Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 0361 | 03/31/2003 | 10001855 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with or without rough running, lack of power, surge or poor fuel economy with diagnostic trouble codes p0401, p0402, p1400, p1401. *tt *jb | 07/23/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 16604 | 02/01/2003 | 10002489 | Engine overheating due to thermostat failure. *tt | 09/03/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 17198 | 09/01/2003 | 10004069 | Wear-through condition on the abrasion sleeve of the upper radiator hose near the air conditioning accumulator or transmission fluid dipstick. *tt | 11/17/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 14407 | 01/01/2000 | 620438 | Some vehicles built on or after 7/24/2000 may exhibit a lack of heat and / or a malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with d%tc p0125, due to the thermostat sticking open. *tt | 08/07/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 020801 | 08/09/2004 | 04154 | 10011150 | Rattle noise from primary chain drive area 2000-3000 rpm - 4.0l sohc engine. *tt | 01/04/2005 |
| 17544 | 02/01/2004 | 10008115 | Generator noise in cold ambient temperatures. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| 16810 | 04/01/2003 | 10002675 | Rough idle and/or check engine lamp due to closure hose which becomes loose or disconnected at the right hand cam cover. *tt | 09/10/2003 | |
| 0322 | 02/03/2003 | 10002472 | Streamlined diagnostic procedure for vehicles with malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0401, p0402, p1400 or p1401, or runs rough, lacks power, surge, poor fuel economy, and the above listed dtcs without | 09/03/2003 | |
| 16610 | 02/01/2003 | 10002495 | No start, no communication with power train control module (pcm) using wds/ngs or a miss/buck/jerk while driving. *tt | 09/03/2003 | |
| 0335 | 02/17/2003 | 10002482 | Idle air control (iac) valve diagnostic service tips. *tt | 09/03/2003 | |
| 870197 | 10/22/2002 | 10000592 | Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt | 03/25/2003 | |
| 14560 | 01/01/2001 | 617944 | Vehicles may experience start up timing chain noise. *jb | 04/02/2001 | |
| 00M12 | 11/01/2000 | 616507 | Ford motor company is providing additional coverage for the 4.0l sohc camshaft chain tensioner and lower intake manifold gasket. *tt | 03/01/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 0281 | 04/29/2002 | 637920 | Some vehicles equipped with the 4.0 sohc (single over-head cam) engine may exhibit a primary timing chain rattle noise. *tt | 12/09/2002 | |
| 15898 | 05/01/2002 | 637781 | Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start / no start condition due to fuel pressure bleed down. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| 15936 | 05/01/2002 | 637843 | Some vehicles equpped with 4.0l engine and automatic transmission may exhibit a rough idle, low speed engine quit, hesitation on cold engine tip-in and / or hesitation during a 5-3 donwshift. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| 15754 | 03/01/2002 | 636395 | Some vehicles equipped with 4.0l engine and manual transmission may exhibit an intermittent stumble during deceleration and / or at stops when the clutch pedal is depressed. *tt | 11/08/2002 | |
| 0276 | 04/15/2002 | 636013 | Information on diagnosing engine rattle noise from primary chain drive area between 2000-3000 rpm on cold engine operation only. *tt | 11/04/2002 | |
| 15644 | 02/01/2002 | 630693 | Some vehicles may exhbit a hard start/no start condition when trying to start the vehicle. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| 15496 | 12/01/2001 | 630605 | Some vehicles built before april 23, 2001 may exhibit a hard start/long crank after sitting for an hour or more due to fuel system contamination. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| 01246 | 12/10/2001 | 630515 | Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| 15422 | 11/01/2001 | 630442 | Some vehicles may exhibit a hard start/long crank condition after sitting for an hour or more. *tt | 04/17/2002 | |
| 15428 | 11/01/2001 | 630450 | Some vehicles may exhibit a no crank condition and a problem communicating with the powertrain control module (pcm). *tt | 04/17/2002 | |
| 15381 | 11/01/2001 | 630391 | Some vehicles with a manual transmission may exhibit an engine loss or reduction in power condition on deceleration, but will immediately restart. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
| 15378 | 11/01/2001 | 630388 | Some vehicles with the 4.0l engine may exhibit an engine flutter noise. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
| 15358 | 10/01/2001 | 630276 | Concerns with engine quitting during deceleration. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
| 15567 | 01/01/2002 | 630105 | Some vehicles built before april 23, 2001 may exhibit a hard start/long crank after sitting for an hour or more. *tt | 04/12/2002 | |
| 15531 | 01/01/2002 | 630061 | Subject regarding engine quitting on deceleration/stopping.*yd | 04/12/2002 | |
