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 - 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 | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 142000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact stated that smoke would emit from the steering column intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted and denied any assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 142,000 and the current mileage was 152,603. kmj | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 142000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact stated smoke releases from the steering column intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer took a report 0432942441 and denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 142,000 and the current mileage was 152,603. li | |||
| 10/27/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. when making a left turn and the left turn signal is turned on there was smoke coming from the steering column. the dealer was called and informed of the failure and states it maybe the multi function switche but his vin number was not included in the recall. the manufacturer was contacted and informed him the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000....mw | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 119000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact received a recall notice for the speed control assembly. the vehicle was repaired according to the recall remedy. two weeks later, when the vehicle was started, the steering column began smoking. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was not inspected. the contact was informed that the recall repair did not cause the steering column to begin smoking. the vehicle would have to be left at the dealer for the steering column to be taken apart for further inspection. no repairs were made. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the failure mileage was 119,000 and current mileage was 119,065. | |||
| 04/02/2008 | 133700 | 1 | 12/20/1999 |
| During an up-hill left hand turn at speed less than 10 miles per hour the driver's side sway bar link failed and broke with a loud bang. a sway bar link kit was purchased from napa and replaced by the owner. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2007 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My wife was driving my daughters 2000 ford explorer on texas 183 in austin texas when the steering wheel become very erratic and turned to the left over two lanes into the center concrete barrier. she had no control over the steering to straighten the vehicle. it seemed the vehicle anti-skid computer took control of the wheels. *tr | |||
| 06/14/2005 | 52000 | 1 | 08/11/2000 |
| On a clear, sunny morning in phoenix i was making a turn on the airport exit ramp leading to the 143 at 35-45mph. suddenly i feel a clunk in the front steering/suspension and my 4 dr, 4x4 2000 explorer oversteers. i struggle to keep the explorer straight and not roll over. i lost control of the steering mechanism for a few seconds before i regain total control. i stop in a emergency lane and visually inspect explorer front suspension/steering. i notice from that point forward that there isn't enough resistence when i steer and that it steers too easily. i bring the car in to the ford dealer on june 16, 2005 and at the end of the day the dealer advises me that the ball joints need to be replaced. the service advisor states that it is common on the explorer to replace ball joints because the explorer wears them out quickly. my explorer only has 52,000 miles and i've had it for almost 5 years. i've read on the internet since this incident that ford explorers have had problems with their ball joints, that they come without a lubrication nipple and that they tend to dry out and deteriorate!!! i feel that this should be a safety recall because i could have gotten killed due to these faulty ball joints. i am an excellent driver and i keep my explorer in tip-top condition. please act before someone else does lose control and rolls over. i am getting rid of this vehicle as soon as i can. | |||
| 09/21/2003 | 2 | ||
| Disappointment over a recently purchased 2000 ford explorer. *la the consumer had experienced problems with the engine and the steering of the vehicle. the dealer was notified about mechanical problems. *cb | |||
| 05/05/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that the top hinge of driver's side door separated from the body of vehicle.*ak consumer also had problems with the steering. *ph *jb | |||
| 05/21/2001 | 15000 | ||
| While driving the steering became difficult which resulted in loss of control of the vehicle and the vehicle rolled over. *nlm | |||
| 09/28/2002 | |||
| Steering knuckle broke while driving 25mph vehicle loss steering control and hit a tree . dealer and manufacturer notified ts | |||
| 10/22/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that when changing lanes at 55mph and without warning consumer lost steering control causing an accident. dealer notified. ts | |||
| 07/16/2002 | 7 | 06/01/2000 | |
| While driving and with no warning, the left rear tire sidewall started to separate, causing a tire blowout. dealer notifed. size p235 175r15, dot6#m6hlfnwr2801. *ak the vehicle started to sway to the left-2 times. the consumer's husband then started to decelerate, and on the third time the left rear tire exploded. the vehicle was very difficult to control, and damage was done to the panel(vent peelings), and the tires/rims needed to be replaced. (other) problems in detail are as followed: the wheel/tires were out of round, there was a vibration from the drive shaft, steering/excessive tire wear, and the engine thermostat is sticking. *scc | |||
| 04/15/2001 | 09/02/2000 | ||
| Steering very senitive and quick to respond, the traffic in front stopped and i swerved to the right, missing the car infront of me, crossed to lanes on my left, missed all cars and then rolled over, tire was blow-out, all due to steering mechanism failure. | |||
| 05/23/2001 | |||
| When steering vehicle will go straight, and when trying to turn wheel it jerks . when trying to turn wheel either left or right it is hard, and it makes a grinding noise. contacted dealer, and dealer stated they knew it was a problem, but they didn't have a solution. *ak | |||
| 12/12/2000 | 0 | ||
| This is a 4 wheel drive vehicle; while making a left turn with car in 4- wheel drive, vehicle was handled inproperly, and it was extremely hard to turn wheel back to straight position. consumer almost hit another car. took to dealer, and dealer agreed to steering problem. *ak | |||
