1997 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

CAM CHAIN TENSIONNERS REPLACED AT 19004 MILES DEC. 1998 BUT STILL MAKING RATTLING NOISE WHEN STARTING

THE REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. OCCUPANTS HAVE OPENED DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER FAILED DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEMS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE UPON STARTUP AND WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. NLM

TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW UP. DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE. PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 70MPH, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK COLLAPSED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH WITH SNOW ON PAVEMENT CONSUMER HEARD NOISE UNDER VEHICLE. ALL 4 WHEELS LOCKED UP, CAUSING TRUCK TO ROLLOVER. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ALL FOUR WILDERNESS AT P23575R15 TIRES REPLACED PRIOR TO RECALL 00T-005, TIRES WERE BADLY DAMAGED, FIRESTONE WILL NOT HONOR REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST. *CJ

FIRESTONE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. *SLC

GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S TIRES (P235R15) EXPERIENCED BLOWOUT, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN CONSUMER DRIVES SHE CAN FEEL EVERY BUMP IN THE ROAD. *AK

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE WAS FROZEN. YH

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A STOP THE LIP ON THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BECAME STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

RECALL REPAIR DENIED DUE TO MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. (98S09) *MJS

WHILE DRIVING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELL OFF, CATCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE WELD TO THE FIREWALL BROKE. NLM

REAR BRAKES ARE SHOT AND THE SEAT HANDLE IS BROKEN. MY DEALER SAYS THAT VEHICLE IS NOT COVER UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT, THERE IS A TSB # 98-25-15 FOR THE SEAT HANDLE, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MY BRAKES OR REAR ROTORS ARE WARPED. ALREADY THEY DID REPLACETHE FRONT ONES AND THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THE REAR AT THE SAME TIME BUT THEY DID NOT. NOW I AM THE ONE WHO HAS TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THEM. THIS SHOULD BE A WARRANTY ITEM TAHT ALL THERE IS TO IT. HOPE I HERE FROM SOME ONE BUT I DOUGHT IT. *AK

UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE INTAKE GASKETS ARE LEAKING, CAUSING AIR TO ENTER INTO THE CYLINDER, RESULTING IN ENGINE IDLING ERRATICALLY AND EVENTUALLY NO START. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

REAR RESTRAINTS ARE INOPERAPLE. THE RESTRAINTS WILL NOT RETRACT. DEALER HAS BENE NOTIFIED. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MY '97 EXPLORER SPORT MAKES A DIESELY NOISE. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE FORD ENTHUSIASTS MESSAGE BOARDS. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL REPAIRS DONE AND IT HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. I'VE HEARD BELT TENSIONER, CAT CONVERTER, HEAT SHEILD, LIFTERS , BEARINGS, ARM ROCKERS, AND EVEN ROD KNOCK. IVE ALSO HEARD THERE WAS A BATCH OF '96- EARLY '98 EXPLORES MADE TYPICALLY THE SOHC. I WANT SOME ANSWERS. I AM FED UP WITH HAVING UNNECESSAY REPAIRS DONE TO MY TRUCK. PLEASE CONTACT ME. *AK

EA99001, THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP FORWARD OR BACKWARD. ALSO, WHILE STARTING VEHICLE, IT WILL STALL OUT WHEN PLACING IT IN GEAR. OWNER THINKS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED. *AK *ML

WHILE TRAVELING 0-25 MPH AFTER STOPPING VEHICLE SHUTDOWN WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS. ALSO, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT FLASHED. DLR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

BACK ORDER SINCE JANUARY BECAUSE REPLACING BAD ON ALL EXPLORERS AND NO RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMM ARY. *AK

AUTOMATIC LEVELING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING REAR OF VEHICLE TO RISE ABOUT 10-12 INCHES HIGH WITHOUT WARNING, AND WITHOUT PUSHING ANY BUTTONS. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *AK

DEFECTIVE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL AFTER STARTING VEHICLE WHEN IT IS COLD. PARTS ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. CONSUMER HAS BEEN WAITING AT LEAST 31/2 MONTHS, AND CANNOT GET VEHICLE FIXED. *AK

