Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 0645 | 01/01/2006 | 0671 | 10019947 | Neutral tow capability - service kit requirements. *tt | 05/17/2006 |
| 05612 | 04/01/2005 | 10017898 | Delayed or harsh reverse engagements - 5r55s transmission - vehicles built prior to 09/23/2004. *tt | 12/07/2005 | |
| 04268 | 12/31/2004 | 10014277 | Increased effort during low speed sharp turns on 4x4 vehicles. *tt | 04/29/2005 | |
| 18202 | 10/01/2004 | 10010726 | Unintended 4x4 engagement during low speed parking lot turns. various models including the 2005 explorer and mountaineer. *tt | 12/07/2004 | |
| 17560 | 02/01/2004 | 10008124 | Rear axle noise. also includes lincoln aviator 2002. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| 17555 | 02/01/2004 | 10008120 | Certified rear axle available. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 04B22 | 05/27/2005 | 04B22 | 10013306 | Improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements. customer satisfaction program 04b22. 5r55s/e & 5r44e transmission fluid additive. *tt supplement #1. *tt supplement #2. *tt supp | 04/14/2005 |
| 0527 | 02/07/2005 | 10012938 | 5r55s transmission fluid leaks from converter housing area. diagnostic trouble code p1783 on vehicles built prior to 12/12/2004. *tt | 04/04/2005 | |
| 17883 | 06/01/2004 | 10008268 | Delayed/harsh reverse engagement. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 042107 | 12/13/2004 | 042414 | 10014086 | General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||||
| 042212 | 11/15/2004 | 10013398 | Gear selector lever - increased effort to shift from drive to park. *tt | 04/18/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 05618 | 04/01/2005 | 10017892 | Rear axle noise repair. *tt | 12/06/2005 | |
| 18478 | 05/01/2005 | 18590 | 10014668 | Axle seal leaks. *eh | 05/05/2005 |
| 18466 | 03/01/2005 | 10014659 | Axle whine howl. this includes 1997-05 ford vehicles. *eh | 05/05/2005 | |
| 06216 | 01/01/2006 | 0644 | 10014100 | Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| 041715 | 09/06/2004 | 10013121 | Front axle tube leak. *eh | 04/08/2005 | |
| 18423 | 02/01/2005 | 10012959 | Axle whine howl service with individual parts instead of an axle assembly. *eh | 04/05/2005 | |
| 18221 | 10/01/2004 | 10010732 | Rear axle noise. oasis. various models including 2005 explorer, mountaineer and aviator. *tt | 12/07/2004 | |
| 17905 | 07/01/2004 | 10009332 | Multiple vehicles using fehp rear axle fluid. fluid usage change. *tt | 09/23/2004 | |
| 17736 | 04/01/2004 | 10008236 | Rear axle noise. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| 17717 | 04/01/2004 | 10008222 | Rear axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turns. *tt | 07/23/2004 | |
| 17641 | 03/01/2004 | 10007413 | Rear 3.55 axle noise. certified rear axle or improved gear set available. *tt | 06/22/2004 | |
| 04B15 | 05/01/2004 | 10007006 | Rear axle date code inspection and service. vehicles may have been built with an improper mix of rear axle lubricant and friction modifier additive. if so, the customer may experience noise and vibration while driving. *tt *mj | 05/21/2004 | |
| 03198 | 09/06/2004 | 04175 | 10004037 | Chatter, shudder, a binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turns on vehicles equipped with the 9.75 inch or 8.8 inch limited slip rear axle. *tt | 11/14/2003 |
| 17054 | 08/01/2003 | 10003164 | Axle whine at cruise or during acceleration/ deceleration. *tt | 10/09/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||||
| TSB-08-19-3 | 05/01/2009 | 10028736 | Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||||
| TSB-08-19-3 | 05/01/2009 | 10028736 | Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
| 04105 | 06/07/2005 | 05155 | 10008994 | Axle seal leaks. leaks from rear halfshaft axle seal. service tips. *tt | 09/07/2004 |
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||||
| 0537 | 06/07/2005 | 05164 | 10012952 | Driveline 1st order vibration/boom/drone. *tt | 04/05/2005 |
| 17107 | 09/01/2003 | 10004046 | Driveline vibration on drone/boom at highway speeds. *tt | 11/17/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||||
| 17455 | 12/01/2003 | 10008303 | 4x4 inoperative and/or indicators blinking. *tt | 07/27/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 03/11/2013 | 2000750 | ||
| Going 55 miles an hour truck slip out of gear | |||
| 05/16/2012 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body panel needed to be replaced. the contact also stated that while driving approximately 25-35 mph, a noise was heard coming from the rear differential. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the rear differential needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. the vin number was not available. | |||
| 05/16/2012 | |||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body panel needed to be replaced. the contact also stated that while driving approximately 25-35 mph, a noise was heard coming from the rear differential. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the rear differential needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. the vin number was not available. mah | |||
| 05/16/2012 | |||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked, the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the body panel needed to be replaced. also months later, while driving approximately 25-35 mph, the contact heard a noise from the rear differential. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for s diagnostic testing. the technician stated the rear differential needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. the vin number was not available. dr | |||
| 12/31/2012 | 106000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 volvo vnl. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked on an incline when he applied the parking brake and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled away. the failure recurred three times. the vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop for diagnosis. the technician determined that the brake slack adjuster on the second axle was faulty. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 415,000. kmj | |||
| 08/15/2012 | 71000 | 1 | |
| First issue was with the solenoids now the issue is with 1-2 shift ratio. shifting into neutral. *tr | |||
| 04/06/2012 | 114000 | ||
| On april 6th of this year i purchased a 2004 ford explorer. the next day i took the car for city inspection...it passed. the very next day (sunday) the check engine light came on. the abs light would also illuminate. i took the car to autozone to have it diagnosed (egr valve). only the check engine light could be diagnosed because because the abs light came on at random while i was driving. the car was still under the 1000 mile warranty so the egr valve was replaced and a speed sensor believed to be the problem with the abs light. i purchased an independent extended warranty so i would be covered for any surprise expenses. i had my chance to use it in just a few months later when the car ran hot. the repair was not covered. this happened in july, just a few months after buying the car. earlier this month (november 2012) the service engine light came on again but it didn't stay on so i couldn't get it diagnosed. no need to have it diagnosed because the battery light came on too. i took it to autozone once again and the battery tested bad. it wouldn't start at the store. i bought the battery, it was installed and checked again. the alternator showed it wasn't charging. i had to have the alternator replaced. with the cold weather, i discovered the defrost vents don't work. air only blows from front vents. on the morning of november 19th, i was taking my son to school and the overdrive light started flashing. it happened again while on my way home from work on november 21st. so now i suppose i have transmission problems. ford needs to answer for their horrible engineering. | |||
| 11/16/2012 | 106000 | 1 | |
| While putting the car in reverse in the parking lot the gear shift completely snapped off and the car was stuck in reverse. the keys were stuck in the ignition and i couldn't turn the car off. i had to put the emergency brake on and call for help on my cell phone. when help arrived after a couple of hours they were able to manuever what was left of the gear shift enough to put the car back in park and turn the car off. i called the ford customer service division and spoke with a representative named [xxx], he preceded to tell me that ford has never heard of such a problem and that he couldn't help me. he said there are currently no recalls available for this part. i searched the internet and found hundreds of the same complaint on fords and advised [xxx] and again he said ford has never heard of such a problem. i am relieved that it happened in a parking lot and it didn't cause an accident. ford should be ashamed of themselves and their shoddy workmanship and take the necessary steps to resolve this problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr | |||
| 04/06/2012 | 114000 | ||
| On april 6th of this year i purchased a 2004 ford explorer. the next day i took the car for city inspection...it passed. the very next day (sunday) the check engine light came on. the abs light would also illuminate. i took the car to autozone to have it diagnosed (egr valve). only the check engine light could be diagnosed because because the abs light came on at random while i was driving. the car was still under the 1000 mile warranty so the egr valve was replaced and a speed sensor believed to be the problem with the abs light. i purchased an independent extended warranty so i would be covered for any surprise expenses. i had my chance to use it in just a few months later when the car ran hot. the repair was not covered. this happened in july, just a few months after buying the car. earlier this month (november 2012) the service engine light came on again but it didn't stay on so i couldn't get it diagnosed. no need to have it diagnosed because the battery light came on too. i took it to autozone once again and the battery tested bad. it wouldn't start at the store. i bought the battery, it was installed and checked again. the alternator showed it wasn't charging. i had to have the alternator replaced. with the cold weather, i discovered the defrost vents don't work. air only blows from front vents. on the morning of november 19th, i was taking my son to school and the overdrive light started flashing. it happened again while on my way home from work on november 21st. so now i suppose i have transmission problems. ford needs to answer for their horrible engineering. | |||
| 11/16/2012 | 106000 | 1 | |
| While putting the car in reverse in the parking lot the gear shift completely snapped off and the car was stuck in reverse. the keys were stuck in the ignition and i couldn't turn the car off. i had to put the emergency brake on and call for help on my cell phone. when help arrived after a couple of hours they were able to manuever what was left of the gear shift enough to put the car back in park and turn the car off. i called the ford customer service division and spoke with a representative named [xxx], he preceded to tell me that ford has never heard of such a problem and that he couldn't help me. he said there are currently no recalls available for this part. i searched the internet and found hundreds of the same complaint on fords and advised [xxx] and again he said ford has never heard of such a problem. i am relieved that it happened in a parking lot and it didn't cause an accident. ford should be ashamed of themselves and their shoddy workmanship and take the necessary steps to resolve this problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr | |||
| 10/20/2012 | 136000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 55mph the transmission down shifted to first gear causing the vehicle to slow down and the rear tires to drag. the contact was able to shift gears which brought the vehicle back to speed as he merged into a rest area. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 136,000. pmb | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 98000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving approximately 25 mph, the overdrive warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder and shut the vehicle off. after restarting the vehicle, the warning light continued to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000. kmj | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 98000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving at approximately 25 mph the over drive warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and shut the vehicle off. after restarting the vehicle the light continued to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000. dr | |||
| 09/15/2012 | 106000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in july 0f 2011, and traded in my 2001 oldsmobile of 5 years. i also purchased the 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. before driving it off the lot i had the dealer fix the abs system because the light was on. there is a crack going down the back of the trunk but nothing else was wrong at the time so i left the crack alone. in april of 2012 i took it to the dealership for a belt, check trans, shocks, ball joints, and a ticking in the heater when knob was turned to heat (not cool). i told him to just fix what was on the warranty and also give it a oil change. he informed me that the trans was fine. after getting the car back my heat went out and i was told by a mechanic buddy that my brakes, rotters, emergency brake pads and the back tires were shot. so i had him replaced them because this was also not covered on warranty. just last week my rpm started jumping with miles over 65.(no lights were on at the time)so i took it to 6 different places getting estimates on what could be wrong. all shops said the same thing. start with fuel filter, oil filters and oil change. the day after i paid for all this the service engine light came on. (egr valve code) the man at auto zone told me to take it off and clean it with spray and let it dry before replacing. i took it to a shop and had them do this. the same day i picked up the car my service engine light came on again, o/d light and the car was driving like i was hauling a bus and jumping. i took it back the next day and he replaced the egr valve new since the same code was showing up. later that day after getting it back the car started doing the same thing after driving for 5 miles this was friday 9/21/12. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 1 | ||
| I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmission started slipping and the cruise control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!! *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 1 | ||
| Transmission went at 74,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 1 | ||
| I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmission started slipping and the cruise control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!! *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 1 | ||
| Transmission went at 74,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2012 | |||
| I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmision started slipping and the cruize control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!! | |||
| 08/10/2012 | |||
| Transmission went at 74,000 miles | |||
| 09/01/2012 | |||
| I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmision started slipping and the cruize control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!! | |||
| 08/10/2012 | |||
| Transmission went at 74,000 miles | |||
| 09/01/2012 | |||
| I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmision started slipping and the cruize control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!! | |||
| 08/10/2012 | |||
| Transmission went at 74,000 miles | |||
| 08/24/2012 | 178000 | 1 | |
| I left work on friday when shifted from reverse to drive noticed i had a hesitation/slippage of gears in the middle of the road. i picked up my children went to the store noticed a mild burnt smell which i was told was transmission fluid burning so i was told to park the car. i finished my shopping came out got the kids in their seats started to back up and had no transmission. my kids and i were stranded 8 miles from home because we had no fair warning that it was going. i had never had any issues with it before. the guy i bought it from had replaced the transmission 2 years before i bought it. ford needs to issue a recall and get things like this fixed. my kids and i could have been seriously injured has that happened on the road on the way home instead of in a parking lot. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 84000 | 1 | |
| Transmission shifts very hard so bad that it jerks me and my children's heads forward when it happens. this occurs the worst when going into reverse and into 2nd and 3rd gears. brakes lock up/stick after being pressed for 3 seconds. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2012 | 178000 | ||
| I left work on friday when shifted from reverse to drive noticed i had a hesitation/slippage of gears in the middle of the road. i picked up my children went to the store noticed a mild burnt smell which i was told was transmission fluid burning so i was told to park the car. i finished my shopping came out got the kids in their seats started to back up and had no transmission. my kids and i were stranded 8 miles from home because we had no fair warning that it was going. i had never had any issues with it before. the guy i bought it from had replaced the transmission 2 years before i bought it. ford needs to issue a recall and get things like this fixed. my kids and i could have been seriously injured has that happened on the road on the way home instead of in a parking lot. | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 84000 | 1 | |
| Transmission shifts very hard so bad that it jerks me and my children's heads forward when it happens. this occurs the worst when going into reverse and into 2nd and 3rd gears. brakes lock up/stick after being pressed for 3 seconds. *tr | |||
| 08/06/2010 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Cannot accelerate, feels like transmission is shifting hard. scares me to be in traffic with two small children in backseat. put into reverse it jolts into gear after a few seconds. makes a loud noise when driving down the road. sometimes there is almost no acceleration making it impossible to get around town. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 122789 | 1 | |
| Driving, and and light came on, 4x4 light blinking 5times every 2/3 miles. went to reverse and got a hard jerk. car started making a rubbing noise. took ithe shop was told it was either the transmission or the transfer case. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2012 | 122789 | ||
| Driving, and and light came on, 4x4 light blinking 5times every 2/3 miles. went to reverse and got a hard jerk. car started making a rubbing noise. took ithe shop was told it was either the transmission or the transfer case. | |||
| 07/05/2011 | 150000 | 1 | |
| Transmission is slipping, not fully gone yet, only a matter of time before it completely goes. i do not have the $2500.00 to replace the transmission. every person i have talked to say this is a common problem with the ford explorers. i have taken into the garage over 10 times. ford should be forced to recall these transmissions and ford should have to pay for it. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. the failure occurred while in drive or reverse. the contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000. | |||
| 07/07/2011 | 75000 | 1 | |
| The transmissions for ford explorers have about a 10% failure rate. the safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. the transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. the symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles). the danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles. we have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway. we expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles. this vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable. ford should fix this product, much like honda did for their 2003 acura tl. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. the failure occurred while in drive or reverse. the contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000. | |||
| 07/07/2011 | 75000 | 1 | |
| The transmissions for ford explorers have about a 10% failure rate. the safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. the transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. the symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles). the danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles. we have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway. we expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles. this vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable. ford should fix this product, much like honda did for their 2003 acura tl. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. the failure occurred while in drive or reverse. the contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000. sm. | |||
| 07/07/2011 | 75000 | 1 | |
| The transmissions for ford explorers have about a 10% failure rate. the safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. the transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. the symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles). the danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles. we have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway. we expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles. this vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable. ford should fix this product, much like honda did for their 2003 acura tl. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. the failure occurred while in drive or reverse. the contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000. sm. | |||
| 07/07/2011 | 75000 | ||
| The transmissions for ford explorers have about a 10% failure rate. the safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. the transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. the symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles). the danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles. we have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway. we expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles. this vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable. ford should fix this product, much like honda did for their 2003 acura tl. | |||
| 03/02/2012 | 37000 | ||
| O/d light came on and the transmission started slipping and slamming in and out of gears and the engine started over revving. i have to pull off the road and turn car off and wait about 10 seconds to start car again in order for problem to clear. this has happened may times since. i bought the car new and have returned it to the ford dealer 3 times while under warranty and there fixes would not last long. now they want $3,000 to replace the transmission which i feel they should have done in the first place. i contacted ford customer service and of course they said there was nothing they could do because it was out of warranty. i feel because of the cars history and low miles on it they should have at least done something. i feel if this happens on a major highway it could cause a major accident. | |||
| 11/11/2010 | 97000 | ||
| Bought the car used with about 85,000 miles on it. after one year of average use (no towing or off-roading) the transmission failed (about 97,000 miles). had it rebuilt and now 2 years and four months later it is failing again (at 122,000 miles). | |||
| 04/25/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Vehicle's transmission started to slip, as we were driving we would hit the gas harder to compensate and then the transmission would catch causing the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly. | |||
| 03/06/2012 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the engine transitioned into safe mode and stalled. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the pcm, throttle, jack shaft chain, and bearings were replaced. the failure continued. both the dealer and manufacturer stated that the failure could not be diagnosed. they recommended attempting various trial and error remedies. the contact stated that the pcm and throttle again needed to be replaced. the failures continued. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 118,861. sm. | |||
| 04/25/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Vehicle's transmission started to slip, as we were driving we would hit the gas harder to compensate and then the transmission would catch causing the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly. | |||
| 03/06/2012 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the engine transitioned into safe mode and stalled. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the pcm, throttle, jack shaft chain, and bearings were replaced. the failure continued. both the dealer and manufacturer stated that the failure could not be diagnosed. they recommended attempting various trial and error remedies. the contact stated that the pcm and throttle again needed to be replaced. the failures continued. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 118,861. sm. | |||
| 04/25/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Vehicle's transmission started to slip, as we were driving we would hit the gas harder to compensate and then the transmission would catch causing the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly. | |||
| 03/06/2012 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated the engine went into safe mode and stalled. the contact has taken the vehicle to the dealer and had the pcm, throttle, jack shaft chain and bearings replaced on the vehicle in the past two months and the vehicle is still stalling. the dealer and manufacturer said the failure cannot be diagnosed and all that can be done is to continue to try fixes to see if it works. the contact stated that the vehicle now needs the throttle body and pcm replaced again. the contact stated the vehicle continues to get a pip code that causes it to go into safe mode and stalls out the vehicle. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 118,861.rl | |||
| 04/25/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Vehicle's transmission started to slip, as we were driving we would hit the gas harder to compensate and then the transmission would catch causing the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly. | |||
| 03/06/2012 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated the engine went into safe mode and stalled. the contact has taken the vehicle to the dealer and had the pcm, throttle, jack shaft chain and bearings replaced on the vehicle in the past two months and the vehicle is still stalling. the dealer and manufacturer said the failure cannot be diagnosed and all that can be done is to continue to try fixes to see if it works. the contact stated that the vehicle now needs the throttle body and pcm replaced again. the contact stated the vehicle continues to get a pip code that causes it to go into safe mode and stalls out the vehicle. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 118,861.rl | |||
| 02/29/2012 | 60200 | ||
| Transmission failure, slips between gears, replacement required. | |||
| 03/25/2012 | 88852 | ||
| The o/d off light began blinking and there was uncontrolled deceleration and when accelerating from a stop there is higher than the usual rpm's needed to shift from first to second gear. my investigation revealed this is a known problem with this particular year of ford explorer and there was an article in april, 21, 2009, atlanta constitution-journal reports regarding an announcement by the nhtsa regarding the faulty transmission problems. at this time there is no current recall for this issue, however, it is a costly repair to consumers for an issue which ford and the nhtsa is aware of. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph and without warning, the vehicle slipped into various gears. the contact also stated that the only way the first gear could be disengaged was to apply pressure on the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the transmission had to be replaced twice. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph and without warning, the vehicle slipped into various gears. the contact also stated that the only way the first gear could be disengaged was to apply pressure on the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the transmission had to be replaced twice. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. kmj | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at 40 mph , without any warnings the vehicle will slip into different gears . the contact also stated that the only way the first gear will disengage is apply pressure on the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. this is the second transmission that has been put into the vehicle. the vin was not available.the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.cv | |||
| 03/07/2012 | 153435 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission failed without warning. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the transmission overheated, the fifth gear failed and the housing rod was fractured. the dealer also stated that the failure was common in the particular year, make and model vehicle. the failure and the current mileage was 153,435. | |||
| 03/07/2012 | 153435 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission failed without warning. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the transmission overheated, the fifth gear failed and the housing rod was fractured. the dealer also stated that the failure was common in the particular year, make and model vehicle. the failure and the current mileage was 153,435. kmj | |||
| 03/07/2012 | 153435 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated the transmission failed on the vehicle without any warning. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the transmission overheated, the fifth gear failed and the housing rod broke. the dealer stated this was a common problem with this year model. the failure mileage and current mileages were 153,435.rl | |||
| 12/06/2010 | 102000 | ||
| Wife and kids where driving home and the tranny started kicking in and out of gear (slipping). it jerked into first at the stoplight in town. | |||
| 12/21/2011 | 87598 | ||
| There was a noticeably jerk and the o/t off light came on with the computer saying to check transmission. the transmission mechanic said replace the transmission. | |||
| 10/27/2011 | 130000 | ||
| Transmission was working just fine till one day it wouldn't shift into overdrive and then it was shifting hard from 2nd to 3rd. rear window hinges broke. rear tail gate cracked right down the middle by ford symbol. also just the other day my passenger window stopped working no signs nothing of anything wrong. i'm going to start buying chevy this is just unexceptable. no wounder america is not doing good our car company's can't make good products anymore. | |||
| 11/25/2011 | 111000 | ||
| My vehicle failed to engage in park even though i shifted into park and console indicator displayed park. i had shifted into park on a steep hill. as i exited the vehicle, i released the brakes and one of my passengers alterted me that the vehicle was rolling backwards. i jumped back into the vehicle, applied the brakes and the motion stopped. i verified that park was displayed on the center console, which it was. i then shifted into reverse and neutral and back into park, and the second time the transmission engaged into park. without my passengers alterting me to the vehicle motion, my vehicle would have crashed and potentially injured those in the vehicle. after determining the vehicle was in park, i examined the tire tracks in the snow to see if there was any chance that the vehicle slid rather than rolled on the road. the tire tracks showed clear tire indentations and did not indicate sliding, leading me to determine that the vehicle did not engage into park even though the console indicated it was in park. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Vehicle transmission slips when climbing elevation. starts clunking noise and won't shift. rpms go way up and vehicle still will not shift. hard to get vehicle into park on the gear shifter. have thought the vehicle was in park only to have it roll when i take my foot off the brake. took vehicle to mechanic today who says a new transmission is needed. appx cost 3600.00 | |||
| 04/28/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Transmission shifts hard o/d light flashes. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Vehicle transmission slips when climbing elevation. starts clunking noise and won't shift. rpms go way up and vehicle still will not shift. hard to get vehicle into park on the gear shifter. have thought the vehicle was in park only to have it roll when i take my foot off the brake. took vehicle to mechanic today who says a new transmission is needed. appx cost 3600.00 | |||
| 04/28/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Transmission shifts hard o/d light flashes. | |||
| 03/02/2009 | 80000 | ||
| I currently own a 2004 ford explorer and purchased new in 2005. have had to replace, the 2 front hubs 3 times, the rack and pinion steering and the transmission slips exesively. this vehicle is driven by my wife to school and home and used for transporting my family. i keep seeing the same problems onine but no aciton by ford. can you say piece of junk | |||
| 01/31/2005 | 11127 | ||
| When at a stop the automatic transmission fails to engage until engine rpms are too high for safe initial forward or rearward movement. according to the ford dealership in my city this problem is due to a defective solinoid body inside the transmission.there was one attempt to repair the problem by the local ford dealership in 2005 when the car had 11127 miles. at that time the automatic transmission solenoid valve was replaced, but the problem still persisted. that dealership went out of business about a year later. just lately the new dealership thought that the original transmission might have to be replaced in order to return the car to a safe and normal driving condition. the cost was estimated at $3500. this problem with the 2004 ford explorer has been reported by hundreds of other owners to the us dot nhtsa , but nothing has come of these complaints. the ford motor co. also refuses to do any repairs under warranty and/or due to a factory recall, etc. the problem described refers to a very dangerous condition in which the drivers of 2004 ford explorers do not know exactly when or at what rmp level their car will suddenly and rapidly accelerate from a stop. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 67000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that when shifting into reverse, the vehicle would not respond. when shifting, the vehicle would sporadically engage backward rapidly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and advised that there was not a sufficient amount of transmission fluid in the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 76,602. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 67000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated when the vehicle gear was placed in reverse the gear failed it did not engage. the gear had to be place in reverse with force causing the vehicle to have an uncontrollable reverse. the vehicle was taken to the dealer whom performed a diagnosed. the dealer advised the transmission had the incorrect fluid, but the transmission fluid was replaced by the vehicle previous owner. the contact stated the repair did not correct the failure. the manufacturer will not assist with the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage. li was 76.602. li | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 15000 | ||
| The truck jerks into gear when put into reverse - it also jerks in drive but is more pronounced when backing up. the gears don't shift until i'm at 20 -30 mph and then they slip incredibly just to get get there. and even when i'm driving the car jerks as it is shifting gears. when i back into my parking space there is a full 10 second delay before the car to finally catapults into reverse. if there is ever anyone behind me they will literally be hit because of the jerking. the slow shifting into gears and jerking have been a consistent problem since taken brand new off the show room floor. although the ford dealership service department tested trans; performed pinpoint test; r&r trans pan; and added a replaced solenoid body - nothing has stopped this problem. it still persists to this day. and it has only gotten progressively worse. | |||
| 12/01/2009 | 68000 | ||
| As everyone else, i am have a lot of problems with my transmission. it shifts very hard and jerks when put into reverse. also having issues shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. problem is steadily getting worse. this morning the o/d off light started blinking. i killed the car and restarted it and it stopped. i dont understand why there has not been a recall on this. ford obviously knows that there is a problem. how could they not? i have found tons of message boards on the internet with everyone else having the same problem. | |||
| 11/16/2010 | 129000 | ||
| While driving down a 4-lane highway, transmission failed. no warning, just thump and done. my research reveals that dealership are reporting that 1 in 10 2004 explorers have transmission failure. also, heater blower motor went out over 1 year ago, leaving no default heat for defrosting the windshield. | |||
| 06/08/2010 | 84000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer . she stated that on june 8, 2010, while driving 50 mph the transmission lights illuminated and the wheel bearings became noisy the vehicle was taken to a repair faciility and discovered that the torque needed to be replaced which caused the transmission to malfunction , she contacted the dealer and was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the failure and current mileage were 84,000..mr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The back hatch has a crack underneath the window in the middle around the ford emblem. just appeared....as i've noticed several ford 2004 explorers in this area have the exact same defect. recall is very much necessary. as well as the car jolting into drive and reverse....i still owe several thousand dollars on this loan and refuse to pay for any repairs....ford should do a recall on both...they need to hire some japanese workers since their cars seem not to have these types of issues.....i bought this car in feb of 2008 and had the transmission problems right after that.....car only had 48k miles on it. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2009 | 49000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer with 49,000 miles. howling noise from rear. took it to ford; they rebuilt the rear differential at a cost of $1600.00. car has always been serviced at ford for routine maintenance. don't understand how this vehicle with such low mileage had to have rear differential replaced. in looking at service bulletins; this sounds like a defect that ford has not acknowledged. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 54000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer with 54k miles has slip in transmission when shifted from park to reverse and will slip when the transmission shifts automatically. it catches and will produce a loud bump. it takes several seconds to catch when shifted to reverse. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 54000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when the vehicle is parked on an incline, it moves in reverse on its own. the vehicle has been to the dealer seven times, but they cannot determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 54,000 and current mileage was 86,000. | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| Back rear hatch cracked. just like the 100's of others i found on my internet search of the problem. our transmission also failed and had to be replaced, at our own cost. *tr | |||
| 03/08/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| My concern is in regard to an ongoing problem that my vehicle and thousands of others like it have; the lack of safety one may be faced with if the rear on these vehicles fail due to substandard parts used in the rear differential on the ford suv's and f-150's. my understanding is that the costly repair that is required the manufacture will not honor after the basic warranty is over even though this is an ongoing problem. on these vehicles. i was told today that if i continue to drive the vehicle to the point of complete failure i risk the vehicles back wheels locking up. my question to the nhtsa is why has there not been a recall on these vehicles knowing that this is a major problem in the drivetrain of these vehicles. i have 79k on my vehicle and a friend had their rear differential replaced at 22k and the problem is prevalent again on that vehicle again as well. in my estimation this could result in serious injury. what does it take to get a recall on this problem? does hundreds of people have to die or suffer serious injury for something to be done? i have had my vehicle back to ford for one bang or clang or another since the vehicle had 18k on it. will the nhtsa ever see fit to make a re-call on these vehicles or again does several people need to suffer injury or loss before something is done? *tr | |||
| 08/10/2008 | 28000 | 1 | |
| In 2005 i purchased a 2004 ford exxltspnbx 11900 from herz car sales. just few month after that i experienced the first of 20 critical engine shutdowns that i experienced up to now. 2. the failure is that the engine of my car turns off spontaneously at speeds between 50 and 70 mph. the consequences are: - sudden loss of power - sudden loss of steering servo, i.e. a sharp sideways kick if the car is in a curve - sudden loss of braking power - the need to shift to neutral and restart the engine, with the danger to shift to 'r' or even 'p' in panic, and to lock up the steering wheel at full speed (!!!) panic is the right word for the feeling my wife and i have experienced in every occurrence of this failure. 3. after the first two failures i brought the car to a ford dealership. the car was still under factory warranty, but the workshop couldn't localize the problem. they test-drove he car for 200 miles and concluded he car was ok, in spite of the fact that i told them that i had two events in 20,000 miles. the total frequency has been by now once in every 2,500 miles, on average. the shutdown seems to be occurring with the cruise control on, more likely on slight downhill slopes. 3. no solution for this problem so far. *tr | |||
| 07/24/2007 | 1 | ||
| Multiple problems with my explorer. when shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. service engine light on but no hose leaks can be found. wrench light comes on even after tps replacement suggested by obd-ii. very unhappy with this vehicle. i have owned 7 fords, this is the worst i have owned. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Ford motor company regarding dissatisfaction with lack of performance, reliability and quality of 2004 ford explorer xlt**cc consumer states has had multiple problems with 2004 ford explorer such as very hard shifting gears from a parked position, the vehicle shut down on i95 highway twice and pedals became inoperable, vehicle also slams into gear at high speed and wants to reimbursed for the multiple problems of his 3 year old truck. *tr | |||
| 10/12/2006 | 1 | 02/12/2004 | |
| Multiple problems with my explorer. when shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. while driving car jolts occasionally. when braking car shakes. abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. explorer was taken in december 2004 and fixed for the truck jolting into reverse. truck now having the same problem. truck to be taken back to the dealer next week. *nm | |||
| 12/12/2005 | 1 | 06/01/2005 | |
| Vehicle rear-end whine. *nm | |||
| 09/29/2005 | 12000 | 8 | 04/19/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer in dealership service 5 times for slipping in the rear while driving in low speeds around corners, still not fixed! dealership has also attempted to fix severe delayed jerking after placing the vehicle in reverse on 3 occasions. had vehicle at dealership for 35,000 service, dealership took it upon themselves to attempt to fix rear end again and replace bearings in the hub with out my permission! going to arbitration with the bbb autoline to request ford repurchase the vehicle as it is very evident these problems have existed for years and still exist with the newer models. thank goodness no one was hurt, except my wallet! the dealership offered me an extended warranty for my troubles in july, it is now the last day of september and i have not received it! lemon law - 3 attempts to fix the same problem and you qualify. | |||
| 06/23/2005 | 12000 | 10 | 03/30/2004 |
| Transmission going into reverse had started to be delayed and abrupt starting around april of 2005 at appr. 12,000 miles. it seemed to not shift into gear properly and would lurch into gear unexpectedly. we received a recall from ford in may 2005 stating that we had not yet been in for our recall. no notice had come before that one. i immediately called dealer and took in for transmission fluid change 3 days later. there has been no change and if anything things have gotten worse. i need to take my child 75 miles one way frequently for doctors appointments and am quite concerned about the safety of this vehicle. | |||
| 03/04/2005 | 2800 | 1 | 01/28/2005 |
| Flashing lights on panel. accident in which car skidded. dealer said defect in rear axle of2004 ford explorer. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 2 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated there was a delay in the transmission when he attempted to put the gear in reverse. there was also a hard shift when the vehicle was warm and on several occasions, it would slam into gear. *jb | |||
| 08/30/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact was driving approximately 45 to 50 mph when the vehicle became hesitant to acceleration attempts. in addition, the gears were slipping when shifting gears. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. kmj | |||
| 08/30/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 to 50 mph the vehicle would start to hesitate and take a while to accelerate. he also noticed slippping in the gears when shifting. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that he needed a new transmission. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that a recall had already been closed and was not listed on the nhtsa website. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. tb | |||
| 08/12/2011 | 42000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact was driving 50 mph when the engine shut down and the vehicle came to a complete stop. the instrumental panel gauges were illuminated during the failure. the vehicle restarted immediately, and was taken the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted, however the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage 42,933. vf | |||
| 08/12/2011 | 42000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact was driving 50 mph when the engine shut down and the vehicle came to a complete stop. the instrumental panel gauges were illuminated during the failure. the vehicle restarted imediatly, and was taken the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted, however the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage 42,933. rds. | |||
| 07/21/2011 | 99000 | ||
| It seems that my transmission is starting to slip and shift hard | |||
| 06/19/2011 | 74352 | ||
| I have a 2004 ford explorer with less than 75,000 miles on it. i am a very conservative driver and do not put a lot of miles on my cars. the transmission went out and the guy at aamco said the inside of it was a mess, everything was chewed up. it cost me $3,550 to have it fixed. at the time it failed i was going down the highway at 55 mph and it suddenly dropped to about 25mph. | |||
| 06/04/2011 | 64000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving the vehicle engine would rave and it would not accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission solenoid was defective and needed to be replace. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 64,000. pm | |||
| 05/31/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact placed the gear shifter into reverse to drive and noticed that the transmission would hesitate before engaging. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. after the repairs were performed, the contact continued to experience the failure. there was also an abnormal grinding from the rear of the vehicle. the dealer replaced the rear end bearing, three rear axles, the pinion bar and seals and a shaft kit was installed. the dealer also advised that the failure was caused by an over torque by the manufacturer. in addition, the contact stated that the driver and passenger side sun visor joints were failing sporadically and causing the visors to obstruct the contact's vision of the roadway. the sun visors were not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 49,000. | |||
| 05/31/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while parked the contact placed the gear shifter from reverse to drive and noticed the transmission would hesitate before it would go into drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. after the repairs were performed the contact continued to experience the failure. also, while driving the contact stated the driver side and passenger side sun visor joints would not detain the visor in place and would obstruct the contacts vision. the sun visors were not repaired. also, the contact stated she would hear a grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear end bearing, the three rear axles, pinion bar and seals were replaced. the technicians stated the failure was due to over torquing from the manufacturer. a shaft repair kit was also installed. the suspension was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 49,000. ds | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 146639 | ||
| Original owner of vehicle,car shifts roughly into gear while driving feels like it is dragging,transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in reverse then engages hard with a sudden unexpected jolt backwards when car only had 3,945 miles in oct 2004. when car is in park i start the car it will sometimes jolt forward. took car to dealer within 90 days of purchase for transmission & they replaced a solenoid in the trans. took car back 2 more times within a year still having same problems now warranty up & ford will not help car has 170k= miles & is 6 yrs old still running but same transmission issues daily. this is very unsafe with the car jolting into gear especially when i start the car. they need to recall & replace the transmission. | |||
| 05/31/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while parked the contact placed the gear shifter from reverse to drive and noticed the transmission would hesitate before it would go into drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. after the repairs were performed the contact continued to experience the failure. also, while driving the contact stated the driver side and passenger side sun visor joints would not detain the visor in place and would obstruct the contacts vision. the sun visors were not repaired. also, the contact stated she would hear a grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear end bearing, the three rear axles, pinion bar and seals were replaced. the technicians stated the failure was due to over torquing from the manufacturer. a shaft repair kit was also installed. the suspension was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 49,000. ds | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 146639 | ||
| Original owner of vehicle,car shifts roughly into gear while driving feels like it is dragging,transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in reverse then engages hard with a sudden unexpected jolt backwards when car only had 3,945 miles in oct 2004. when car is in park i start the car it will sometimes jolt forward. took car to dealer within 90 days of purchase for transmission & they replaced a solenoid in the trans. took car back 2 more times within a year still having same problems now warranty up & ford will not help car has 170k= miles & is 6 yrs old still running but same transmission issues daily. this is very unsafe with the car jolting into gear especially when i start the car. they need to recall & replace the transmission. | |||
| 05/31/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while parked the contact placed the gear shifter from reverse to drive and noticed the transmission would hesitate before it would go into drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. after the repairs were performed the contact continued to experience the failure. also, while driving the contact stated the driver side and passenger side sun visor joints would not detain the visor in place and would obstruct the contacts vision. the sun visors were not repaired. also, the contact stated she would hear a grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear end bearing, the three rear axles, pinion bar and seals were replaced. the technicians stated the failure was due to over torquing from the manufacturer. a shaft repair kit was also installed. the suspension was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 49,000. ds | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 146639 | ||
| Original owner of vehicle,car shifts roughly into gear while driving feels like it is dragging,transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in reverse then engages hard with a sudden unexpected jolt backwards when car only had 3,945 miles in oct 2004. when car is in park i start the car it will sometimes jolt forward. took car to dealer within 90 days of purchase for transmission & they replaced a solenoid in the trans. took car back 2 more times within a year still having same problems now warranty up & ford will not help car has 170k= miles & is 6 yrs old still running but same transmission issues daily. this is very unsafe with the car jolting into gear especially when i start the car. they need to recall & replace the transmission. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 84000 | ||
| Ford explorer transmission failed at 84000 miles. this vehicle was released from the factory in 2004 without proper transmission fluid additive. ford addressed the problem 1 year later, but this transmission is failing well before its time. repair costs are $4500. ford will not offer any assistance. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | 107600 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer has started slipping. it does not want to go into gear correctly. it only has 107,600 miles on it. i live just outside birmingham, al and the traffic is very heavy and dangerous here. not a place i want my vehicle breaking down. i just hung up the phone with ford motor co and they have nothing to offer in the way of help. they said to hold on to receipts in case of recall. :-( you bet your life i will! my sister's 2005 did the same thing at just over 100,000 miles. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 84000 | ||
| Ford explorer transmission failed at 84000 miles. this vehicle was released from the factory in 2004 without proper transmission fluid additive. ford addressed the problem 1 year later, but this transmission is failing well before its time. repair costs are $4500. ford will not offer any assistance. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | 107600 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer has started slipping. it does not want to go into gear correctly. it only has 107,600 miles on it. i live just outside birmingham, al and the traffic is very heavy and dangerous here. not a place i want my vehicle breaking down. i just hung up the phone with ford motor co and they have nothing to offer in the way of help. they said to hold on to receipts in case of recall. :-( you bet your life i will! my sister's 2005 did the same thing at just over 100,000 miles. | |||
| 04/01/2011 | 84000 | ||
| Ford explorer transmission failed at 84000 miles. this vehicle was released from the factory in 2004 without proper transmission fluid additive. ford addressed the problem 1 year later, but this transmission is failing well before its time. repair costs are $4500. ford will not offer any assistance. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | 107600 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer has started slipping. it does not want to go into gear correctly. it only has 107,600 miles on it. i live just outside birmingham, al and the traffic is very heavy and dangerous here. not a place i want my vehicle breaking down. i just hung up the phone with ford motor co and they have nothing to offer in the way of help. they said to hold on to receipts in case of recall. :-( you bet your life i will! my sister's 2005 did the same thing at just over 100,000 miles. | |||
| 06/13/2010 | 68312 | ||
| The transmission has a delayed shift and causes the engine to rev before shifting. this causes a hesitation espicially when pulling out into trafffic from a stop. this ocurs every time and the 0/d light falshes as well. the service engine light is now because of the tranmission problem. this is situation dangerous. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 68000 | ||
| I have had issues with my transmission jumping out of drive when i am going down the highway. i have three children and i feel this is very very unsafe. i have had the car in the shop three times for the same issue and everytime they have told me it was the reardifferential/transmission. i have called fords customer service line and they will not do anything. my explorer is now having issues going into reverse and staying in any gear. please look into these problems with the 2004 explorer before someone gets killed or injured from this. i have researched this problem and thousands of oither 2003-2004 explorer owners are having the same issues with the transmission and rear end. the 2004 ford explorer is a death trap. | |||
| 09/01/2006 | 51000 | ||
| Transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in gear and total disengagement while driving, then the od light starts to blink, and you have to either let off the gas, or tap the gas to get it to engage again, it started around 50,000 miles, and continues to do so, the is no recall and no warranty for it, dealer ship said it needs rebuilt or replaced 2200.00 or 4200.00 dollars, we don't have | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to having to replace the solenoid for the third time. *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle would not engage into reverse without jolting and hard shifting. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2006 | 51000 | ||
| Transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in gear and total disengagement while driving, then the od light starts to blink, and you have to either let off the gas, or tap the gas to get it to engage again, it started around 50,000 miles, and continues to do so, the is no recall and no warranty for it, dealer ship said it needs rebuilt or replaced 2200.00 or 4200.00 dollars, we don't have | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to having to replace the solenoid for the third time. *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle would not engage into reverse without jolting and hard shifting. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2006 | 51000 | ||
| Transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in gear and total disengagement while driving, then the od light starts to blink, and you have to either let off the gas, or tap the gas to get it to engage again, it started around 50,000 miles, and continues to do so, the is no recall and no warranty for it, dealer ship said it needs rebuilt or replaced 2200.00 or 4200.00 dollars, we don't have | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to having to replace the solenoid for the third time. *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle would not engage into reverse without jolting and hard shifting. *jb | |||
| 02/22/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Transmission slams hard into gear upon acceleration and when braking. does this all the time. when shifting into reverse, it does not engage immediately and then engages hard with a sudden and unexpected lurch backwards. this happens 8 of 10 times when shifting to reverse. no attempt to correct as it appears there is no fix short of a new transmission = $$$ i don't have. | |||
| 02/20/2011 | 61672 | ||
| Transmission failure!!! !the o/d warning began to flash...the recommendation is to service transmission asap. the only issue is that my 2004 ford explorer only has 61,672 miles. the estimated repair cost is approximately $2000-3000. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 76000 | ||
| I financed a 2004 ford explorer in 2008 and about 6 month later i noticed the transmission starting to slip. soon after it wouldnt hardly go into gear unless i reved up the engine then it would slam into gear really hard. now it is getting worse. im a disabled single father of my son who is also disabled and we are on a fixed income and dont have the money to fix this, hell i still owe on it. i pay almost 300 bucks a month car payment on it. | |||
| 02/22/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Transmission slams hard into gear upon acceleration and when braking. does this all the time. when shifting into reverse, it does not engage immediately and then engages hard with a sudden and unexpected lurch backwards. this happens 8 of 10 times when shifting to reverse. no attempt to correct as it appears there is no fix short of a new transmission = $$$ i don't have. | |||
| 02/20/2011 | 61672 | ||
| Transmission failure!!! !the o/d warning began to flash...the recommendation is to service transmission asap. the only issue is that my 2004 ford explorer only has 61,672 miles. the estimated repair cost is approximately $2000-3000. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 76000 | ||
| I financed a 2004 ford explorer in 2008 and about 6 month later i noticed the transmission starting to slip. soon after it wouldnt hardly go into gear unless i reved up the engine then it would slam into gear really hard. now it is getting worse. im a disabled single father of my son who is also disabled and we are on a fixed income and dont have the money to fix this, hell i still owe on it. i pay almost 300 bucks a month car payment on it. | |||
| 02/22/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Transmission slams hard into gear upon acceleration and when braking. does this all the time. when shifting into reverse, it does not engage immediately and then engages hard with a sudden and unexpected lurch backwards. this happens 8 of 10 times when shifting to reverse. no attempt to correct as it appears there is no fix short of a new transmission = $$$ i don't have. | |||
| 02/20/2011 | 61672 | ||
| Transmission failure!!! !the o/d warning began to flash...the recommendation is to service transmission asap. the only issue is that my 2004 ford explorer only has 61,672 miles. the estimated repair cost is approximately $2000-3000. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 76000 | ||
| I financed a 2004 ford explorer in 2008 and about 6 month later i noticed the transmission starting to slip. soon after it wouldnt hardly go into gear unless i reved up the engine then it would slam into gear really hard. now it is getting worse. im a disabled single father of my son who is also disabled and we are on a fixed income and dont have the money to fix this, hell i still owe on it. i pay almost 300 bucks a month car payment on it. | |||
| 02/20/2011 | 61672 | ||
| Transmission failure!!! !the o/d warning began to flash...the recommendation is to service transmission asap. the only issue is that my 2004 ford explorer only has 61,672 miles. the estimated repair cost is approximately $2000-3000. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 76000 | ||
| I financed a 2004 ford explorer in 2008 and about 6 month later i noticed the transmission starting to slip. soon after it wouldnt hardly go into gear unless i reved up the engine then it would slam into gear really hard. now it is getting worse. im a disabled single father of my son who is also disabled and we are on a fixed income and dont have the money to fix this, hell i still owe on it. i pay almost 300 bucks a month car payment on it. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 79000 | ||
| The od light is flashing and the trans is slipping. you can not excelerate in a hurry because it wont go making this truck a accident waiting to happen. | |||
| 01/27/2011 | 72000 | ||
| In 2005, my 2004 ford explorer was part of a recall for the transmission. i took it to ford service and they put some type of additive. they told me the problem was fixed. from 2005 to 2011 the transmission would have problems, it would turn off when i put it in reverse. furthermore, when i put the car in reverse it would pause then shift back hard. unfortunately, i never took the car back to ford to get it checked because the car would always turn right back on. in january of 2011 my car had 72,000 miles. while i was driving the car suddenly turned off on me. immediately, the service engine soon light came on. also, the o/d off light began flashing. when i would restart the vehicle it would turn on. however, when i shifted into drive it would turn off. so i was unable to drive the vehicle. i took the car to ford service and they explained to me that i need a new (remanufactured) transmission at a cost of $4,000. my car is currently in the service department waiting to be fixed | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 131186 | ||
| The problem that i'm cocerned about is the transmission and rear end. for the transmission-this is the third time for this problem with our truck. had it at the dealer ship just after the warrnety went out around 37,000 an paid a little over $600.00 to fix it . lasted till 80,000 them took it back and paid around $200.00 to fix. now at 136,000 and the truck will not move at all. dealer ship want's another $3,306.00 to fix it again. the rear end is making a loud wine noise. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 109000 | ||
| Transmission failure on 2004 ford explorer at ~109k miles. crash/bang noise heard just before failure: high engine rpms and no forward propulsion, flashing od lamp and illuminated service engine soon lamp. problem preceded by intermittent failure to engage reverse gear, or sudden jerking/rough engagement, occasional slipping of gears on acceleration. upon total failure, dealership investigated, says known problem with this vehicle, recommended complete transmission replacement at $4000. vehicle is one of those recalled in 2005 for bad transmission fluid formula installed at factory. this vehicle has always had peculiar shift behavior which ford consistently said was normal for the vehicle. apparently, as many other owners have since experienced, the rough shifting (perhaps precipitated by bad formula fluid and/or damage this may have done to other components) was indicative of eventual total failure. | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 131186 | ||
| The problem that i'm cocerned about is the transmission and rear end. for the transmission-this is the third time for this problem with our truck. had it at the dealer ship just after the warrnety went out around 37,000 an paid a little over $600.00 to fix it . lasted till 80,000 them took it back and paid around $200.00 to fix. now at 136,000 and the truck will not move at all. dealer ship want's another $3,306.00 to fix it again. the rear end is making a loud wine noise. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 109000 | ||
| Transmission failure on 2004 ford explorer at ~109k miles. crash/bang noise heard just before failure: high engine rpms and no forward propulsion, flashing od lamp and illuminated service engine soon lamp. problem preceded by intermittent failure to engage reverse gear, or sudden jerking/rough engagement, occasional slipping of gears on acceleration. upon total failure, dealership investigated, says known problem with this vehicle, recommended complete transmission replacement at $4000. vehicle is one of those recalled in 2005 for bad transmission fluid formula installed at factory. this vehicle has always had peculiar shift behavior which ford consistently said was normal for the vehicle. apparently, as many other owners have since experienced, the rough shifting (perhaps precipitated by bad formula fluid and/or damage this may have done to other components) was indicative of eventual total failure. | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 131186 | ||
| The problem that i'm cocerned about is the transmission and rear end. for the transmission-this is the third time for this problem with our truck. had it at the dealer ship just after the warrnety went out around 37,000 an paid a little over $600.00 to fix it . lasted till 80,000 them took it back and paid around $200.00 to fix. now at 136,000 and the truck will not move at all. dealer ship want's another $3,306.00 to fix it again. the rear end is making a loud wine noise. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 109000 | ||
| Transmission failure on 2004 ford explorer at ~109k miles. crash/bang noise heard just before failure: high engine rpms and no forward propulsion, flashing od lamp and illuminated service engine soon lamp. problem preceded by intermittent failure to engage reverse gear, or sudden jerking/rough engagement, occasional slipping of gears on acceleration. upon total failure, dealership investigated, says known problem with this vehicle, recommended complete transmission replacement at $4000. vehicle is one of those recalled in 2005 for bad transmission fluid formula installed at factory. this vehicle has always had peculiar shift behavior which ford consistently said was normal for the vehicle. apparently, as many other owners have since experienced, the rough shifting (perhaps precipitated by bad formula fluid and/or damage this may have done to other components) was indicative of eventual total failure. | |||
| 01/26/2011 | 131186 | ||
| The problem that i'm cocerned about is the transmission and rear end. for the transmission-this is the third time for this problem with our truck. had it at the dealer ship just after the warrnety went out around 37,000 an paid a little over $600.00 to fix it . lasted till 80,000 them took it back and paid around $200.00 to fix. now at 136,000 and the truck will not move at all. dealer ship want's another $3,306.00 to fix it again. the rear end is making a loud wine noise. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 109000 | ||
| Transmission failure on 2004 ford explorer at ~109k miles. crash/bang noise heard just before failure: high engine rpms and no forward propulsion, flashing od lamp and illuminated service engine soon lamp. problem preceded by intermittent failure to engage reverse gear, or sudden jerking/rough engagement, occasional slipping of gears on acceleration. upon total failure, dealership investigated, says known problem with this vehicle, recommended complete transmission replacement at $4000. vehicle is one of those recalled in 2005 for bad transmission fluid formula installed at factory. this vehicle has always had peculiar shift behavior which ford consistently said was normal for the vehicle. apparently, as many other owners have since experienced, the rough shifting (perhaps precipitated by bad formula fluid and/or damage this may have done to other components) was indicative of eventual total failure. | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 74692 | ||
