2001 Ford Explorer Brakes Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONATCT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DEFECT OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON A HEAVILY TRAVELED ROAD, DRIVER 2 CARS AHEAD OF ME CAME TO A DEAD STOP. VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME HIT BRAKES HARD, I ALSO HIT MY BRAKES HARD, ON WET PAVEMENT. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT KICK IN, AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP.MY CAR SLID INTO THE REAR END OF DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME DOING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE. AS I HAD JUST COME THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I WAS NOT GOING MORE THAN ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR. THE WET PAVEMENT CAUSED MY CAR TO SKID QUITE A WAYS. THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE INCLUDED THE ENTIRE BUMPER COVER BUCKLING, BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS WERE DAMAGED AND BROKEN OUT. NONE OF THE COMPONENTS WERE PUSHED BACK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NEITHER THE DRIVER SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. MY PASSENGER WAS JOLTED FORWARD AND ALMOST HIT THE WINDSHIELD DESPITE HAVING SEAT BELT ON. I WAS JOLTED FORWARD AS WELL WITH SEAT BELT ON, AND MY CHEST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN ENGAGED, AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY IN EXTREMELY WARM WEATHER TEMPERATURES WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS POSITIONED CLOSE TO THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED THE ABS TO OVERHEAT AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

BRAKES, ROTORS, PADS, ARE NEW... THE EXPLORER SPORT STILL DOES NOT COME TO A FULL STOP ... (2001) MILES 4900, BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR AND KEEPS GOING 2 TO THREE FEET MORE BEFORE IT STOPS... *TR

I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. AFTER DRIVING FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME,(ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS) WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES THEY SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. AS YOU TRY TO COME TO A STOP AT ANY TIME THE BRAKES GO IN ANTI- LOCK MODE AND THEN GIVE OUT!! YOU HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET THEM TO HOLD. IT IS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD THE BRAKES REPAIRED AT MY FORD DEALER (FETTE FORD, CLIFTON NJ) NOT THAT MANY MILES AGO. AND THEY TELL YOU THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND IT'S MY BAD DRIVING HABITS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A WEBSITE (FORDBRAKES.COM) WHERE HUNDREDS OF DRIVERS DESCRIBE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND SIMILAR LIES TOLD TO THEM BY FORD SERVICE DEPTS. WHEN THIS STORY FINALLY GETS OUT AND WE START REALIZING HOW MANY ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND MAYBE DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST DOZEN YEARS. IT WILL PROBABLY RIVAL THE TOYOTA COVER-UP. PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND INVESTIGATE NOW!!! *TR

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARP AND BRAKES ARE BAD WITHIN 13,000 MILES. PROBLEM HAS RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. APPARENTLY THE BRAKES FOR THE HEAVIER FORD SPORT TRAC MODEL ARE FROM THE LIGHTER FORD RANGER AND UNDERSIZED. BRAKES FAILING ON THIS SHORT INTERVAL COULD LEAD TO DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WITH TOTALLY INADEQUATE BRAKING CAPACITY. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE THROTTLE AND SPEED CONTROL STUCK CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SURGE OVER 90 MPH. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE AT THE TIME. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND THE CONTACT STATED THE CONSTANT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES CAUSED THEM TO SMOKE AND ALMOST CATCH ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALERTED. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S CRUISE CONTROL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

THE DRIVER NOTICED WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE SRS LIGHT, ABS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. SUDDENLY, THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. ALL FOUR ROTORS WHERE REPLACED. *TC *SC *JB

2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT - INTERMITTENT LOCKING OF THE BRAKES WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO PULL HARD TO THE LEFT, CREATING AN UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE. THIS INTERMITTENT LOCKING CAN OCCUR AT ANY SPEED INCLUDING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY VERY DANGEROUS. VEHICLE CAN NOT BE SOLD AS IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, FORD MOTOR COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE VEHICLE. SEPTEMBER 2004 - 30,173 MILES. CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING. TECHNICIAN COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. OCTOBER 2004 - 30,400 MILES. CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE IS PULLING HARD TO LEFT WHEN BRAKING AT TIMES. TECHNICIAN COMMENTS "FOUND VEHICLE PULLING TO LEFT AND FELT POP IN PEDAL AND VEH STARTED BRAKING STRAIGHT, CHECKED BRAKES FOUND RIGHT INNER BRAKE PAD STUCK TRIED TO REPLACE BRAKE HARDWARE. REPLACED PADS TO GET HARDWARE KIT INSTALLED HARDWARE KIT AND NEW PADS AGAIN DROVE THE VEHICLE VEHICLE FOUND VEHICLE STOPS STRAIGHT." NOVEMBER 1, 2004 - CUSTOMER STATED THAT VEHICLE PULL HARD TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKING AT TIMES SERVICE COMPLETED BRAKE SERVICE - CALIPER ASY - BRAKE - LESS PAD - FLUID BRAKE - HUB ASY - WHEEL NOVEMBER 8, 2004 - 31,311 MILES. - CUSTOMER STATED BRAKES PULL TO THE LEFT AND LOCK UP! NEW PARTS AND ITEMS WORKED ON: ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROL AND MODULE, PIN POINT TEST, ANTI LOCK MODULE - REPLACE, SOLENOID VALVE BLOCK / HCU - REPLACE 5/9/2007 - 6/8/07, MILES 62,013 - FORD HAD THE VEHICLE FOR ONE MONTH, LISTED BELOW ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE REPAIRED FOR THE SAME HARD PULLING TO THE LEFT INTERMITTENTLY. - REPLACED FRONT AND REAR ROTORS - REPLACED BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS, ALIGNED FRONT END 6/14 - 6/20/07, MILES 62,326. - VEHICLE TAKEN HOME BY TECHNICIAN TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM - INSPECTED FRONT CALIPER PISTONS - BLED FRONT BRAKES FOR ANY AIR - INSPECTED FRONT WHEEL BEARING FOR LOOSENESS/ BINDING *WE HAVE A LETTER FROM FORD STATING THAT THEY CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR DRIVING. *TR

