Ford Explorer Complaints (1996)

1,450 consumer complaints on file.

#730796September 8, 2000
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. WHEN IN DRIVE THE CAR COASTS AT ABOUT 1 MPH. IT WILL GO INTO REVERSE AND PARK OK. THE CAR IS DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL TO LIGHT DRIVING CONDITIONS. I HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR TOWING. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS BEEN CHECKED AND IT IS FINE. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ON 3/9/2000. JUST A WEEK PRIOR TO THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION WARRANTY WORK WAS COMPLETED ON THE TRANSFER CASE AND NOTHING WAS NOTED AS BEING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE LAST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE IN JUNE 2000. THE BRAKES PULSATE WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGH SPEEDS. THEY WERE SERVICED ONCE BY FORD FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE SERVICING DID NOT CORRECT IT. FORD REFUSED TO SERVICE THEM AGAIN AND THEY CONTINUE TO PULSATE WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGH SPEEDS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730813September 8, 2000
TIRES
FIRESTONE/EXPLORER TIRE BLOWOUT; PHOTOGRAPH OF TREAD SEPARATION WAS TAKEN AND IS AVAILABLE; TIRES REPLACED, MY COST( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730821September 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE HAVING MY VEHICLE INSPECTED RECENTLY ATTENTION WAS CALLED TO EACH OF MY TIRES. THERE ARE TINY HAIR LINE CRACKS ALL AROUND EACH TIRE AT THE TREAD AS IF THIS IS WHERE IT WOULD SEPARATE. I COMPARED THE TIRES TO MY DAUGHTER'S TIRES WHICH WERE RECALLED, AND SHE HAD NO SUCH CRACKS OR LINES.( DOT NUMBER: VNCUIPL245 TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730824September 8, 2000
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
I KNOW LEAKING OIL FROM VENT TUBE IS A LARGER PROBLEM BECAUSE FORD HAS HAD TO HAVE A RETRO KIT MADE TO SOLVE LEAKING OIL. I RECEIVED NO HELP FROM FORD FOR REPAIR COST.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#870019September 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY IN T FAST LANE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT OUT ANDF CONSUMER LOST CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. FIRESTONE ATX. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
4
Deaths:
0
#870021September 8, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
AFTER RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE, DEALER INDICATED THAT TIRES WERE NOT ON RECALL. BUT, CONSUMER INSPECTED THE TIRES, AND FOUND CRACKS ON THEM. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS, P255/70R16. *AK THE CUSTOMER STATES THAT THESE WERE THE SAME TIRES FORD HAD RECALLED OVERSEAS AND ARE NOT SAFE. *YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#870026September 8, 2000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ON AUGUST 9, 2000, EXPLORER WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT PRIOR TO TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT THERE HAD BEEN SOME SLIPPING, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#554387September 7, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE WILDERNESS 16" TIRES ARE STARTING TO EXPERIENCE TREAD SEPARATION, CONSUMER REQUESTS FIRESTONE REPLACE FAULTY TIRES. *SLC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730565September 7, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I PURCHASED 4 ATX TIRES 04-28-1997 FROM THE FIRESTONE TIRE CENTER,6783 W. CANYON AVE, LITTLETON CO 80123. ON JULY 17TH, 1997 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE THREW ITS TREAD WHILE I WAS GOING AROUN A CURVE ON THE HIGHWAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO OTHER TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TIRE BLAMES THE TREAD SEPARATION ON A ROAD HAZARD BUT THEY DID REPLACE THE TIRE UNDER WARRANTY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235 75 15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730640September 7, 2000
SEATS
SEAT BACK FAILURE DRIVERS BUCKET SEAT, BOLT FRACTURED, SEAT BACK FELL TO RECLINE, LOSS OF CONTROL POSSIBLE IF AT DRIVING SPEED
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730650September 7, 2000
TIRES
THE 1ST INCIDENT REPORTED WAS A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT OF A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT LT235/75R15 DOT VDHK AWZ. IT OCCURRED LATE AT NIGHT ON A COLD FEBRUARY NIGHT (2/21/99) ON A WISCONSIN INTERSTATE. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SIGN OF ANYTHING ON THE ROAD, AN( DOT NUMBER: VDHK AWZ TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730666September 7, 2000
TIRES
I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT JUST TODAY IN A PRIOR REPORT, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE NECESSARY INFO., SO THIS IS THE COMPLETE INFO. THIS TIRE FAILED IN A CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUT, LATE ON A VERY COLD NIGHT ON INTERSTATE 94 IN WISCONSIN. THERE WAS N( DOT NUMBER: VDHKAWZ TIRE SIZE: LT23575R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730670September 7, 2000
TIRES
THESE 3 INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS ON A VERY HOT DAY (>100) IN ID. ONE PUNCTURE AND THEN ONE BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON DIRT ROADS. THE LAST BLOWOUT OCCURRED ON PAVEMENT. BOTH BLOWOUTS INVOLVED SEPARATION OF THE TREAD FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE.( DOT NUMBER: W2UU1MX TIRE SIZE: P225/70R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730714September 7, 2000
TIRES