| I have a 2004 ford explorer and it recently started making a rumbling noise. i brought it to my mechanic and he looked at it and said it was my transmission. he also said that it was an extremly common problem for 2004 explorers. if you google 2004 explorer problems and click on any of the links the first problem is transmission issues. i have owned this car since it was new in 2004 and have not abused the car. for a 2004 car with only 75000 miles on it to have a transmission go it is a problem. i have been quoted $3000 to fix this problem the fix being a new transmission. when ford knows about this problem they should do something about it. | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Transmission went out on my 2004 ford explorer only a day after i bought it from a dealership. the replacement transmission will cost me $3400 plus the $10550 that i paid for the vehicle the day before. what a big mess this is. | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 74692 | ||
| I have a 2004 ford explorer and it recently started making a rumbling noise. i brought it to my mechanic and he looked at it and said it was my transmission. he also said that it was an extremly common problem for 2004 explorers. if you google 2004 explorer problems and click on any of the links the first problem is transmission issues. i have owned this car since it was new in 2004 and have not abused the car. for a 2004 car with only 75000 miles on it to have a transmission go it is a problem. i have been quoted $3000 to fix this problem the fix being a new transmission. when ford knows about this problem they should do something about it. | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Transmission went out on my 2004 ford explorer only a day after i bought it from a dealership. the replacement transmission will cost me $3400 plus the $10550 that i paid for the vehicle the day before. what a big mess this is. | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 74692 | ||
| I have a 2004 ford explorer and it recently started making a rumbling noise. i brought it to my mechanic and he looked at it and said it was my transmission. he also said that it was an extremly common problem for 2004 explorers. if you google 2004 explorer problems and click on any of the links the first problem is transmission issues. i have owned this car since it was new in 2004 and have not abused the car. for a 2004 car with only 75000 miles on it to have a transmission go it is a problem. i have been quoted $3000 to fix this problem the fix being a new transmission. when ford knows about this problem they should do something about it. | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Transmission went out on my 2004 ford explorer only a day after i bought it from a dealership. the replacement transmission will cost me $3400 plus the $10550 that i paid for the vehicle the day before. what a big mess this is. | |||
| 04/16/2009 | 27000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the transmission exhibited a delay response and would slip violently into gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. one year and six months later, after the new transmission installation, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 30 mph. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and they stated that the transmission would need to be replaced for the second time. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 27,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 75000 | ||
| Transmission went out on my 2004 ford explorer only a day after i bought it from a dealership. the replacement transmission will cost me $3400 plus the $10550 that i paid for the vehicle the day before. what a big mess this is. | |||
| 04/16/2009 | 27000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the transmission exhibited a delay response and would slip violently into gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. one year and six months later, after the new transmission installation, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 30 mph. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and they stated that the transmission would need to be replaced for the second time. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 27,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 04/16/2009 | 27000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the transmission exhibited a delay would slip violently into gear. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. a year and a half later after the new transmission installation the vehicle failed to accelerate over 30 mph. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and they stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 27,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 68200 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer is failing; is will slip out of gear, and then shift back into gear hard enough that it makes the entire vehicle shake and lurch forward. the vehicle only has 68k miles on it, and is only used as a commuter vehicle. it has never been taken off road, and i have never used it to tow anything. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. whenever you put the gear in reverse nothing happen for about four to five minutes after it engages it will make a loud noise and then jumps backwards. the vehicle was taken previously in 2007 to the dealer who replaced the solenoid under warranty. the dealer wants to replace the solenoid a second time and the cost would be $1000 to him. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 42,000.-mw | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 68200 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer is failing; is will slip out of gear, and then shift back into gear hard enough that it makes the entire vehicle shake and lurch forward. the vehicle only has 68k miles on it, and is only used as a commuter vehicle. it has never been taken off road, and i have never used it to tow anything. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. whenever you put the gear in reverse nothing happen for about four to five minutes after it engages it will make a loud noise and then jumps backwards. the vehicle was taken previously in 2007 to the dealer who replaced the solenoid under warranty. the dealer wants to replace the solenoid a second time and the cost would be $1000 to him. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 42,000.-mw | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 68200 | ||
| The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer is failing; is will slip out of gear, and then shift back into gear hard enough that it makes the entire vehicle shake and lurch forward. the vehicle only has 68k miles on it, and is only used as a commuter vehicle. it has never been taken off road, and i have never used it to tow anything. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. whenever you put the gear in reverse nothing happen for about four to five minutes after it engages it will make a loud noise and then jumps backwards. the vehicle was taken previously in 2007 to the dealer who replaced the solenoid under warranty. the dealer wants to replace the solenoid a second time and the cost would be $1000 to him. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 42,000.-mw | |||
| 12/26/2010 | 126500 | ||
| My wife owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt with what i've found to be a common problem. the overdrive light flashes on the dash board. it usually is a transmission problem that is a very expensive repair. this issue with the explorer has been going on for over a decade. i think that ford should be held accountable. after all ford did take bail out money. i think that a recall would be the proper action for the ford. motor company. i am one of thousands of consumers who have been abandoned by another big company. | |||
| 01/05/2005 | 10000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph he can feel a slipping in the gears. he also stated that when placing it in reverse there is a violent shift in the vehicle. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that he needed to replace the transmission. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 10,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 12/14/2010 | 96500 | ||
| 1) 2004 explorer eddie bauer transmission badly slipping and delay in engaging resulting in vehicle lunging foreward once it engages. 2) has been happening for about 3-4 years intermittently. dealer said this was normal in first time i complained. now it happens every day. 3) had to have the trans rebuilt at a cost of $2328.25 | |||
| 09/18/2009 | 50000 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer xls with v6, bought new. incorrect transmission fluid put in all 2004 explorers at factory. recalled and put in additive around 40,000 miles. transmission problems started one year ago, around 50,000 miles. takes several seconds to engage and then shifts hard (clunks) into reverse. happens 75% of the time. have been told we need a new (or rebuilt) transmission. | |||
| 01/12/2005 | |||
| 2004 ford explorer, purchased new. every since i have owned the car it has had a transmission problem and will not gear down when turning or slowing down from a normal rate of speed. then takes apx 20-25 seconds to catch back up when excelerater pressed..has caused me to almost be hit several times.. beacuse it won't go when it does catch up there is a hard bump in the car and loud sound..very aggravating and scary. has been back to the dealership and told its a (sp) silinoid problem and had been fixed, but it hasn't have been discusted and been driving it this way because i hdon't have $2000 for repairs. | |||
| 09/18/2009 | 50000 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer xls with v6, bought new. incorrect transmission fluid put in all 2004 explorers at factory. recalled and put in additive around 40,000 miles. transmission problems started one year ago, around 50,000 miles. takes several seconds to engage and then shifts hard (clunks) into reverse. happens 75% of the time. have been told we need a new (or rebuilt) transmission. | |||
| 01/12/2005 | |||
| 2004 ford explorer, purchased new. every since i have owned the car it has had a transmission problem and will not gear down when turning or slowing down from a normal rate of speed. then takes apx 20-25 seconds to catch back up when excelerater pressed..has caused me to almost be hit several times.. beacuse it won't go when it does catch up there is a hard bump in the car and loud sound..very aggravating and scary. has been back to the dealership and told its a (sp) silinoid problem and had been fixed, but it hasn't have been discusted and been driving it this way because i hdon't have $2000 for repairs. | |||
| 09/18/2009 | 50000 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer xls with v6, bought new. incorrect transmission fluid put in all 2004 explorers at factory. recalled and put in additive around 40,000 miles. transmission problems started one year ago, around 50,000 miles. takes several seconds to engage and then shifts hard (clunks) into reverse. happens 75% of the time. have been told we need a new (or rebuilt) transmission. | |||
| 01/12/2005 | |||
| 2004 ford explorer, purchased new. every since i have owned the car it has had a transmission problem and will not gear down when turning or slowing down from a normal rate of speed. then takes apx 20-25 seconds to catch back up when excelerater pressed..has caused me to almost be hit several times.. beacuse it won't go when it does catch up there is a hard bump in the car and loud sound..very aggravating and scary. has been back to the dealership and told its a (sp) silinoid problem and had been fixed, but it hasn't have been discusted and been driving it this way because i hdon't have $2000 for repairs. | |||
| 10/05/2010 | 69000 | ||
| I have 2004 awd limited edition ford explorer with 69,000 miles. i am now faced with replacing the transmission at a cost of $5,000. this car is far too new, with far too few miles to be in need of a new transmission. | |||
| 09/21/2010 | 56497 | ||
| Ford explorer 2004 - transmission failure - premature transmission failure with only 56,497 miles on vehicle. driven normally with no off road driving. no recalls or class actions at this time according to ford. numerous complaints of this problem posted on legitimate internet sites. cost of repair $2800.00 | |||
| 07/09/2010 | 114000 | ||
| Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. there have been few thaousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. the transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. i know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make noteof these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. thanks | |||
| 07/09/2010 | 114000 | ||
| Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. there have been few thaousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. the transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. i know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make noteof these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. thanks | |||
| 07/09/2010 | 114000 | ||
| Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. there have been few thaousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. the transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. i know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make noteof these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. thanks | |||
| 07/09/2010 | 114000 | ||
| Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. there have been few thaousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. the transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. i know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make noteof these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. thanks | |||
| 07/09/2010 | 114000 | ||
| Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise | |||
| 08/15/2010 | |||
| This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. there have been few thaousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. the transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. i know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make noteof these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. thanks | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 63323 | ||
| At 25526 miles took vehicle to dealer for delay in shifting. dealer flushed with bg conditioner. at 26073 miles returned to dealer for clunking on shifting, dealer removed pan found debris, overhauled valve body and replaced solenoid pack. continued to have issues but dealer was unable to replicate. transmission failure at 63323 miles on 04 ford explorer, total replacement of transmission for the cost of $3527.60 out of our pocket, no warranties honored. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer states transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated the transmission would slip out of gear and then there was a harsh bang when it was put into reverse. the consumer began to experience problems not long after the vehicle was purchased. he took the vehicle to the dealer and upon inspection it was discovered the factory put in the wrong fluid. however, two years later the problem resurfaced. the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the transmission fluid. the problem went away for a weeks, but soon returned. *jb | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 63323 | ||
| At 25526 miles took vehicle to dealer for delay in shifting. dealer flushed with bg conditioner. at 26073 miles returned to dealer for clunking on shifting, dealer removed pan found debris, overhauled valve body and replaced solenoid pack. continued to have issues but dealer was unable to replicate. transmission failure at 63323 miles on 04 ford explorer, total replacement of transmission for the cost of $3527.60 out of our pocket, no warranties honored. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer states transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated the transmission would slip out of gear and then there was a harsh bang when it was put into reverse. the consumer began to experience problems not long after the vehicle was purchased. he took the vehicle to the dealer and upon inspection it was discovered the factory put in the wrong fluid. however, two years later the problem resurfaced. the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the transmission fluid. the problem went away for a weeks, but soon returned. *jb | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 63323 | ||
| At 25526 miles took vehicle to dealer for delay in shifting. dealer flushed with bg conditioner. at 26073 miles returned to dealer for clunking on shifting, dealer removed pan found debris, overhauled valve body and replaced solenoid pack. continued to have issues but dealer was unable to replicate. transmission failure at 63323 miles on 04 ford explorer, total replacement of transmission for the cost of $3527.60 out of our pocket, no warranties honored. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer states transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated the transmission would slip out of gear and then there was a harsh bang when it was put into reverse. the consumer began to experience problems not long after the vehicle was purchased. he took the vehicle to the dealer and upon inspection it was discovered the factory put in the wrong fluid. however, two years later the problem resurfaced. the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the transmission fluid. the problem went away for a weeks, but soon returned. *jb | |||
| 08/09/2010 | 63323 | ||
| At 25526 miles took vehicle to dealer for delay in shifting. dealer flushed with bg conditioner. at 26073 miles returned to dealer for clunking on shifting, dealer removed pan found debris, overhauled valve body and replaced solenoid pack. continued to have issues but dealer was unable to replicate. transmission failure at 63323 miles on 04 ford explorer, total replacement of transmission for the cost of $3527.60 out of our pocket, no warranties honored. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 3 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer. consumer states transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated the transmission would slip out of gear and then there was a harsh bang when it was put into reverse. the consumer began to experience problems not long after the vehicle was purchased. he took the vehicle to the dealer and upon inspection it was discovered the factory put in the wrong fluid. however, two years later the problem resurfaced. the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the transmission fluid. the problem went away for a weeks, but soon returned. *jb | |||
| 08/11/2010 | 200211 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer transmission failure | |||
| 06/26/2010 | 134940 | ||
| Bought 2004 ford explorer in 2008, noticed immediately that it was hard to put into gears but was told this was normal for fords. over the next year started noticing that when you put on the break it felt like the rear end was falling out, again told that this is typical of a ford. just this past week have noticed that the transmission does not shift without a big jolt and the o/d light has started flashing. autozone checked for codes and said it was p90775, which is suppose to be something in the transmission. took it to a transmission place and they want 2000-3000 dollars to build new trans. but said this is once again typical of a ford. really!!! if ford knows this why are they not recalling the vehicles. transmission guy said all the previous warning signs have been exactly what he hears all the time with this make model and year. help!!! my husband is religous about check fluids on our cars, changing them ect....first thing he noticed was there is no dipstick for the transmission fluid, whats that about? hiding something? | |||
| 06/28/2010 | 80123 | ||
| While leaving for work, shifted column gear shift from park to reverse and it snapped off at base. no force used other than normal. | |||
| 05/18/2010 | 106435 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer v6 transmission od light flashing and transmission slips out of gear at times | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 50000 | ||
| Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2004, noticed after a couple of months that when i put the car in reverse it would delay a few seconds and then it would make a clunk sound and then speed into reverse or shift hard, that was at about 50,000 miles.car at times would not go into reverse, had the transmission in the shop numerous times and shift solenoid replaced to no avail. shifted okay for awile and goes back to shifting hard again and while at a stop light several times or upon starting my car when i had my foot on the brake it would make a clunk sound and jump forward out of gear. good thing no other cars were in front of me or my wife or children near the vehicles. this vehicles scares me and being in the military with a limited budget we cannot just buy another car so easily and so we drive this vehicle deathly afraid. ford needs to make right, the government needs to adress this issue before more people are injured or killed with the sudden acceleration or coiming out of gear involuntarily. also car is starting to delay when at a stopped position to start driving the car hesitates to go into gear. does it take someone to get seriously injured or die before this problem is going to be resolved by an obvious manufacturer error???? i have two children that get driven around on a regular basis and i am now worried that something is going to happen or my wife. this is still going on and getting worse. here it is june 2010 and ford is getting away with ripping off customers and not being made to fix our investments nor the money we've had to spend on their mistake. i am taking my ford back in to have the transmission guy that repaired it look at the vehicle. how can thousands of complaints be ignored. you are reading this, you can pressure and bring it to light. thank you, abel usmc | |||
| 06/06/2010 | 65000 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer another bad transmission ! 3000.00 rebuild over drive light flashing , interior lights stay on , windows don't go down, door open lights on dash are on .. seems to be alot of these complaints i been reading on the internet ! ford had to have some fault in all these complaints ???? | |||
| 03/28/2004 | 15000 | ||
| I have a bad transmission. i shifts terribly into the upper gears and when it shifts into reverse, it often hesitates and then when it does shift, it sounds life the transmission is about to fall out. it shifts into reverse with a loud clank and big jolt. this has been happening since day one, 2004, and it was taken back to the dealer, who said it was an electronic problem, but they didn't fix the problem. | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 74800 | ||
| While driving normally, 'o/d off' light on dashboard comes on. unable to accelerate and/or vehicle shuts off; the remedy: having transmission rebuilt or repaired. this has occurred three times in 3 years. saw on a 6page forum of other ford owners having the same problem. repairing a transmission is costly and its not one repair it's multiple over the life of owning the vehicle. | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 83000 | ||
| I have been driving a 2004 ford explorer since december 2004 when my daughter left it for me when she moved. it had approximately 11,000 miles. she had noticed a hard shift, especially when going into reverse and a rough idle and vibration, but had not had a chance to have it looked at. except for when i have been out of town, i have serviced that car at a ford dealership religiously. i complained about these problems but nothing was ever found. i was not even told about some of the things i have read about on your website which seem to indicate that ford was aware of the problems and causes. finally, at just under 36,000 miles, the transmission failed and had to be replaced. now, 47,000 miles later, this new transmission is leaking and they have to take it out to see where it's leaking from. i read here about that problem, too. to me, it is clear that ford is using mickey mouse transmissions which, of course, pose a safety hazard depending on when, where, and how the failure manifests itself, and is also an affront to the consumer who is being defrauded by being sold a far more inferior vehicle than the one for which they bargained. so, how's your investigation going? | |||
| 08/11/2009 | 100 | ||
| When i shift from drive or neutral into reverse, there is a long hesitation before the car then leaps backward hard. delay then hard reverse. when i am parallel parking, i have sometimes hit the car behind me hard bcz of this. this problem has been extant since i purchased the car new in 2004. i have brought the car into the dealer at least ten times when it was new. they made many changes, including an entirely new box of a sort i don't recall, all to no avail, finally telling me the problem was caused by installing the wrong trans fluid at manufacturing. recall necessary. | |||
| 03/18/2010 | 120000 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer v8 120000 miles driving down road at 45mph no warning over drive light started flashing, check transmission light came on & lost all gears. pulled over turned car off restarted it drove 5 feet same problem. towed to repair shop the pulled codes & said the solinoid pack internally needed to be replaced. they did that problem is still occuring. now looks like needs a trani. i took it in several times under warrenty but they could never duplicate it. now its not under warrenty & ford wont take care of it. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 85000 | ||
| Gear shift lever on the steering wheel column broke off when tried to take it out of park, on my 2004 ford explorer. checking the internet for this problem i see it has happened to hundreds of people with ford explorers, no help through ford, a recall needs to be done. to many people with the same problem. | |||
| 03/21/2009 | 70000 | ||
| Automatic transmission hesitate when going into gear then shifts hard into gear while accelerating,ford is well aware there is a problem with these transmissions and should be recalled for repairs. have done research on this and its a common safety problems with the ford explorer. | |||
| 02/09/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Transmission continually fails to engage properly. delayed response and harsh shift in gears. from reverse to drive and vice versa, there is a delay and harsh engagement. at first the incidents were barely noticeable and less frequent. now they are a common occurrence and more pronounced. fearful of complete failure whilst accelerating onto highway/street. often times there is a delay shifting into drive when reversing out of a parking spot. holding up traffic, etc. | |||
| 04/08/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Purchased a used 2004 ford explorer on july 3, 2006 with 53823 miles. the car was maintained as required and low and behold, to my recollection, around 2008-2009 it started driving a little strange, it started vibrating hesitating. then during during the beginning of 2009, check engine light came on, od light started flashing, gears started sticking, hard to brake and i was told that it ia a transmission problem and that i was not alone with the problem. a new or rebuilt transmission was necessary at a price of $3-4,000. if you would go on the web site at autobeef. com, you will see all the complaints consumers are having about the same problem. i am urging you to please investigate this matter. ford needs to step up to the plate and recall all explorers. i still owe $9000 on this car and can not drive it. i bailed them out and they need to take responsibility for their faulty transmissions. disappointed and concerned consumer. thank you. | |||
| 11/16/2009 | 90263 | ||
| Vehicle purchased with 78,375 miles - it was previously a us govt vehicle. rear-end noice noticed and seller had ford repair at a cost of $1,387.50 - vehicle was driven less than 12,000 miles and began making same noise in rear-end. due to distance to ford dealer, vehicle was checked out at a private repair service. diagnosis- rear seal failed causing severe damage to all rear-end parts. repairs included ring & pinion gears and differential bearings at a cost of $1,429.54 when contacted, ford stated that although it was within the 12,000 mile, 12 month warranty period, they would not cover any of the costs because the service was not done at a ford dealership | |||
| 01/25/2009 | 58000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer. od light is blinking, service engine light is on, transmission shift stalls and lurks. mechanic says alot of ford explorers are having this issue and there is no recall. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2006, noticed after a couple of months that when put the car in reverse would delay a few seconds and then it would make a clunk sound and then speed into reverse, that was at about 50,000 miles when purchased. in april of 2009 car would not go into reverse, had a transmission rebuild. it is now less then a year since rebuild and it is starting to shift hard again and while at a stop light today when i had my on the brake it made a clunk sound and jumped forward? good thing no other car was in front of me, i checked my rear view mirror and there was no car behind me, so i was not hit. also car is starting to delay when at a stopped position to start driving the car hesitates to go into gear. does it take someone to get seriously injured or die before this problem is going to be resolved by an obvious manufacturer error???? i have two children that get driven around on a regular basis and i am now worried that something is going to happen. i am taking my ford back in to have the transmission guy that repaired it look at the vehicle. uhaul will not let any ford explorers tow their products. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I bought my 2004 ford explorer limited feb 2008. the only work done was oil changes, tire rotations etc....around 50,000 miles suddenly 1) the cruise control stopped functioning properly. when used it causes the vehicle to stall..... 2) a crack appeared in the hatch for no apparent reason. no accidents, no weather issues.... 3) the o/d light comes on and the transmission symbol lights up. hesitates went put in reverse then jerks into movement. repair shop says the transmission needs repairs costing 2000+. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2009 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I left my vehicle running in park to drop off a gift to a friend. i ended up staying longer than intended, and was taken outside by a loud noise. after idling in parked for 20-30 minutes, my explorer had smashed into my friends garage door causing nearly $500 in damages to the door and scratches to the vehicle. nothing has been done about the problem, except we will not let the explorer idle in park. *tr | |||
| 12/21/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| The transmission was slipping and finally one day i put the car in reverse and the car did not even move. i had to get my transmission rebuilt at 60,000 miles. i also am having a big problem with the paint peeling off the roof of the car near which was not covered under any warranty which is crazy especially when the service dept at my local ford dealership says that my year and make has paint problems and they have seen it happen many times but no recall was ever issued. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 99240 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving the transmission will slip from second to third gear. the vehicle shifts very roughly into the reverse gear. also the glass from the rear window has loosened from the frame due to the clips. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 99,240. | |||
| 09/13/2006 | 1 | ||
| When shifting into reverse, the car jerks (shifts hard) backwards every time. eventually, transmission had to be rebuilt. the problem no longer exists. *tr | |||
| 11/25/2009 | 700000 | 1 | |
| When shifting into reverse there is a hard shift also hard shifts up and down while going forward. *tr | |||
| 10/02/2007 | 33000 | 1 | |
| Explorer jerking and bucking when put into reverse. problem eventually worsened with bucking once put into drive. bought used at 31,000 miles. symptom evidenced at just over 33,000 miles. transmission replaced at cost of nearly $4,000. addressed this issue with ford . response- sympathetic but nothing they can do? or is there? design or manufacturer error. either way accountability should not be an issue. last ford i will own. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2009 | 92000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer-serious transmission issues with gears slipping/failing. huge delay in reverse then a large jolt back is very dangerous. *tr | |||
| 09/17/2009 | 32000 | 1 | |
| Have a 2004 ford explorer with bad transmission. delay in shifting in reverse and a jolt into gear caused be to slam into items in my garage. although no one was hurt, it can happen. ford has know of this issue as well as 2-3 gears slipping which can cause a slowing of the vehicle in traffic. *tr | |||
| 11/06/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2004/ford explorer fire while parked in parking deck,there was no previous warnings ,of any kind. truck was running well ,no service lights ever came on. truck only has 40,000 miles on it. never had any sings or symptoms,that anything was going to happen. i have a police report. fire dept. report. also valet parking managers report from 11/6/09.now truck is at toms ford ,hazlet nj. we need to know what went wrong , there was no prior warning to this event. thank god i wasn't on the hwy when this occurred with my granddaughter 27 mths . please help! *tr | |||
| 01/31/2008 | 52000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when he activated the cruise control while driving, it deactivated itself without warning. he had to restart the vehicle to re-set the error code. the failure occurred intermittently, and mostly on the interstate. also when he would turn on the turn signals, the automatic warning system would make an alarm noise and blink until the turn signal would cut off. the automatic transmission appeared to lose fluid, when he shifted into reverse. he heard a roaring noise near the tire area. he was told by the dealer that the hubs needed to be replaced. lastly, the aesthetic piece on the lower half of the hatch-back had cracked and separated from the vehicle. he took the vehicle back to the dealership and was advised that there was an electrical failure. no repairs were made. the manufacturer referred him to nhtsa. the current mileage was approximately 68,000. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 38000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 ford explorer awd has a transmission issue. when the transmission is placed in reverse or into drive, the transmission will often shift into gear very hard and cause the car to suddenly move backwards or forwards in a violent manner. the car will move while the brake is applied and i fear this transmission issue will cause some type of failure in the future causing the car to go forward or backward with no control. it shifts so hard from park into gear it feels as if another car has ran into the back of my car. i have read identical reports online from numerous other people involving ford explorers around this model year timeframe. *tr | |||
