Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V094000 | SOUTHERN COMFORT CONVERSIONS | from 08/01/2000 to 03/03/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 3674 | 03/07/2003 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 03/07/2003 | 03/18/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. these units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. owner notification began march 7, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 04251 | 12/27/2004 | 10014165 | Aluminum corrosion - service tip. *tt | 04/28/2005 | |
| 02171 | 09/02/2002 | 10008575 | Paint-premature clearcoat cracking-service tips. *mj | 08/05/2004 | |
| 00143 | 07/10/2000 | 618530 | Subject regarding vibration, shake, resonance noise at speeds above 72 km/h (45mph). *jb | 04/16/2001 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS | |||||
| 99203 | 10/04/1999 | 6089643 | Information on replacing the front bumper bracket. *tt | 02/10/2000 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||||
| 7247 | 10/01/1999 | 6090830 | Some vehicles may exhibit a fuse #18 open / power door locks cycling uncommanded. *tt | 03/30/2000 | |
| 99242 | 11/15/1999 | 6090184 | Information on replacing and / or repairing malfunctioning (door, ignition and decklid) locks. *tt | 03/09/2000 | |
| 996868 | 12/06/1999 | 608800 | Information on vehicles exhibiting a no 2-step unlock or a false diagnostic trouble code b1834 (door unlock disarm output - cir) stored in memory. *tt | 12/06/1999 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||||
| 14198 | 06/01/2000 | 613895 | Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak noise from the front lower door hinge(s) when opening or closing the doors. *tt | 09/20/2000 | |
| 13435 | 11/01/1999 | 610876 | Experiencing a popping, snapping or ticking noise from the right a-pillar / upper door hinge area whle driving. *tt | 05/16/2000 | |
| 7418 | 11/01/1999 | 610808 | Some vehicles may exhibit a popping, snapping or ticking noise from the right a pillar / upper door hinge area while driving. *tt | 05/15/2000 | |
| 7142 | 10/01/1999 | 6090760 | Some vehicles may exhibit a pop / creak noise from the right a pillar / upper door hinge area while driving. *tt | 03/29/2000 | |
| 13263 | 09/01/1999 | 6090692 | Some vehicles may exhibit a pop / creak noise from the right a pillar / upper door hinge area while driving. *tt | 03/23/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 06/20/2010 | 93310 | ||
| Purchased used 2000 ford explorer in 2007. lift gate in rear has been used on a regular basis since purchase and this past weekend when opening there was a loud bang with the lift gate coming down onto my back. thankfully it wasn't my wife or child that had opened it as they would have been injured. my first thought was strut had broke as it was hanging there but after closer inspection the lift gate ball mount had snapped off. there is surface rust on the outer part of the ball mount and clip that keeps the strut on the mount but the ball mount where it snapped is clean. the consequences of this failure is rear lift gate will not close properly and because it can't close the interior lights stay on and get very hot. i removed the front light but couldn't get the top off of the rear interior light so i had no choice but to disconnect the battery. have done research and it appears that this is a common failure with many explorers. problem is no part can be purchased as this mount is welded onto the body at the factory. two solutions are that ford fixes it at a cost to the consumer or the consumer jury rigs it with drilling out holes in the strut and fashioning a means of attachment using bolts and screws that can and do loosen up and need to be tightened frequently. a search also shows that ford has had previous problems with lift gate parts and failures on other years of explorers. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 1 | ||
| Dealer replaced the serpentine belt, but an engine noise was still heard while driving . also, windshield was leaking when raining or washing the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| The consumer states that the vehicle is inherently unsafe because a rapid turn or any invasive maneuver could result in rollover. *yh | |||
| 07/27/2001 | 1 | 06/08/2001 | |
| While traveling and pulling a 21' trailer at 55 mph and passing another vehicle, back of trailer fishtailed and caused vehicle to roll over and crash with driver and four passengers in vehicle. driver and front passenger were injured. *ak consumer stated prior to towing with the explorer, they towed with another vehicle that never gave any problems, the day of the accident the trailer was packed in accordance with manufacturer specifications, the trailer began to sway suddenly and violently, the swaying of the trailer caused the explorer to start rocking out of control back and forth, consumer states he activated the manual over ride brake control on the electronic brake control box, and then tried to pull to the shoulder, this is when consumer lost control of vehicle and it jack knifed to the left and overturned, police report states that consumer ran off roadway, lost control and vehicle overturned, the report also states that the cause was careless driving, the consumer states this is untrue and that the cause is the structural and design flaws of the explorer, two people were injured in the accident. *slc | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 120000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked he open the rear door of the vehicle and the top hinge was peeling out of the frame. the contact stated the hinge was barely holding on to the frame. the vehicle has not been taken to an authorized dealer or mechanic. the failure and current mileage were 120,000. vwb | |||
| 03/01/2002 | |||
| Vehicle sways to left and right while traveling on highway. vehicle was top heavy. the dealership is aware of the problem. | |||
| 04/06/2000 | 0 | ||
| There are two spots, one on the driver's side, and the other on back door where consumer could see through in day light. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 79000 | 1 | |
