Ford Explorer Complaints (1997)

1,773 consumer complaints on file.

#701355December 14, 1998
AIR BAGS
THE ABSENCE OF A DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DISABLE SWITCH HAS FAILED THE SAFETY STANDARDS OF THE COUNTRY, MORALLY. I AM APPAULED THE MANUFACTURERS WON'T RECALL THESE VEHICLES, OR GIVE OWNERS THE OPTION FOR FREE DISABLE SWITCHES TO BE INSTALLED. IN ADDITION, WITH ALL THE REPORTS OF DEATHS TO INFANTS AND TEENS WITH DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS, I'M INSULTED THAT I NEED MY GOVERNMENTS PERMISSION TO INSTALL A DISABLE SWITCH TO PROTECT MY FAMILY. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT, EVERYONE KNOWS IT. THE MANUFACTURER IS RESPONSIBLE. IT SHOULD BE A MASSIVE RECALL. NHTSA SHOULD MANDATE ALL MANUFACTURERS TO RETROFIT ALL VEHICLES WITH PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS WITH DISABLE SWITCHES. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.CONCERN ABOUT AIR BAG ON-OFF SWITCH. ADDED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#832105December 10, 1998
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR
THE LOCATION OF REAR VIEW MIRROR IS MOUNTED TOO LOW, WHICH OBSTRUCTS DRIVERS VISION. DRIVER NOT ABLE TO SEE TO THE RIGHT CLEARLY. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK *SB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#701162December 7, 1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
ELECTRONIC MODULE FAILURE NOT AN ADD ON COMPONENT. PLEASE CONTAC JOHN AT SUPERIOR INVESTIGATIONS AT THE ABOVE WORK NUMBER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#831601December 2, 1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
WHEN MAKING PANIC STOPS PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR BUT HITS ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS CAUSED BRAKES & WHEELS TO SQUEAK. LOCATION OF BRAKE & ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE. CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#701022November 30, 1998
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME PROBABLY OVER 100 TIMES IN 2 YEARS. AFTER UNBUCKLING THE SEATBELT, THE SEATBELT STARTS TO RETRACT AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO. HOWEVER, JUST BEFORE FULLY RETRACTING, WITH ABOUT 7-8 INCHES TO GO, THE BELT GETS TWISTED JUST BEFORE IT ENTERS THE BELT SHOULDER GUIDE/SUPPORT/SLIDE (EXACT NAME UNKNOWN--MOUNTED ON FRAME, ABOUT EAR LEVEL WHEN SEATED IN CAR, CHANGES THE DIRECTION OF THE BELT POSITION TO VERTICAL). IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE BUCKLE (MALE END) IS OFF CENTER IN RELATION TO THE BELT AND CAUSES THE BELT TO TWIST. THIS TWIST PREVENTS THE BELT FROM SLIDING THROUGHT THE SHOULDER BELT SUPPORT/GUIDE/SLIDE. THE 7-8 INCHES OF SLACK GETS CAUGHT IN THE DOOR AFTER EXITING AND CLOSING THE DOOR. AFTER RE-ENTERING THE CAR AND CLOSING THE DOOR, THE SLACK IN THE BELT IS STILL THERE (NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE EXITING THE CAR). THE SEAT BELT CAN BE EASILY BUCKLED (IT JUST TAKES ADDITIONAL BELT OFF THE RETRACTION ROLLER) BUT THE BELT IS STILL STUCK IN THE DOOR AND THE DRIVER WOULD NEVER KNOW IT. A SLIGHT TUG ON THE BELT FREES IT FROM THE DOOR AND THE EXCESS BELT IS RETRACTED. THIS IS A PROBLEM SHOULD THE BELT BE CALLED UPON TO WORK WITH THE SLACK CAUGHT IN THE DOOR. IN A HEAD-ON, THE BODY MOVING FORWARD WOULD NOT BE RESTRAINED UNTIL THE SLACK PART OF THE BELT IS NO LONGER STUCK IN THE DOOR. (THE BODY MOVING FORWARD FREES THE BELT FROM THE DOOR). I'M SORRY FOR THE LENGTHY DESCRIPTION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#831077November 19, 1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME PROBLEMS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#831040November 18, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHEN VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED, RESULTING IN VEHICLE HITTING HIS OTHER VEHICLES WHICH WERE ALSO PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE ACCELERATOR STUCK. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#542655November 18, 1998
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM
BOLT HOLDING UPPER CONTROL ARM FAILED CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WHEN THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATED FROM BALL JOINT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#830358November 9, 1998
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
UPPER BALL JOINT FELL APART AT 5MPH, AND DRIVER LOST CONTROL. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#830235November 5, 1998
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE WHEN WHEELS MADE A THUMPING NOISE. THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHEN TURNING WHEELS. HAD TO HAVE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829946November 2, 1998
SUSPENSION:FRONT
HEARD A BANG & WHEEL WAS ON ITS SIDE. LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION CAUSED WHEEL TO TILT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 5MPH. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC SAID BOLT WAS LEFT OFF OR WAS MISSING FROM THE SUSPENSION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829733October 29, 1998
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
REAR DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S DOOR HANDLES HAVE BROKEN, CAUSING THE OCCUPANTS NOT TO BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE REAR DOORS. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829379October 23, 1998
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS IN THE RAIN. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER NEVER TURNED BACK ON. CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781376October 22, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE. VEHICLE STOPPED BY TURNING ENGINE OFF.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781527October 22, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS, STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. ALSO,BRAKES COMPLETELY FADED. VEHICLE STOPPED BY TURNING ENGINE OFF, STOP MADE WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR BRAKES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#828294September 28, 1998
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH THE EXPLORER BEGAN TO TRAVEL AT A SPEED OF 80 MPH BECAUSE THE FLOOR MAT GOT STUCK UNDER THE PEDAL. DRIVER SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP THE SUV WHILE USING THE BRAKES. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#541059September 23, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CAR SURGES OUT OF CONTROL REGARDLESS OF THE GEAR AND WITHOUT WARNING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#828120September 22, 1998
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR OPENS INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#828067September 21, 1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WHEN PULLING OFF THE VEHICLE CHOKES OFF. DEALER CONTACTED AND STATES A COMPUTER PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#540765September 11, 1998
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DURING A COLLISION RESULTED IN DRIVER SUSTAINING INJURIES. VEHICLE TOTALED.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

← Back to Ford Explorer