| 10/05/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| About 75,000 miles on vehicle, purchased new, regularly serviced. accelerating, the o/d light came on and the transmission went thunk as it tried to shift from 2nd to 3rd. restarting the car the o/d light went off and the car shifted normally except occasionally the car shifts rough. the ford dealer wants $1800 to $4200 to repair. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 ford explorer has a bad transmission problem !!! jerks very hard in reverse , slips between 2nd & 3rd gears, sometimes slips while in traffic !! i feel this is very dangerous !! *tr | |||
| 10/02/2009 | 114000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer (solenoid pack) repair 2nd time. *tr | |||
| 09/03/2009 | 70509 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer nbx. owner put car in park and gear shift lever came off in hand. car transmission stuck between park and reverse. had to get car towed to dealership. dealer states they have fixed numerous explorers with same issue in the recent past. in my opinion, this is a design flaw with the material used (appears to be aluminum) for the donut shaped ring that connects the gear shift to the steering column. contacted ford and they were unwilling help with expense ($1,500) of fixing this manufacturer defect. *tr | |||
| 09/12/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer with, less than 75,000 miles. needs to have the transmission repaired or replaced. my wife and two children were out driving in traffic when failure began to occur. unable to accelerate past 30-35mph. this is all after the dealership repeatedly told us no problems, overfilled trans fluid, and added the recall additive from ford. my wife reported. we informed ford multiple times about hard shifting or slipping feeling when accelerating, and very hard and loud engagements into reverse. there is an obvious problem, i guess it will just take a tragic event to admit the problem. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2009 | 1 | ||
| Abrupt shifting from park to reverse. took vehicle in four times for repair. solenoid was replaced twice, transmission fluid additive, then transmission fluid flush. unintended shifting by transmission resulting in vehicle to swerve at 50 plus miles per hour. occurs daily on highway after letting off accelerator and coasting. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2007 | 96000 | 1 | |
| The transmission in my '04 ford explorer shifts incredibly hard, will stall in mid shift, and can slip into reverse from park at anytime. i am one of thousands of owners in the 2002-2005 years in which ford/mercury put these transmissions into explorers and mountaineers and they are junk. something needs to be done by ford being they've fixed the problem in their 2006 models. the dealers don't know how to fix the problems. *tr | |||
| 12/18/2007 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Transmission failure on ford explorer 2004... the transmission failed on my explorer, 3 of the 4 gears were gone!.... this cost $7,000 to be replaced... i believe this is unacceptable for a 3 year old car to have this type of problem at this cost. not to mention i worked with a guy who had an explorer and a mountaineer and the transmission went on both of those vehicles.. they were an 02 and 04. then this past week i had to have my brakes done. and the repair shop said i needed a few other minor things done... but i told them i had already spent $8,000 (all ball bearings replaced $1000 + 7000 for transmission)on the vehicle recently and can't get it done right now. and they asked if the problem was the transmission... i said, yes why, they told me they had 5 explorers from the around the same age as mine that had transmission failures. now that's a total of 8 explorers in my area and i have heard of others from other people. ford needs to make good on this and offer some discount on a fix for this or have all the explorers from this time period recalled. i bought a new transmission even though is was $4000 more than a rebuilt one, because it came with a life-time warranty.... i would appreciate it if there was an investigation made into ford's explorer so, that past and future problems can be rectified. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| I purchased a 2004 ford explorer 30jun08, in march 2009, in less than a year i have had to replace the module/engine control, the battery and the alternator at the willowbrook ford dealership. i paid a total of 2033.60 in repairs. when i got home last friday night and was parking my car, as i went into reverse i felt a jolt in shifting from the transmission. yesterday driving to work again i felt the transmission slipping and hard shifting. the o/d light begin to flash and i couldn't accelerate over 40mph. on my way home from work, again i could not accelerate over 30mph but now its making a horrible noise and the service engine and o/d lights are flashing. this is a well known problem as i have read numerous complaints about it online. why hasn't ford recalled these faulty transmission? i have until jul10 before this car is paid off and still owe over 6000.00. this is the fifth ford i've owned and i am totally disgusted by this whole situation. as a single mom of 3, i don't have any thousands of dollars sitting around waiting to throw it away in ford repairs. someone has to step in for us consumers who are being ripped off. please help us. *tr | |||
| 08/04/2009 | 36000 | 1 | |
| I was dropping my son off at his friend's house. i pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park. i opened my door, got out, walked around the front of my vehicle and accompanied my son up to the front door. all of a sudden, the truck started to roll forward on the driveway and crash into the homeowners fence. when i got into the truck, it was still in park. there was damage to my front bumper as well as the fence that it crashed into. thank god it didn't happen while i was walking in front of it! this transmission on this vehicle has been a problem since the beginning. i too experienced the thump as it slammed into reverse, only for ford to deny there was a problem and finally put the additive into the tranny. what a way to fix the problem! ...never again will i buy a ford. i just hope no one has to lose their life for ford to do something about this. *tr | |||
| 07/03/2008 | 45000 | 1 | |
| We own a 2004 ford explorer. the ford recall to remedy factory transmission fluid problem was a band-aid to fix liver cancer. the transmission jumps into reverse a few seconds after shifting, and the shifts when going forward are jerky. ford has tried to placate owners with an additive. the problem is ongoing. nothing has been done to correct the problem. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 54000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer with 54k miles has slip in transmission when shifted from park to reverse and will slip when the transmission shifts automatically. it catches and will produce a loud bump. it takes several seconds to catch when shifted to reverse. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer has extreme engagement into reverse. have had multiple trips to dealership for repair prior to this final repair by independent repair shop. if driver doesn't anticipate this condition personal injury and/or property damage could occur. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2009 | 1 | ||
| I own a 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer with v-8. have taken to the dealer numerous times about abrupt and delayed shifting with transmission. dealer re-programmed transmission with no luck, no recall from ford but have heard hundreds of complaints on-line about same problem. truck now has over 90,000 miles and still has same problem. replaced leaking transmission pump last decembe08 and still hard shifting. will not return to ford for repairs when transmission or other drive train parts fail due to the hard up and down shifts, please help! *tr | |||
| 05/25/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 ford explorer. i have two complaints with this vehicle. the first is that the back gate cracked from the window. the second complaint is that my truck is making a loud thump in reverse, and after i put it in drive after being in reverse, the transmission is slipping making it dangerous to pull out into traffic. i was almost hit twice pulling into traffic from the engine slipping. *tr | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 97000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle had a history of suddenly jerking harshly while driving at highway speeds (65 mph), but at irregular intervals and problem could not be forced to replicate. at approximately 97,000 miles while on an out of state trip, the vehicle began to refuse to accelerate properly from a standstill, appearing to limp (in ford's words) until it reached 10-15 mph, then it would suddenly engage and accelerate rapidly, but would still quit accelerating briefly until reaching speeds >40 mph. at interstate speeds, the transmission seemed to run fine until going into mountains, where it would not find the right gear for maintaining speed. car continued to worsen until finally reaching a dealership that was willing to look at the problem. no error codes were observed, so was told the transmission had to be overhauled or replaced. the overhaul was not going to be guaranteed nor would the dealership promise when the car would be repaired and recommended a ford rebuilt transmission, which i was forced to select. the vehicle still has problems, though not as severe as formerly, but there are still no error or service codes being returned by any of the car's electronics. i have no options other than to drive it until it fails completely again, wherever that may happen. *tr | |||
| 03/16/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| Trans in 2002 to 2005 ford explorers are bad. they slip in and out of gear. sometime you have to wait 5 to 10 seconds before it will move and this almost got me hit in mine by a 18 wheeler more than once. talked with ford dealers they all clam its a ford mess up but there is no recalls yet. and this is with them beginning with in 20,000 to 90,000 miles on the explorers. i know of over 900 cases of this first hand and someone needs to get ford off their butt and do something. noone can keep putting out 3500.00 for a rebuilt trans while their still paying on the vehicles. all of them go bad right after the warranty runs out. being in law enforcement i see this every day and its not sage for family's in these vehicles. if something isn't done asap someone going to get hurt or die. they slip all the time when you back up your sitting in the road for 10 seconds waiting for it to go in drive then drive slips until you get to 35 miles an hour then their fine until you stop again. call ford motor company and they just say sorry cant help you should have got the extra warranty on the vehicle. me personally if it happens again im going to ford motor company and drive it right through the front doors and leave it there. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Transmission slips - lurches into reverse - recently slipped and wouldn't pull going up hill - 2 times in 2 days. *tr | |||
| 05/12/2006 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle goes forward after put in park and turned off. the transmission has been checked at ford dealership. have letter explaining that if transmission fluid was not changed out that serious consequences may occur. ford dealership not aware as this was not displayed as a recall. herefore,transmission fluid was not changed at that time. *tr | |||
| 01/17/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| On january 17, 2009, i was attempting to back my 2004 ford explorer out of my driveway. when i attempted to put the truck into reverse, the steering column-mounted gear shift mechanism broke. the wand broke completely away from the column, with only the rubber covering holding it in place. later, when a mechanic opened up the steering column, it was apparent that the gear shift mechanism failed because a piece of metal broke in half; it looked to be made of some soft metal. because of the way ford designed the transmission, the entire steering column had to be replaced. the explorer had only 55,000 miles on it at the time of the incident. total expenses for repairs were in excess of $1,600. *tr | |||
| 04/30/2009 | 1 | ||
| I am also having the transmission problem with my 2004 ford explorer. my vehicle jumps violently when it is put in reverse. when you first put it in reverse it will not move then all of a sudden it jumps backward. i also have been noticing that the truck feels like it is not in gear feels like it slips . i have made no repairs on my vehicle as of yet, but after reading the newspaper article i see that this problem is occurring with other vehicles,. we all seem to be having the same problems. i hope that ford will take care of these ford explorer problems before their are more accidents. i have not had an incident as of this date 4/30/09, but i can tell you that when i put my vehicle in reverse i am very worried because of how violent the truck jumps backward. *tr | |||
| 04/24/2009 | 3000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 ford explorer has a transmission problem. i never know if and when it will go into reverse or park. it hesitates and i then find out what gear it is in. this explorer is a one-owner car. 32,000+- miles on it. weekends only. yes, i went through the earlier recall, but it did little if anything to correct the problem,. at the time, i figured that i had been screwed into buying a defective car whose transmissions wouldn't last after the warranty ran out. sometimes, the transmission doesn't engage right away and then jumps hard into reverse. other times, it hesitates before going into drive and/or park. i never know. i am 57 years old. please tell ford for me ----not to pee on my leg and tell me that it is raining. they didn't fix the problem. and i believe it to be dangerous. and since bush isn't president anymore, maybe your agency can stand up again for american consumers. or will you? feel free to contact me or for ford to contact me. the truth is the truth. *tr | |||
| 11/20/1997 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Tl*-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact started the ignition on a warm engine, and then moved the gear shift from the park position into the reverse position. immediately, the transmission exhibited extremely hard shifting. there were no prior warnings. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was able to proceed to normal operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic tests. the technician stated the failure was related to the automatic transmission solenoid pack. the solenoid pack was replaced for the malfunction. the contact had concern on the safety risk involved. the failure mileage was 60,000. the current mileage was 81,000. updated 05/15/09 *bf updated 05/18/09.*jb | |||
| 11/19/2008 | 39000 | ||
| Tl*the contacts owns a 2004 ford explorer. after driving in reverse and parking the vehicle it began to move after the back door was opened. she was able to engage the brake pedal to stop the vehicle from moving and confirmed that the gear shift was in park. the body shop mechanic was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. the contact stated that it was caused due to slippage of the gears and although the gear indicator reads park it is not fully engaged. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 39000 and current mileage was 44000. | |||
| 04/11/2008 | 95000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when placing the vehicle in a parked position the vehicle it rolled backwards even when it was on a level surface. on one occasion the vehicle rolled backward and crashed into another vehicle. there were no injuries. when the failure occurred she notices the over drive light illuminated on the instrument control panel. the dealer stated that her second gear was missing; therefore, she would be responsible for paying $3,700 to replace the transmission. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. | |||
| 01/04/2005 | 10000 | 1 | 11/05/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the transmission in the vehicle is constantly slipping. the vehicle hesitated after numerous attempts to adjust to the correct gear. due to the failure it takes longer than it should to increase speed. the dealer made an adjustment to the transmission; however, the vehicle was not fully repaired. the failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 96,000. updated 05/15/09 *bf updated 05/18/09.*jb | |||
| 04/04/2009 | 34303 | 1 | |
| Shifting into reverse, the vehicle will not move, when you give it more gas, then suddenly surge. this latest incident, i almost hit a pedestrian. i thought this was a throttle response issue, but now i think it maybe a transmission issue. this has been an issue since the day i bought it....the dealer put some fluid in the transmission and re-calibrated the throttle. dealer said this is the first year ford used an electronic throttle. (no cable from gas pedal to throttle body.) after reading the newspaper article, seems that many owners have had similar complaints. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2009 | 70359 | 1 | |
| Transmission shifts very hard and when put into reverse it violently shifts to reverse. have had the vehicle in for multiple repairs on the transmission and now the local ford dealership tells me i have to replace the transmission with the mileage on the vehicle a little over 70,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 94271 | 1 | |
| No accident or injury has occurred. the transmission shifter binds when shifting into park. the interlock solenoid pin has worn a grove in the cam in which it contacts. when shifting from any gear to park, if you release the brake pedal at the right time the vehicle will not go fully into park. *tr | |||
| 03/16/2009 | 87000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a new 2004 ford explorer in 2004 and had constant problems with the transmission - hard shifting, slipping, and delayed shifting. i brought it back multiple times to 2 very good dealers and the problems remained. they replaced my rear axle three times but said because there were no stored codes from the transmission, ford wouldn't let them do anything else. my transmission kept having delayed shift and hard shift problems so i kept bringing it in to my local dealer even after my warranty expired. after 6 times at 2 dealers, it was doing the same thing. i do not blame the dealers, as they were only taking ford factory direction. i called ford customer service several times prior to my warranty end, and was always told to go back to the dealer. during those calls to customer service, i requested a ford factory rep contact me but customer service refused and advised me again to go back to the dealer for service. last week, my transmission finally failed at 87k miles. it still shifted hard, and had delayed shifts, but it suddenly had no reverse, and extreme slippage in first gear. the check transmission light started flashing for the first time so it stored a code. i took my explorer back to the dealer who advised the code meant an internal failure of a band or other part and the transmission needed to be replaced at a cost of about $4500. the dealer service manager was very good about the entire problem, so i am still not at all upset with the local dealer. i paid almost $200 for the diagnostic of a failed band but decided to have the transmission repaired at a local transmission shop. there, the manager took the transmission apart to diagnose the problem and did not find a broken band or other part. he advised it was probably due to other problems that may have been there since it was new, and advised that i install a rebuilt transmission instead of rebuilding this one due to the problems with the aluminum case. i spent $3000; finally fixed. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 52000 | 1 | |
| I understand there are worse vehicle failures out there, but the sheer fact that so many owners of my vehicle, 2004 ford explorer (and its respective brothers: lincoln aviator and mercury mountaineer) are experiencing transmission failure has led me here. the transmission in my truck is getting progressively worse and at the moment i am almost afraid to have my wife and our 2 children ride in it. the delay in the shift causes us to slow slightly in traffic and i fear (as do so many other ford/mercury and lincoln owners experiencing the same problem) that its inevitable failure may result in an accident or worse. ford refuses to accept any responsibility for this even though every owner is experiencing this at the same mileage on the same model vehicle. one recall, in 2005 i believe, addressed a need for solenoid additive to the transmission. many feel this was just a band-aid placed over a broken bone for ford and merely delayed the transmissions failure. (past the warranty) could it be that so many explorer / mountaineer / aviator owners are simply running their $30,000+ vehicles into the ground? or is ford refusing to stand behind a faulty product? just like the firestone tires several years back, ford should be held accountable before a bad situation becomes disastrous. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2009 | 89000 | 1 | |
| I have had 2 problems with my ford explorer. 1. crack in the rear window panel, ford won't fix. 2. total transmission failure, had to replace at my cost. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Purchased used 2004 explorer xlt 12/6/07 at 53,000 miles. approx 6 mos later, it began having delayed shifting and would jerk into reverse. at times i had pulled out too far into the road and needed to back up to avoid a collision and the car would not safely reverse quickly. it would hesitate and then jerk into reverse at a high speed. the tranny would slip after slowing down and then accelerating. once after shifting into reverse, i hit the gas and it revved up as if in neutral. i paused and hit the gas again without changing gears and it reversed. the first dealer said its tranny fluid was low and they topped it off. no change. the second dealer reprogrammed it with no change. they replaced the solenoid which seemed to fix the jerky shifting and improper acceleration. now it is progressively getting worse again, just like last time. it starts out only having issues once a month and then they become more regular until it happens every time you drive the car. i don't think the car is safe as i cannot get it to move quickly when i need it to. the car has a new appointment with the dealer and i think they are going to replace the transmission. i have seen sites where hundreds of other explorer owners have had the same problem, sometimes even much worse than this one. the dealers are stumped because it doesn't show any codes. according to the computer nothing is wrong with my car when even i can tell that it has major transmission problems. it now has 80,000 and i have paid the deductible at least three times and still no change. i better have a new transmission coming to me... *tr | |||
| 08/04/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The transmission is failing on my 2004 ford explorer. i have babied it for quite awhile because we already had plenty of electrical problems with it that had cost us a lot of money and we really have no idea where to get the money to fix this problem. we still owe a lot on it. when it first started, i spoke to my mechanic and looked on the internet for a solution. if you google 2004 ford explorer transmission, you will see a huge list of people with the same problem. ford has the nerve to ask for a bailout with my money, but they won't stand behind their lousy product!!! this is going to cost me at least $2500 to fix and i think since they have been aware of the problem from the start, they should have to correct it before we start handing them money. this is more than unfair! further, the plastic parts on these vehicles are cheap and break easily. one of my visors is suspended from the sunroof by a phone earphone cord because the plastic hinge broke and it dangles in your way when you are trying to see out the windshield. please help!*tr | |||
| 02/13/2009 | 1 | ||
| Purchased 2004 exp xlt in 2007 with 34,600 miles. took it to dealer while still under warranty. said jerking into reverse and delayed shifting between 2nd + 3rd was normal. found out normal meant they all do it, but not that it is correct. a ford dealer told me solenoid body replacement will fix it. after reading the numerous complaints on-line, am not sure. the seat belt retractors do not work (didn't on the '94 either) but at least the seats in the 94 were comfortable. just do not ever buy a ford again!. a friend has exactly the same model with exactly the same issue. hard to believe ford does not want to do anything for their customers. but it does make it easy to understand why life-long ford owners will never own another one. my froend said they only offered him $3200 for his 2004 exp xlt on a trade-in. not very much unless they know about the problem. really sad ford will do nothing. i feel bad for all the good service people that are foced to lie to customers while ford hides behind the curtain. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2009 | 82100 | 1 | |
| I own a 2004 ford explorer xlt v6. on 2/9/2009, i left my workplace at about 6pm and within about 1/4 mile my automatic transmission started slipping. i shifted to 3rd gear and it did not slip. within about 1 mile after shifting to 3rd, the overdrive light started flashing. within about 5 miles the vehicle turned off and the service engine light came on as well, while i was traveling approximately 50 mph on a causeway! i was able to pull over to the right. i turned the vehicle completely off. turned the vehicle back on, put it into drive and no warning lights were displayed. i continued for about 1 mile, and drive started slipping again. i put it into 3rd, overdrive light started blinking. approximately another 5 miles the vehicle shut off completely and service engine light came on again. i was able to pull over to the right. turned the vehicle off, back on, and again proceeded home. i made it home. i have two children that luckily were not in the vehicle with me. my concern is that the transmission randomly failed and then the vehicle completely shut off, which could have resulted in an accident because the steering could've locked and the power brakes could've disengaged because the car was off. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| There are many know problems with this transmission. i have made repairs to many 5r55 series transmissions and they are all defective in a few different ways. i spent 5 years at ford repairing these problems and now my personal vehicle is showing symptoms of failure. the only proper repair for this is the complete replacement of said part. although the replacement part is most likely going to be a failed unit from another vehicle. *tr | |||
| 01/23/2009 | 78500 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer transmission problem (seen on many complaint websites.) solenoid body needs repair at 75,000 miles on car that has diligently had all scheduled maintenance. this causes transmission to slip hard in reverse and in transition between gears. it happened once and almost caused accident. no automobile needs to have this replaced under 150,000 miles. this costs $1,100 to fix (5 hours of labor and the part is $525.) the price of the part is ridiculous. take care. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Purchased the vehicle new. had regular maintenance performed. shifting has been harsh and sporadic since nearly new. has gotten progressively worse until now (jan, 2009) 67,000 miles when it became un-drivable. took to ford dealer where purchased. bottom line is that transmission is shot and they recommend a new tranny. further research, online and with other owners, makes it obvious that this is a common, well known problem possibly having to do with incorrect tranny fluid installed when new. ford says no recall, no warranty, and provides no relief. this is criminal. *tr | |||
| 12/11/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 explorer limited with 18,000 miles. at 28,000 miles the dealership replaced a solenoid in the transmission per ford to eliminate a large thud when the vehicle was shifted into reverse. the problem went away for awhile but returned. today at 78,000 the vehicles transmission has failed and the dealership states it needs replacement. extended warranty provider refuses to cover the work. i have read that ford installed the wrong transmission fluid at the factory as well. bottom line is the ford transmission is defective and everyone knows it. how about a little justice here for the consumer? *tr | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 87000 | 1 | |
| A couple of months ago i notices that my explorer made a weird humming sound when i remove my foot off the gas going downhill at highway speeds. i also get the hard/clunk shift sound when going from park to reverse with a couple second delay. it takes longer then normal for vehicle to accelerate as if the truck is having difficulty shifting itself. whaling city ford in new london ct said problem was that we have two tires that are a bit smaller then the rest and proceeded to try to sell us four new tires. i took it for a second opinion and the auto shop actually spent time on my vehicle and said that our tires are fine, it is the tranny. how can ford get away with this and what is my recourse since so many others are having this issue? *tr | |||
| 09/22/2008 | 1 | ||
| Blinking o/d light, service engine light, park to reverse gear slippage, first to second gear slippage. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2008 | 1 | ||
| I bought it brand new in 2004 and have taken very good care of this vehicle, but it hasn't returned the favor. i have had multiple transmission problems that ford says that they all do it and won't fix it. my tailgate cracked next to the ford symbol, once again won't fix it. my paint on my hood is peeling off. i only have 50,000 easy miles on it but looking at it and driving it you would think that it had 150,000 on it. i will never buy ford again! *tr | |||
| 10/14/2008 | 76000 | 1 | |
| Transmission is slipping, rpm's racing before engaging into gears. hard clunk when shift from reverse to forward. losing power while waiting for shifts to engage. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 47000 | 1 | |
| Of the numerous issues with this vehicle, the worst is the transmission (40,000 miles ). same old story. started with clunking and hesitation and surging when shifting into reverse and now is 'clunking' into gears 2 and 3 during normal driving. the rear drivers side window motor has been replaced twice. the rear window panel has a vertical crack to the left of the ford symbol that just mysteriously occurred even though we don't even use the window. the truck stalls when the cruise control is applied below 45 miles an hour. my wife and i really loved this truck but like many others we have become embarrassed by our purchase. if this kind of fraud were to occur with any other product we would have some sort of recourse but not surprisingly the motor company's seem to enjoy a certain level of protection. the 'better business bureau' won't even listen to car complaints. given the severe and ubiquitous nature of the complaints about this vehicle it comes as no surprise that no remediations is forth coming from this organization, the manufacturer or any other. the cost of these vehicles is a burden to say the least and is financially devastating to those of us who purchased them in good faith only to have a 30,000 dollar vehicle become useless and dangerous before reaching 50000 miles. like all the other 'victims' of fraud, i am wasting yet more of my time by complaining about it. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| I have had many, many problems with my 2004 ford explorer. probably the most dangerous one is the recurring failure of the transmission. this last time that this occurred i was on interstate-85, in morning rush-hour traffic, and all of a sudden my rpm's are flying to the red danger area and i have no acceleration power and am losing speed. there is an 18-wheeler on my rear and i can't pick up speed! luckily, i was approaching an exit and managed to get the vehicle off of the interstate and onto a less traveled road. this is the second time that i have endured this scenario. once again the solenoid is gone, with repairs estimated at $1255.00. i have had this problem repaired less than a year after purchase. i have had this problem repaired at 32,567 miles, and i now have this problem again at 76,725 miles. i have had the clutch pack replaced at 24,940 miles as well as the ring gear, pinion, and all bearings replaced at 24,940 miles. at 35,558 miles the lower ball joint had to be replaced. at 64,335 i had to have the pats transponder(security system) replaced. in short i have had the transmission repaired three times the front end rebuilt , the back end redone. i honestly can say i do not feel very safe in this vehicle, especially since i have to use this to transport my children. these problems seem to be the norm for this particular vehicle, as i have done research on this. i don't understand why ford is not made to resolve these issues. i have also had to have my heating and air replaced. this occurred in the winter of 2007 and was a safety issue, as i could not defrost my windows. *tr | |||
| 08/27/2008 | 48900 | 1 | |
| Bought car with 9k miles on it, transmission slams into gear in reverse causing car to jump backwards, called dealer stated knew what problem was fixed under warranty. 40k miles later it is happening again, more severe and jerking forward while driving. almost hit pedestrian, could not control. dealer states out of warranty will not fix. informed them this is the same problem, work is faulty. many complaints of this on-line with this type of vehicle. it is a major safety issue. car is now jerking more violently causing the wheels to screech when put into reverse. does there need to be a death or injury in order to investigate this? *tr | |||
| 08/18/2008 | 41270 | 1 | |
| There is clearly a defect in ford explorer transmissions. my 2004 explorer had shifting problems at the 2-21/2 year mark. it was limped through by replacing the solenoid. now at 42/3 years (out of warranty) it is doing the exact same thing and suddenly needs a new transmission at the 41,000 mile mark. i feel ford has a clear problem based on the number of complaints and i am sure that is a small fraction of the problem as most people don't know to complain. ford has put bandaids on the problem until the warranty is up, then the consumer gets stuck. while this may not be a safety issue, it is clearly a defective transmission/ design flaw and consumers need to be compensated. what does it take to have something recalled? does a life have to be lost? these transmissions are lemons and the consumers have been ripped off. many probably remain silent because they think they were just unlucky so i am sure the complaints you have are just the tip of the iceberg. it seems your agency should protect not just from injury, but from frauds and deception. ford has been deceptive and should be accountable for these lemons. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 70221 | 1 | |
| I own a 2004 ford explorer on 7/14/2008 i took it to the ford dealer ship due to my o/d light flashing. i was told i would need a new transmission $3,200.00 dollars so they replaced the transmission,i picked up my explorer on 7/28/2004 and only drove it 30 miles and the o/d light began flashing again and the transmission was not passing gears. now this is a new transmission the dealer ship was contacted and they now have my vehicle again so now i will have to wait and see what the out come is again. *tr | |||
