Ford Explorer Complaints (1997)

1,773 consumer complaints on file.

#10047480November 24, 2003
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
LOSS OF REVERSE. FAILURE OF BEARING RACE ABOVE VALVE BODY CAUSED FLUID TO BE PORTED TO BOTH FORWARD AND REVERSE DRIVE AT SAME TIME. WHEN REVERSE WAS SELECTED, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY TRAVEL IN REARWARD DIRECTION TWO TO THREE FEET BEFORE BINDING AND ALL MOTION CEASED. DRIVE FORWARD WAS NOT ADVERSELY EFFECTED BEFORE THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED. FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT UNIT AT THE COST OF $2800. WITH ONLY 61000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I OPTED FOR A SECOND OPINION. A RELIABLE TRANSMISSION SHOP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE "EXPLODER" TRANSMISSION AND COMPLETELY REBUILT THE UNIT FOR HALF THE FORD REPLACEMENT COST. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047371November 22, 2003
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
HEATER BLEND DOOR HAS BROKEN, SO DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK. DIFFICULTY SEEING OUT FRONT WINDOW IN COLD WEATHER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, FOR WHICH I WAS QUOTED A $900 REPAIR. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047394November 22, 2003
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
TEMPERATURE CONTROL BLEND DOOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. STUCK ON COLD. UNABLE TO DEFROST AND DEFOG WINDOWS. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10047965November 14, 2003
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10046950November 14, 2003
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CANNOT ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM - ALWAYS BLOWS COLD AIR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE WRONG PARTS AT TIME OF PRODUCTION. THE PART FAILS AND THEN YOU CANNOT ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE - IT ALWAYS BLOWS COLD AIR. THIS, IT SEEMS TO ME, IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP WINDOWS CLEAR IN COLD CLIMATES. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10044560October 22, 2003
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
CONSUMER TURNED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ALARM CHIMED, INDICATING THAT A DOOR WAS AJAR. DRIVER GOT OUT TO CHECK THE DOORS. HEARD SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE GEAR WAS ENGAGING. THEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. CONSUMER GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL BUT WAS DRAGGED 300 FEET BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP BY SLAMMING INTO A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10040176October 12, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY POPPED INTO 4X4 MODE WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THAT HAPPENED THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. *NLM THE VEHICLES WIPERS ALSO BECAME INOPERABLE. THE WINDOWS COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT ALL THESE FAILURES WERE AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY GEM MODULE. THE MODULE HAS BEEN RECALLED IN CANADA. *TS *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10042656October 9, 2003
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
IN A ROLL OVER CRASH CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS KILLED DUE TO REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLE DISCONNECTING, AND SHE WAS EJECTED FROM FRONT WINDSHIELD.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
1
#10041371October 7, 2003
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
DEFROSTER DOES NOT DEFROST/DEFOG WINDSHIELD DUE TO THE HEAT/AC BLEND DOOR BEING BROKEN. COMMON PROBLEM FOR FORD EXPLORERS. FORD IS REMISS IN NOT RECALLING THE VEHICLE TO FIX THIS HAZARDOUS CONDITION. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10029528October 1, 2003
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AS STATED IN RECALL 99 V 062 00, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGED, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED THREE TIMED. *AK *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10040494September 24, 2003
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT BACK FELL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VEER ACROSS THE ROAD. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10039900September 12, 2003
SEATS
NHTSA# 03-V-281-000 ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. THE CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *PH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10038324September 5, 2003
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
CONSUMER STATES REAR DOORS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK DUE TO LATCHES BREAKING. DOOR LATCHES HAD BEEN REPAIRED FOUR TIMES.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10036957August 31, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
ENGINE SURGING WHEN COLD. I HAVE HAD THE CODES READ AND WILL NOT TELL WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. POOR GAS MILEAGE. VALVES RATTLING WHEN START UP OF ENGINE FOR SEVERAL SECOUNDS AND THEN STOPS RATTLING. BLACK SUTT IN EXHAUST PIPE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10034600August 26, 2003
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
DURING A VEHICLE INSPECTION SEVERAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR WAS BROKEN AND THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT DOESN'T WORK. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10034339August 22, 2003
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM VEHICLE. DRIVER FOUND THE CABLE THAT WAS HOLDING THE TIRE, IT LOOKED SHREDDED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10033107August 19, 2003
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
BROKEN FRONT SEAT LATCH ON 1997 EXPLORER SPORT FROD MOTOR CO ACKNOWLEDEGES PART DEFECT (REFER TECHINACAL SERVICE BULLETIN 98-25-15) BUT DOES NOT FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE PART BECUSE A RECALL WAS NOT ORDERED.*AK I HAVE SEEN ARTICLES ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS BEING A WARRANTY REPAIR BUT FORD WILL NOT HONOR ON VEHICLE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10032716August 13, 2003
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER, EQUIPMENT, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SEAT BELTS IN BACK SEAT AND SPEED CONTROL WILL NOT CANCEL AFTER BEING SET. A LADY HAD LATCH HER SEAT BELT IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT,AND IT WOULD NOT RELEASE HAD TO CUT THE BELT TO GET HER OUT.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10032335August 6, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE KEYS CAN BE REMOVED AND VEHICLE WILL STILL OPERATE AS THOUGH KEYS ARE STILL IN IT. ALSO, VEHICLE WILL START UP ON ITS OWN BEFORE THE KEY IS INSERTED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10032191August 6, 2003
AIR BAGS
ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC LAST MONTH WHICH STATED CLOCKSPRING HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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