| 01205 | 10/15/2001 | 627927 | Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt | 02/26/2002 | |
| 14985 | 06/01/2001 | 622795 | Some vehicles built after july 24,2000 may exhibit a no crank condition and a communication concern with the powertrain control module. *tt | 10/23/2001 | |
| 14535 | 12/01/2000 | 616910 | Some vehicles equipped with a 4.0l sohc engine may exhibit a rolling idle and / or ac cycling at idle and / or ac lack of cooling at idle condition. *tt | 03/14/2001 | |
| 00M12 | 12/01/2000 | 616816 | Subject regarding owner notification suppllemental program for vehicles equipped with 4.0l sohc engines - camshaft chain tensioner and lower intake manifold gasket additional coverage. *tt | 03/13/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 02216 | 10/28/2002 | 10013064 | Excessive sulfur smell from exhaust. *eh | 04/07/2005 | |
| 15655 | 02/01/2002 | 630714 | Concerns with excessive sulphur smell from the exhaust when operating under certain drive modes. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| 15471 | 12/01/2001 | 630579 | Some 4.0l sohc engines may exhibit excessive sulphur smell from the exhaust system while operating under certain drive modes. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||||
| 02M01 | 06/01/2004 | 02M01 | 10007207 | Customer satisfaction program 02m01 supplement #4. certain ford 2000 through 2003 vehicles equipped with a tube-mounted egr pressure sensor - additional egr pressure sensor warranty coverage. *tt supplement #3. *mj supplement #6 | 06/03/2004 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD | ||
| On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD | ||
| On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD | ||
| On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 01/28/2012 | 129001 | ||
| The rising price of gas discouraged me from using my sport trac (st) often, so it was garaged during the work week. on the weekends, i usually drove the st to run errands around town. on jan 28, 2012, i drove less than a mile when my st began losing throttle response and an unfamiliar clattering can be heard generated in the engine bay. i quickly realized that this was not normal, so i proceeded to pull over. i then took the truck to a mechanic near my location. the mechanic after extensive diagnosis determined that the timing chain tensioner had failed, along with timing chain guides which shattered into multiple pieces (photos available). the timing chain and its components are suppose to last for a lifetime of the vehicle, and hence ford provided no information or provision for its maintenance. the repair was expensive, because it required the removal of the engine which is based on the sohc design having its right camshaft driven by a timing chain located behind the engine near the firewall. a recall of the timing chain guides and tensioner should be made because of the common problem this has been for this engine design, sohc 4.0l after the removal of the engine and timing chain guide replacement, my vehicle began to experience transmission failure. the transmission registered an error on my dashboard, and after consultation with an expert, required a transmission rebuild. the cost of the engine and the transmission rebuild has been very expensive to say the least. the unpredictable nature of this failures would compromise safety during high speed operations. i hope nhtsa will review complaints regarding timing chain and transmission failures, which should reveal a pattern of design failures at ford. interestingly, ford had issued a recall for the timing chain tensioners and engine removal to repair chain guides in the past. | |||
| 12/12/2010 | 172000 | ||
| Ford 2001 sport trac spak plug blew out of head | |||
| 05/08/2008 | 70000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford explorer sport trac. the contact stated that his check engine light illuminated. a diagnostic was performed and the dealer stated that the egr sensor failed. the dealer and manufacturer stated that there were no open recalls available pertaining to his vin; therefore, it was excluded from recall number 02m01s6. the contact is responsible for the repair costs. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 70,000. | |||
| 03/15/2007 | 92000 | 2 | 05/16/2000 |
| Ford explorer sport trac timing belt tensioner broke at 38,000 broke again at 92,000 | |||
| 02/20/2005 | 57260 | 60 | 02/15/2005 |
| Purchased the truck from backus ford on the 15th of feb and noticed it had a rough idle and when turing the truck right or left in the idle speed it would almost stall. it has been back to the dealer four times to solve this problem but it is still there and does the same thing .it acts like it is missing. backus has gone thru all specs on it and cannot find the problem. i think it might be a chip or computer problem but they (the dealer) does not. has any one else had this problem | |||
| 12/02/2004 | 3 | ||