| 08/07/2007 | 78000 | 1 | |
| (1) ford recall 5r55s/5r55e/5r443 transmissions april 04 2005. 04b22 ford explorer xlt (2) repair information regarding transmission issues. this vehicle was taken back to action ford mercury, hartsville, sc. on 10/23/06 with the same problems. the warranty has expired and the service department stated that i would be required to pay for a portion of these repairs. i have taken this vehicle back to action ford mercury (4) times, for transmission repairs. (see attachments),10/11/04, 06/08/05. obviously, with (4) repairs , something is not right with the transmission in this vehicle. both statements reference solenoid replacement. this transmission obviously has a | |||
| 06/29/2004 | 19971 | 1 | |
| Purchased my ford explorer jan 2004. problem with shifting occurred june 29th 2004. one year later 2005, the problem worsen, with slipping and hard shifting at the same time. ford is not backing the explorer at all and we the people with these same complaints need help, or all of our money back from the vehicle, since the problem can not be fixed. *tr | |||
| 02/20/2008 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in november 2006 with 16,000 miles. at approximately 30,000 miles, i noticed that it shifted hard going into 3rd gear as i accelerated. the transmission would rev up, then shift with a thud. i do not drive the vehicle hard. this was noticed during normal in town driving. this happened intermittently. at 38,000 miles i took it to a ford dealership to have it checked (as my extended warranty was about to expire). i explained the shifting and acceleration problem in detail. they reported that this was within the specs for this truck. that it was normal acceleration. it is now 54,000 miles. the problems have gotten worse. it feels like the transmission slips into neutral, then clunks and grabs the next gear. there is also a delay and clunk when shifting into reverse. i've just taken it in and had the transmission flushed. the shop reported that there was no particulate or debris in the pan, so it is probably something internal. i took it to a transmission specialist and they are saying i need a new/rebuilt transmission. *tr | |||
| 06/30/2008 | 32000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer, still has harsh shift from park to rear, have to press brake hard so car does not jerk when shifting to rear, fluid was replaced by ford dealer 2 years ago but harsh shifting never addressed since it was on and off 2 years ago, presently happens much more often. *tr | |||
| 06/29/2008 | 75200 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer. gear shift lever broke off in my hand when shifting from park to reverse. transmission indicator stuck between park and reverse. vehicle could start but not move. key stuck in ignition. shift lever broke off at metal cast inside column. towed to ford dealer. needs entire steering column replaced to fix this part, cost over $1000. others with same problem due to defective part. called ford hq, but no help with covering repairs for this problem. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2008 | 46000 | 1 | |
| We purchased a 2004 ford explorer 4.0 liter v6 approximately 6 months ago (46,000 miles). shortly after the purchase the vehicle began to shift hard from park into reverse. the vehicle also shifts hard while in motion. it feels as if the vehicle has accelerated on it's own. mechanic advised the transmission will cost approximately $600.00 in parts, and approximately $800.00 in labor. it is unknown how long the transmission will last until complete failure. i have grave concerns that it may fail as we are on the interstate causing death or serious injury. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2008 | 5534 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 eddie bauer 4.0 liter explorer. the previous owner brought the vehicle back for all recalls, particularly those related to the transmission. this included a complete trans fluid flush even though the ford states the 1st maint. on tranny is 100 k miles, changed the front seal that supposedly corrodes in the presence of the old transmission fluid', and had the solenoid body changed to correct the transmission shifting problem. now the transmission is failing again at 34,000 miles. it shifts erratically and feels unusual while driving in forward, and once warmed up and at a stop, when shifting from drive to reverse, there is a 1 too 2 second pause and then the transmission shifts violently into reverse. mechanic tells me that tranny will eat itself up. in short all preventable maint. and recalls have been done on car to avoid problem, and yet at 34k miles tranny is experiencing same problem again. you really need to put fords feet to the fire and get this fixed as a recall as this is a safety issue. web is full of reports of trannys die-ing on the road with no warning. you all are the watchdog, please do your job. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2005 | 12500 | 1 | |
| Ford explorer 2004 - bought brand new in 2004 my ford explorer started having shifting problems after 1 year i bought it. ford dealer fixed it because it was under warranty. they claimed that it was the transmission solenoid. i am having the same issue 1 year after the fix was made and went back to the dealer. they said that the car is not under warranty anymore and it will cost me around 1400 dollars to fix it. i did not have them fix it and figured that i call ford customer service to get this fixed for free. that did not get me anywhere. this was back in 2006 or 2007 and i am still having this issue. this is a mechanical hazard because a failed transmission driving on a freeway can cause accident. i have a wife, a 4 year old and a 1 year old and always fear for their safety while driving the vehicle with them. *tr | |||
| 05/10/2008 | 88000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2004 ford explorer last year. almost immediately after the purchase but after warranty expiration i had to pay for a new wheel bearing. a few months ago i had the car serviced and was told the rear differential has issues. a loud roar as i drive. about a month ago i heard the familiar sound of another wheel bearing talking to me. i pick my daughter up everyday from school and rely on this vehicle to be functioning in a safe manner. i researched a bit and found complaint after complaint regarding these issues. i can see that this complaint is old news but it is a serious safety issue and an on going problem. it is not cheap either! i am disgusted with this car and demand this widespread issue be resolved. thank you for your time. joseph sullivan *tr | |||
| 05/12/2008 | 43667 | 1 | |
| Purchased 2004 ford explorer used with 9k miles on it. immediately noticed strong jerking movement when putting into reverse. dealership fixed the problem, stated it was common. now 43k miles, same problem; much stronger. i'm noticing this jerking while driver forward as well. on occasion the car will just jump forwarded as if someone was jumping on the gas pedal. i've read similar complaints, some with injuries on www.mycarstats.com; over 197 complaints. this is a serious accident waiting to happen. ford need to recall and fix this problem. once the warranty expires people are being quoted over $3k to fix the transmission problems. *tr | |||
| 04/26/2008 | 55000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 ford explorer. about two weeks ago, i went to shift from park to reverse so i could back out of my driveway. the gear shifter broke off in my hand. it was dangling by some sort of cord. i could not shift into park, and could not get the key out of the ignition. i had to leave the car in neutral and put the parking brake on. i've had three mechanics look at it, and all of them said this is not something that should break. it is going to cost me $1100 to fix, because a whole new steering column has to be ordered from ford. i contacted ford via email, and they are not issuing a recall at this time, which i think is unacceptable given how common this problem is. *tr | |||
| 04/14/2004 | 75930 | 1 | |
| Purchased a new 2004 ford explorer automatic v6 in nov 04. occasionally when shifting in reverse, engine would give a hard jerk. when driving the vehicle, stopped(especially) if roads were wet, when attempting to proceed forward, vehicle tires-good tires/even wear,rotated regularly and/or vehicle would loose control as engine attempted to move forward. always a very annoying noise in rear riding as passenger. but it to dealer @ beginning, checked it out under warranty, noe vehicle has a little over75930. drove it from one state to another, parked it, next day drove it < than a 1/4 mile to store, shopped, returning home the transmission gave a very loud noise, grinding and a hard jerk, enough to hurt one driving or passenger's backs. 2nd gear unable to engage, rpm race to 4000 2nd gone! ford dealer quotes a repair(rebuilt) @ $3555.0+taxes @ rate of $100.00 an hour = labor nearly a $1000.00. brought it to a repriable trans shop quoted $3000.00 complete we have been adie-hard owners of fords for years, even own a 1956crown vic., 86 f250, 99 lincolncon't, 00mustang, and this )$ ford explorer is the worse vehicle puchased @ $38,000. never mind all the previous ones, never have i ever dealt with a fairly new vehicle of poor workmanship/design. reports reveal that these 04's definitely have ford manufactutrer defects or craftmanship faults. why do people give up on american vehicles, ah ah? @ 75,930+ miles a broken transmission. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Transmission started shifting hard the day it was purchased in 2004. now the transmission will not shift at all and the car has been parked in the driveway and is not drivable. i asked the ford dealership about the shifting problem within a week of purchase and they stated there was nothing wrong with the vehicle that they could find. *tr | |||
| 04/20/2004 | 36000 | 3 | |
| Our vehicle only has 36,000 miles on it, and the transmission has succumb to an extremely unsafe condition after warranted factory repair for the third time now, where the transmission fails to shift while driving and basically leaves you coasting without speed control during a regular shift interval. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 3500 | 10 | |
| In feb. 2004 i purchased a brand new explorer. about 6 months into ownership there were some problems with a delay in switching from park to reverse. i took the explorer to the dealer. they stated it was the throttle position sensor, which the dealer did replace. approximately a year later, the same problem started to happen again. i took the explorer back to the dealer and they repaired the same part again. the problem continued and progressively got worse so i was forced to take it back again in december of 2006 to the dealer. they proceed to tell me that the problem is the same exact problem which has already been fixed, twice. this time they tell me my warranty has expired and i will have to pay for the repairs. well it seems to me if it was repaired correctly the first or second time then it wouldn't be happening just about every year. i would drive my truck locally and it normally would not want to move. one day on my lunch hour, i tried to cross a major 4 lane highway and this 2004 ford explorer, left me stranded in the middle of this lunch rush hour traffic, to be t-boned by on coming traffic. talk about, emotional distress; i was so upset that i had to go home for the rest of the day. it is just as scary to think my truck would break down due to manufacturing problems with my kids in the truck. this happened so often and most times at night. the throttle position sensor and transmission fluid cost me $550.00 at 80k miles. the dealer informed me that you are not supposed to service the transmission until 100k but the dealer suggested it due to my many problems. i am at the point where i just will never buy another ford vehicle. nothing has been done my truck has sat at the dealer since dec 2007, i can not afford the repairs. it seems there should be a class action suit filed against ford for fault transmissions. *tr | |||
| 03/04/2008 | 59300 | 1 | 02/10/2004 |
| Purchased a 2004 ford explorer new at a local dealership. i started having transmission problem soon after purchase. not shifting into reverse properly. took the vehicle several times back to dealership. received transmission additive recall and took vehicle back again. about 5,000 miles after additive transmission problems worsened. solenoid replace at 20,000 miles and again at 35,000 with other transmission parts replaced. now at 59,000 miles of use transmission is completely gone and must be replaced. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2008 | 69421 | 12 | 05/05/2005 |
| My vehicle when put in reverse will hesitate then engage approx. 30 sec. later as if rearended. when i am in drive and accelerate my 04 explorer xlt will hesitate then engaged. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 58750 | 8 | 02/28/2008 |
| I just purchased a used ford explorer xlt from a dealer and took for test drive seemed ok purchased the vehicle and noticed the next day upon driving that the transmission going from park to reverse out of my garage took a few seconds before cluncking into gear almost causing me to hit my garage i took to my mechanic which he changed out my fluid adding the additive that he new was required he owns a trans shop and is very reputable he stated about the recall also he checked my differentials in front and rear and noticed rear was all full of silver shavings we changed out fluids also but the shifting and vibrating still is occurring i did purchase a full warranty and after reading all the negative press on this site i hope the purchase of a ford vehicle and warranty was worth the money. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2004 | 2000 | 100 | 06/29/2004 |
| Since owning the car, it has had trouble with the transmission. when shifting into reverse it will suddenly lurch backwards. causing the car to momentarily loose control. it is a concern when backing out of parking spaces, and could potentiality cause an accident. the transmission solenoid and a few gaskets have been replaced, but the dealer does not know the true cause of the problem. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2008 | 25000 | 100 | 12/24/2004 |
| Hi! my 2004 for explorer has been suffering from transmission problems for over 3 years. the car was taken to the dealer for repair while under warranty multiple times with the dealer doing little to satisfy me or address the issue. the problem has gotten progressively worse to a point that it has become a public hazard to drive. it seems to jump in and out of gear as it wishes with a clunking sound, especially when put into reverse. i took the car to the dealership this past week after being advised to do so when i called ford's 1-800 number and they are suggesting that i replace the transmission. the catch is that my suv is now out of warranty at only 46k miles. bear in mind they failed to remedy the issue in the past. i went online and found that this problem is rampant with this model and year. many comments from other disgruntled owners may be found at: http://www.offroadexchange.com/modforums/index.php?topic=26.new evidently the problem goes as far back as production of 2004 ford explorers. ford is failing to own up to this. i urge you to please take action so that this issue may be deemed part of a recall. these vehicles are posing a public threat and ford is doing absolutely nothing about it. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2008 | 76335 | 3 | 01/15/2005 |
| 2004 ford explorer transmission failure, shift slippage, delayed acceleration. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2008 | 25000 | 2 | 08/01/2005 |
| I own a 2004 ford explorer and in 2006 i had to have the solenoid shifters replaced in my vehicle. after researching this problem on the internet i have found that this transmission problem is very common with the 2004 explorer model. my vehicle is now out of warranty and the same problem has occurred again. my hope is that you will take this complaint and research for yourself the many people experiencing the same problem and place a government recall correct the matter once and for all. it is a dangerous problem and causes the transmission to hesitate between 3rd and 4th gear in my case. this could potentially cause serious issues while at high speeds. please look into this matter and feel free to contact me with any other questions. thanks. *cn | |||
| 12/16/2007 | 67900 | 3 | 04/20/2004 |
| 1 - transmission shifts hard into reverse. starting happening at approx. 11k miles. took to dealer twice under warranty to have repairs made, but still shifted hard. one repair at 11k and one repair at 34k. each time i was told that this was 'normal' by dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah). however, after repeated complaints, dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah) made repairs that they believed would help resolve the issue. issue never went away. 2 - complete transmission failure at 67k. transmission would not shift into reverse. could no back out of a parking stall at a retail store. took to ford dealer (les stumpf ford) and got no assistance. vehicle is out of warranty and i had to pay for repairs. entire transmission needed replacement. no assistance from ford to make repairs. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2007 | 43000 | 2 | 03/31/2005 |
| Took car back to the dealer i purchased it from, complained of a rough shift into reverse, technician said normal with this transmission, took it to another dealer in city where i work they found the problem to be a solenoid in the transmission and it was repaired under warranty. 20000 miles later and 18 months later the same problem diagnosed, not in warranty any longer i contacted ford and they gave me a decision that there was nothing they could do for me. this same problem appears at lease 3 times on your website as service bulletins. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2007 | 51578 | 2 | 01/01/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked and the engine was running, the vehicle rolled into the contact's home. while driving to the dealer at 15 mph, the vehicle failed and would not move. the vehicle was placed in each gear, but it still would not move and the engine revved. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. when it arrived, the vehicle was placed in reverse and drove backwards. when the gear was placed in drive, it drove forward. the mechanic stated that the vehicle had a defective shift indicator and it was replaced. the vehicle operated normally when it was test driven. four days later, the failure recurred. the transmission is making noises when driving at any speed, especially when shifting gears. the vehicle is currently back at the dealer. the failure and current mileages were 51,578. updated 12-12-07. *kb | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 3497 | 30 | 11/30/2004 |
| On my explorer it has been to the dealer on 5 occasions now for the transmission. delayed engagement when going from reverse to drive, sometimes feeling as if someone has rear ended me. on the first trip in an additive was added to the transmission, second trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, third trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, fourth trip the dealer couldn't reproduce the problem and the fifth trip the problem couldn't be reproduced. was told by the dealer service manager that this is what the transmission is supposed to do. 1 day after getting my explorer back same issue. i don't feel that this vehicle is safe to drive. *jb | |||
| 12/05/2006 | 36000 | 2 | 12/02/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving approximately 35mph and changing gears, the transmission hesitated. when reverse is engaged, there was a delay, a hard noise and difficult to shift. the dealer has not diagnosed the failure. the current and failure mileages were 36,000. | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 40000 | 500 | 10/15/2004 |
| Ford has an obvious design flaw in the transmission for the 2004 explorer. similar to thousands of others,when put into reverse the vehicle hesitates for 5 - 10 seconds and then bangs into gear with a sudden power surge. we've barely managed to avoid hitting the house and other vehicles. a repair just cost us ~$900. ford claims no knowledge of a problem. what a joke! *jb | |||
| 11/02/2004 | 15000 | 100 | 01/02/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired after it had been serviced for a recall on the transmission. she placed the vehicle in reverse and five seconds later it jerked backwards. the contact experienced the same failure numerous times. the vehicle was returned to the dealer for inspection. the current mileage was 48,500 and failure mileage was 15,000. | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 64800 | 40 | 09/29/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer. when putting into reverse, vehicle bangs, you can hear and feel it. was in shop, and ffound nothing wrong. occurred occaisionally, now alot! now my transmission is leaking fluid. my warranty ran out 5,000 miles ago. i don't think this is normal in a newer car. | |||
| 07/31/2005 | 40000 | 500 | 10/15/2004 |
| Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse. once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard clunk. the dealership has diagnosed failure of the transmission solenoid and estimates this repair will cost ~$900. *jb | |||
| 05/01/2007 | 50000 | 1 | 02/28/2007 |
| At 50,000 my 2004 ford explorer xlt started having transmission problems. it does a slamming when putting into reverse. the brake has to be pushed all the way to floor to keep the vehicle from lurching into anyone or anything. it also has a slipping and jerking when the vehicle shifts into 2nd and again when it shifts into 3rd. i am not the only person with this issue.*jb | |||
| 07/06/2007 | 10000 | 1 | 02/17/2006 |
| Http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/transmission/transmission_slipping_shifts_hard.shtml. view this website. i too have had the same problem at 10000 miles. i had the vehicle serviced, and am now experiencing a slight hesitation when backing again. this needs to be looked at. i did not realize the widespread problem until i saw the recent complaints on this web-site for this vehicle's year/make/model. this wa s a huge safety issue. *ak | |||
| 07/03/2007 | 41000 | 1 | 12/24/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving 15 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into second gear. the check engine and overdrive warning indicators lights illuminated. the dealer stated that the cause of failure was the cylinoid circuit. the current mileage is 41,124 and failure mileage was 41,000. | |||
| 01/10/2007 | 22000 | 100 | 01/10/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle made a loud banging noise, hesitated, and then lunged into reverse without warning. the failure occurred after the vehicle was driven for more than an hour. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the current mileage is 25,300 and failure mileage was 22,000. | |||
| 04/18/2007 | 4000 | 1 | 05/30/2004 |
| There is a lag between putting the car in reverse and the car actually going backwards. when it does back up the car jerks backwards at an accelerated rate. it also does this when changing gears while driving. this started right after i bought the car, and i brought it back to the dealer, and they replaced the transmission fluid. this has not helped. if fact as the car ages, it is getting worse. *ak | |||
| 04/14/2005 | 21000 | 1 | 01/01/2005 |
| After one month of purchasing my explorer it started having problems going into reverse and also shifting while driving. when put in reverse it will jerk with a loud bang or clank and then surge. it continues to get more frequent. i am very worried about hitting another car or even worse a person. i received a letter from ford asking that i take to a dealership and they were going to add some additive to the transmission. i did return to the dealer and they serviced the suv. it did shift correctly for about 1 month, but then the problem started again. when i called the dealership to inquire as to what the problem is they said they were not aware of any problems or recalls from ford. i find this very hard to believe when i see all the complaints from people who own explorers. i want ford to fix this problem. i was having the problem before the warranty ran out and now that the warranty is out i feel that ford should still be responsible for this major problem. what has to happen before ford corrects this issue. does someone have to get hurt? *ak | |||
| 02/21/2006 | 36000 | 1 | 02/21/2006 |
| Transmission is sloppy when shifting in general, sometimes has lag time when shifting from forward to reverse and a clunking noise can occur. dealer had investigated multiple times with minor adjustments helping to reduce about 50-75% of the issue. *jb | |||
| 10/25/2005 | 50 | ||
| Delayed shifting from park to reverse and reverse to drive, sometimes 10 seconds to catch gear. hard shifting from park to reverse, slams into gear. clunking when parking or wheels at full lock. *nm | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 15000 | 30 | 08/22/2004 |
| Auto-transmission hesitates when put into reverse then lunges once transmission is engaged. when shifting from reverse to drive there is a loud clunking sound. automatic transmission shifts hard sometimes while in drive. ford service said they could not reproduce and found no problem. this began happening at about 15,000 miles. vehicle now has almost 36,000 miles and problem has gotten much worse. engine dies when traveling low speeds and using the cruise control. each time i try to use the cruise control when traveling 40 mph or less the engine dies. this creates a very dangerous situation when your driving along then suddenly you lose power to the steering and brakes because the engine has died! the seats are also problematic. the 2 back seats fold down. both of the release mechanisms have been replaced and one needs to be replaced again. both handles have broken off twice. the leather on the drivers seat has cracked and worn prematurely. the lumbar support knob on the drivers seat fell off but i didn't notice when it happened so it was lost and ford will not replace it without the defective part. also the handle that is used to adjust the back of the seat has fallen off. i am a 53 year old women and 98% i am the only one using this vehicle. i do not routinely haul kids or other cargo around in this vehicle so you would think the seats would be holding up much better. *jb | |||
| 11/25/2006 | 3 | 10/10/2004 | |
| Purchased the 2004 ford explorer in syracuse, ny in the fall of 2004. we received the recall notice about the transmission and had the service performed. the vehicle has been in to the dealer to fix a continuing problem about the transmission. the transmission has trouble shifting into reverse and when going up hill, on occasion. the vehicle's transmission also continues to make a clunking noise and physically lurches on occasion when traveling at speeds between 40 - 60 mph. the vehicle is within a couple hundred miles of the factory warranty expiration and ford has still not repaired the problem. we have spoken to the ford manufacturer directly and they have only offered to sell us an extended warranty. the local dealer service manager did indicate that he is authorized to offer an extended warranty up to 75,000 miles at no cost, but we have not received that in writing. we feel that this was a problem caused in the production of the vehicle and all repairs should be covered by ford, but they are not taking care of the problem. *nm | |||
| 11/24/2006 | 200 | 2 | |
| Within a week of buying my 2004 explorer i experienced problems when shifting out of reverse. i also experienced a loud clang while doing steady interstate driving (over 200 miles). over time transmission shifting became sluggish, untimely, and loud. a recall was received and a transmission additive was added. problems continued with the transmission (same as noted above). in june '06- dealership replaced some parts of the transmission (under warranty). five months later, i'm continuing with problems. loud clang during long road trip. jerky, hesitant shifting continues. took car to dealership and no problems were found with the transmission and dealership was not able to duplicate during 30 mile test drive. car stalled in parking lot this week, jerky motion continues going up steep incline and loud clang exists on long roadtrip. warranty is about to run out in about 400 miles. i have contacted customer care center resulting in no help. also have repeated problems with fuel gauge not registering properly. *nm | |||
| 12/23/2006 | 2 | 11/20/2004 | |
| The transmission in our 2004 ford explorer xlt awd required a significant repair in 7/05 at 11,311 miles because the transmission would not engage after shifting into reverse. dealer replaced shift solenoid and refilled fluid. dealer estimated that cost to replace shift solenoid was $3,500 but it was covered under warranty. problem recurred and in december 2006 at approximately 32,000 miles, my daughter was involved in an accident when she backed into a parked car because the transmission failed to engage. we took it to the dealership and they replaced the shift solenoid a second time. *jb | |||
| 11/07/2006 | 50000 | 25 | 02/05/2005 |
| When the explorer is put in reverse it takes up to 5 seconds to engage and then jerks backwards after making a large clunking noise. u joints and wheel bearings have been replaced, but problem still occurs. | |||
| 11/21/2006 | 41000 | 1 | 04/16/2004 |
| We have a 2004 ford explorer with 41,000 miles. in the past 3 months we have had to have the transmission overhauled, universal ball joint replaced, wheel bearings replaced, parking brake replaced. all work has been done by the dealer. on the evening of 11/21/06, we were leaving my daughter's school and i got in the vehicle to back the car up a few feet so that my wife would not have to step in the mud. i started the car, put the car in reverse (foot on brake), and when i took my foot off the brake to move the car a few feet, it surged backwards, like a cannon ball in reverse; it crashed into a neon, which was parked 6 feet from our car, sent the neon flying about 15 feet into another car; (the neon's front end was crushed). i felt i had no control over this vehicle whatsoever. we are thankful that it hit a parked car, rather than traffic coming from behind. what would have caused this? the policemen that responded to our call suggested that we not attempt to drive the vehicle, so we pushed it to the side of the road and had it towed to the ford dealer. the other car in the incident was not drivable and also had to be towed. one of the policemen that responded to our call said that they had a similar accident happen with one of their police cruisers (another ford product); when the car was put into reverse it shot backwards and hit another police car, but they did not sustain damage because the cars were parked so close to each other. please help us figure this out. we are afraid to get back into the vehicle. as of this date, ford has not figured out what could have happened to the vehicle. we also found on this website similar incidents with this model of the explorer. we are also waiting for our insurance adjuster's review of the incident before the collision work takes place. *nm | |||
| 11/21/2006 | 53000 | 1 | 02/04/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while shifting the transmission into gear, the vehicle jumped. the problem progressively worsened and the vehicle did not respond properly to the depression of the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, where diagnostic tests determined the transmission needed to be replaced. | |||
| 10/01/2006 | 10 | 1 | 08/25/2004 |
| Shifting from drive to reverse transmission engages harshly. *nm | |||
| 09/25/2006 | 26998 | 4 | 01/05/2005 |
| 2004 explorer had problems with brakes and windows. *ts three months after the vehicle was purchased thee was a recall on the transmission. the abs malfunctioned and the power windows would not go down. the rear hatch door would not open. the transmission began to slam into gear. the rotors vibrated in the rear. consumer heard a howling noise at 40-55 mph. the dealer replaced the ring and pinion. nm | |||
| 03/23/2006 | 36000 | 01/23/2006 | |
| Delayed harsh reverse engagements | |||
| 09/15/2005 | 2 | 06/15/2004 | |
| When moving gear selector from park to reverse and sometimes drive, there is a lag of about 3 to 5 seconds and then a loud clunking noise followed by a power surge of vehicle going into gear. worried transmission is failing again. took in for repairs same on same incident they said it was fixed. and guess what, i believed them. *jb | |||
| 01/24/2005 | 8875 | 5 | 06/24/2004 |
| The transmission started having problems after just a couple of months. the first time i was told they had to add an additive to the transmission. it has been in 2 more times for this and this friday i just got it back from transmission repair only to go out and find tranny fluid all over my garage (70 miles after they fixed it again) i also had the starter go out in it and now they still cant find what is causing it...(likely story). *nm | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 35000 | 2 | 04/10/2005 |
| I am having problems with the automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer (44,000 miles). i was having my ac fixed at my local dealership when they informed me there was an oil additive that needed to be put into my transmission to prevent hesitation and slipping due to a manufacturing problem. 6 months later i began experiencing harsh engagement when shifting into reverse as well slipping in the transmission when speeding up and slowing down. i brought the car back to my local dealership (world ford) where the work was done and they explained i might need to install a solenoid into the transmission and that would cost me $900.00. knowing that this is a problem from the manufacturer i contacted ford corporate headquarters and explained everything. ford corporate ran me around for about two weeks (hanging up the phone, placing me on hold for a long time and promising to call me back but it never happens). i have done quite a bit of research on this matter only to find out that there are thousands of people with the same problem. i found out that during the manufacturing of my vehicle an improperly formulated transmission fluid was used in the transmission. i also spoke to several people with this problem and i was told the $900.00 solenoid does not help the problem at all. i would like to know what actions i can take to get my car repaired. thank you in advance for all your help. *nm | |||
| 08/28/2006 | 55900 | 1 | 06/29/2005 |
| I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt 4x4 which recently had to basically have the transmission rebuilt. i feel that this is a manufacturer defect simply because the vehicle is only 2 years old. since the warranty is exceeded in mileage i was responsible for repairs, which totaled $1652.78. the vehicle had just under 56,000 miles when this occurred. i would greatly appreciate any help with investigating this problem. just a little piece of info, i also have a friend that has a 2002 explorer that had the same identical problem. i do not find that to be coincidental! and her vehicle had about 70,000 miles on it when this happened to her. *nm | |||
| 08/05/2006 | 18300 | 1 | 07/31/2006 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission was slipping between gears and made clunking noises. the vehicle also made humming sounds from the engine while accelerated over 55 mph. the vehicle has not been to a service dealer. | |||
| 08/07/2006 | 45000 | 2 | 10/07/2005 |
