NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
DEALER HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE AFTER OIL PRESSURE DROPPED OUT WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE LOCKED UP BEFORE I COULD TRAVEL 1/4 MILE TO GET OFF ROAD. FORD MOTOR COMPANY OFFERED NO HELP SINCE ENGINE HAD 39000 MILES, 3000 MILES OVER WARRANTY. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION THE DEALER DETERMINED ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BALL JOINTS. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT NO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED.
UPON ENTERING MY VEHICLE, SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, AND RESTINNG MY BACK AGAINST THE SEAT WHILE IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, THE BACK OF THE SEAT COLLAPSED.THIS ALL OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE BEING STARTED AND ENGAGED IN ANY GEAR, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ONLY REASON THE INCIDENT DID NOT RESULT IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. DUE TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE SEAT, I DID SUSTAIN A BACK INJURY/STRAIN.
HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY EXPLORER. HAVE HAD 2 TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY REPLACED, AIR INTAKE CONTROL VALVE REPLACED, FAULTY WITING FOR THE LAFT TAIL LIGHT REPLACE, IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED, AIR BAG CONTACTS REPLACED, TURN SIGNAL ARM AND COTROLS REPLACED.
ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO MY GARAGE BURNED TO THE GROUND.A POLICE INVESTIGATION FOUND A HOT SPOT WHERE MY 2000 EXPLORER WAS PARKED BUT HAD NO REASONABLE CAUSE FOR THE FIRE.THE SAME CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH ON ON OTHER MODELS HAS BEEN RECALLED BUT FOR SOME REASON I DIDN`T GET ONE FOR THIS VEHICLE.I CAN FIND OUT THE EXACT DATES BUT AT THIS TIME THE DATES ARE ESTIMATED.*AK
NAR 1/29/2003. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYED ON. THERE HAS BEEN FOUR ATTEMPTED REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE. *JB
TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY FAILURE. INFORMED BY DEALER THAT FORD REDESIGNED IT AND AM GETTING THE REDESIGNED UNIT. REQUIRED ME TO PAY FOR HALF OF REPAIR ($400) EVEN THOUGH IT IS THEIR DESIGN FLAW. NOT TO MENTION THAT IT WAS JUST PAST THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FATALITIES OR AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. MR
VEHICLE FIRE.ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO MY GARAGE BURNED DOWN.IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HOT SPOT ,THE POINT WHERE THE FIRE STARTED WAS WHERE MY 2000 EXPLORER WAS SITTING.IT HAS THE SAME SWITCH THAT THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED HAVE!
CONSUMER STATES WHEN LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS USED, SMOKE BEGINS TO COME OUT OF THE OPENING WHERE THE EMERGENCY LIGHT BUTTON IS LOCATED, RESULTING IN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL TO BE INOPERATIVE. *AK *TT
THE TRUCK'S VALVE BODY MALFUNCTIONED . WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT CORRECTLY. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF IT THE CAUSE IS STILL UNKNOWN AND THERE'S ISN'T A REMEDY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
THERE SEEMS TO BE A ROD KNOCKING IN THE VEHICLE. BUERGE FORD HAS SERVICED IT FOR THE NOISE BUT IT STILL KNOCKS. CONSUMER BELIEVES THEY WERE SOLD A FAULTY VEHICLE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING NHTSA CAN DO.
VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN, THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES, TWICE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED. CONSUMER THINKS IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE RECALL ON POWERTRAIN CALIBRATION THAT WAS DONE IN APRIL. PRIOR TO RECALL REPAIRS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.*AK CUSTOMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SURGING, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *TT
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A HORRENDOUS BLOWOUT, RIGHT REAR (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P255/70R16) TIRE EXPLODED, FORCING VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL AND ALMOST CAUSING A MAJOR COLLISION. *JB
VIBRATION FROM CENTER OF THE OF THE EXPLORER, THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE EVERY DAY . MY CONSERN IS THAT I DRIVE A LOT AND NIGHT VISION AFTER WATCHING THE REAR VIEW, SIDE VIEW MIRRORS AFTER A WHILE CREATES A VISUAL ADJUSTMENT PERIOD WHEN LOOKING BACK AT THE ROAD AT NIGHT IT IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM, THE DEALER TO DATE HAS NOT TAKEN IT OUT AT NIGHT AND AT THIS POINT THE FACTORY REP SAID IT WAS NORMAL. I HAVE DRIVEN THREE OTHER EXPLORERS AND ONE OF THEM ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY DO NO DRIVE HIGHWAY , SO THEY ARE JUST LIVING WITH IT. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE SHORT FRAME VEHICLES ARE NOTED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE FACTORY REP SAID IT IT JUST THE WAY IT IS. NLM
PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION 00T005, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOW OUT, THE TIRES EXPLODED WHEN CONSUMER EXITED THE PAVEMENT AND RETURNED TO LEVEL PAVEMENT, THE FORCE OF THE TIRES EXPLODING CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER, NOSE OVER FIRST. *JB
THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE STUCK AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. *MJS
TIMING TENSIONER WAS RECALLED. TENSIONER DAMAGED MY TIMING CHAIN, WHICH DAMAGED MY ENGINE. TURN SIGNAL SWITCH NEVER WORKED PROPERLY AFTER 31,000 MI, DASH LIGHTS AND GUAGES FAILED TO WORK CONSISTENTLY OR AT ALL BEGINNING 25,000 MI, REAR WINDOW WIPER NEVER WIPED PROPERLY, HEATER SWITCH BEGAN FAILING AT 36,000 MI. LAST DELIMMA WAS CATALYIC CONVERTER GOING OUT AT 60,000 MI. ALSO, AFTER REPLACEMENT OF TENSIONER, OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN DONE AT SAME TIME. 10 MILES AFTER LEAVING DEALERSHIP, GASKET FELL OFF AND LOST ALL OIL PRESSURE WHILE ENGINE WAS ON. I ASKED DEALERSHIP (COURTESY FORD, POUSLBO WA) TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE, THEY SAID "NO, IT'S FINE, DON'T WORRY." END RESULT, DUE TO ENGINE DAMAGE FROM RECALLED TENSIONER+ TIMING CHAIN, FORD AGREED TO TERMINATE LEASE EARLY. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A FORD AGAIN. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I CONTACTED THE NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE MANY TIMES ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS, NEVER GOT A CALL BACK AS PROMISED. DEALERSHIP NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON MY COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS.
THE BATTERY GAUGE OCCASIONALLY DROPS TO THE LOW END WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, IDLING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, WITH THE HEATER ON AND RADIO ON CAUSING THE DASH LIGHTS TO DIM BUT ONCE THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION, THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE AIR COMPRESSOR, ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE, THE HEADLIGHTS STAYED ON ALTHOUGH THE SWITCH WAS OFF, THE LIGHT ON THE STEREO IS INOPERATIVE, AT TIME THE VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT NOT START THE DEALER REPLACED BY PASS VALVE, PCM AND DA PUMP BUT THERE WAS NO CHANGE. NLM
WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER BUMPS IN ROAD REAR END BECOMES EXTREMELY UNSTABLE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION OR WITHOUT INADVERTENT MOVEMENT, WITH SEATS OCCUPIED, ALL 4 SEAT BELTS WOULD TIGHTEN. CONSUMER HAS TO UNFASTEN BELT BUCKLE TO RELEASE HOLD. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM, CAUSE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. TS
THE EVP SENSOR MELTED AND DAMAGED THE IGNITION SWITCH, OTHER SENSORS AND COMPONENTS. *NLM
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026