1994 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

VEHICLE PURCHASED 12/1996. BRAKES REPLACED FIRST TIME 03/02/1997 AT 66730 MILES. ON 08/31/1997 BRAKE PADS DISSINTEGRATED CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE. PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS REPLACED ON 09/02/1997 AT APPROX. 70747 MILES. SAME PROBLEM OCCURS ON 02/02/1998 AT 74095 MILES, 06/11/1999 AT 84823 MILES, 07/13/1999 AT 85493 MILES, 03/16/2000 AT 90037 MILES, AND MOST RECENTLY ON 12/10/2000 AT 96878 MILES. ALL BRAKE PADS WERE RAYBESTOS SILVER INSTALLED BY NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY (FORMERLY TIRE AMERICA). MAJORITY OF MILAGE IS CITY. OTHER IS HIGHWAY. THERE ARE NO OFFROAD MILES. VEHICLE IS USED AS A PASSANGER VEHICLE NOT FOR HAULING OR TOWING. FAILURE OCCURS WHEN BRAKE PAD LINING CRACKS, CRUMBLES, AND DISSINTEGRATES LEAVING ONLY BRAKE BACKING AGAINST ROTOR FOR BRAKING. THIS USUALLY HYPER-EXTENDS THE CALLIPER AND SCORES THE ROTOR BEYOND REPAIR (TURNING DOWN) REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE PADS, ROTOR ASSEMBLY, AND CALLIPER ASSEMBLY. WHEN FAILURE OCCURS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKING ACTION (PEDAL DROPS TO THE FLOOR) UNTIL BRAKE PEDAL IS PUMPED AFTER WHICH A GRINDING NOISE (BRAKE PAD BACKING INTO ROTOR) IS HEARD. FAILURE HAS USUALLY OCCURED AT LOWER SPEEDS WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. *AK

ABS SENSOR FAILURE.

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRACKETS CONNECTING THE HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDERS TO THE LIFTGATE RIPPED OFF. *MJS

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#97V083000). CALLED DEALER & MADE APPOINTMENT. TOOK VEHICLE ON DAY OF APPOINTMENT. MECHANIC KEPT VEHICLE FOR 2 1/2 HRS BEFORE INFORMING THE OWNER THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE'S MIRROR SWITCH. *AK *SLC

CONSUMER STATES THAT HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT THE POWER MIRROR SWITCH ON VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR OF RECALL AND VEHICLE WAS VANDALIZED. *AK

OPENED UP THE LIFTGATE AND THE HATCHBACK SUPPORT ROD BROKE LOOSE, LEAVING A 5-INCH ROUND HOLE WHERE THE HACKBACK SUPPORT ROD WAS CONNECTED. *AK *SLC

RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN AND ROLLOVER, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND TREATED AT THE SCEEN (FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX - P235/75R1055). NLM

WENT AROUND A CURVE, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEN APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN AND THE ENGINE IDLED LIKE THE GEAR WAS IN NEUTRAL, SO, THE DRIVER COASTED ABOUT 200 FEET AND THEN STOPPED AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. WENT TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE ENGINE JUST IDLED AND WOULD NOT WORK IN ANY OTHER GEAR. *AK

SHORT CIRCUIT IN POWR MIRROR CAUSED FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL.

THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER ON THE HATCHBACK BROKE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN OUT ON THESE VHEICLES. *AK

WHEN LIFTING UP THE TAILGATE, THE HYDRAULIC PISTONS ATTACHMENT PULLED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED.

THE CONSUMER SET CRUISE CONTROL AT 60 MPH AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM ON THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. *AK

WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO DETERMINE A CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *A

TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO BELT SEPARATION BEFORE TREAD WORE OUT IN ORDER TO AVOID A BLOW OUT SITUATION .*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2H6OWL254 TIRESIZE: 235/75/R15)

GOIND DOWNHILL 30MPH; ACCELERATOR STUCK; TRIED BRAKING & ABS LOCKED UP. PULLED ON EMERGENCY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE. TURNED VEHICLE OFF & JUMPED OUT. ABS WAS SMOKING. ALL BRAKES BURNED. *AK

AIR-CONDITIONER DOES NOT HAVE A SCREEN, WHICH ALLOWS DEBRIS TO GET INTO AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, CATCHES ON FIRE, FORD NOT DEVELOPING PART TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK

THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE GAS ASSIST CYLINDER, LEFT SIDE, INSIDE THE REAR LIFTGATE FAILED.