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES TO THE FLOORBOARD VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL. AS RESULT OF BRAKE FAILURE, CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FRO ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE CAN NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS, O-RINGS, (99V-060). *MJS

WHEN DRIVING AT 70 MPH REAR FIRESTONE TIRES BLEWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FLIP AND ROLLOVER THREE TIMES INTO A EMBANKMENT. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

I WAS JUST WONDERING WHY DREAGER FORD DID NOT TELL ME OF THE RECALLS (I SAW FROM YOUR WEBSITE) WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO BE WORKED ON THREE DEFERENT TIMES FOR A CHARGING PROBLEM. ALSO IS THERE A WAY TO TRACE THIS VEHICLE HISTORY USING THE VIN NUMBER? NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

EXPERIENCING A NOICE AND VIBRATION AT IDLE STAGE, WHEN ACELERATING LOSE OF POWER, SMOKE FROM ENGINE DO NOT KNOW THE SOURCE. *AK

PE00-020: WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN TIRE BLEW. CHECKED THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRE P275/75R16 & TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM REAR LEFT TIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE TIRE SHOP & HAD THE TIRE REPLACED. DO NOT HAVE THE TIRE. *AK

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

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

OUTER TREAD IS PEELING AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TIRE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

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

ORGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH 1997 EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. HOWEVER, PROBLEM HAS BECOME WORSE. FORD SAID NO PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE. *AK THE DEALER INDICATED THAT 55 PSI ON THE TIRES WAS TOO MUCH AND SHOULD BE 3O PSI. HOWEVER, THE CUSTOMER SAYS THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TIRES. *YH

WHILE DRIVING OVER A SET OF RAIL ROAD TRACKS FRONT RIGHT FIRESTONE TIRE BLEWOUT CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, AND WAS LOST. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NOTED HAIRLINE FISSURE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AT EXACT LEVEL OF TREAD SEPARATION DEPICTED IN CBS NEWS REPORT OF AUG. 8,2000. TOLD BY LOCAL FIRESTONE STORE MANAGER THIS WAS "NORMAL". OFFERRED ME A NEW SET OF TIRES AT A DISCOUNT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY DEFECT WHICH ACCORDING TO LAW REQUIRES FREE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE PHOTOS OF DEFECT.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

PE00 020; CONSUMER HEARD THAT THE FIRESTONE #ATX TIRES WERE ON RECALL. CONSUMER TOOK TIRES TO FIRESTONE, AND NOTICED CRACKS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRES. *AK TIRES WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE DEALER PRIOR TO RECALL. *YH

THE TIRES (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT) ON THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR AND CUPPING, VEHICLE ALSO PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT AND APPEARED TO BE VERY UNSTABLE AND UNSAFE. NLM

NO SUMMARY.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P23570R16 )

MIGHT BE IN DIRECT RELATION OF THE TIRE RECALL ON THE FORD SUV'S - WE'VE HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT END ALIGNED TWICE IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS. DEALER SAID IT WAS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH FORD EXPLORER AND THE TIRES THAT IS CAUSING THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM.

REGARDING THE FIRESTONE ATX TIRES RECENTLY IN THE NEWS. I DO WANT TO REPORT THAT I DID HAVE A FIRESTONE ATX TIRE THAT CAME APART LAST YEAR (SEPT. 1999-THE TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY) AFTER A TRIP FROM CHARLESTON SC TO WILLIAMSBURG VA. I HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN AT THE REAR LEFT TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT A LARGE PIECE OF TREAD HAD PEELED OFF THE TIRE. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE TIRE SHOULD NOT OF DONE THAT-I CALLED MY HUSAND AND HE ADVISED ME TO CALL AAA AUTOSERVICE, HAVE THE SPARE PUT ON AND GO TO FIRESTONE AND PURCHASE TWO NEW TIRES. THANK GOODNESS I NOTICED THE BAD TIRE WHEN I DID.

