Ford Explorer Complaints (1996)

1,450 consumer complaints on file.

#726980August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I HAVE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AT HOME IE. DOT NUMBER. FIRESTONE PAID FOR THE DAMAGES TO OUR VEHICLE BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE TIRES. WE REPLACED ALL FIVE TIRES AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. THESE TIRES ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THEM. WE WERE JUST LUCKY WE WEREN'T KILLED. WE STILL HAVE ONE OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRES AT HOME, IT HAS A BULGE ON IT LIKE IT IS GETTING READY TO LOOSE IT'S TREAD. PLEASE CALL IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726988August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I THOUGHT MY FRONT END WAS SHAKING FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELLING ABOUT 40MPH BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIRE. MY CHILDREN AND I HEARD A LOUD BANG AT THE SIDE OF THE CAR. MY HUSBAND WAS FOLLOWING IN HIS CAR AND SAW THE TIRE FALL OFF. IT ALSO KNOCKED OFF PART OF THE SIDE PANEL OF THE CAR. THE CAR SWERVED VIOLENTLY BUT I GOT IT UNDER CONTROL TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE RAOD. THE ENTIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND COME OFF. THE TREAD BLEW OFF THE ENTIRE SIDE PANEL OF THE CAR. INSURANCE ESTIMATE WILL BE ABOUT $1500.00 NOT COUNTING THE COST OF TIRE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE ENTIRE SET WITH MICHELINS. WE COULD ALL HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED. WE WERE LUCKY! *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: UNKNOWN )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726992August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
ALL 4 OF OUR FIRESTONE TIRES WERE QUITE NEW, AND THE TREAD WAS EXCELLENT. FOR NO REASON, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ALL THAT REMAINED OF THE TIRE WERE RUDIMENTS OF THE TREAD. THE ENTIRE SIDEWALL HAD BLOWN OFF. THE FIRESTONE DEALER INITIALLY CLAIMED THAT WE MUST HAVE RUN OVER SOMETHING, BUT THEN CHANGED HIS MIND AND REPLACED THE TIRE. NOW THAT WE ARE READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TIRE, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A REAL NEED TO PULL ALL OF THEM OFF THE MARKET BEFORE MORE ACCIDENTS OCCUR. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR FIRESTONE TO VOLUNTARILY INSPECT THE TIRES BECAUSE THE TIRES LOOK FINE. IT IS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM THAT IS NOT APPARENT TO THE NAKED EYE, AND THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE DANGEROUS. FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOMMENDS THESE TIRES, AND FIRESTONE STANDS BEHIND THEM. THE TIRES POSE A KNOWN RISK, AND IT IS TIME FOR THESE TWO COMPANIES TO REPLACE THEM. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER. KEN LLOYD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727007August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE TREAD SEPERATING FROM THE FIRESTONE ATX, I HAD TO REMOVE AND REPLACE WITH THE SPARE THE PASSANGER SIDE REAR TIRE DUE TO AN EGG FORMING ON THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#727010August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2000. WHILE ON A TRIP THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW. IT WAS IN SHREDS WHEN WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO STOP. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE FIRESTONE IN SPRINGFIELD, MO REPLACED THE TIRE AFTER CHARGING US $24 FOR MOUNTING. THAT EVENING WE SAW ON THE NEWS THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND FEEL LIKE THE DOT SHOULD HEAR ABOUT EVERY OCCURRENCE. WE WERE LUCKY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FOLLOW UP ON MY ORIGINAL E-MAIL. *AK( DOT NUMBER: 109S M/S TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#727014August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225X70RX15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727040August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPARATED FROM CASING. TIRE WENT FLAT WHILE PARKED. ON RE-INFLATION, BUBBLE IN TREAD APPEARED WHEN AIR LEAK WAS BLOCKED WITH FINGER. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255/70R16 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727049August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A NEW FORD EXPLORER IN 09/1996. SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EVERY ORIGINAL TIRE, INCLUDING THE SPARE, BECAUSE OF TREAD SEPERATION. THIS DID NOT OCCUR ALL AT ONCE, BUT OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. SOME OF THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND SOME OF THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT FIRESTONE DEALERSHIPS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED, THE CAUSE GIVEN FOR THE BAD TIRES WAS CONSISTENTLY THE "BEGINNING OF TREAD SEPERATION". UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM NATIONALLY, BECAUSE HAD WE KNOWN, WE WOULD NOT HAVE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TIRES WITH THE SAME MODEL/MAKE OF TIRES. I DO NOT READILY HAVE AVAILABLE THE DATES, THE VEHICLE MILEAGE OF WHEN THE TIRES WERE REPLACED NOR WHICH TIRES WERE REPLACED (E.G. FRONT RIGHT OR REAR LEFT) AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT, BUT I WILL SEARCH FOR THOSE RECORDS. I ALWAYS CAREFULLY MONITOR ANY SUBTLE CHANGES IN THE PERFORMANCE OF MY VEHICLES, WHICH IS WHY I WAS ABLE TO DETECT EARLY, THE SEPERATION OF THE TREAD FROM THE TIRES. THE SYMPTOM I DETECTED WAS A NOTICABLY ROUGHER RIDE BEGINNING AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH. CONTACT ME, SHOULD YOU NEED ANY OTHER INFORMATION.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727051August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD CAME OFF OF TIRE AFTER CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY ON HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 90 DEGREES AND WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 3 1/2 HOURS. THE SHAKING OF THE CAR BEGAN SLOWLY WHEN THE CAR REACHED 65 MILES PER HOUR AND OVER A DISTANCE OF 60 MILES THE SHAKING INCREASED DRAMATICALLY UNTIL THE TIRE BLEW. THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY SHREADED. BOTH BACK TIRES WERE REPLACED AND A FREE FIRESTONE INSPECTION HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ORIGINAL FRONT TWO TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727056August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
AT APPROX. 5:00 PM ON MARCH 2000, WHILE RETURNING TO CHARLOTTE, NC FROM TRIP TO COLUMBIA, SC THAT MORNING (DRIVING TIME APPROX. 1 HR. 15 MINUTES EA. WAY), HANDLING BECAME ROUGH FOLLOWING NOISE OF SOMETHING HITTING UNDERCARRIAGE OF VEHICLE. UPON PULLING OFF HIGHWAY, WE EXAMINED LEFT REAR TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT TREAD HAD COMPLETELY PEELED AWAY, LEAVING EXPOSED SMOOTH RUBBER SURFACE. CHANGED TIRE AND CONTINUED BALANCE OF TRIP WITHOUT INCIDENT. TIRE WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 1999 FROM SEARS. IN LIGHT OF RECENT PUBLICITY, WE FELT WE SHOULD REPORT THIS. WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT TOOK THE REMOVAL ACTION BY SEARS TO SPOTLIGHT THIS PROBLEM AND WHY THE NTSA DID NOT MAKE THIS PROBLEM PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE BEFOREHAND. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727057August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF OF TIRE DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. FIRST OCCURANCE IN APRIL WITH NO CRASH OR INJURY. SECOND OCCURANCE CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT BODY SHOP GETTING ESTIMATE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235-15 )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#727070August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING SOUTH FROM ATLANTA ON I75 AT 70MPH THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED WITH A ROAR.MY WIFE, WHO WAS DRIVING, MANAGED TO EASE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE TIRE WAS TOTALLY DISINTEGRATED. WE CALLED AAA WHO REMOVED THE WHEEL AND INSTALLED THE SPARE. ON JUNE 28 WE TOOK THE CAR TO FIRESTONE TIRE CO AT 2211 