| 10/21/2000 | 1 | 02/15/2000 | |
| While driving on highway at 45mph vehicle started veering to left into oncoming traffic. consumer had no control of steering or brakes, eventually consumer was able to get over, and went into a ditch. took to dealer, and they could not duplicate the problem. *ak *slc | |||
| 1 | 01/15/2000 | ||
| When driving at highway speeds, vehicle sways and pulls to the right, vehicle also vibrates or loses it's integrity causing the mirrors to vibrate, possible steering or suspension related problems. *slc | |||
| 1 | 09/10/1999 | ||
| Drivers side steering rack leaking heavily. nlm consumer states when driving experiencing stability problems, consumer states does not feel like she has good contact with the road, when consumer applied the brakes to avoid hitting a cat, while traveling at 35 mph the vehicle fishtailed for several moments consumer also replaced all four tires for safety precaution even though tires were not included in the recall and is requesting reimbursement.*jb | |||
| 06/11/2000 | |||
| While making a c-shaped turn around on beltway at approximately 20-25 mph steering commenced to pull to the right, causing vehicle to hit the curve, rollover, and flip on driver's side. also, both air bags failed to deploy. dealer notified, and told consumer to report it to manufacturer. feel free to provide further details. *ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 06/29/2007 | 88000 | 1 | 03/08/2006 |
| 1.shift lever would stick on occasions had to jiggle shifter to put it in gear. 2.while putting vehicle in drive, shift handle broke off, locking the key in the ignition switch. 3. dealer replaced steering column was told by dealer maintenance that this was the third one this year for that particular dealership. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2007 | 89000 | 1 | 05/12/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact stated that there is a safety recall on his vehicle and he scheduled an appointment with the dealer for the recall repair. once he arrived at the dealer, he was denied service because the vehicle was not purchased from that particular dealer. he stated that smoke was rising from the steering column. the vehicle was inspected by his local mechanic. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 89,000. | |||
| 07/13/2005 | 1 | 09/04/2003 | |
| Dt: the consumer complained about a steering failure on his 2000 ford explorer while driving at 45 mph. while driving the steering wheel came completely off the steering column. the vehicle flipped over twice after the steering wheel came lose. the driver sustained an injury. a police report was taken. consumer has been in contact with ford on several occasions. ford sent someone to inspect the vehicle , and then told the consumer that there were no problems with the vehicle. the consumer read in the news paper that there has been a recall on the 2000 explorer for steering problems. the consumer has been in contact with his attorney. the vehicle is being stored at the family home in case someone may need to inspect it. every time that consumer speaks to ford, they keep telling him that he were not getting any money.*ak when the cnosumer applied the brakes, he swerved and then lost control of the vehicle. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 99000 | 1 | |
| While driving, sparks and smoke started coming through the steering wheel area after using the left turn signal there was an emergency button right above the steering wheel were the smoke came in. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT PITMAN | |||
| 02/07/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Vibrations at highway speeds. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 10/29/2004 | 81451 | 1 | 07/01/2001 |
| My 2000 v8 ford explorer experienced a serious and sudden loss of steerabilty, which led to loss of control and inability to turn a corner - and vehicle ran across traffic into field on other side of roadway. the power steering hose in the engine compartment became unfastened due to everyday vibration, and moved into a position where it was rubbing against one of the belt pulleys (the one nearest the power steering fluid reservoir). this caused the power steering hose to rupture, with immediate loss of power steering. i feel fortunate to have my wife still alive after this episode of poor design. if not for a small break in oncoming traffic, she may well have been killed while attempting to complete a right turn at an intersection. since this occurred today, i have not yet had the vehicle repaired. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 05/06/2000 | 2 | ||
| While driving power steering leaked fluid without warning.this was the second time that it had happened. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 04/07/2004 | 37126 | 2 | 09/25/2002 |
| In march of 2004, i took my 2000 ford explorer xlt for general service, the mechanic found that the front pinion seal, and torque converter seals leaking. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. thank the lord that i took out and extended warranty on the vehicle when i purchased it sept, 2002. the repairs where completed, i also took it back to my mechanic to check and make sure the work was done. on 10/26/04 i took the vehicle back in again for work to be done and the mechanic again found the front pinion to be leaking, also found that the upper and lower ball joints were needed and that the power steering pump was chattering. just some background information: the vehicle was originally owned by my sister, when i purchased the vechicle, she was turning in her 2 year lease. when i took the vehicle over it only had 11,681 miles on it. the first repairs were at 37126 miles, second time miles were 45721 miles. i also have several area's on the vehicle that have rust. i can remeber a few years ago when the 3 major car companies talked about rust not going to be a problem. one of the places with rust is on the radiator support. i just wonder how ford or any of our other us car companies can expect us to keep buying inferior products and pay alot more money. *jb | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 22000 | ||
| While driving at 55 mph vehicle spun out of control without warning, causing vehicle to hit the median. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| When driving at any speed without any prior warning vehicle stalled, causing loss of all power steering. also, overdrive light illuminated on dash before vehicle stalled out. consumer has contacted dealer. dealer has yet to determine the cause. please provide any further details.*ak | |||
| While driving at approximately 45 mph driver lost control of vehicle, hit median head-on and vehicle rolled over. driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy, causing injuries.*ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 08/20/2003 | 2 | 02/28/2003 | |
| While driving, the vehicle experienced a severe wheel vibration in the front end. the severity of the of the vibration almost made the truck uncontrollable. *ak the truck was taken to the ford service dealer and the service technician stated the problem was air in the rack & pinion steering which was considered to be a design flaw. the air apparently entered through the housing seals when the truck was being serviced after the serpentine belt tensioner failed and the truck had to be manually steered. the technician stated the only way for the air to be removed from the housing, was to run the vehicle for an undetermined amount of time until the air circulated with the power steering fluid through the system and escaped at the reservoir. the mechanic also stated there was no way to prevent the problem from happening again. *jb | |||
| 08/18/2003 | 38875 | 2 | 02/28/2003 |
| My wife & i experienced a severe wheel vibration (oscillation) in the front end of our 2000 ford explorer on two separate occasions. the severity of the vibration almost made the truck uncontrollable. when the truck was taken to the service department and the service technician quoted its a design flaw; you have air in the rack & pinion steering . the air apparently enters through the housing seals when the truck was being serviced after a fan belt tensioner ruptured and the truck had to be manually steered. the only way to remove the air from the housing was to run the vehicle for an undetermined amount of time until the air circulates with the power steering fluid through the system and escapes at the reservoir. this design flaw known by ford motor company should have been a recall. not only do my wife and i fear for our lives now when we drive this vehicle, but my kids are terrified to ride in the vehicle as well. we recently purchased this pre-certified ford explorer in february of 2003 at parkway east ford in pittsburgh pennsylvania. i truly believe with my years of mechanical engineering background that this known design flaw may have contributed to the recent roll-over fatalities of the ford explorer in certain cases. the excessive normal load stress and shear stress forces endured from the wheel oscillation would definitely contribute to the tire tread separation. the p255-75r16 tire has a maximum load of 2271 lbs. thank you, concerned consumers david & julia weber. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 04/07/2004 | 37126 | 2 | 09/25/2002 |
| In march of 2004, i took my 2000 ford explorer xlt for general service, the mechanic found that the front pinion seal, and torque converter seals leaking. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. thank the lord that i took out and extended warranty on the vehicle when i purchased it sept, 2002. the repairs where completed, i also took it back to my mechanic to check and make sure the work was done. on 10/26/04 i took the vehicle back in again for work to be done and the mechanic again found the front pinion to be leaking, also found that the upper and lower ball joints were needed and that the power steering pump was chattering. just some background information: the vehicle was originally owned by my sister, when i purchased the vechicle, she was turning in her 2 year lease. when i took the vehicle over it only had 11,681 miles on it. the first repairs were at 37126 miles, second time miles were 45721 miles. i also have several area's on the vehicle that have rust. i can remeber a few years ago when the 3 major car companies talked about rust not going to be a problem. one of the places with rust is on the radiator support. i just wonder how ford or any of our other us car companies can expect us to keep buying inferior products and pay alot more money. *jb | |||
| 11/11/2003 | 45800 | 1 | 09/15/2003 |
| Dealer service states lower ball joint needs replacement. experience clunking over bumps. dealer service already replaced steering rack due to excessive play, somehow are probably related to lower ball joint play.*ak | |||
| 1 | 09/10/1999 | ||
| Drivers side steering rack leaking heavily. nlm | |||
| 1 | 09/10/1999 | ||
| Drivers side steering rack leaking heavily. nlm consumer states when driving experiencing stability problems, consumer states does not feel like she has good contact with the road, when consumer applied the brakes to avoid hitting a cat, while traveling at 35 mph the vehicle fishtailed for several moments consumer also replaced all four tires for safety precaution even though tires were not included in the recall and is requesting reimbursement.*jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 01/02/2005 | 1 | 12/01/2000 | |
| Dt: contact stated noise was coming from the steering wheel, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. consumer asked if there was a covering to put on the steering wheel, but there was not. the only solution was to replace the entire steering column assembly. consumer did put an after market steering wheel cover, but did not help, it would absorb through the cover. this happened every time the wheel was gripped. the service dealer has not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the problem. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 03/23/2001 | 3 | 06/30/2000 | |
| When starting up vehicle air bag light remains on until vehicle is turned off. have been to dealer for repairs several times.*ak consumer also statred the turn signals and hazard lights were inoperative, dealer replaced the multi-function switch, also there was an unusual noise coming from the engine compartment,and there was also smoke coming from the upper steeing column.*slc | |||
| 08/15/2000 | |||
| Consumer's wife was driving, rearview miror sparked a fire and caused the wires under dash to burn. took vehicle to dealer, and they ordered a wiring harness. bolts were taken out of the steering section at the dealer. also, while driving at 55, steering wheel just started spinning because of the bolts that were left out. *ak | |||