle has been in for service three times and the problem has yet to be corrected and ford does not have a service bulliten for this problem. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| While driving at highway speeds consumer lost control of vehicle. dealer was contacted, and stated ball joints needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 10/11/2007 | 114000 | 1 | 12/07/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while driving 20 mph or greater, the contact heard a rattling noise when driving over bumps in the road. he took the vehicle to the ford dealer and was informed that his ball joints needed to be replaced. the failure caused the front tires on the vehicle to begin cupping. the contact was advised by the dealer not to drive the vehicle until the ball joints were replaced. the current and failure mileages were 114,000. | |||
| 10/14/2004 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Dealership informed the consumer of the worn out lower front ball joint on the driver/passenger sides. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 05/10/2004 | 115889 | 1 | 07/08/2003 |
| 1999 ford explorer eddie bauer edition... we had gone out to dinner and when leaving the parking space it sounded as if we ran over a glass bottle. my husband looked around the vehicle and could not find anything. i got in the drivers seat and it felt as if the emergency brake was on (was not) and was very hard to move. we returned to the parking space, turned off the vehicle getting ready to call aaa for services. we both heard a release sound. he turned on the vehicle, backed up and we drove home very carefully. the next morning the vehicle was at the dealership to look into this mystery. the brakes were fine; however, they found the following to repair: *seals to brakes *rear axle pinion seal *both lower ball joints on the front end i was told the front right tire ball joints were completely worn down and the tire was just wobbly held on by the lug bolts. we recently purchased this vehicle and would appreciate your help in reviewing the past recalls on this type vehicle. this could and would have been an extreme hazard with probably extreme injury to the persons involved. also, if you can please check the past history of the owners to make sure they have kept the vehicle maintained with any suggested recall items. thank you, marlene morgan *la *sc *jb | |||
| 01/13/2003 | 53200 | 1 | 12/17/2002 |
| I was told by alderman ford that the ball joints on my ford explorer were in a failure condition at 53000 miles--unsafe to drive. this car has had normal driving use. i was told that ford's choice of sealed ball joints was the reason for the failure-prone ball joints, and that this is normal. are all explorere users in this endangered position? if so, is a recall necessary? is there a way you can check how many owners have had to replace these bad joints? my 91 explorer went 135000 miles without ball joint problems. ball joint failure at speed is dangerous. thank you for your help. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/14/2002 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| While driving, throttle/ air bypass valve malfunctions which causes accelerator pedal to stick, and pedal goes nearly to the floor. also pedal has to be pumped before it releases. *ak the dealer said they can fix the problem, but the vehicle still hesitates and there is rough idle, the lower ball joints failed, and were replaced.*yh | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER ARM | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| While driving, upper control arm disengaged from vehicle and wheel came off *ak consumer had stopped at a red light and went to accelerate when the light changed and the front of the vehicle dropped to the pavement, consumer no longer owns this vehicle. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 08/10/2003 | 60000 | 1 | 07/07/2001 |
| I own a 1999 explorer with 60000 miles on it. i have been told that the front upper ball joints were bad, and had to be replaced with the control arm since it was one unit. why were sealed ball joints that were part of the control arm being used, unless it was to raise the frequency and cost of repairs at the expense of public safety . a ball joint failure at any speed could potentially have grave consequences. consumer had vehicles routinely go well over 100,000 miles with non sealed ball joints, and had no problems. this warrants further investigation, especially since consumer became aware that his problem is by no means an isolated case. had been told that the local dealer was doing a lot of those, and that they were aware there was a problem with them.*ak | |||
| 01/13/2003 | 53200 | 1 | 12/17/2002 |
| I was told by alderman ford that the ball joints on my ford explorer were in a failure condition at 53000 miles--unsafe to drive. this car has had normal driving use. i was told that ford's choice of sealed ball joints was the reason for the failure-prone ball joints, and that this is normal. are all explorere users in this endangered position? if so, is a recall necessary? is there a way you can check how many owners have had to replace these bad joints? my 91 explorer went 135000 miles without ball joint problems. ball joint failure at speed is dangerous. thank you for your help. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 11/06/2004 | 160000 | 1 | |
| While driving front hub came off the vehicle, side unknown. this caused the consumer to lose steering control. consumer managed to pull over, and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 07/01/1999 | |||
| When i had the firestone tires replaced, the mechanoc showed me the shocks-the driver side rear was badly damaged, the passenger rear was damaged, but not as bad as the driver side. the front shocks were not damaged. interesting that (a)ford explorer(b)rear left shock completely blown (c)rear passenger shock damaged but not as bad as driver side (d)front shocks not damaged (e)i believe there have been more problems with ford explorer firesstone tires on the driver side rear than any other location. design defect by ford? | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 05/24/2001 | |||
| While traveling at approximately 20 mph vehicle was making a rumbling noise, and vehicle was being pulled to right. consumer suddenly lost control of steering and brakes. consumer was able to bring vehicle to a stop. dealership examined vehicle, and determined that front wheel bearings have blown apart, and axle popped which resulted in loss of steering and brakes. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| Consumer had firestone tire replaced with goodyear , which is now showing evidence of wear. consumer feels its the suspension that is causing tire to prematurely wear out, and it is the only vehicle that has rear suspension lower than front.*ak | |||
| 12/02/1998 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| I had called earlier today to submit a complaint but i thought this would be quicker. i am writing to you in reguards to the ford explorer sport 2 door sport utility vehicle. this vehicle has a manufacturing defect with the rear suspension system. ford has replaced the standard 4 steel leaf springs with 1 carbon fiber leaf spring and used 4 spacers to raise up the vehicle so it won't be noticable. unfortunatly this system will not withstand any weight. the maximum tongue weight is 540 pounds. ford states and falsely advertises that this vehicle will tow 4,880 pounds. if one were to attempt to tow this amount of weight the rear end would almost be touching the ground. this vehicles design is inadequate for a 4x4 sport utility vehicle and technically should be considered unsafe. when one transports 4 persons and gear the vehicle sags to tremendously at night that the headlights blind oncomming traffic. also, with that amount of weight the vehicle becomes unsteady and is hard to control. one leaf spring supporting the entire rear end of this vehicle does not provide enough support which in part will cause the shocks to work just that much harder and wear out much faster. i went to a dispute board on the 2nd of march to plead my case. i made sure to call them ahead of time to let them know that i was bringing down the vehicle so they could see just exactly what i was talking about. when i told them that i had brought the vehicle they stated they didn't want to see it. without actually viewing the vehicle they coulden't have possibly made a valid decision (in which they turned down my case) and i believe they weren't there for the consumer, but the manufaturer. ford has an obvious manufacturing defect with this vehicle and i can't seem to get anyone to understand that it is inadequate and technically unsafe. at night and with a minimul amount of weight this vehicle sage so much that it blinds oncomming traffic. cutting corners on a $22,000 + vehicle obserd!!!! | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/02/1998 | 12/02/1998 | ||
| When driving at any speed with weight in the back of the vehicle, rear end is lower than the rest of the vehicle, which blinds driver with oncoming traffic at night. can cause a handling problem. *ak | |||