| Vehicle experienced multiply problems. consumer noticed that while driving vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. all tires had stress marks located in the inner side of the tires. goodyear, wrangler rts p255/70r16. also, coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle . consumer drove vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic could not duplicate the leak. but tires were replaced due to the stress marks. *ak | |||
| 06/12/2001 | 3 | 12/30/2000 | |
| Consumer states a new overflow tank was installed, because the vehicle required putting 1/2 quart of antifreeze everytime the oil was changed, on one occasion the engine would not start. on 3 separate occasions, vehicle died out while driving. then no crank no start. pcm and blown fuse replaced. however, problem still exist. *tt | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 03/17/2007 | 84000 | 1 | 05/13/2005 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2001 ford explorer sport tract with a failure mileage of 84,000 miles. the contact was driving under wet conditions at about 35 mph when the vehicle made a hard jerk and then lost power. the contact tried to restart the vehicle, but it would not turn over. the vehicle was taken to the mechanic, who found that there was water in the engine and the timing gear had failed. the contact had been to the dealer several times about this problem before the failure happened. the contact had the engine replaced, and found that the engine's failure was due to recall 00m12 concerning the timing chain of which nhtsa had no record. *ak the consumer states that even though the truck is a 2001, it should be listed on the recall because it was manufactured in august 2000. the consumer has provided the repair invoice. update 05/04/07*tr | |||
| 03/12/2005 | 107000 | 1 | 07/27/2000 |
| There were no preceding events; unexpectedly and without warning the engine died. the entire engine and all attendant parts had to be replaced. the first new replacement engine also failed immediately upon installation. the dealership replaced with yet another engine. cost to consumer: $6348.50. *ak | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 58000 | 1 | 08/20/2001 |
| Currently ford has an extended warranty program under onp 00m12 which extends the warranty for the timing chain tensioner on, but not limited to, 2001 explorer sport tracs. according to ford's system, my car, while a 2001 sport trac with the sohc motor, is not covered. i am at this time experiencing the exact problem that they are covering under this extension, but for some reason my car is excluded. i called customer service and they had no information why my car was not covered, but did admit that 2001 sport tracs were part of this extended covereage. they would not provide any details or facts to support their reasoning. it is apparent that this is a problem for the sohc motors, thus the reason for the extended warranty. however, my car seems to be not part of this program, thus not covered by this warranty, yet i am having the same issue as what is covered.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 1 | 09/29/2001 | ||
| The vehicle is loud on the inside even with the windows rolled up. the dealer says this is normal. while on extended trips there is a ringing sound heard in the ears at the end of the trip. consumer feels this loud noise may damage the hearing and that it is too loud to hear outside traffic. *jg | |||
| 09/09/2000 | 1 | 08/15/2000 | |
| While attempting to cross a four lane highway the engine stalled, the vehicle surges and hesitates intermittently, dealer was unable to duplicate and repair the problem. nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 3 | 07/12/2004 | |
| When changing gears, there was hesitation as if the truck wanted to cut off and shudder in steering. had oxygen sensor and fuel injector checked. *ak *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||
| 09/09/2004 | 70000 | 1 | 01/01/2004 |
| Drove home, garbage pick-up missed our house. grab the can ,and put in back of ford sport trac..tried to catch the garbage truck down a dirt road. when all of a sudden the front hood on my sport trac came open.also having problems when turning on air-conditioner.i beleive same type of parts or components used in previous years ford explorer sport...ranging back to 98 or further.probably same types recalled or complained about in those years problems with defects..i have found that my 2001 ford sport trac was actually made in late year of 2000.*ak | |||
| 10/06/2003 | 42148 | 1 | 07/30/2001 |
| While traveling from williamsburg/new port news, va my engine light came on and i pulled off the road to have the problem looked at. it is a poor flow for the egr valve. according to documentation in various engine reference books failure of the valve could cause erratic engine surges and potential other related problems to include failure of the power plant. there are apparently no replacement parts available for the 4.0l v-6 which is a common engine in the ranger and explorer models. the vehicle currently has 42000 highway miles and receives regular maintenance. i am concerned about the low life of this part under normal wear and tear and conditions, as well as the safety and environmental impact that the part failure could cause. *la | |||