THE BRACKET THAT SUPPORTS THE GAS ASSIST CYLINDER FAILED.

RECALL #97V083000, BEFORE PERFORMING RECALL WORK MIRRORS WERE WORKING. AFTERWARDS MIRRORS DID NOT WORK. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX BECAUSE OF BROKEN HOUSING MOTOR BOX. *AK

DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO RECTIFY RECALL, STATING THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER EVEN THOUGH IT HAS HER VIN PRINTED ON IT. *AK

AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE.

R/R TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING ON HWY 101 IN MONTEREY AT 65MPH( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ON CRUISE CONTROL AND PUTTING FOOT ON THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE THE SPEED, ONCE TAKING FOOT OFF THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE RE-ENGAGES AND PICKS UP SPEED. *AK

CONSUMER REPLACED 5 FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRES (P235/75R15) DUE TO BELT SEPARATION PRIOR TO RECALL 00T005, CONSUMER IS BEING DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO HAVING THE TIRES REPLACED PRIOR TO JANUARY OF 2000, HOWEVER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

SEATS FAILED TO ADEQUATELY SUPPORT FRONT OCCUPANTS DURING A REAR END COLLISION.

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED OPERATING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, AND THEN STARTED WORKING AGAIN EIGHT HOURS LATER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING REA RWINDOW SHATTERED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, PIECES OF GLASS FELL INTO REAR OF VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. *AK

THE REAR MIDDLE LAP SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO RETRACTOR . PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

FIRESTONE RADIAL TIRE BLOWOUT CAUSED DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.

VEHICLE DIES WHILE IDELING. VEHICLE WILL START UP AFTER SEVERAL TRIES . VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF REPAIRS. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

SEAT BACK COLLAPSED DUE TO METAL FATIGUE IN SEAT FRAME.

GOT IN VEHICLE AT NIGHT, PULLED LIGHT SWITCH; STARTED DRIVING; HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT FOR NO REASON; PLAYED WITH IT AWHILE & EVERY DAY TO TURN ON LIGHT. HIGH BEAMS WORK; HOLDS SWITCH TO KEEP HIGH BEAMS ON; WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNDER 40 MPH OR ABOVE 50 MILES THE VEHICLE VIBRATES BADLY. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.

RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK LINKAGE FAILED. MJS

ABS BRAKE FAILURE. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERE VIBRATION.

I HAVE WATCHED WITH INTREST THE EVENTS WHICH HAVE UNFOLDED SURROUNDING FIRESTONE'S RECALL OF THE WILDERNESS TIRES. I, TOO, OWN A FORD EXPLORER, A 1994 LIMITED. IN MARCH 1997 I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH A NOISE AND A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL OF MY EXPLORER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST FIRESTONE STORE WHO CHECKED THE TIRE AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE. THEY SAID A CERTAIN PART WAS BAD IN THE FRONT END OF MY EXPLORER AND IT WOULD COST ME ABOUT $150 OR SO TO HAVE HAVE THEM FIX IT.NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS ANSWER, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER TIRE DEALER WHO CHECKED THE FRONT END AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS NO BAD PART, THE FRONT END WAS NOT OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECT IN THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE. TO PROVE IT TO ME, THEY MOVED THE TIRE FROM THE FRONT RIGHT TO THE REAR RIGHT. THE VIBRATION AND THE NOISE MOVED WITH THE TIRE. WENT BACK TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE OTHER DEALER HAD TOLD ME. THEY ALL BUT CALLED BOTH ME AND THE OTHER DEALER A LIAR. ACTUALLY, ALL THEY HAD TO DO TO BEGIN WITH WAS SAY, "OK, THE TIRE IS BAD. YOU'LL NEED TO PAY $X DOLLARS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF USE YOU HAVE HAD" AND I WOULD HAVE DONE IT AND BOUGHT 2 NEW TIRES FROM THE DEALER. THIS OFFER WAS NEVER MADE AND I LEFT VERY DISGUSTED WITH BOTH FIRESTONE AND THE DEALER.LESS THAN 1 WEEK LATER, AROUND 10:00 AT NIGHT, MY WIFE AND I WERE RETURNING FROM OUR SON'S HOME IN MOBILE, ALABAMA TO OUR HOME IN BILOXI, MS VIA INTERSTATE 10. SUDDENLY, THE BACK END OF MY EXPLORER BEGAN TO MAKE A ROARING SOUND AND STARTED TO "FISHTAIL" ON THE HIGHWAY. I LET OFF THE GAS AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE BACK RIGHT TIRE, THE ONE IN QUESTION ABOVE, HAD TOTALLY DISINTEGRATED AND THE FLAPPING BELTS HAD ALSO DAMAGED THE TRIM BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL ON MY VEHICLE.HAVING HEART PROBLEMS, I WAS ABLE TO CALL A WRECKER TO COME OUT AND CHANGE THE TIRE FOR ME SO WE COULD GET HOME. THE NEXT DAY, MY WIFE CALLED YOU, THE FIRESTONE NATIONAL OFFIC