| My 2004 ford explorer was taken in for repair in 8/12/05 because the ac stopped working. when i brought the car into world ford of kendall in miami, fl one of the service employees asked me if how my transmission was working and at the time it was fine. upon receiving my car back on 8/16/05 the ac was fixed and my receipt stated the ac was fixed but it also mentioned something regarding a recall in my transmission. the receipt said there was an oil additive placed in my transmission. 1 year and 1 month later my transmission has begun slipping and hesitating. when i brought my car back to world ford of kendall in miami, fl to speak to them regarding my transmission i was told that their service work is guaranteed up to 12 months so there was nothing they can do for me. upon doing my own research i found that the oil additive that was placed in my ford was to prevent the slipping and hesitation of my transmission. i called the corporate headquarters of ford and they told me that there is nothing they can do for me. it is obvious that ford knew about my transmission problems or a recall service would never have been done. they now want to charge me to fix the transmission on a car that was broken when it left the manufacturing plant. my car has 45,000 miles and no where in my paperwork or my car manual does it state i would have to put and oil additive in my car by 45,000 miles. when i spoke to ford corporate headquarters they told me if the oil additive does not work another procedure would have to be done but it would not be covered. this is unacceptable especially from a large corporation such as ford. my family drives this car and i believe we have an unsafe car resulting from a recall in my transmission. i addition to the transmission recall, the ac in my car has also broken twice and nobody wants to explain to me why there are so my problems with a 2 year old car. i would appreciate a response or at least some good advice. thanks again. *nm | |||
| 02/15/2006 | 13100 | 1 | 02/15/2006 |
| Bought in feb. 2006 with 12,000 miles - the 2004 explorer xls when put into reverse hesitated, then jerked hard at first -- then as time went by -- approximately 2-3 months the jerking was while automatically shifting while driving. the jerking motion occurred 17 times while driving 35 miles. it seems to be getting worse over time. i've been to the dealer and they reprogrammed the computer. the dealer manager said that it still jerks in reverse after the 3rd time and offered no remedy of any kind, just $79.00 and there you go. all this within 20,000 miles. i don't feel safe driving - what if i need that reverse quick to avoid an accident and there is a hesitation in transmission shifting???*jb | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 15000 | 1 | 08/26/2004 |
| Purchased a new 2004 ford explorer in august of 2004. brought suv in for recall of transmission fluid additive/replacement. suv starting to hesitate and jump into reverse. when stopped at a light or stop sign on a hill the vehicle rolls backward when moving my foot from the brake to the gas pedal. brought back to dealer in july of 2006, replaced solenoid at approximately 16,000 miles. when vehicle is started revs a little high then balances out. leather seats also cracking and dealer will not replace them stating that it is simply wear and tear. *jb | |||
| 08/16/2006 | 41000 | 7 | 03/17/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission did not engage gears in a timely manner. the problem started after 41000 miles and was not taken to a service dealer. | |||
| 08/17/2006 | 40000 | 20 | 08/06/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer when shifted into park will show it is in park but is really still in reverse. this is a major safety issue which has not been recalled. in addition there was a recall for improper transmission additive being used and now the transmission solenoid on these models are going bad causing the transmission to shift erratically. *nm | |||
| 08/04/2006 | 37000 | 2 | 01/04/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle hesitated while reversing. when the gear finally engaged, there was a jolt felt. the dealership replaced the solenoid in may 2004 but the problem persisted. | |||
| 07/06/2006 | 50000 | 2 | 12/20/2004 |
| 04 explorer had harsh reverse. rpm's went to 7 shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. ford refused to do anything even though they had a customer satisfaction campaign,fords alternative to a recall, that expired last year to put an additive in the transmission fluid because the put in the wrong type. had the solenoid replaced once before. ford claimed it to be normal wear and tear. cost 1300.00 to repair bad solenoid,and 2 piston and rods. *nm | |||
| 05/16/2006 | 1 | ||
| 2004 explorer has had ongoing transmission problems since the day i purchased it. i only became aware of the factory mistake in transmission fluid two weeks after purchasing a leftover. somehow it wasn't discovered until more than a year later? i have problems with the car lurching into reverse and not engaging in park correctly. the car rolls about 2-4 feet when in park and now the new problem is it refuses to go into drive and revs in neutral until you press on the arm of the gear shifter with considerable force. i have brought this into the dealer two times for this problem. twice i was told there was nothing wrong and they couldn't duplicate the problem. when i was leaving the dealership the second time the car lurched into reverse in their parking lot, i'm only sorry that the service manager's care wasn't parked behind me! i am bringing it in again since the new trick is when you stop on the highway (to pay a toll) the entire chassis and body of the car shake and vibrate so violently that things fall off the dashboard. only by depressing and holding the brake pedal to the floor can i diminish the shaking. i use my car for transporting my family. if it is not corrected this time to my satisfaction, ford will take this car back. i'm disgusted with the attitude of the dealerships i have taken it to and the incompetent service i have received since the day i purchased this vehicle. *jb | |||
| 05/31/2006 | 50000 | 1 | 02/01/2005 |
| Transmission slamming into reverse / drive, took to dealership, solenoid pack replaced 6 months ago, started having same problems and now this time also, rpms shoot up to 7 when accelerating. took back to dealer, said they had to replace the solenoid pack again. won't honor warranty after the $800.00 problem was just fixed! also, have serious suspension problems! front sway bar bushings, rear shocks (leaking), replace front lower ball joints. *nm | |||
| 05/29/2006 | 30000 | 1 | 07/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated there is a shift delay before going into reverse or drive, after a 5-10 second delay it goes into gear. this is an intermittent problem. last week the shift lever assembly was replaced by the dealer because it broke off in the column. the vehicle was taken to the dealership about the delay problem however they are unable to get a diagnostic code to correct the problem. | |||
| 04/20/2006 | 30000 | 1 | 04/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph there was a loud noise heard coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle then lurched forward and came to a complete stop on the highway as if the rear wheels were locked causing minor injuries to the driver and passenger. after restarting the vehicle, the over drive light illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the local dealership and they determined there was metal in the transmission pan. they replaced the crank shaft pulley assembly, compressor, power belt, bolt, vibration damper, screen assembly, bearings, output shaft, pistons, rods and the carrier over drive. the manufacturer was alerted. | |||
| 05/12/2006 | 63100 | 3 | 01/06/2005 |
| Transmission began experiencing problems shifting between 2 and 3 rd gear, into overdrive, and into reverse. on 5/12/06 i took the vehicle to the dealership and the technician was able to diagnose the problem with my vehicle with the keys still in my purse and the vehicle in the parking lot. based on the other vehicles he had seen he had a good idea what my explorer's problem was. unbeknownst to me, three weeks prior to my problem my neighbor had the same exact problem with his explorer. evidently the transmission, solenoid, problem wit the explorer is common and would leave on to believe it tis a products liability claim on either the manufacturer or one of its parts suppliers. 3 solenoids were replaced and my air filter was replaced. my out of pocket cost was $996.. *jb | |||
| 09/14/2004 | 7000 | 1 | 03/29/2004 |
| I have a 2004 ford explorer that is having a problem with the transmission. i have a harsh delay when going from park to reverse. ford is refusing to repair the vehicle unless i absorb the cost. there was a customer program issued in january 2005 and expired on 12/31/05. i did not receive the form by mail as i had moved and they are still refusing to fix it. they want to charge me over $1600.00 to repair my vehicle. *jb | |||
| 04/06/2006 | 40000 | 60 | 03/18/2005 |
| Transmission is slipping when changing gears, especially when putting the vehicle in reverse. sometimes takes several seconds for the vehicle to go in to reverse. | |||
| 03/22/2006 | 1000 | 1 | 09/29/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while placing the vehicle into reverse with the brake pedal depressed, the transmission jumps into reverse. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer could not duplicate the problem. | |||
| 03/14/2006 | 10000 | 5 | 08/17/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer purchased new, experienced transmission issues very quickly, hard engagement into reverse, clunking when downshifting, car lurches upon acceleration during a slow turn. i have had into dealership 5 times, beginning 1 year ago at 10,000 miles. recall additive put in 1st time, 2nd time at 15,000 miles i lost the entire right rack and pinion while driving (would not steer to the right), they told me after repair, the transmission problem was also gone. 3rd time they put in a qt. of transmission fluid. 4th time they replaced the solenoid. 5th time i requested buy-back. their transmission tech guy went with me, he observed the problem; happened multiple times. they did not keep vehicle at that time. one month later after i had to keep calling back they took the vehicle in again and this time they added another additive and reprogrammed the pcm. they also had to repair the transmission indicator cable, it told me i was in reverse when i was in park. picked up car today, they told me it shifted great now, and they would give me an extended 5 yr. 75,000 mile warranty. i declined, stated i wanted a buy-back. while driving home, the car once again clunked while decelerating and also while accelerating into a turn. i have filed with the bbb auto line. | |||
| 12/27/2004 | 15000 | 2 | 12/10/2003 |
| 2004 ford explorer - transmission delays engagement of reverse and drive. ford dealership replaced solenoid. problem returned within 9 months. the vehicle is out of warranty now and the ford dealership diagnosed a $975 repair including the replacement of the solenoid. *jb | |||
| 01/21/2006 | 26000 | 1 | 12/01/2004 |
| Transmission slams into reverse from park - warranty work performed at dealer 02/05 ford consumer relations campaign to address problem from manufacturer incorrect fluid added at assembly plant 04/05 02/06 transmission has started same behavior before - ford tech's admit to problem but can not resolve - transmission still slamming into reverse after dealer computer update - obvious defect from dealer as thousands of complaints on the web for same issue possible safety hazard should a child be walking behind vehicle or anyone for that matter. *nm | |||
| 01/18/2006 | 21000 | 4 | 01/20/2004 |
| . 3- now it has actually began to die instead of just stalling and hesitating. now they advise its the throttle sensor. in all 3 cases - when putting the car in reverse there is always a hesitation, then it will jerk hard into reverse. when slowing down at a stop sign or red light there will be another banging noise coming from the transmission. when putting the car in drive from the reverse there is always a delay then will jerk in forward drive. now the little wrench comes on and the check engine light comes on, when driving down the highway the car will die for no apparent reason, when this happens i can not do anything!!!! when is this going to be fixed? ford waiting on someone to get killed first? i have almost caused two wrecks with my car stalling out on the highway, as you can imagine going from 65 mph and then die without a warning and what am i to do with the traffic behind me? this is serious!! i took my car in and had it hooked up to the machine to read what was going on and the mechanic should me that the car would read nothing on any of their machines! the consumers need your help! we have these new (2004) vehicles that are dangerous and we should not be having to pay for a lemon. ford motor company had to know when this happen in their plant and should have not sold these cars!!!! please help and issue a recall, thank you for all of your help. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 40000 | 20 | 02/14/2004 |
| Purchased my 2004 explorer in february '04. at approximately 20,000 miles the vehicle began having a delayed engagement into reverse which was harsh and caused the vehicle to jolt rearward. brought to dealer and it was fixed. vehicle operated normally until recently when the problem began again. vehicle now has 40,000 miles. seems this may be a recurring problem. transmission performance is also poor as this problem exhibits itself, especially noted when transmission downshifts. downshifting from 2nd to 1st is very harsh. is this going to be investigated? it seems a preliminary evaluation should be launched by given the volume of complaints of this exact nature. *nm | |||
| 01/11/2006 | 5000 | 50 | 12/20/2003 |
| Transmission fails to engage in drive or reverse, or hesitates to engage, or hesitates to change gears on the highway. placement into drive or reverse pounds into gear. 4x4 low & high hesitate or fail to engage, and often stick - failing to disengage or require multiple attempts to disengage. *jb | |||
| 01/07/2006 | 2000 | 30 | 02/15/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the transmission is slipping, hesitating and jerking while going into gear. when putting the vehicle into park the lever is in the park position; however, the transmission is still in reverse. the transmission is making a howling noise that is being heard from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the solenoid in the transmission was replaced. this did not remedy the problem. *ak | |||
| 01/05/2006 | 27465 | 1 | 11/02/2003 |
| We noticed a slip in the transmission when were stopped, then made a slow right or left hand turn. we felt the transmission slipping and a noise from the rear end. it also felt as if the 4 wheel drive was on. it felt as if there was a slight wheel hop. we took it to the dealer and they said ford knows about this problem. the dealer replaced the ring and pinion gear, axel seals, clutch pack and had to reprogram the 4 wheel drive computer. *nm | |||
| 12/19/2005 | 19000 | 2 | 02/01/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer. in december of 2004, the truck was 1 year in service and had about 19,000 miles. we noticed the transmission slipping between first and second gears and delaying when shifting between park and reverse. we took the truck to the dealership and had problem fixed. we were told the solenoid (sp?) switch in the transmission was bad and had been replaced. we were told at the time this was a fairly common problem. beginning again in early december of this year, the transmission began the same pattern of slipping. the truck was now in service for 2 years, but had 40,000 miles. the truck was now out of warranty and the new solenoid switch in the transmission was now out of warranty. we took the truck to the dealership and were told it was the same problem as last time. the dealership would not offer anything off of the repair charge so we called ford customer service. we were told we should have had all of our regular maintenance done at the dealership and this problem would have been caught sooner. next we were told that ford was aware of this problem, but not enough had failed yet so there was no recall. the service rep offered to pay for $400 of the repair since we had replaced this part once and told us that we should be grateful ford paid for anything since the truck is out of warranty. i am grateful ford paid for part of the repair, but i feel strongly a transmission should not need to be repaired twice in one year for the same part. *jb | |||
| 10/16/2004 | 1000 | 1 | 09/01/2004 |
| Dt: the contact complained about transmission failure son several occasions. when shifting the vehicle into reverse the transmission locked for a few seconds, making a loud popping sound and then shifting into reverse. the vehicle has been seen by the dealer six times. the dealer was able to duplicate the problem, but could not been able to locate the source of the problem. the following items were replaced on order to fix the transmission, including the rear speed sensor, the solenoid body, and several components were lubricated. none of these replacements seemed to repair the transmission. during the most recent failure the contact's husband was involved accident when the transmission failed. he attempted to back into the driveway during icy conditions. the transmission locked. he shifted the vehicle into drive and stepped on the gas. the transmission immediately engaged and the vehicle crashed into a tree in the yard. the vehicle sustained heavy damage. the police were not contacted because the accident occurred on private property. the vehicle is now in the possession of the insurance company at their impound lot. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 17000 | 1 | 08/15/2003 |
| Dt: the contact complained about an automatic transmission problem. while driving the vehicle will go in and out of gear without warning. ford has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 11/02/2004 | 25665 | 2 | 10/06/2003 |
| 2004 ford explorer shifting/transmission selanoid shifting problem causing a safety defect with the vehicle. i have sopken with two different service advisor at the dealership who have indicated that this is a very common complaint and have written many of these issues. first incident 11/02/2004, second incident 11/2/2004. another person in my office has had the same problem. attorneys have web site requesting people to come forward with 2004 ford explorer transmission or shifting problem this is a serious safety concern. | |||
| 08/22/2005 | 36000 | 30 | 04/17/2004 |
| The vehicle has transmission problems that the company has recalled, after supposedly fixing the problem, the problem still exists. it jumps when put into gear. i feel it is unsafe and may lead to other issues. i am a single mother and i cant afford to fix it on my own. it is unsafe. *nm | |||
| 07/23/2005 | 1 | 07/22/2005 | |
| Dt: contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. after i first purchased this vehicle while driving the vehicle when putting vehicle in reverse it slams into reverse. when you put the vehicle in second gear it will slam into gear. my wife almost hit another vehicle while in a parking lot. the vehicle has been taken back to the dealership at least three or four times. they know that theres a problem with the vehicle but theres nothing they can do to fix it. they told me to just drive the vehicle. also contacted the ford manufacturer i was told the same thing from the manufacturer. this vehicle is still under warranty. *ak | |||
| 09/28/2005 | 49000 | 20 | 04/15/2005 |
| My 2004 ford explorer jerks into reverse when shifting from park to reverse. it also slips gears in the lower gears when driving in a lower speed zone. this is an acknowledged problem, but ford refuses to fix the transmission. *jb | |||
| 10/13/2005 | 4 | 06/25/2004 | |
| I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt, purchased brand new with only 1 mile on it on 6/25/04. i have experienced violent jerking of the vehicle when turning the wheel, going in reverse, or shifting gears. i temporarily lose control of steering when this jerking occurs. the vehicle's transmission was recalled and subsequently serviced on 2/03/05 ...then again on 7/18/05... and again on 8/24/05 ...and i have an appointment in 2 days on 10/15/05... all for the same problem. apparently the necessary part is on national back-order so ford constantly puts a band-aid on the problem so in the interim, i am subject to major inconveniences and danger because of this defect. *jb | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 7981 | 8 | 10/23/2004 |
| When we purchased the vehicle it went into gear rough and i asked the sales person about it and he said that is how this vehicle goes into gear. we started to notice hesitation when we accelerated from either a stop or while driving. we brought it in and they said they calibrated the computer. then we started to get rear end leaks and had to be repaired 3 times. the transmission problems continued and we brought it to another dealer because of the poor service at the purchasing dealership. they replaced a solenoid valve and overhauled main control. this did not help and then the problem began to show new symptoms. now when we back up it locks up and then jerks back into gear going backwards. i have told both dealerships of my concerns about residual damage to the transmission and was assured that it would not happen. it has. our last couple of visits we have been lied to and the work order has not been correctly reflecting what we said and what was found by the tech's. there is no mention on the report that two of then had the reveres problems happening to them. i did not want to leave with it like that but they would not change it. i do have a tech's statement written on it and signed. now they replaced the rear end abs sensor and followed the 05-3-8 recall 4x4 control module per hotline. they said they did two road tests but i checked my mileage and they only drove 1.9 miles. how can you do two transmission road tests within 1.9 miles? we are very concerned and afraid to drive this vehicle and injure or kill our family and possible someone else. after doing some research we have found out that this is an on going problem with the 2004 ford explorer and that there are hundreds of people in the same situation with no resolution in sight. this at the very least will cost us all thousands of dollars for fords mistake and lack of responsible action. but in truth our families will end up either injured or dead first. why will no one help us with this problem? r.s. *nm | |||
| 08/21/2005 | 41000 | 1 | 11/22/2003 |
| Transmission failed after 41000 miles. while this is outside the warranty, ford has been known for transmission problems and won't fix the problem. *jb | |||
| 08/13/2005 | 16000 | 0 | 11/22/2004 |
| When shifting into reverse, the vehicle pauses and then jumps into gear. it has done this on several occasions. | |||
| 01/15/2005 | 5000 | 4 | 05/05/2004 |
| Delay/harsh clunk when shifting to reverse. *nm | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 16000 | 20 | 03/27/2004 |
| Transmission on 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.6 awd doesn't engage in reverse or drive without hesitation. on going problem since about 15k. took to the dealer after receiving recall notice from ford. dealer put additive in the transmission fluid said it would take about 3k miles to work out of the problem. i now have 24k on this vehicle and the shifting is getting worse. worried about pulling out of a parking lot etc, not knowing if the truck will move or not. leather seat covers were replaced free of charge from the dealer, as after 6 months there were numerous cracks in the leather. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 22051 | 0 | 05/15/2004 |
| The automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer hesitates, then jumps into gear, and the problem appears to be worsening over time. it happens when in drive or reverse, but up to now, the problem has been particularly worse when the transmission is in reverse. up to now this has been more of a nuisance than anything, however, when i attempted to proceed into traffic from a stopped position earlier today, the vehicle hesitated for 3-4 seconds before engaging. several other explorer owners that i know have reported similar problems. this is clearly a safety problem. *nm | |||
| 01/04/2005 | 1389 | 3 | 12/01/2004 |
| We bought this vehicle new in december of 2004 and it has been in the service dept. 8 times in the past 7 months for warranty repairs. it has been in 4 times for hard cranks but no start, 4 times for rough idling, 1 time for an rpm problem (and in next week for a different one- it stays around 3 rpm after accelerating- i have to let off of the gas pedal for it to shift down), and it has been in for misc. issues (whistling noise at front window, rattling console, etc.). each time it has been brought in for the mechanical problems, they upgrade the pcm. i have contacted the dealership and i have contacted ford directly numerous times for a repurchase because of my daughter's medical condition. it requires that she has reliable and safe transportation available at all times. the dealership knew about her needs when we bought this suv. however, i keep getting shuttled back and forth between the dealership, (schimmer ford, illinois) and ford motor company. as a long time purchaser of ford vehicles, i am really disappointed in the treatment that i am receiving. | |||
| 07/26/2005 | 11490 | 3 | 09/21/2004 |
| Transmission shift lag- 2004 ford explorer i presented my 2004 ford explorer (vin# 1fmzu73kx4ub67039) to a local dealer 2/28/05 for the recall involving a change of transmission fluid. this has not alleviated what i have noticed is a chronic and possibly dangerous problem with this vehicle. when placed in reverse, there is often a noticeable shift lag of a few seconds before the transmission actually engages. the most recent incident occurred yesterday, 7/26/05, when the vehicle was parked nose down on a hill, requiring me to back up to leave a parking spot in the city of pittsburgh, well known for its hilly terrain. because of the transmission lag, i almost drifted into the vehicle in front of me before the vehicle finally went into reverse. i haven't noticed this in any forward gears with this vehicle, but this is the third and most noticeable event to date. had a pedestrian walked in front of me, there may have been an injury, or even a fatality. after this event, i am returning the vehicle asap to the dealer. i will only use reverse at this time with my left foot on the brake until i feel the transmission engage. | |||
| 07/13/2005 | 87 | 10 | 09/22/2004 |
| Within three days of buying the vehicle, i encountered problems with remote, sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. driver's rear window , sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. i took it back to dealer three times for same things. rear end makes a very loud whining noise. it has been to dealer's three times also for fixing. dealer states that there is nothing they can do and all of them are doing it. vehicle, while in gear, would jump/jerk. dealer replaced solenoid, it still does it sometimes. | |||
| 05/12/2005 | 10 | 999 | 05/04/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer...well known transmission problems, delay and bucking into reverse...ford dealer has tried to fix but to no avail... | |||
| 05/14/2005 | 13988 | 3 | 09/17/2004 |
| Problems with a 2004 ford explorer transmission operation. while driving at highway speeds the transmission will drop into 1st gear, bringing the vehicile almost to a full stop. the transmission also drops into a netural gear also while driving at highway speeds. | |||
| 10/25/2004 | 7000 | 3 | 05/01/2004 |
| Within 7,000 miles of purchasing my 2004 ford explorer (eddie bauer edition) i began noticing a progressively worsening slamming into gear. at first it was just into reverse, then it was from reverse into forward drive gears, then it would slam every time it changed gears. when i took it in, ford replaced the valve body for the transmission, the rear differential, and a solenoid. seemed to correct the problem for about 10k miles. then the reverse slamming started again and some slight slamming when going from reverse to the forward gear. so i took it back and also asked them to do some routine maintanence inspections, during which time they informed me my rear left wheel bearing was bad and the vehicle was not driveable. at this time they also told me they could not duplicate the transmission problem. now, 10k miles later, it's back in the shop with slamming gears and whining noises coming from wheel area. the slamming transmission is basically shaking my vehicle apart bit by bit. my fear of course is the safety of the vehicle. i'm hoping i can get resolution before a part actually falls off while i'm going 70 down the highway. i've been reading news releases and owner forums and this seems to be a rather common issue, though luckily no one has been hurt as of yet. | |||
| 06/30/2005 | 4578 | 3 | 08/26/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer, transmission problems since new, visited the dealer for repairs 3 times with no fix | |||
| 02/15/2004 | 1000 | 3 | 01/27/2004 |
| Dt: the car will not start in the mornings, and sometimes when it sits for a while it will not start. consumer had the vehicle into dealership for this problem. dealership could not find out why it will not start. dealership kept the vehicle for a week, and vehicle started correctly after that. after a couple of months this problem came back. owner has not taken the vehicle back for repairs yet. the rear brake light cover is lose and coming off. the consumer bought the vehicle in january of 2004. the consumer has not contacted ford at this time. ford was contacted with the first time when the vehicle was in the shop. the consumer has not filed a complaint with ford, but wa going today.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 7500 | 07/18/2004 | |
| See ford motor co tsb 04b22 or nhtsa item number 10013306, ford explorer 2004. subject vehicle's transmission, to a lesser degree, had started to exhibit the characteristics described therein prior to receipt of the 04b22 program notice. random violent transmission operation. causes vehicle to lurch when accelerator is depressed after placing transmission in gear with vehicle stationary, occurs most often in reverse , before or after vehicle starts to move, most often before vehicle has started moving. i consider this a safety issue and shortening service life of drive line components. five times to dealership in attempt to have problem corrected under warranty, dealership fine; manufacturer's reps. verbally advised me that transmission operation is normal, i requested they put it in writing, they refused. it is my understanding, verbally, they will not do anymore to correct the problem. the vehicle is under warranty. ford retained all original parts removed from transmission (warranty work). after filing this complaint and i receive case number i will forward to odi copies of all documents from my files on this issue. please note that the failure mileage(7500) listed elsewhere herein is only an estimate of the mileage at which this random malfunction ocurred; it started subtly and increased in magnitude over a period of time. | |||
| 06/13/2005 | 30000 | 01/03/2004 | |
| 2004 explorer exhibited signs of not shifting smoothly into reverse as early as aug/sep 04. pronounced delay of shifting into reverse around 2004 holiday season. called dealership upon receipt of letter from ford in january, but transmission additive not yet available. after additive (march 05), vehicle continued to jump into reverse and forward shifting at lower speeds became more pronounced. this presents a hazard particular in city driving and in backing out of tight parking areas. have been working with dealer to anaylze proper repair and manufacturer's responsibility. no satisfactory resolution yet. | |||
| 05/19/2005 | 8000 | 5 | 02/04/2004 |
| Transmission leaks, has been repaired 4 times by dealer. transmission has no dip stick to measure level and no way for user to add fluid. when leak is noticed user does not know oil level and can be left stranded in dangerous locations. has also been repaired for slamming due to solenoid problems also. | |||
| 05/07/2005 | 40000 | 10 | 04/07/2004 |
| My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a whine in the rear end at appx 56-58 mph. took to dealer and was told it was the ring and pinion would have to be replaced. | |||
| 05/05/2005 | 6 | 04/08/2004 | |
| My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a delay and then hard shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gear. i have already replaced the solenoid because of harsh reverse engagement and now am going to have to replace the valve body. | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer engine shuts off and there is difficulty shifting gears.***no answer required***. *mr both of theses malfunctions present a danger and a hazard and are very serious defects. *bf *nm | |||
| 12/10/2004 | 1 | 04/30/2004 | |
| Transmission has been slipping gears since purchased new in 2004. it hesitates considerably to engage into reverse. when engaged in drive it's initially nonresponsive to light acceleration then surges forward. after taking to a certified ford dealership for solenoid work, it continues to misengage into multiple gears. this is not my first ford explorer and is radically different from the transmission performance of any suv i've driven. my concern is that after this problem is fixed, residual damage done to the transmission will be still present, which may not become apparent until after the vehicle is beyond warranty. | |||
| 05/16/2005 | 07/21/2004 | ||
| 2004, v-6, auto transmission, ford explorer, an intermitant problem when the transmission clunks when put into reverse. engine revs,feels like there is no connection to the transmission, as if in neutral, then unexpectantly it engages, causing the vehicle to lurch backward. we received a service notice from ford that this condition only happens in cold weather, to take the vehicle to our dealership and have them put in a special fluid which would fix the problem. well it is now may 16 here in pennsylvania and it, the reverse problem is getting worse. we are going to the dealship again, | |||
| 04/22/2005 | 5000 | 11/22/2004 | |
| I have a 2004 ford sports trac explorer. there was a recall to put an additive into the transmission which i did. i am having a problem with the transmission. ocassionally when stopping the transmission does not step down gears and i have to just about stand on the break and quick put the transmission in neutral to stop the car. i took it to cavalier ford in chesapeake va. . they were unable to duplicate the problem and said that although it was a saftey issue they could go nofurther. i complained to ford customer service and they told me the same thing. | |||
| 08/07/2004 | 1 | 9 | 08/07/2004 |
| Transmission has a significant delay when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear problem occurs during moderate acceleration, approximately 2500-3000 rpms. transmission shifts acceptable during lighter and heavier accelerations.*ak | |||
| 03/31/2005 | 19700 | 2 | 03/30/2005 |
| Transmission is defective/ slams into reverse after several seconds of hesitation/delays in shifting in forward gears, and is dangerous!. afraid every time car shifts gears because it happens sporadically, you never know when it will lurch or hesitate. bought this car 2 weeks ago, used, 19,750 miles on it in 37 years of driving have never experienced this with any vehicle i have owned . every person i know who has a 2004 ford explorer is experiencing the same problem - ford is a large automobile maker, should provide a recall to its customers. *ak | |||