APPALACHE PKWY, TALLAHASSEE, FL , 32301 TEL 850-877-0184. THEY COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE TIRE DISINTEGRATED SO TOTALLY. WE BOUGHT A NEW FIRESTONE RADL ATX I I TIRE WHICH THEY INSTALLED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727076August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPARATION AT 75 MPH DRIVING FROM PHOENIX TO LA LAST THURSDAY. I SAVED THE DEFECTIVE TIRE DUE TO NEWS COVERAGE BUT HAD TO REPLACE THE REST TO MAKE THE RETURN TRIP WITH CONFIDENCE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727086August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE CAME APART SUDDENLY, AND DESTROYED LR FENDER AND DAMAGED UNDERCARRIAGE. TOTAL REPAIR COST $2400. *AK( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P205/75R15 )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727116August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
AFTER READING SOME INFO ON THE RECENT FIRESTONE TIRE PROBLEMS I HAD THE SAME FAILURE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT JUST SOME MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE TIRE SLAPPING THE REAR BUMPER AND WHEEL WELL. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE INCIDENT. JUST LAST MONTH I BOUGHT ANOTHER EXPLORER WITH THE SAME TIRES. I GUESS I HAVE TO GET THEM REPLACED. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#727126August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
ONE SPOT ON ONE TIRE WORE THROUGH INTO THE STEEL BELT WHILE THE REST OF THE TIRE TREAD HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH QUITE A BIT OF TREAD LEFT ON THEM. IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT I NOTICED THE WORN SPOT AND FORTUNATELY IT WAS BEFORE GOING ON A LONG TRIP. NEW TIRES, SAME TYPE WERE PURCHASED. MORE RECENTLY, I ROTATED THE ORIGINAL SPARE ONTO THE CAR AND NOTICED A STEERING PULL TO ONE SIDE AND FOUND IT WAS NOT AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. IT TURNED OUT THE ORIGINAL SPARE ALSO HAD ONE WORN OUT SPOT DOWN TO THE STEEL BELT WHILE THE REST OF THE TIRE WAS FINE. AT THE STORE I ASKED WHY IT MIGHT HAPPEN IN PARTICULAR ON TWO TIRES. THEY MENTIONED THERE PROBABLY WAS A DEFECT IN THE TIRE AND THEY WERE TO SAVE THE TIRE SO I COULD CONTACT FIRESTONE. HOWEVER, THEY SAVED THE WRONG TIRE SO I DON'T HAVE IT. BUT HEARING OF THE DEFECTS ON THE ALL TERRAIN FIRESTONE TIRES PROMPTED ME TO RELAY THIS EXPERIENCE OF TWO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE TIRES THAT HAD SINGLE SPOTS WORN DOWN PAST THE STEEL BELTS ON OTHERWISE 1/2 WORN TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867212August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A GRINDING NOISE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM WHEEL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867221August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN SHE HEARD A POP, AND LOST CONTROL, HITTING THE GUARDRAIL/ CONCRETE WALL. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. AFTER SHE CAME TO A STOP, THE POLICE STATED THAT TREAD WAS COMING OFF FROM THE TIRE.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867223August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER SON'S TIRES BEGAN TO LOSE TREAD AFTER RIDING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER PUTTING AIR IN TIRES. THEN, TREAD PEELED OFF.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#867226August 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE 00020: WAS DRIVING 60MPH & HEARD A NOISE FROM LEFT REAR. AFTER PULLING OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD & CHECKING TIRES, NOTICED TREAD HAD SEPARATED COMPLETELY. TREAD HAD WRAPPED AROUND REAR AXLE. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. TREAD HAD BEAT AGAINST THE FENDER & UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE, CAUSING A LOT OF DAMAGE. CHANGED THE TIRE. STILL HAS TIRE, AND WILL MAIL IN WHEN LABEL WAS RECEIVED. FIRESTONE WILDERNESS ATX; DOT #VDHL1PM395; SIZE P235/75R15 AND HAD 40,000 MILES ON TIRES. *AK *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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