| 4-door vehicle typically drive to work and home between 2002-2007. no one typically ever sat in the back, however, if any one did sit in the back the complained the doors were difficult to open. my thoughts were user error and those doors are rarely used. after my son was born in september 2007 i noticed the doors were difficult to open, at one point i thought i would break the door handle. my mom, my son, who is now 5, have an extremely difficult time opening the doors and my grandmother is not able to open the doors using the door handles. *tr | |||
| 10/23/2006 | 113400 | 1 | 02/03/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the rear driver side door handle had to be lifted up higher than normal to open the door from the inside. the door was inoperable from the outside. an independent repair shop determined the door handle needed to be replaced. | |||
| 08/01/2006 | 60034 | 1 | |
| Consumer left front tire blewout and shredded causing consumer to replace tire with spare. *ts the tire blewout prior to the consumer receiving the recall notice. the air bag light and door ajar light illuminated. left side wheel bearing shot and the right side was going bad. rear brakes shot. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 2 | ||
| Various problems with 2000 ford explorer. *mr the consumer experienced problem with the wiper motor and the power window/door assembly which squealed and rattled. *sc | |||
| 09/05/2003 | 42938 | 1 | 05/01/2003 |
| The rear door would not open from the inside. *ak *ts *nlm | |||
| 1 | 09/04/2000 | ||
| Squeaking/rattling noise emanating from the left side driver's and passenger's door, noise may be caused by something loose, possibly the door itself. cj | |||
| 05/13/2000 | |||
| Power lock was activated, continually locking door due to a child toy laying on the switch. dealer/manufacturer notified. provide additional information. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 07/16/2007 | 85468 | 1 | 09/27/1999 |
| I own a 2000 ford sport explorer. my seat on the driver side broke a bolt. the same bolt that is on recall from the 2002 ford sport explorer. if i had a 2002 then it would be covered by a recall, but since it is a 2000, it is not covered. the problem costs $200.00 (199.19) to get mine fixed. i think this is unfair since obviously it is a problem that ford motor company has already issued a recall on for a new model. my seat would not sit up straight, and it is the exact same bolt according to a service employee at north central ford in dallas, tx. recall number concerning this bolt is 3v281000. *ak | |||
| 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 | |||
| The upper hinge on the rear passenger door presents a danger to a person entering the front door. i was asked to examine an exemplar vehicle, especially the rear door hinges while the front door was open. this is in response to a reported incident in louisiana. a child was injured by the upper hinge of the rear door while entering the driver's door. the child's mother opened the rear door as the child climed into the vehicle. evidently the child was using the exposed rear door hinge as a grip. the hinge appears to be the same model as used on the ford ranger pickup truck. the stop which limits the door's movement is a piece of metal that extends past the pin on the hinge. the stop and the portion of the hinge which is fastened to the frame have the shape of scissors. there is no body panel to limit access to the rear door's hinge from the opening to the front of the passenger compartment. the hinge if used on the front doors of a vehicle is safe and effective. the hinge used in an unprotected area presents a hazard. please investigate and take appropriate action. sincerely, douglas fleming p.e. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | |||
| 08/03/2008 | 141000 | 1 | |
| Upon opening my tailgate one day, the left side liftgate hinge popped off. as a result, the left side of the rear windshield is out of place, and is barely hanging on. i took my vehicle to a body shop, and was told that i'd need to get the replacement part (liftgate hinge) from ford. a ford dealership told me that it would cost approximately $300 to repair. *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - SUPPORT DEVICE | |||
| 11/10/2005 | 80180 | 1 | 07/29/2005 |
| Dt: the contact stated the rear liftgate hatch bracket support broke along the bearing head. this failure restricted the use of the rear hatch. the contact took the vehicle to an automobile repair shop. he received an estimate for the repairs, and planned to have the repairs performed at this time. *ak updated 12/27/05. *jb updated | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - TAILGATE | |||
| 1 | |||
| This vehicle was rented by my son-in-law from enterprise leasing company in issaquah, washington. it was used to carry my 2 daughters and my 2 grandchildren. he noticed that the tailgate would not latch securely. further investigation showed that the left side tailgate latch had never been installed at the factory. the original paint is unmarred and is present in the bolt holes and threads. one canno help but wonder how many other vehicles left the factory with this major safety defect. i took photos of this defect and have them available for your records, information, and investigation. i would appreciate being contacted and kept up to date on your investigation. thanks. | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 08/09/2007 | 234539 | 1 | 02/09/2000 |
| While driving on long island expressway to work, i heard a loud bang. i pulled to the side of the road see why the passenger side had lean down. their was no flat tire. i drove the car to riverdale auto service llc in the bronx, located on west 230 th st. an hour later they informed me that my frame had split. i did not believe them, i called my regular mechanic, and he contacted them to get conformation. he informed me to have a flat bed truck bring the car to village ford of pine bush. i contacted ford for any recalls on frames splitting. i was informed by e-mail and personal telephone call that this is very unheard of and i should bring the car to a ford dealer for service. it is now three weeks and i still do not have my car or the reason why the frame split under normal driving. the consumer stated the cross bar supports the transmission and engine and keeps the front end in balance. when cracked right side went down as if consumer had a flat tire. updated 09/25/07 *tr | |||