| 03/19/2005 | 30900 | 1 | 03/14/2005 |
| Auto transmission jumping in and out of reverse gear. | |||
| 08/15/2004 | 17000 | 3 | 08/15/2004 |
| Transmission shifting delay. dealer has fixed twice and added the new transmission fluid with no improvement. my factory warranty runs out in 8,000 miles and i am very concerned about the future problems i will have with this transmission. it has already been adjusted, rebuilt and adjusted again with no improvement.*ak | |||
| 01/15/2005 | 100000 | 1 | |
| After shifting in reverse gear vehicle lurches forward. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 4000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer-delayed then harsh shift of transmission into reverse, was in shop to replace solenoid and bad transmission fluid installed at the factory-problem persists-car was purchased nov 2004 and has only approx 4500 miles. problem is ongoing so there is not just one incident date. *ak | |||
| 03/09/2005 | 21400 | 1 | 02/02/2005 |
| 2004 ford explorer xlt 22,000 miles. vehicle will not shift into reverse unless you step on the accellerator. then it engages with a loud bang, slams into gear and lurches backwards. car also pauses between shifts during acceleration. have a service appointment with dealer yet was told transmission solenoid to fix the problem was on back order. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 6700 | 3 | 06/08/2004 |
| The transmission on my 04 explorer is failing. ford issued a recall to add an addative to the transmission which did not correct the problem. then the selaniod was replaced and the problems seemed to go away. now 500 miles later the problem is happening again. no help from the ford dealer. | |||
| 08/03/2004 | 26500 | 12/28/2003 | |
| I was involved in an accident due to a transmission problem with my 2004 ford explorer. (3aug04). broke and arm and still in brace and longer weeks ahead. the problem is still not fixed. it has been acknowledge as a problem but no one will take my complaint or call me back. no lawyer will touch the case yet hear i am with loss wages maybe unable to use my arm (i'm a nursing student) but hey if that;s how ford works.. i'll never buy again. the transmission surges forcible in reverse, and while in driving, sometimes it goes forward while in reverse.. please help.. at my wits end thanks.. *nm | |||
| 08/09/2004 | 3 | ||
| The gears on the vehicle were popping, which was not letting the vehicle have movement. the transmission on the vehicle has been repaired a total of three times, but the problem is still recurring. | |||
| 01/02/2005 | 1500 | 15 | 03/05/2004 |
| Intermittently the vehicle will surge backwords when placed in reverse. at times when placing the car in reverse the vehicle will delay going in reverse and surge backwards uncontrollably. the dealer claims it needs new transmission parts. 5 week back order because of so many complaints about this. why isn't there a recall. this is a major safety problem. manufacturer also claims it is related to transmission oil.*ak | |||
| 02/12/2005 | 29669 | 10 | 02/10/2005 |
| 2004 ford explorer transmission does not shift correctly. delays when put in reverse and then lunges back with a clunking sound. also, hard shift and clunking in drive. *jb | |||
| 02/18/2005 | 22000 | 1 | |
| Driver was backing out of a parking space and vehicle hesitated. then, the transmission shifted on its own. mechanic determined that the solenoid body needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 222 | 1 | 01/01/2004 |
| Bought new 2004 explorer xlt january 1st 2005, upon driving the vehicle home i noticed a hesitation in the changing of the gears at low speeds, and it also seems to slip when making turns at low speeds. i took in to ford dealership right away and they said throttle body was sticking and replaced it. also they updated the computer chip and said everything was fine. no change to the vehicle, i took to another ford dealership they could not replicate the problem so they said. they sent me on my way with no relief in sight, they did suggest that i have the transmission fluid recall and i did, it did not change anything. this is a safety issue no matter what ford says, if i need acceleration in traffic and my vehicle does not perform and hesitates or spits and sputters, i and my family are in serious danger and that is not acceptable to me and my fellow consumers. i will not be purchasing another ford product again. if ford has admitted they have this transmission problem, but will not recall and cannot fix this problem, how can they be allowed to let the consumer take the hit?? *jb | |||
| 02/15/2005 | 0 | 07/01/2004 | |
| My explorer limited hesitates a few seconds before shifting into reverse. when it finally does shift, it slams into gear. the engines does not rev during this period as i have heard others say theirs does. it seems to only do this when the car is warmed up and not every time. also, it sometimes slams into gear after you've slowed down to turn onto another street then hit the gas. i have been to a ford dealer and had the transmission additive put in. this actually made things worse! i paid a lot of money for this car and expect it to perform as such. | |||
| 08/09/2004 | 200 | 17 | 06/08/2004 |
| Transmission does not engage in reverse from park when put in reverse,than after 5-10 seconds will jerk into gear,transmission does not upshift correctly,seems to hesitate between gears. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 10000 | 10 | 03/30/2004 |
| Transmission does not always respond when shifting into reverse. sometimes when shifting vehicle in reverse it does nothing and when you press the accelerator the vehicle then suddenly jerks backwards and makes a poping sound. also, sometimes when slowing down it feels like it is ?dropping? out of gear. this only occurs occasionally. i took it in today for the recall notice i had received to replace the wrong type of transmission fluid that was put in the vehicle at the factory. i am concerned that this will cause an accident when trying to back up in tight places.*ak | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle hestitates between gear changes especially on lower gears. although an additive was put in by the dealer, going from park to reverse is even worse. the vehicle often sits for 10-15 seconds before engaging either reverse or drive and even then, the change feels rough.*ak | |||
| 01/11/2005 | 25600 | 1 | 01/11/2005 |
| I purchashed my 2004 ford explorer on january 11, 2005. after the first week i had to take it back to the service department of the dealership, on saturday, january 22, 2005. i informed them that the transmission is lagging when automatically shifting and that sometimes there is a loud clunk during the automatic shifting and especially when putting the car in reverse. also the tire pressure warning light has been coming on; so they checked that and said that they replaced the sensors. that light is still staying on. as for the transmission, i was informed that there is a manufacturer defect and that they were going to order the parts to fix it. as of january 31, 2005, the parts still have not come in. in the meantime i am having to continue to drive this vehicle and the problem seems to be getting worse. i do quite a bit of driving on the highway to get back and forth to work and i am very concerned about the transmission as well as the tire pressure. *ak | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 14000 | 1 | 05/14/2004 |
| In addition to hard shifting in the transmission, the rear differential chatters loudly when turning at low speed. the vehicle feels extremely loose and sloppy at 14,000 miles. *ak | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 1 | 11/13/2003 | |
| My transmission does not work properly, and i feel i am in danger while operating my vehicle. the transmission jerks into drive and reverse and usually has long hesitations while using these positions, as well as the automatic shifting while driving. *ak | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 12000 | 1 | 05/21/2004 |
| My transmission slams into reverse and also has problems in the forward gears. ford has a recall on the transmisson to put a lubricant in the transmission. i don't see how this will solve the problem. vehicle has been to the repair shop with no positive results.*ak | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 8100 | 2 | |
| When reversing, loud banging clunking noise is heard from the back. the car jerks back harshly after long delay in going back into drive. *ak | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 17144 | 100 | 11/29/2003 |
| Delay in transmission engaging in either reverse or forward gear is highly dangerous because auto suddenly slams into gear and lurches forward. this has also occurred at highway speeds when the gear suddenly engages and causes a severe lurch forward with a bang so severe i thought i had hit something. also, there is a chatter when accelerating during a turn and vibration of the driveshaft at varying speeds. i was told by the service dept. when i complained after purchasing the car that this delay was normal. on the second visit, they replaced the differential which caused a vibration and whine in the drive train. i returned it and the differential again was replaced and the drive shaft balanced with no improvement. i have been waiting for parts for quite sometime. the fluid additive is not available nor has the solenoid been replaced, but i understand this does not work either. *ak | |||
| 01/25/2005 | 4000 | 10 | 08/05/2004 |
| When placing my 2004 ford explorer in reverse, it hesitates then engages in gear with a noticeable jump and clanging noise. purchased vehicle new in 8/2004. *nm | |||
| 01/10/2005 | 20000 | 3 | 11/03/2003 |
| Car transmission was not responding correctly. after several trips to the dealer to have it checked out, the replaced the solenoid pack several weeks later warning light came on with a battery symbol and said hi temp low oil. engine died when going to park and then again at stop light the next day. dealer could not replicate problem. two weeks later, engine again died with a wrench symbol and said engine failsafe mode. dealer has had it a week and cannot replicate problem. did find a problem with and replaced abs in computer system. *nm | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 100 | 05/15/2004 | |
| In may of 2004, i bought a new 2004 ford explorer. two months later in july of 2004, i found problems shifting the car into reverse. it would pause for about 5 seconds, then jerk very hard before reversing. i complained to the dealership that i bought the new car from, who proceeded to tell me it was nothing. the problem continued, and i continued to bring the car into the dealership where i bought it from with no resolve. this continued until january of 2005. i finally took the car to an out of town ford dealership 2 hours away, who took my car for 5 days due to them having to replace the transmission solenoid. i waited for almost an hour the day i picked up my car for a service advisor to explain to me what this was, and the only answer i received was that it was a programming error. i since then looked up on the internet what this transmission problem was, and read an article that ford knew about this problem and was not recalling cars since it is not a danger. this is a danger. it can cause numerous neck problems from the jerking. i have suffered from lower back pain before buying the car, and the jerking from putting the car in reverse was not helpful. if anyone or anything is around the car while putting it in reverse, they can be damaged badly. this issue needs to go public. the dealerships need to take responsibility before there are serious injuries due to responsibility neglect for a poor product. *jb | |||
| 11/16/2004 | 16000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 ford explorer xlt 4x4 experienced delayed/harsh engagement when shifting into reverse. it would have a delay of up to 5 seconds and then would engage and make a terrible clanging noise. on several occasions it would squeal tires and then jerk backwards. this put me in danger of being in a wreck because when i would shift into reverse i would expect it to actually shift, but it did not. i took it to a ford dealership and the pcc solenoid was replaced and transmission fluid replaced. *jb | |||
| 10/26/2004 | 0 | 20 | 11/20/2003 |
| Power transmission-does not engage reverse every time the car is put into gear. took to dealer and was told this is a common problem. had to pay part of the repairs because the car was out of warranty. *ak | |||
| 12/12/2004 | 6000 | 1 | 05/05/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer clunks when putting into reverse. this problem has been reported before and i think ford is considering a program. i have taken my explorer to the dealer, and they said they couldn't replicate the condition. it does it all the time, and i think they are avoiding repairs. the carhas only 9,000 miles and is under warranty. transmission has wrong fluid and faulty shift solenoid per ford's own press releases.*ak | |||
| 12/22/2004 | 1 | ||
| There was a delay and jerk when vehicle was put in reverse. the gear popped, causing the vehicle to hit a tree while in reverse. consumer will contact manufacturer.*ak | |||
| 12/07/2004 | 1 | ||
| There is a delay in the gear when vehicle is put in drive or reverse. vehicle tends to jerk when the gear pops. manufacturer will be contacted by consumer. *ak | |||
| 12/18/2004 | 6500 | 50 | 02/08/2004 |
| The transmission of my 2004 ford explorer does not always respond when shifting into reverse. this problem is also occuring occasionally when shifting into forward or drive. the problem going into reverse has been happening for a while and quite often but yes it is intermittent. when shifting into reverse, the transmission initially does nothing and when you press the accelerator the vehicle lurches or the drive train bangs, depending on how much the accelerator is pressed. i went to the dealer and they say that it has to happen in their presence. this is not always convienent and could take several visits for them to agree that i am experiencing the problem. they also stated that they are not sure that the present approach to rectifying the issue is the correct or final one. i asked for a service bulletin regarding my vehicle and their policy on repairing this and they refused. i feel i am entitled to any and all service bulletins concerning this vehicle. since this is a problem that can occur creating a unexpected amount of motion or movement of the vehicle when the vehicle lurches there should be a greater effeort to be proactive in addressing consumer inquiries not trying to avoid any expense on their part in fixing the issue.*ak | |||
| 11/28/2004 | 30000 | 12 | 10/05/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer having transmission problems. does not shift properly from park to reverse or drive to reverse. has a hesitation before it goes into gear. they should be recalled. there could be injuries because when it hesitates one is pushing on the gas pedal and all of a sudden it goes into gear. *jb | |||
| 12/14/2004 | 500 | 30 | |
| A problem in the transmission causes the engine to shut off when coming to a stop. the engine will shutter, then die. this results in the loss of the power steering and brakes making this problem a severe safety hazard for all motorist and passengers. ford has been notified but declines to admit this incident. it has to do with the jerking of the harsh reverse engagement nhtsa item number 10008268. i have had this problem since feb 2004, one week after the truck was purchased. they could not find what caused it until i had the harsh transmission engagement problem. after it was repaired the problem stopped. on dec 14, 2004 the engine shutoff started again. on dec 16, 2004 the harsh engagement started again. this truck was purchased new and all services have been done. *jb | |||
| 03/23/2004 | 8 | 02/16/2004 | |
| Vehicle transmission performance is inconsistent and intermittent, transmission will bang into reverse, rev up before engaging while going forward from a stop, hesitates when shifting between gears at lower speeds, appears to slip when making turns. transmission and rear end replacement did not resolve problems. *jb | |||
| 12/15/2004 | 9501 | 6 | 07/30/2004 |
| As i put the transmission into reverse, when backing out of my garage, there is a hesitation in the shift into reverse between 4 and 8 seconds, then the transmission goes into reverse with a bang. this just started happening to me, lately, on a number of occaisions. the explorer was bought in july of 2004 and as of this date has 9,500 miles on it, and the latest incident was 12-15-04. | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 9000 | 1 | 11/01/2003 |
| When shifting to reverse gear the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *nm | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 24100 | 1 | |
| When down shifting to reverse gear vehicle jerked forward. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 10/18/2004 | 10000 | 10 | |
| Delay and harsh transmission engagement in reverse and drive.*ak | |||
| 12/03/2004 | 17578 | 1 | 12/03/2004 |
| Purchased used 2004 explorer w/ 17k miles on it. vin# 1fmzu62k44za00979 wife took possession of vehicle friday evening ready to drive away when she placed vehicle in reveres and it banged hard as it jerked into reverse and chirped the tires. drove it home noticed the shifting from 2d to 3rd was hard and appeared to want to accelerate on its own and when it went into overdrive the rpms reduced but no noticeable signs that one could tell it had shifted into od. took it to dealer on 10th of dec 2004 for upholstery issues and the shifting issues. going into reverse has a 2-5 sec. delay and then shifts abruptly, this can and may very be a safety hazard and someone will be injured in due time. only by god's grace did we happen to have the foot on brake pedal each time vehicle was placed in reverse; otherwise the jerk and jumping into reverse would have hit a person or another vehicle in a parking lot. i am presently waiting a final solution form ford. i will not be satisifeid with the common reply that this is normal. that is unacceptable when others are placed in danger unawares! *jb | |||
| 12/04/2004 | 1 | 06/01/2004 | |
| Transmission was sticking when the car was put in reverse. after a few seconds of acelleration there is a bang and the car jolts back rapidly. i am still afraid to parallel park. i also noticed some sticking/hesitation from park to drive. i took it in for service on 12/07/04 and the solenoids were replaced along with some other work on the trans. the dealership told me that the parts were on hand because they know about the problem. if that was the case why no recall letter? there are only about 6500 miles (rounding up) on my vehicle and when i purchased it in june of 2004 it was brand new. i am deeply concerned that the problem will return or that some of the others that i've read about will develop. how many complaints/repairs before a recall is issued? *ak | |||
| 11/29/2004 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle is having trouble engaging from the park position to reverse smoothly. consumer hears a popping noise, and feels the vehicle jumps when the gears are changed. manufacturer has been contacted.*ak | |||
| 09/27/2004 | 18500 | 2 | 03/15/2004 |
| When shifting into reverse, it would take a few second then the transmission would slam into gear and the whole truck would jerk. dealer replaced a part and reprogrammed the transmission. as of 12-7-04 the problem has returned. | |||
| 12/07/2004 | 50 | 09/01/2003 | |
| Automatic transmission takes anywhere from 3-10 seconds to engage when put into reverse. as this problem gets worse i've noticed that the shift points while driving seem out of form and more harse than normal. my dealer ordered a new selonoid (which cost $360) and will replace when it becomes available - currently on backorder (obviously this is a problem).*ak | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 6000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle does not engage in reverse, it makes a loud sound, and then it accelerates to the point of trying to gain control of the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 12/05/2004 | 13250 | 4 | 11/14/2003 |
| Vehicle traveled at various speeds the transmission failed and as a result vehicle was unable to move and made an idling noise. vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs for fourth time this year.*ak *nm | |||
| 12/02/2004 | 200 | 6 | 11/18/2003 |
| Since new, i have intermittent hard start issues with the vehicle. on about 7 occasions, the dealer was notified and they simply told me since it started that there was nothing they could do since there wasn't a light on the dash did not come on. therefore there would not be any codes. finally at 10,345 miles, the car broke down. they replaced the throttle position sensor. the kept getting about 4 or 5 codes and they were unable to clear them. replaced the ecm and reprogrammed. i still have the intermittent hard start issue which is intermittent. the ecm has been updated 3 times. i also have an issue with the tire pressure indicator light flashing for about 20 seconds after start up, they claim, unable to duplicate. i also had a exhaust gasket replaced as there was an annoying noise that would go on and on while the vehicle was left running while in park. lastly - transmission issues. the vehicle has poor shift quality. it likes to hang up and hesitate in 3d gear, you will be running 55-60 and go to pass another vehicle and doesn't want to shift until it hits 80-85mph and by then you are at 6 on the tachometer.they have replaced the solenoid body and the hydraulic pump and the car still is not fixed. it also likes to hesitate when accelerating from a stop sign or stop light. it is currently in the shop as we speak. i purchased the vehicle new in november of 2003 and the current mileage is 12,850. *ak | |||
| 11/14/2004 | 25 | 02/01/2004 | |
| 2004 ford explorer -the transmission has failed to engage correctly multiple times. i have asked the dealer about this issue and the response was that the explorer has a hard transmission. in order to get the transmission to engage correctly i have to either put the cur back in park/ nuetral and attempt to reengage or give it gas. this usually results in a lurch of the car going either backwards or forwards.this situation has the potential for a serious accident.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 3 | 11/22/2003 | |
| The past several months i have had numerous transmission problems. my explorer does not shift correctly. it hesitates when shifting which is really dangerous in traffic. also when i try to reverse it hesitates and then abruptly accerelates into reverse very hard and fast. it makes a loud noise when it happens also. it does this everytime i go into reverse. also my vehicle has lost all power in the middle of driving on the interstate. i have lost power on many occasions. it is very dangerous especially when i have to young children sitting in the back. *ak | |||
| 11/23/2004 | 2300 | 4 | 10/30/2004 |
| Complete failure of the gauge pod, radio, interior lights, power windows at 2,300 miles. no speedometer, odometer, tach, fuel gauge, temp, oil, battery, radio (nothing in the dashboard functions except the airbag light). *ak ford dealer in allentown pa was very rude and went out of their way to not work in a timely manner and keep us in the dark. drove vehicle to texas (with no gauges) to dealership where purchased. at the shop right now. transmission also hesitates excessively between shifts. | |||
| 11/21/2004 | 8500 | 1 | |
| Automatic transmission slips and hesitates between gears especially at light throttle. ransmission does not engage reverse until throttle is applied. problem is getting worse.*ak | |||
| 06/09/2004 | 6 | ||
| My 2004 ford explorer has had a problem with chattering in the differential and delayed shifting of the automatic transmission gears, especially reverse, since it was purchased. when i am in an urban parrallel park situation, i have hit the car behind me hard on several occassions because of the delayted shifting. as you shift, you naturally put a foot on the accelerator. when there is a delay, the car then bolts into reverse at a high speed. i have brought my car to the dealer 5-6 times, and they have always done something, but nothing ever works to eliminate the chattering and the delayed shifting.*ak | |||
| 11/09/2004 | 1 | 07/21/2004 | |
| Appx. 2 weeks ago i was driving my vehicle at about 45 mph and i heard this loud noise someplace around the passenger front underside of the vehicle. since, my brand new 2004 ford explorer xlt is having transmission problems. when putting into reverse, it does not go into gear until you put your foot on the gas and then it jerks very hard and the tires skip on the pavement. the vehicle also does this when putting into drive, and when driving will not go into gear unless you take your foot off of the gas pedal and then re-apply the gas. we leased this car brand new late july 2004 and have just reached the 4 month mark yesterday. the dealership denied any service problems or recalls for this but on your website i found at least 2 similar problems. the dealerships will not provide a rental car which i find absurd! this is a brand new car and obviously a problem with these cars. we have one vehicle and have to car pool throughout the day for the both of us to be able to work our jobs. the dealerships indicated that the car would have to sit for at least three to four business days before they can even look at it! if i were to take the car in, we would have absolutely no transportation to work as we just moved to a new state and city august of this year and know nobody. *jb | |||
| 05/31/2004 | 50 | 50 | |
| After purchasing my 2004 ford explorer i noticed hesitation and lurching upon acceleration causing a safety hazard when proceeding out into traffic. several service appointments were made and ford was unable to replicate the problem, although all other persons that drive the vehicle have identified it. with the new information recently released on these vehicles, i am very concerned for my safety and wish to have this vehicle repaired. *jb | |||
| 09/29/2004 | 29000 | 3 | 12/29/2003 |
| 2004 explorer - eddie bauer purchased new on 12/03. at 29,000 miles - noticed that when turning sharp radius in parking lots - felt like the transmission would go in and out of gear. simultaneously noticed hesitation upon auto shifting, and hesitation upon putting in reverse. took to dealer replaced solenoid. 2nd trip to dealer - similar complaint - they replaced rear axle. 3rd trip - similar complaint, but now upon heavy acceleration - vehicle pulls hard left. service manager at ford says they called factory, but nobody knows why. this is now not only a lemon, but because it's steering has become affected - i believe it is a safety concern. 3 major failures in 10 mos ownership, and some problems remain unresolved. this is not a safe or reliable vehicle. *jb | |||
| 11/07/2004 | 0 | 1 | 05/08/2004 |
| I just read an article regarding ford's admission that there are problems with the transmissions in the 2004 explorer. i have had my explorer for less than 6 months and have had it in the shop 3 times for transmission issues. first time, and last time i was told there was no problem. any way to ensure that i receive a letter from ford regarding the repair plan they are going to put in place. *jb | |||
| 01/30/2004 | 200 | 2 | 01/02/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer transmission problem.transmission was leaking and not shifting right.i have had it to the dealer to be fixed twice,the first time i was told there was nothing wrong it was just overfilled,the second time they said they replaced the torque converter and the resealed pump bolts.i am keeping an eye on any more problems and i know you guys are tracking the trans problems with this vehical.if i could i would demand to get another vehical and it would not be a ford being though i probably will have to return for more service with more problem.i bought this thinking it was a quality vehical but i know know i made a mistake.thank you . nancy sakevich. *ak | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 200 | 9 | 11/23/2003 |
| 2004 ford explorer,which was purchased in november 2003 hesitates when shifting into reverse, when it does shift there is a jolt and bang as it engages into reverse. suv has been serviced on 3 occasions, the initial service performed apprximately 1 month after the purchase. each time i was told that it was a computer problem & that the computer needed to be re-programmed. in short, the vehicle continues to exhibit the jolt/bang when shifting to reverse. the vehicle is scheduled to go to the dealership (island ford) on staten island new york on monday november 22, 2004, at which time, i am told that the solenoid will be replaced. my greatest concern is that when this problem is finally solved, whether any residual damage was done to the transmission or differential, which may not become apparent until after the vehicle is beyond warranty. this problem has existed for nearly a year.*ak | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 12000 | 5 | 11/24/2003 |
| 2004 ford explorer transmission problems. will not shift into reverse from neutral, car bucks when finally shifts into gear (reverse and forward). car has stalled upon steering into a u-turn in the middle of an intersection. this is definitely a safety hazard. i fear for the safety of my family.*ak | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 1095 | 6 | 11/08/2003 |
| Car has a hard time engaging into gear, when backing up it feels like i've hit another vehicle. the vehicle just jumps in revers.i have almost ran over someone because of a delay in engaging into reverse. in drive it does the same thing. i worry that i am going to hit a car that might be parked in front of me or even a person. not only that i worry that if i did hit another car i wouldn't know that i did it. the car has had problems starting. it has left us almost stranded twice. the cars battery has died for no reason, even after driving a couple of hours prior to trying to restart it. the front and rear window motors have gone out, the rear windows were stuck open in a rain storm with my two children in the back seat. the vehicle has lost power driving down the interstate and a warning light came on in the dash, the vehicle had only 5,000 miles on the odometer. the keyless entry quite working, wich also kept our key chain lockers from working. the car would not turn over, it would just make a click, when it would turn over, it sounded like gears were grinding. the vehicle went in for to be serviced for the first time a month after we bought the vehicle, dec. 5, 2003 and has gone in atleast once every two months since. the car has been in for servicing a total of 3 months out of the year that we have owned it. we have requested since it has been for the same problem 8 times and it has not been fixed that the dealership lemon the vehicle. but nothing has been done about it. the dealership doesn't know what the problem is and they have told us that they cannot fix it.we still have the same problem now. it can potentially hurt someone. *ak | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 2750 | 4 | 11/18/2004 |
| When gears are put in reverse, the transmission hesitates for 3-5 seconds then a loud clunk is heard and the vehicles moves. just purchasesd the explorer from dealer today with 20,750 miles on it and nothing was disclosed about these problems. i'll take back tommorrow and hope they will fix the problem. lemon????*ak | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 20199 | 5 | 03/28/2004 |
| My transmission started slipping gears. it would also clunk and hang up in reverse. sometimes when engaged in drive it would surge forward. several times i have been very lucky and kept my foot on the brake. if not, i am afraid to think of the consequences. after taking to a certified ford dealership, it no longer slips in gear, but it still clunks. now it hesitates when changing gear. the dealer says this is normal. i have tried 4 times to get them to fix this but they keep saying its normal. this is not my first ford explorer 4x4 and i have never experience any hesitations when the gears change in any vehicles i have ever driven or owned. this will be my last ford ever! *jb | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 6000 | 300 | 10/29/2003 |
| For the past 8 months, when i put suv into reverse, there is a loud bang. sometimes suv sticks in park, then slams back. also while driving sometimes it hesitates and finally shifts. upon stopping, suv rolls forward or backwards a great distance until it finally locks into park. took suv to service dept. @ dealer and was told they did not find anything wrong. *jb | |||
| 11/05/2004 | 6000 | 11/28/2003 | |
| When shifting from drive to reverse, hesitation up 5 seconds then bangs into reverse. dealer said it was normal because of computer lag. still doing it and taking it back to dealer again. this is an on going problem. | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 15000 | 1 | 01/06/2004 |
| Vehicle hesitates when put into reverse, then slams into reverse with a sudden jerk. have to keep brake to the floor waiting for it to engage to keep the vehicle from hurting anyone. upon waiting for part that is on back order, the vehicle now misses gears when driving down the road and sometimes slams into the next gear even if it is down shifting. part was supposed to be hear last week and now they are telling us that it may be middle of next month before it gets here! we have children and are very worried about what will happen if this is not fixed very soon! mechanic said that all 2004 explorers are having this problem at about 15,000 miles which is when this began in ours. very worried!!!!! *jb | |||
| 10/30/2004 | 5 | 01/15/2004 | |
| 1- in reverse vehicle pauses- then proceeds to surge backward. took to dealership- they fixed it- adv bad transmission sensor. 2- vehicle would go from 65- to - 40 as if i was hitting the brake. took to dealer - they advertising general code read fine for about 2 months. 3- now it has actually began to die instead of just stalling and hesitating. now they advise its the throttle sensor. in all 3 cases - the little wrench comes on and the check engine light. this is a 2004 bought brand new and only has 16,450 miles on it....... what will go wrong next?? last date is listed below the stalling is an on/off thing. *ak | |||
| 10/27/2004 | 20 | ||
| My 2004 ford explorer xlt makes a clunking noise and harshly shifts when going into reverse. sometimes there is a lag of up to 5 seconds before engaging into reverse, which may put me in danger when trying to turn around in traffic. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 7000 | 6 | 03/02/2004 |
| The consumer experienced a problem with the cruise control. the consumer would set the cruise control and then it will shut down by itself. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer who as of today, was unable to find a defect. *jb the failure resulted in a life threatening situation when the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph on it's own while hitting the resume button in cruise control. the vehicle had been in to the dealer for the repair of the braking and tire pressure gauges, throttle control, transmission slippage, cruise control, traction control default, general computer defaults and the rear trim piece at the liftgate opening was distorted. *sc | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 5 | 08/08/2004 | |
| When reversing, loud banging/clunking noise is heard from the back. the car jerks back harshly.*ak | |||
| 10/21/2004 | 26000 | 1 | 06/01/2004 |