I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE , HENCE NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THESE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AT 74960 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE WAS TAKEN TO THE FIRSTONE STORE IN MADISON, WI AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE BLOWOUT WAS DUE TO 'ROAD HAZARD' AND NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I BOUGHT A NEW TIRE AND THEN CONTACTED FIRESTONE DIRECTLY AND EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT THAT THIS FAILED TIRE HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT; FIRESTONE THEN SENT ME A CHECK COVERING THE COST OF THE NEW TIRE. THE BLOWOUT POINT WAS WHERE THE TREAD WAS VULCANIZED TO THE SIDEWALL. ALSO STARTING IN MAY, 2000 (80702 MILES) I HAD TROUBLE KEEPING THESE TIRES BALANCED; AFTER THE TIRES WARMED UP THERE WAS A SEVERE VIBRATION STARTING AT APPROXIAMETLY 55 MPH. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED THREE TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT SIX WEEKS. I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED BY FIRESTONE AND JUST ONE OF THE TIRES HAD THE 'DOT VD' MARKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE FIRESTONE REP THAT THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL OF THE TIRES, FIRESTONE WOULD REPLACE THE ONE TIRE AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OTHER THREE. FIRESTONE DID NOT HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT TIRES IN STOCK AND COULDN'T GIVE ME A TARGET DATE. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THE VIBRATIONS WERE DUE TO THE VEHICLE AND NOT THE TIRES SO IT WAS A FORD PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE, AT MY COST, REPLACED THE FIRESTONES WITH MICHELINS; THE NEW TIRES CURED THE VIBRATIONS. I HAVE MY TIRES INFLATED AT 32 TO 35 PSI AT ALL TIMES.( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P235 75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#869953September 7, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. A PIECE OF TIRE TREAD WAS MISSING. MOLDING WAS DAMAGED, AND LEFT REAR TIRE WAS DAMAGED. FIRESTONE, #ATX P23570R15. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED FIRESTONE.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730412September 6, 2000
TIRES, STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
AS REPORTED ON 9/5/00 (BEFORE THE TIRE RECALL HEARINGS ON 9/6/00) TO SENATORS RICHARD SHELBY AND FRANK LAUTENBERG AND HOUSE REPRESENTATVES W.J. "BILLY" TAUZIN AND FRED UPTON: I RECENTLY READ IN THE TIMES THAT THE EXPLORER TIRE THAT BLOWS OUT MOST OFTEN IS THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE, WHICH MAKES ME WONDER IF THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. UPON CLOSELY EXAMINING MY 96 EXPLORER (WHICH DIDN'T COME WITH FIRESTONE TIRES, BY THE WAY), I FOUND THAT THE BODY LEANS TO THE LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE), RESULTING IN A VERTICAL SAG OF ABOUT HALF AN INCH ON THAT SIDE. I CONFIRMED THAT THE SAG IS NOT RELATED TO VEHICLE LOADING - THE SAG PERSISTS WITH BOTH VEHICLE AND GAS TANK EMPTY; OR TO WEAKENED SPRINGS - THE CHASIS STAYS LEVEL, ONLY THE BODY SAGS. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. SINCE THEN, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO, I HAVE BEEN CLOSELY OBSERVING EXPLORERS AND OTHER SUV'S ON THE ROAD AND IN PARKING LOTS. THE RESULTS OF MY ADMITTEDLY NOT-SO-SCIENTIFIC SURVEY ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) ABOUT 50% OF THE OLDER EXPLORERS ON THE ROAD SHOW A SIMILAR SAG TO THE LEFT. (2) NONE OF THE EXPLORER'S OBSERVED SHOWED A SAG TO THE RIGHT. (3) LESS THAN 5% OF THE OTHER SUV'S OBSERVED SHOWED ANY SAG, WHICH WAS EQUALLY LIKELY TO BE TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. I THOUGHT I SHOULD PASS ON THIS INFORMATION TO YOU, FOR WHATEVER IT IS WORTH, BEFORE THE TIRE RECALL HEARINGS IN THE SENATE TOMORROW. SINCERELY, RAMESH DHINGRA. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730436September 6, 2000
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THESE TIRES HAVE SEPARATED FROM THEMSELVES AND I HAVE THEM FOR ANY ONE WHO WOULD LIKE THEM. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2IPY TIRE SIZE: P23575R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730442September 6, 2000
TIRES
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/75/15 )
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730468September 6, 2000
TIRES
THESE TIRES DISPLAY THE WARNING SIGNS OF THE PUBLISHED REPORTS OF THE FIRESTONE TIRE FAILURES. I REPLACED THE TIRES TODAY WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. THE GOODYEAR EXPERTS INSPECTED THE TIRES AND ADVISED ME THAT THE TIRES LOOKED LIKE THEY MEET THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE RECALL TIRES. THE TIRES ARE SEPERATING AROUND THE SIDE WALL AND TREAD. I LEFT THE GOODYEAR STORE AND PROCEEDED TO THE FIRESTONE STORE FOR THEM TO INSPECT THE TIRES. THE MANAGER AT THE FIRESTONE STORE TOLD ME THAT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT HE HAD WAS WHAT I COULD GET ON THE FIRESTONE WEB SITE. HE DID NOT INSPECT THE TIRES BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BEEN TOLD WHAT TO INSPECT FOR FROM FIRESTONE. I HAVE THE TIREES IN MY GARAGE AT THIS TIME AND WOULD LIKE FOR AN INVESTIGATOR TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. IF WHAT THE GOODYEAR EXPERTS REPORT IS TRUE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: VNCU1PL TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#730505September 6, 2000
TIRES
THE AUTO WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THANKFULLY DID NOT CRASH OR OVERTURN AS OUR 20 YR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND HAD 3 PASSENGERS.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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