Ford Explorer Complaints (1997)

1,773 consumer complaints on file.

#726748August 5, 2000
TIRES
EXPERIENCED A SURPISE BLOWOUT WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE 45 FREEWAY IN HOUSTON - NO ROAD HAZARDS - THE TIRE JUST BLEW UP. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726758August 5, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS MY VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT AND THE RIDE GOT INCREASINGLY ROUGH. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TIRE STORE AND FOUND THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING AND THERE WAS A BUBBLE IN THE TIRE. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE TIRE WAS ABOUT TO BLOW OUT. WE PURCHASED A REPLACEMENT TIRE (A FIRESTONE ATX) AND LEFT THE OTHER THREE ORIGINAL TIRES ON. I'VE SINCE SEEN REPORTS ON PROBLEMS WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES SO I WANTED TO REPORT THIS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726605August 4, 2000
TIRES:SIDEWALL
THE SIDEWALL FAILED ON THIS TIRE. TO DATE TWO OTHER TIRES ARE SHOWING SIMILAR DAMAGE. I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER AND DO NOT RUB MY TIRES ON CURBS, ETC. IT IS ALMOST LIKE THE SIDEWALL IS PEELING AWAY EXPOSING A WHITE LAYER BENEATH. NATURALLY THE RECENT NEWS PROMPTED THIS RESPONSE, BUT MY CONCERNS ARE VERY REAL. THANK YOU AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK - I SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING YOU ARE PROTECTING MY FAMILY'S INTERESTS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 23575R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726612August 4, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I WAS TRAVELING BACK TO COLLEGE ON I-75 IN MY EXPLORER. I WAS GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. WITHOUT WARNING THE TREAD OF THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE SEPARATED AND STARTING FLYING OFF. I KNEW AT THE RATE OF SPEED THAT I WAS GOING I WOULD FLIP MY CAR OVER IS I BRAKED. INSTEAD I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC. I WENT FROM THE THIRD LAND TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD ON THE FIRST LANE AND ENDED UP IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED BUT THE TREAD WAS ALMOST ALL GONE. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED THE DRIVER TOOK A LOOK AT THE TIRE AND SAID THIS HAD TO BE A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE BACK OF MY EXPLORER BY THE TAILLIGHT WAS DAMAGED DUE TO THE FLYING RUBBER. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES ON MY EXPLORER. WHEN I SHOWED THE FIRESTONE DEALER THE TIRE HE TOLD ME THAT THIS HAPPENED DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. I BELIEVED THEM AT THE TIME. I AM NOT QUITE SURE THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. AFTER READING THE STORIES ABOUT EXPLORERS AND THE FIRESTONE TIRES I FELT COMPELLED TO NOTIFY YOU. I FEEL THAT FROM OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND THE EXPLORER THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE FLIPPED OVER IF I HAD BRAKED. I WAS QUITE LUCKY. THE DAMAGED TO THE TAILLIGHT IS STILL NOT FIXED ON MY CAR BUT AS I MENTIONED I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED ALL THE TIRES. THE TIRES ON THE EXPLORER WERE ATXS.( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726624August 4, 2000
TIRES
I HAVE HAD ONE BLOWOUT TRAVELING APPROX. 65 MPH ON AN EXPRESSWAY AND HAVE REPLACE TWO OTHER OEM TIRES (AT DIFFERENT TIMES) BECAUSE OF BROKEN BELTS IN THE TIRES... BOTH MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT IT APPEARED AS THOUGH I HAD A DEFECTIVE TIRE. THAT IS WAS NOTHING I WAS DOING WRONG, OR THAT THE TRUCK WAS DOING TO THE TIRES. THE TIRES BASICALLY STARTED GIVING ME TROUBLE AT ABOUT THE 50,000 MILE MARK - I THOUGHT TIRES SHOULD LAST A BIT LONGER THAN THAT. BEFORE AL THE REPORTS I WAS FEELING AS THOUGH THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH JUST MY SET OF OEM TIRES, BUT I SEE THAT A LOT OF OTHERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726696August 4, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
OUTER TREAD IS PEELING AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866798August 4, 2000
TIRES
FIRESTONE ATX TIRES WERE ON THIS VEHICLE. LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER. IT WAS TOTALED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866897August 4, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 920; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE, TREAD CAME OFF OF TIRES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726550August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD SEPARATED FROM LEFT, REAR TIRE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AS A RESULT, WENT ONTO LEFT SHOULDER OF ROAD, CORRECTED TO COME BACK TO LEFT LANE AND EXPLORER BEGAN TO ROLL, ROLLED APPROXIMATELY TWO TIMES BEFORE LANDING ON RIGHT SHOULDER OF ROAD. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#726585August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
MY RIGHT REAR FIRESTONE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE EXPLORER, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I SKIDDED INTO THE PATH OF AN ONCOMMING CAR AND WAS "T-BONED" BY THAT CAR ON MY DRIVERS SIDE. THE TIRE WAS RECORDED AS "DEFECTIVE" ON THE POLICE ACCIDENT REPORT. ALL COMMENTS ARE FROM THE POLICE ACCIDENT REPORT. I HAVE NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT. I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND WAS FLOWN BY LIFEFLIGHT TO THE NEAREST TRAUMA HOSPITAL. I AM STILL TRYING TO RECOVER AND REGAIN MY LIFE. PLEASE RECALL THESE DANGEROUS TIRES BEFORE THEY KILL AND INJURE MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE.( DOT NUMBER: )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#726483August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM JACKSON,MS ON INTERSTATE 20 ON SAT. JULY8,2000, OUR CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND MAKING A NOISE. MY DAUGHTER ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG AND WHAT TO DO. I TOLD HER THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD A BLOW OUT. I INSTRUCTED HER TO BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN AS MUCH AND AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND TRY TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN AND SHE WAS MAINTAINING CONTROL UNTIL SOMETHING STOPPED THE CAR FROM ROLLING AND SHE LOST CONTROL AS IF SOMETHING WAS PHYSICALLY PULLING THE WHEEL HARD TO THE RIGHT. SHE THEN LOST COMPLETE CONTROL AND THE CAR STARTED TURNING TO THE RIGHT. WE THEN HIT A BRIDGE ABUTMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, THE CAR SPINNED COMPLETELY AROUND FROM THE FIRST IMPACT WITH THE BRIDGE AND THEN WE HIT THE BRIDGE ON THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SIDE, WE WERE KNOCKED CLEAR OF THE BRIDGE AND HEADED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT TOWARD A LARGE STAND OF PINES AND THE CAR CAME TO REST JUST PAST THE DRIVING LANE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE HAD A WITNESSES FROM DALLAS, TEXAS, ALSO DRIVING AN SUV, WHO TOLD US THAT THEY SAW THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE THE STEEL BELT OF THE TIRE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MECHANISM UNDER THE CAR AND THEN SHE LOST TOTAL CONTROL. WE WERE TOLD BY THE STATE TROOPER WHO ACCOMPANIED US TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM THAT HE WAS GLAD WE HIT THE BRIDGE LIKE WE DID BECAUSE IF WE HAD NOT WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY ROLLED OR HIT THE STAND OF PINES AFTER GOING AIRBORNE HEAD ON. HE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS IN A SITUATION LIKE OURS THAT THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE CRITICALLY HURT OR KILLED. MY HUSBAND AND I FEEL THAT THE FIRESTONE COMPANY AND/OR THE FORD MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE OUR VEHICLE WITH A NEW ONE AND AT THE LEAST, PAY OUR MEDICAL EXPENSES WHICH WERE MINIMAL ACCORDING TO THE TERRIBLE ACCIDENT WE HAD. WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL EVERY ONE WE ARE ACQUAINTED WITH KNOWS HOW NEGLIGENT THE MANUFACTURERS ARE IN THIS MATTER. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#866693August 3, 2000
SUSPENSION:FRONT, TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, TRUCK PULLED SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S RIGHT FRONT SIDE CONTINUED TO SHEAR ON THE INSIDE. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS, SIZE P23575R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT SOLD WITH EXPLORER. TIRES WERE ALIGNED AND SWITCHED AROUND, BUT CONTINUED TO PULL TO RIGHT, AND SHEARED THE TIRES. *AK *ML
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866707August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
EQUIPPED WITH WILDERNESS/ATX TIRES VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TIRE SEPARATION TO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. A FORD DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, AND REPLACED THE TIRES WITH TWO NEW WILDERNESS TIRES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866718August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70, TREAD ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE. TWO PASSENGERS WERE IN THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THIS WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE, SIZE P23575R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. FIRESTONE WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OWNER WAS TOLD TO TAKE TIRE TO A FIRESTONE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK FIRESTONE WILDERNESS P235/75/R15 *MW
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866731August 3, 2000
TIRES
VEHICLE HAS THE WILDERNESS/ATX TIRES. WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE COMPLETELY SEPARATED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#866743August 3, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00-020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVER'S SIDE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND EXPLODED. VEHICLE STARTED TO GO OUT OF CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE INJURED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#726420August 2, 2000
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
EXPERIENCING A NOICE AND VIBRATION AT IDLE STAGE, WHEN ACELERATING LOSE OF POWER, SMOKE FROM ENGINE DO NOT KNOW THE SOURCE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726445August 2, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I HEARD A THUMP FROM UNDER CAR IN REAR. LESS THAN TWO MINUTES LATER I HEARD ANOTHER THUMPING. I LOOKED INTO MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SAW SOMETHING ROLL TO SHOULDER OF ROAD, BUT DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. I DECIDED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY TO INVESTIGATE. ON MY INVESTIGATION I NOTICE A LARGE CHUNK (SIZE OF A LARGE ORANGE)OF THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE MISSING. ALL THE TIRES APPEAR TO HAVE A LINE OF SEPERATION YET PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT ON THEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: 027477 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726458August 2, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
6 TIRE FAILURES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS ON AN AVERAGE OF EVERY 5000 MILES ON THE FAILED TIRES, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#726462August 2, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE BLEW OUT ON MAJOR HIGHWAY. CAUSED VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL INTO ONCOMING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. NARROWLY MISSED SEVERAL HEAD-ON COLLISIONS. TRUCK WAS SKIDDING ON RIMS. STILL HAVE TIRE REMNANTS. EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN USA TODAY ARTICLE. POLICE RESPONDED, BUT NO REPORT TAKEN, AS THERE WAS NO COLLISION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75/10 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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