REPLACED ABS BRAKES FIVE TIMES; ALSO FRONT BRAKE ROTORS SPLIT IN HALF TWICE. *AK

THE CONSUMER REPLACED THREE FIRESTONE TIRE BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE, THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1, 2000. NLM

PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION CONSUMER HAS REPLACED TWO FIRESTONE ATX II (235/75R15) TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE VIBRATING THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER SENT IN ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR REIMBURSEMENT, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY FIRESTONE THAT HE DID NOT FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURE OF RECALL HANDOUT. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: VEHICLE IN GARAGE FOR A TEST ON CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. VEHICLE IN PARK POSITION, WENT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL. WHEN SHIFTED GEAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, VEHIICLE TOOK OFF ACROSS FLOOR, PUSHED A TOOL BOX INTO AN EXPLORER BEFORE IT STOPPED. *AK

WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ROLL, CAUSING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BE APPLIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

THE VEHICLE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE INTERIOR DAMAGE.THERE IS A PRELIMINARY ELVAULATION ON THIS NOW. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED FRONT SUSPENSION SHAKING. . DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIP BUT NON OF THEM CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER BOUGHT A FOURTH SET OF TIRES. *YH

WHEN BRAKING, CAN FEEL PULSATION THROUGH BRAKE PEDAL, OCCURS ON WET, SLIPPERY OR MUDDY CONDITIONS, LOSS OF ABILITY TO STOP OR CHANGE DIRECTIONS, CAUSED CRASH, HIT ROCK WALL COMING THROUGH UNDERPATH, ACCORDING TO DEALER, BRAKES ARE WORKING NORMAL. *AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND EXPERIENCED VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, PULLED OVER AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS DEATACHED FROM THE AXLE. *AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A FAULTY BLOWER MOTOR AND THERMAL SWITCH, VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *AK

EXPLORER WAS IMPACTED BY SECOND VEHICLE ON LEFT REAR SIDE, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO EXPLORER AND CAUSING IT TO SPIN. LEFT SIDE OF SEAT BACK BROKE (I.E., VERTICAL METAL ARM BROKE, I.E., METAL SEPARATED), ALLOWING SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE BACKWARD. THE TWO 11-YEAR OLD GIRLS SEAT-BELTED IN THIS SEAT WERE EJECTED REARWARD OUT FROM UNDER THEIR SEAT BELTS, EXITING REAR WINDOW(S). ONE WAS KILLED, OTHER SUSTAINED SERIOUS HEAD AND OTHER INJURIES. WE ARE ENGAGED IN LAW SUIT WITH FORD OVER THIS MATTER. WHAT IS NHTSA DONG TO ENSURE THAT AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS MAKE SEAT BACKS THAT WILL NOT BREAK IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES? WHY DON'T MANUFACTURERS MAKE SEAT BACKS AS STRONG AS THE SEAT BELTS? THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS COMPRISED OF THE SEAT PLUS THE SEAT BELTS, AND THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM CAN BE REDERED USELESS IF THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSES. *AK

THE AIR CONDITIONER/HEATING BLOWER MOTOR ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING A FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE VEHICLE.