| When putting transmission in reverse it hesitates and slams in to gear. very loud humming noise in rear when in any speed of acceleration. vehicle is going to dealership tommorow. | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had problems with the automatic transmission. each time the vehicle was backed up, it would hesitate when placed in drive. the vehicle also leaped forward with the consumers foot on the brake, it was placed in drive and the vehicle did not move. *sc the vehicle was a rental. *jb | |||
| 10/04/2004 | 3000 | 12 | 01/14/2004 |
| When shifting to reverse- step on gas - does not engage then suddenly a clunk and takes off very fast in reverse- worried about hitting someone- dealer has reflashed & then replaced solenoid in transmission problem still exists. *nm | |||
| 09/30/2004 | 8600 | 1 | |
| Vehicle was taken to dealer for transmission problem. consumer was told that when placing vehicle in reverse, it jerked, and sometimes it raced. consumer was told that part of the transmission needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 10000 | 6 | 02/28/2004 |
| Engaging the transmission in reverse it hesitates, slips then surges. loud banging/clunking noises heard, sounds like universal joint. dealer states parts on order. apparently this is a known defect to ford, dealer blames it on a defective servo, synchro or solinoid. awaiting nationwide back ordered parts from the same manufacture, what makes me think that this same part won't again fail. what is ford's responsibility regarding warranty extension for the transmission which still is encountering the same problems as i await the repair parts? sounds like a safety problem to me.*ak | |||
| 08/16/2004 | 12 | ||
| 4x4 eddie bauer explorer - bangs into reverse. *ak | |||
| 04/17/2004 | 17000 | 4 | 11/01/2003 |
| When putting the vehicle in reverse it surged. consumer was able to stop the vehicle without any incident. vehicle was towed to the dealership for inspection and the mechanic determined that the transmission failed. *ak *nm | |||
| 06/04/2004 | 1 | 03/13/2004 | |
| The gear on my newly purchased 2004 ford explorer broke off. i beleive this to be a manufacture defect. when i tookthe truck back to the dealer they couldn't believe it themselves. i am afraid to wonder what else is wrong with this vehicle.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 06/06/2007 | 37890 | 6 | 05/27/2007 |
| 2004 ford explorer hesitated and did not shift when going over 40 mph. down shifted s for no reason and made a loud rumbling noise, had to pull over in heavy traffic at times; almost caused several accidents. *ak | |||
| 10/13/2005 | 17000 | 4 | 11/15/2004 |
| Dt: the contact states his vehicle is stalled while driving. the first time this happened he took the vehicle to a local dealership, and the pcm was reprogrammed. the vehicle stalled three times on november 6, 2005. this happens with no warning lights. the vehicle was taken to the same dealership. they could not duplicate the problem, therefore, no repairs were made. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 1 | 11/25/2003 | |
| Still hesitates into reverse from drive after ford fix of additive to transmission. problem getting worse, affecting shifting in forward gears now. *ak | |||
| 11/22/2004 | 8500 | 2 | |
| While making a turn, the vehicle shut off, and had to be towed to the dealer. the pcm software was replaced. the consumer experienced the same problem again. the consumer contacted the manufacturer. there was no response.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | |||
| 05/16/2005 | 8804 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. after starting the engine, the gear shifted from the park position to reverse. there was a forceful forward shifting motion when that occurred. in addition, when the gear shift was placed in the reverse position and shifting into the drive position there was immediate hesitation. there were no warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated the failure was contributed to the shift solenoid which was replaced. an authorized dealer previously replaced the solenoid for identical failure. the contact is aware of the safety risk. the failure mileage was 8,804 and the current mileage was 55,000. | |||
| 12/06/2007 | 83000 | 1 | 05/01/2007 |
| Driving vehicle, stopped, put vehicle in park, got out of vehicle briefly , got back in vehicle, pulled on gear shift leaver to put in drive would not go in drive or any other gear, prndl leaver broke off, could not remove key, could shut off the motor, had to have vehicle towed to ford dealer for repairs. total cost of repair $1,501.19. i did not by this vehicle from ourisman ford. i bought it from a private owner. *tr | |||
| 09/21/2007 | 63000 | 1 | 08/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle started and began to vibrate. she then placed the vehicle in reverse and heard a loud clunking noise. she smelled a strong gas odor inside the passenger compartment. the contact looked in her rearview mirror and noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the exhaust system. she parked the vehicle and had it towed. she then noticed that all of the radiator fluid leaked out. the mechanic stated that the valve failed and damaged the entire engine. the mechanic also stated that the engine needed to be replaced and appeared to be a manufacturer defect. the current and failure mileages were 63,000. the consumer also stated had problems prior to incident with sun visor falling off, gear shaft would not shift into park, engine sluggish, and while using cruise control vehicle would just shut off. updated 10/22/07 *tr | |||
| 07/26/2004 | 4000 | 2 | 06/21/2004 |
| When shifting gears from drive to reverse a heavy knocking noise is produced. *ak the gear selector would hang up in drive and the selector did not return. the vehicle would also unexpectedly jump out of drive. the shift solenoid was replaced but the problem remained the same. *sc | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||
| 12/29/2008 | 71325 | 1 | 11/11/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when attempting to shift the gear selector lever, it fractured and caused the ignition to lock. the contact was unable to operate the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and is in the process of having the component repaired. the cause of the failure was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 71,325 updated 01-26-09 *bf the gear shift lever on the steering column broke. updated 01/27/09. *jb | |||
| 11/23/2007 | 36800 | 20 | 11/23/2007 |
| In order to move the shift lever into the park position, it is necessary to push the lever up, let it return down a short bit, and then put it into park. the lever wants to stop half way. this is a safety hazard because the vehicle may return to reverse without actually being in the park position. *tr | |||
| 01/03/2006 | 1 | 05/13/2005 | |
| 2004 ford explorer limited-owned suv for 38k been in shop repeatedly-from minor to major things. suv is a $ 34,000 turd. currently needing to go back to shop for multiple repairs. the day our warranty expires car is gone. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2007 | 52000 | 100 | 08/22/2006 |
| Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse. once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard clunk. this happens every time you put the truck in reverse. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2007 | 73000 | 1 | 09/11/2006 |
| 2004 explorer (automatic) column gear shift broke when shifted into reverse. part was not sold separately so had to purchase entire steering column. estimate cost of new part was approximately $500. luckily was able to locate used part for half the cost. replaced only the broken part which has gear shift lever attached. *jb | |||
| 12/24/2006 | 85000 | 1 | 12/18/2004 |
| On christmas eve 2006 i was shopping for presents... went to may be 5 stores. after last store, i started car and when i went to put it in gear, the gear stick broke off into my hands. transmission was stuck between park and reverse! there was no way to put it back together as it broke off at the base. dealer replaced $1000 worth of parts. i feel this could have happened at any time and was lucky vehicle was in park rather than in drive when it happened. *jb | |||
| 08/28/2006 | 54000 | 1 | 04/28/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer gear shifter lever broke in my hand while vehicle was in drive. the vehicle is an automatic. this is a huge saftey issue because the vehicle was engaged in drive at the point of the lever breaking. the lever was not a steel piece and was defective. ford is unresponsive to this issue. *jb | |||
| 05/29/2006 | 30000 | 1 | 07/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated there is a shift delay before going into reverse or drive, after a 5-10 second delay it goes into gear. this is an intermittent problem. last week the shift lever assembly was replaced by the dealer because it broke off in the column. the vehicle was taken to the dealership about the delay problem however they are unable to get a diagnostic code to correct the problem. | |||
| 10/27/2004 | 20 | 06/25/2004 | |
| Circumstances with our newly leased 2004 ford explorer are such that we are requesting that you provide us with a new vehicle of similar year, make and model. this vehicle was purchased | |||
| 06/17/2004 | 9000 | 20 | 03/15/2004 |
| Transmission got stuck in neutral when column shifter was put in the park position. as my wife got out to help her sister with her new born and baggage the explorer started rolling, my niece (in the back seat) got scared and jumped out of the vehicle and got ran over. the vehicle hit a pole and trapped my niece under the rear tire. i have since taken it to dealership 3 times so far, and it is still not fixed. actually since i have gotten the explorer back it has started to clung really hard going into reverse, and has got stuck between third and fourth gear. while driving, causing the rpms to shoot up. i am waiting on ford to finally resolve this issue as i have been given the run around and am getting very frustrated.*ak | |||
| 09/21/2004 | 900 | 1 | 08/11/2004 |
| Placing the vehiclw in reverse, vehicle hesitates and then engages with a clunk; shifting into drive the same phenomenon occurs randemly. the major concern is that this jumping into gear happens sporadically as well !*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 1 | 03/07/2006 | |
| Transmission/differential/rear-end problems, purchased 2004 ford explorer xlt in march of 2006, first complaint was that the prndl indicator would not move into the right gear,reported the defect in may, problem stopped but then started again. brought the vehicle back to the dealer and had to pay to get the problem repaired. but also found that the rear-end is shot the drive shaft keeps turning and the vehicle keeps rolling while in park. the vehicle also lurches when brake is depressed. dealer states that the rear-end and differential is bad how can this be on a vehicle that has only 49000 miles on it . *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 03/14/2008 | 40000 | 2 | 08/01/2004 |
| 2004 ford explorer with seals leaking. consumer states that the front axle seal and pinion seal were replaced. the rear axle seal was leaking and also was replaced. consumer would like to be reimbursed for the charges. *kb the consumer stated on march 31, 2008 the rear axle seal on the passenger side was found to be leaking, after having the front axle seal and pinion seal replaced 2 weeks prior. *jb | |||
| 10/31/2007 | 72000 | 1 | 04/20/2004 |
| Rear axle noise/whining. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2004 | 1 | ||
| While turning the vehicle in either direction the front axle locks. owner contacted the manufacturer, who sent an engineer to evaluate this problem. currently, manufacturer does not have a solution for this problem. *ak *bf *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 09/29/2004 | 29000 | 3 | 12/29/2003 |
| 2004 explorer - eddie bauer purchased new on 12/03. at 29,000 miles - noticed that when turning sharp radius in parking lots - felt like the transmission would go in and out of gear. simultaneously noticed hesitation upon auto shifting, and hesitation upon putting in reverse. took to dealer replaced solenoid. 2nd trip to dealer - similar complaint - they replaced rear axle. 3rd trip - similar complaint, but now upon heavy acceleration - vehicle pulls hard left. service manager at ford says they called factory, but nobody knows why. this is now not only a lemon, but because it's steering has become affected - i believe it is a safety concern. 3 major failures in 10 mos ownership, and some problems remain unresolved. this is not a safe or reliable vehicle. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - BANJO HOUSING | |||
| 08/12/2005 | 0 | 01/19/2005 | |
| There is a whine or howl coming from the rear axle of our 2004 ford explorer with less than 9000 miles on it. we brought it back to the ford dealer in camdenton, mo where it was purchased and explained the problem that there is a loud whine coming from the rear axle at speeds between 50 and peaks at 62. they said that they were having problems with those and said something about that it would probably need a rear pinion seal. after having the vehicle for two days and having given us the impression that it was going to be fixed, they said that the problem isn't bad enough to warrant repair and that it needs to be broken in longer. i was told that twice, once on the phone and once in person when i got there to pick it up. i told the man that i didn't believe that and that the whine is getting worse, not better. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE HUBS | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 1095 | 6 | 11/08/2003 |
| Car has a hard time engaging into gear, when backing up it feels like i've hit another vehicle. the vehicle just jumps in revers.i have almost ran over someone because of a delay in engaging into reverse. in drive it does the same thing. i worry that i am going to hit a car that might be parked in front of me or even a person. not only that i worry that if i did hit another car i wouldn't know that i did it. the car has had problems starting. it has left us almost stranded twice. the cars battery has died for no reason, even after driving a couple of hours prior to trying to restart it. the front and rear window motors have gone out, the rear windows were stuck open in a rain storm with my two children in the back seat. the vehicle has lost power driving down the interstate and a warning light came on in the dash, the vehicle had only 5,000 miles on the odometer. the keyless entry quite working, wich also kept our key chain lockers from working. the car would not turn over, it would just make a click, when it would turn over, it sounded like gears were grinding. the vehicle went in for to be serviced for the first time a month after we bought the vehicle, dec. 5, 2003 and has gone in atleast once every two months since. the car has been in for servicing a total of 3 months out of the year that we have owned it. we have requested since it has been for the same problem 8 times and it has not been fixed that the dealership lemon the vehicle. but nothing has been done about it. the dealership doesn't know what the problem is and they have told us that they cannot fix it.we still have the same problem now. it can potentially hurt someone. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/27/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 10/09/2006 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving 20 mph the front of the vehicle was stalling and vibrating when making left and right turns. the dealer stated that the clutch in the differential was failing. the clutch was replaced, and the failure no longer occurred. the current and failure mileage were 45000. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 06/14/2010 | 73292 | ||
| Both rear wheel bearings were worn and noisy at less than 74,000 miles. these bearings should have lasted much longer. $800.00 to repair/replace. | |||
| 09/04/2009 | 49000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford explorer with 49,000 miles. howling noise from rear. took it to ford; they rebuilt the rear differential at a cost of $1600.00. car has always been serviced at ford for routine maintenance. don't understand how this vehicle with such low mileage had to have rear differential replaced. in looking at service bulletins; this sounds like a defect that ford has not acknowledged. *tr | |||
| 08/17/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| I am handicapped and live on social security, this is important because of the bill i had to pay. i am making payments on a used 04 explorer, they are quite high so i got the extended service plan. the rear axle has whined ever since i got it. when it was drowning out the radio and finally started leaking the dealer, don jenkins ford finally agreed to look at it. i was reduced to laying on the floor while i waited because if i brought my wheelchair i would have no way to get it home. the dealer replaced the ring and pinion under the warranty company even though it was a factory defect, the car only has 65k miles. the parking brake fell apart when they removed the axles but they couldn't get the warranty company to pay for another factory defect so i had to give them almost $400 to get my car back. it was okay for the warranty company to pay for shoddy parts and questionable workmanship but not ford. i am disgusted with this modern morality, in my day they called these people by their proper name, thieves. no wonder the car companies are in trouble, cars cost almost one third the price of a starter home and are made with second rate chinese parts just to support the unions. it will be a cold day in | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 50000 | 1 | |
| There is no failure yet for our vehicle but there are many out there that has. do a internet search for the 2004 ford explorer complaints and see for yourself the complaints for wheel bearing failure and rear differential failure that will eventually get someone killed. this is a very common problem and ford will not acknowledge or do anything about it. *tr | |||
| 08/13/2008 | 1 | ||
| My complaint is with the 2004 ford explorer and is a universal complaint for explorers from 2002-2005. these vehicles have problems with their rear differentials causing them to whine loudly at various speeds. in some cases they will leak and in extreme cases even seize up causing a dangerous situation for the drivers. there are multiple articles on this situation online and i myself have had my differential parts replaced twice already. i still experience a slight whine in the rear end around 60mph, not as bad as before but still there however. apparently when the factory warranty has expired ford dealers will only repair this problem again if they are paid to do so. this is a major problem with these vehicles and has been for some time. ford needs to accept ownership of this situation and have a recall sent out to all owners advising them the problem will be fixed at no expense to the owners. it is a downright annoying,costly and sometimes dangerous situation that needs to be addressed now as there are many of these vehicles on the road with unhappy owners at the wheel. myself included. thank you for your time. *tr | |||
| 03/08/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| My concern is in regard to an ongoing problem that my vehicle and thousands of others like it have; the lack of safety one may be faced with if the rear on these vehicles fail due to substandard parts used in the rear differential on the ford suv's and f-150's. my understanding is that the costly repair that is required the manufacture will not honor after the basic warranty is over even though this is an ongoing problem. on these vehicles. i was told today that if i continue to drive the vehicle to the point of complete failure i risk the vehicles back wheels locking up. my question to the nhtsa is why has there not been a recall on these vehicles knowing that this is a major problem in the drivetrain of these vehicles. i have 79k on my vehicle and a friend had their rear differential replaced at 22k and the problem is prevalent again on that vehicle again as well. in my estimation this could result in serious injury. what does it take to get a recall on this problem? does hundreds of people have to die or suffer serious injury for something to be done? i have had my vehicle back to ford for one bang or clang or another since the vehicle had 18k on it. will the nhtsa ever see fit to make a re-call on these vehicles or again does several people need to suffer injury or loss before something is done? *tr | |||
| 02/02/2008 | 12000 | 1 | |
| There is alot of whistling and squeaking in my front end and everytime i have it looked at i am told it just needs lubrication and after a few weeks the noise is back which i am sure means something is wrong and no one seems to find it. the squeaking is driving me nuts at every turn whenever you brake sometimes just accelerating will cause it to squeak. *tr | |||
| 02/20/2008 | 54000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2004 ford explorer. car started vibrating at low speeds especially after a stop and when turning. i have taken it to two mechanics and both told me the rear differential needs to be replaced. i am a college student and just purchased the vehicle so i will be unable to pay for the costly repair. i have read online that many many other ford customers have had the same problem and ford has done nothing about it. *tr | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 1095 | 6 | 11/08/2003 |
| Car has a hard time engaging into gear, when backing up it feels like i've hit another vehicle. the vehicle just jumps in revers.i have almost ran over someone because of a delay in engaging into reverse. in drive it does the same thing. i worry that i am going to hit a car that might be parked in front of me or even a person. not only that i worry that if i did hit another car i wouldn't know that i did it. the car has had problems starting. it has left us almost stranded twice. the cars battery has died for no reason, even after driving a couple of hours prior to trying to restart it. the front and rear window motors have gone out, the rear windows were stuck open in a rain storm with my two children in the back seat. the vehicle has lost power driving down the interstate and a warning light came on in the dash, the vehicle had only 5,000 miles on the odometer. the keyless entry quite working, wich also kept our key chain lockers from working. the car would not turn over, it would just make a click, when it would turn over, it sounded like gears were grinding. the vehicle went in for to be serviced for the first time a month after we bought the vehicle, dec. 5, 2003 and has gone in atleast once every two months since. the car has been in for servicing a total of 3 months out of the year that we have owned it. we have requested since it has been for the same problem 8 times and it has not been fixed that the dealership lemon the vehicle. but nothing has been done about it. the dealership doesn't know what the problem is and they have told us that they cannot fix it.we still have the same problem now. it can potentially hurt someone. *ak | |||
| 03/29/2004 | 2100 | 1 | 03/08/2004 |
| Whining noise from rear of vehicle. dealer stated that ford knows of this problem but doesn't currently have a fix for it! they asked me to call them back in 30 days. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 05/22/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2004 ford explorer required new transmission in first year. later, a loud whine developed from the rear of the car on acceleration. annoying, but i didn't know if meant trouble. abs and 4x4 high lights later began to come on intermittently. mechanic found no cause. just recently, at 79,000 miles, the vehicle began to feel like it was about to fall apart. ford dealer has had it for over a week, they say, after doing $1000 worth of useless work on it, that the entire rear differential has gone bad, and must be replaced. apparently this was not caught up till now, but must have been responsible for the whine, the errant lights, and a ka-chunk that the brakes have been making for years, also never able to be diagnosed. (note: i didn't know where to categorize this, so i entered it in the other category because i didn't want to misclassify; also do not have vin as the vehicle is at the dealership). *tr | |||
| 03/04/2009 | 39000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving between 40-60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a whining noise when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the failure occurred continuously and there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the rear differential. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 39,000. updated 03-27-09 *bf updated 04/01/09. *jb | |||
| 07/16/2006 | 70000 | 1 | |
| 1. i have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. the vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. rear differentral, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vechile to break down and if that happens the vechile is no good to me because of the cost to fix it. 3. i have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2006 | 70000 | 1 | |
| 1. i have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. the vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. rear differential, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vehicle to break down and if that happens the vehicle is no good to me because of the cost to fix it. 3. i have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2007 | 55472 | 1 | |
| Differential went out when driving suv rear axle grinds chatter. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2007 | 74000 | 4 | 10/16/2003 |
| I have taken my ford explorer (2004 xlt v8 4wd) to the dealership four times to have the differential fluid that is leaking fixed. i have spent about $800 getting it fixed, not to mention the gas that it takes to get there and back and each time i pull in my driveway and look out to see it still leaking. after the second time that i took my vehicle to the dealership, the service department lady told me that they didn't know why it was leaking and that they were going to have to contact ford to see if it was a recurring problem--and of course it is---and they had to order a different part (that is still not working) to fix it. couldn't they have known that in the beginning? now they are telling me that if this doesn't work they are just going to have to replace the axles. i have read on several websites that this is a problem that ford is not willing to do anything about. i will no longer be a ford customer due to this. thank you ford for wasting my time and my money! *tr | |||
| 01/29/2007 | 36000 | 1 | 01/28/2005 |
| Whining noise in rear end of 2004 ford explorer, dealer said there's nothing they can do about it, said don't worry about it , it doesn't hurt anything, 36,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 1 | 03/07/2006 | |
| Transmission/differential/rear-end problems, purchased 2004 ford explorer xlt in march of 2006, first complaint was that the prndl indicator would not move into the right gear,reported the defect in may, problem stopped but then started again. brought the vehicle back to the dealer and had to pay to get the problem repaired. but also found that the rear-end is shot the drive shaft keeps turning and the vehicle keeps rolling while in park. the vehicle also lurches when brake is depressed. dealer states that the rear-end and differential is bad how can this be on a vehicle that has only 49000 miles on it . *jb | |||
| 01/26/2006 | 26000 | 3 | 06/21/2004 |
| Repeated rear end housing failures. jan 06 vehicle was taken to the dealership for whining in rear end, clunk noise when shifting to reverse, hesitant transmission, and hard to shift between drive, park and reverse. rear end from factory was found to be extensively damaged and cracked due to broken clip present in rear end found when it was being removed. rear end was replaced for whining noise. 2 weeks later, car was taken back to dealership because it was leaking rear end gear oil. i was told this was overrun and was ok. 4 weeks later the rear end oil puddled in my garage and the vehicle was towed to the dealership. once again the whole rear end housing was replaced. we i picked up the vehicle after over 3 weeks in the repair shop, i only drove 24 miles and the rear end began to leak gear oil again. also the muffler was cherry red and extremely hot when the car was returned to the dealership last week. the technicians were puzzled due to the fact that the catalytic converter was cool, but the muffler burning hot with charred spots present. the transmission has also been a problem, especially in reverse. the transmission hesitates when engages and clunks into gear. the solenoid was replaced to fix this problem but the car has not been out of the repair shop long enough to see if the transmission is fixed. this vehicle has been in the repair shop 37 days since jan 1 2006. at this point, the rear end could lock up due to constant leaking of oil and the extremely hot muffler posed a substantial fire hazard. *nm | |||
| 10/29/2005 | 50000 | 1 | 02/06/2004 |
| Hello, i have a friend who works at carmax, he told me all explorers no matter which suffer from really bad ring and pinion gears. my father in law bought a brand new explorer last year, this year it has 50k miles and the ring and pinion are whining like crazy. ford knows about the defect but they want to wait until 2010 when most of the people's warranties expire in my opinion. they say the same to everyone, that its not too bad to consider replacing it. *jb | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 17144 | 100 | 11/29/2003 |
| Delay in transmission engaging in either reverse or forward gear is highly dangerous because auto suddenly slams into gear and lurches forward. this has also occurred at highway speeds when the gear suddenly engages and causes a severe lurch forward with a bang so severe i thought i had hit something. also, there is a chatter when accelerating during a turn and vibration of the driveshaft at varying speeds. i was told by the service dept. when i complained after purchasing the car that this delay was normal. on the second visit, they replaced the differential which caused a vibration and whine in the drive train. i returned it and the differential again was replaced and the drive shaft balanced with no improvement. i have been waiting for parts for quite sometime. the fluid additive is not available nor has the solenoid been replaced, but i understand this does not work either. *ak | |||
| 06/09/2004 | 6 | ||
| My 2004 ford explorer has had a problem with chattering in the differential and delayed shifting of the automatic transmission gears, especially reverse, since it was purchased. when i am in an urban parrallel park situation, i have hit the car behind me hard on several occassions because of the delayted shifting. as you shift, you naturally put a foot on the accelerator. when there is a delay, the car then bolts into reverse at a high speed. i have brought my car to the dealer 5-6 times, and they have always done something, but nothing ever works to eliminate the chattering and the delayed shifting.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 10/27/2004 | 20 | 06/25/2004 | |
| Circumstances with our newly leased 2004 ford explorer are such that we are requesting that you provide us with a new vehicle of similar year, make and model. this vehicle was purchased | |||
| 10/10/2004 | 17144 | 100 | 11/29/2003 |
| Delay in transmission engaging in either reverse or forward gear is highly dangerous because auto suddenly slams into gear and lurches forward. this has also occurred at highway speeds when the gear suddenly engages and causes a severe lurch forward with a bang so severe i thought i had hit something. also, there is a chatter when accelerating during a turn and vibration of the driveshaft at varying speeds. i was told by the service dept. when i complained after purchasing the car that this delay was normal. on the second visit, they replaced the differential which caused a vibration and whine in the drive train. i returned it and the differential again was replaced and the drive shaft balanced with no improvement. i have been waiting for parts for quite sometime. the fluid additive is not available nor has the solenoid been replaced, but i understand this does not work either. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/16/2005 | 06/13/2005 | ||
| I have a 2004 ford explorer .when i go from drive to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a loud bang. also from park to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a bang sometimes it has the 5 to 6 second delay and lounges backward even with your foot on the brake. this could kill someone that is walking behind your truck this is a very dangerous problem if you need to back up fast for emergency vehicles or move out of the way of on coming vehicles. ford motor company released a statement on nov 22 ford spokeswoman kristen kinley said they know about the transmission problems it was due to the wrong transmission fluid put in during manufacture they are replacing the solenoid and the fluid. my ford dealer knows nothing about this? and are saying there is no recall because there are no reported injuries. why do we have to wait for someone to get killed before the problem is fixed? ford motor co. knows about this there spokeswoman has commented about it but nothing is being done?? | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 1095 | 6 | 11/08/2003 |
| Car has a hard time engaging into gear, when backing up it feels like i've hit another vehicle. the vehicle just jumps in revers.i have almost ran over someone because of a delay in engaging into reverse. in drive it does the same thing. i worry that i am going to hit a car that might be parked in front of me or even a person. not only that i worry that if i did hit another car i wouldn't know that i did it. the car has had problems starting. it has left us almost stranded twice. the cars battery has died for no reason, even after driving a couple of hours prior to trying to restart it. the front and rear window motors have gone out, the rear windows were stuck open in a rain storm with my two children in the back seat. the vehicle has lost power driving down the interstate and a warning light came on in the dash, the vehicle had only 5,000 miles on the odometer. the keyless entry quite working, wich also kept our key chain lockers from working. the car would not turn over, it would just make a click, when it would turn over, it sounded like gears were grinding. the vehicle went in for to be serviced for the first time a month after we bought the vehicle, dec. 5, 2003 and has gone in atleast once every two months since. the car has been in for servicing a total of 3 months out of the year that we have owned it. we have requested since it has been for the same problem 8 times and it has not been fixed that the dealership lemon the vehicle. but nothing has been done about it. the dealership doesn't know what the problem is and they have told us that they cannot fix it.we still have the same problem now. it can potentially hurt someone. *ak | |||
| 10/02/2004 | 70 | 3 | 09/30/2004 |
| The vehicle continued to go into 4- wheel drive on its own. the vehicle accelerated, then stalled. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. *jb there were several times when the vehicle was placed in reverse or forward the vehicle would buck. *sc | |||
| 04/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving at any speed consumer was unable to control the vehicle, causing the driver to run off the road. consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealership, and mechanic determined that the 4-wheel drive failed. *ak | |||