WHEN DRIVING OVER 60 MPH MY TIRES EXHIBIT A "HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION" SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED IN A 10-11-96 FORD MEMO, PROVIDED TO NHTSA. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH A FORD DEALER WHO ADVISED ME THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT, BUT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HOWEVER, THE SUBJECT MEMO ALSO STATED THAT "THESE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH LIKE TIRES". SO, AM I BEING LIED TO ? THESE TIRES SHOULD BE REPLACED BEFORE AND ACCIDENT/INJURY/DEATH OCCUR.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P25570R/16 )

MY 18 YEAR SON IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE AND WILL BE LEAVING FOR COLLEGE TEN DAYS. HIS SAFETY IS MY PRIMARY CONCERN AND AFTER SEEING THE AWFUL ACCIDENTS/DEATHS REPORTED IN RECENT WEEKS I WISH TO RECEIVED MORE INFORMATION. ALL THE INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM FIRESTONE IS THAT THE TIRES ARE SAFE. THIS IS EASY FOR THEM TO TELL ME AS THE CONSUMER. WE ARE PLAYING WITH THE LIVES OF MANY HUMAN BEINGS, MY SON INCLUDED. YES, I NEED A MORE INFORMED, CARING ANSWER THAN THE TIRES ARE SAFE. I HAVE DOCUMENTED EACH AND EVERY CONVERSATION I HAVE HAD WITH EITHER FIRESTONE OR FORD MOTOR COMPANY. PLEASE HELP ALL OF US BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: ? )

PE00020; TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: ALL FOUR TIRES WERE SEPARATING/CRACKING AROUND TREAD LINE. TIRE SIZE WAS P25570R16, ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE TIRES. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT FORD HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIRES. *AK ALL FOUR TIRES THAT CRACKED ALONG TREAD LINE WERE REPLACED BY THE CUSTOMER. *YH

THESE TIRES DO NOT HAVE A DOT NUMBER BEGINNING WITH A "VD" RATHER BM. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION- THERE ARE FINE CRACKS AROUND THE COMPLETE CIRCUMFRANCE OF THE TIRE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE APPROXIMATELY 1/2-INCH DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE TREAD ON ALL FOUR TIRES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: BM 07459-3 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16 )

I JUST WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT I HAVE A DIFFERENT SIZE OF THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT'S, I HAVE TAKEN THEM TO FIRESTONE. THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT THE "RECALL" SIZE. THE TIRES DO APPEAR TO BE SEPERATING. I AM NOT WAITING FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION. I FEEL MY FAMLIES LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN $450.00 FOR A NEW SET OF TIRES. I KNOW YOU ARE DOING ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION. IF YOU FIND THAT OTHER SIZES ARE AT FAULT, PLEASE CONSIDER THE PEOPLE THAT HAD THEM SWITCHED UPON ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL. I AM GOING TO KEEP MY FIRESTONE'S IN THE GARAGE FOR AWHILE UNTIL YOUR INVESTIGATION IS OVER. ALSO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THE SIZE THEY RECALLED IS THE MOST POPULAR OF THE FIRESTONE'S INSTALLED ON EXPLORERS, BUT THE 16" WHEEL IS AN OPTION ON THE VEHICLE. SO IF "MOST" OF THE ACCIDENTS OCCURED ON THE 15" THAT WOULD JIVE WITH THE RATIO !! ALSO CONSIDER THAT THE VEHICLES SOLD IN THE SOUTH ARE THE ONES WITH PROBLEMS... MAYBE BECAUSE OF HEAT AS REPORTED. . DOES FORD SHIP VEHICLES FROM SPECIFIC ASSEMBLY PLANTS TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE COUNTRY ? IF SO THIS COULD EXPLAIN WHY IT APPEARS TO BE ONLY FROM THE DECATUR PLANT, WHEN IN FACT IT COULD BE THAT JUST THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES THAT GET SHIPPED TO THE SOUTHERN STATES ARE THE ONES THAT GET TIRES FROM THE DECATUR PLANT ?? JUST A LOGICAL THOUGHT THAT CROSSED MY MIND. I APPRECIATE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND RESPECT THE OUTCOME OF YOUR INVESTIGATION REGARDLESS OF THE CONCLUSION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING MY E-MAIL DURING THIS BUSY TIME !!!! V/R, BILL BREEDLOVE WMBREED@AOL.COM( DOT NUMBER: WH????? TIRE SIZE: 255/70/16 )