THE BRAKES FAILED. THIS CONSUMER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM BY A PASSING MOTORIST. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH. *AK

MY WIFE AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC FROM SIMMONS ROCKWELL, IN BIG FLATS NEW YORK ON FEBRUARY 28, 2004. UPON SIGNING PAPERWORK, WE WERE SHOWN A FORM FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE MENTIONED WAS A REPURCHASED VEHICLE. THE FORM STATED THAT THE ORIGIONAL OWNER WAS COMPLAINING OF THE ABS SYSTEM NOT PROPERLY WORKING. THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE AND THE FORD FORM STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WAS IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS SYSTEM NOT WORKING AND A LIGHT ON THE DASH INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT A FORD DEALER. I CONTACTED MCGUIRE FORD IN ITHACA NEW YORK AND THEY RAN A REPAIR HISTORY ON THIS VEHICLE, WHICH SHOWED NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE ABS SYSTEM. MCGUIRE FORD STATED THAT THEY HAD TO ORDER PARTS FOR THE ABS SYSTEM. A WEEK LATER MCGUIRE FORD REPLACED PARTS FOR THE ABS SYSTEM. A FEW DAYS LATER I HAD TROUBLES WITH THE ABS SYSTEM AGAIN AND CONTACTED SIMMONS ROCKWELL FORD IN HORNELL NEW YORK. I DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR REPAIRS ON 4/1/04 AND PICKED IT UP 0N 4/2/04. ON 4/2/04 I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM AGAIN. I CONTACTED SIMMONS ROCKWELL HORNELL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND ASKED THEM IF IT WAS ALRIGHT IF I USED ANY FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS AS THEY WERE 45 MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME. THEY INDICATED YES THAT ANY FORD DEALER WOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY,SO I WENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. THIS DEALER REFUSED TO DO REPAIRS DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND PAST PROBLEMS WITH SIMMONS ROCKWELL. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 29,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE NOT OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR A MONTH AND I HAD TO HAVE UNSUCCESSFUL REPAIRS MADE. THE FIRST PAYMENT IS DUE ON 4/13/04. I DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF TO SIMMONS ROCKWELL ON 4/5/04 AND TOLD THE SALES REP MIKE GIAGIOS THAT I DID NOT WANT THE VEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS. THE LIGHT HAS COME ON AND I HAVE CHANGED BRAKE PADS AND TURNED THE ROTORS. IT CURRENLT HAS 60,000 MILES. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ON VARIUOS WEB-SITES AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH EXPLORERS. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS ON EXPLORERS????*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THEY GRABBED THEN LET GO WHICH CAUSED THE TIRES TO SKID. *NLM *TS *JB

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE A BRAKING LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASBOARD. THE LIGHT WILL STAY ON INTIL THE VEHICLE IS TURN OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY DON'T COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PUSH HARD ON THE PEDAL TO GET THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUMPING THE BRAKES DOES NOTHING. ON THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT THE CONSUMER HAD TO RUN INTO A DITCH IN ORDER TO STOP FROM GOING INTO AN INTERSECTION. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED A VIBRATION. SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55MPH SMOKE FILLED CAR AND NOTICED BRAKES CAUGHT ON FIRE.*AKJLG

AT TIMES MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL WHEN ENGAGED DOESNT WORK AND AT THIS TIME I NOTICE SMOKE COMING OUT OF STEERING COLLUMN,THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH PRESSING THE BRAKES, SOMETIMES WHEN I DEPRESS IT WORKS THEN GOES OFF WHEN PRESSING A SECOND TIME, ALSO DISPLAY ON STEREO WORKS PART TIME ONLY MAYBE ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN DRIVES. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK