1998 Ford Explorer Body & Structure Problems

I HAVE 1998 FORD EXPLORER AND I NOTICED TRYING TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AUTOMATICALLY THAT IT WOULD STICK SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES BECALE ALWAYS AND NOTICED THE PASSENGER DOOR NEVER WOULD UNLOCK. THEN ONE DAY PARKED I TRIED TO OPEN PASSENGER DOOR AND IT WOULDNT OPEN. I HAD TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE. NOW IT WONT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THE DOOR IS TOTALLY NON FUNCTIONAL. DOOR LATCH ISSUE I DONT KNOW BUT HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME. ALSO DRIVER DOOR LOCK WILL SOMETIMES STICK, THE DOOR OPEN BUT WHEN CLOSING IT IT NEVER WANTS TO SHUT ALL THE WAY THE FIRST TIME OR THE 2ND IT TAKES A FEW TIMES TO GET THE DOOR TO COMPLETELY CLOSE BUT THE PASSENGER DOOR IS A LOSS NO ONE CAN RIDE IN IT. SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM FORD SHOULD HAVE TO FIX THIS ISSUE THEY KNOW ABOUT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DID NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER HAD TO CLIMB OVER AND GO OUT OF THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000. UPDATED 7/1/15*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH, THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE DOORS BECAME JAMMED AND WERE UNABLE TO BE UNLOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 228,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WIND WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE LIFTGATE GLASS STRUT WAS DISENGAGED FOR THE REAR WINDOW AND THE HINGES WERE FRACTURING ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE FAILURE OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

RUNNING BOARDS ARE SO BADLY CORRODED YOU COULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH TO THE ROAD. RUST SPREADING BADLY THROUGH UNDERCARRIAGE. HAD TO HAVE RUNNING BOARDS REMOVED BEFORE THEY FELL OFF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED RUST ON THE FRAME OF THE FRONT DOORS. WHEN SHUTTING EITHER FRONT DOOR, RUST WOULD FRACTURE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

SPOT WELDS ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MOUNTING BRACKET FAILED AND BROKE COMPLETELY OFF CAUSING LOSS OF ACCELERATOR FUNCTION AND ALLOWING PEDAL TO FALL BEHIND BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT MANY FORD EXPLORERS ARE EXPERIENCING AND SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES! *TR

GAS PEDAL HOUSING FELL OFF THE WALL NHTSA ITEM #616531. *TR

ALL LOCKING DOOR MECHANISM'S HAVE FAILED AND I HAVE SPENT MONEY TO REPAIR THEM. THE REAR HATCH LOCK IS NO LONGER OPERATING UNLESS THE KEY IS IN THE LOCK AND THEN, ONLY SPORADICALLY. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HANDLE, HAS BROKEN OFF TWICE AND BEEN REPLACED TWICE. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE ENGINE WAS OFF, THEREBY EFFECTIVELY "TRAPPING" ME IN THE VEHICLE. IN AN EMERGENCY, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR AND REMOVE MYSELF FROM ANY POTENTIAL DANGER. IN ORDER TO EXIT THE CAR, I HAD TWO OPTIONS, EITHER CLIMB OUT OVER THE CENTER CONSOLE OR PUT THE KEY BACK IN THE IGNITION, TURN ON THE VEHICLE, LOWER THE POWER WINDOW AND OPEN THE CAR FROM THE OUTSIDE, I OPTED FOR THE SECOND SOLUTION UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO ORDER A SECOND NEW DOOR HANDLE AND REPLACE IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH THE UNLOCK BUTTON; HOWEVER, ONLY THE DRIVER SIDE AND HATCH DOORS UNLOCKED. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND REMAINED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. FORD STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,099 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,050.

ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2007 AT AROUND 4:15 PM WHILE DRIVING HOME ON CHEVERLY AVENUE I RECEIVED A CALL ON MY TWO WAY RADIO FROM THE CHEVERLY POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE CALLER STATED THAT MY 1998 FORD TWO DOOR, FORD EXPLORER SPORT HAD DROPPED ITS SPARE TIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF CHEVERLY AVENUE. AT FIRST I DID NOT BELIEVE THE OFFICER, BEING THAT I AM THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, I THOUGHT THAT HE JUST NEEDED TO TALK TO ME SO I MADE A U-TURN AND DROVE BACK TO WHERE THE OFFICER WAS PARKED. TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS THE OFFICER WITH A SPARE TIRE WHICH I LATER IDENTIFIED AS BEING MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPARE TIRE. I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND THE CABLE THAT HELD THE TIRE IN PLACED WAS DAMAGED, RUSTED, AND IT HAD DROPPED THE TIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. EARLIER THAT DAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE CAPITAL BELTWAY ROUTE 495 IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA AND IF THAT TIRE WOULD HAVE DROPPED I THE MIDDLE OF THIS BUSY ROADWAY CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT? FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEEDS TO FIND A BETTER IDEA FOR THE SPARE TIRE AND FORD OUGHT TO TELL ALL VEHICLE OWNERS THAT HAVE A SIMILAR SYSTEM FOR THE SPARE TIRE TO CHANGE THEM, REPLACE THEM EVERY SO MANY DAYS AND/OR USE DIFFERENT MATERIALS THAT WOULD NOT RUST. THANK GOD I WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND GOING AT A LOW SPEED. OTHERWISE ONLY GOD WOULD KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

THE SPOT WELDS BROKE ON THE METAL BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED IN COLD WEATHER, THE HINGES DO NOT HOLD THE HOOD IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THIS CAUSED THE HOOD TO FALL ON THE CONTACT'S HEAD AND NECK, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THE HOOD HINGES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THIS HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER'S DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 1998 FORD EXPLORER HAD A LIFTGATE PROBLEM. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HINGE BUSTED AT THE TOP. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE HINGES, BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE HINGE WAS NOTICED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. THE LIFTGATE CANNOT ABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY DUE TO THE BROKEN HINGE. THE CONSUMER TALKED TO FORD, AND THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY FREE REMEDY. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED YET, BUT WAS GOING TO DO SO. *AK

DOOR LOCK WAS NOT WORKING WHEN IT WAS COLD. NOW, DOOR LOCK ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS COMPLETELY OUT, THE KEY JUST TURNS IN THE LOCK AND DOES NOT WORK. THE OTHER LOCKS (PASSENGER AND BACK WINDOW) DO NOT WORK EITHER. YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KEY MANY TIMES BEFORE LOCK WORKS, THEN YOU HAVE TO EITHER CRAWL OVER THE SEATS OR PRESS THE UNLOCK BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE LOCK ENGAGES. I WAS OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES TRYING TO GET THE LOCK TO WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR BECAUSE DRIVER'S SIDE IS BROKEN. ON GOING PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS.*JB

CANNOT OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENER DOES NOT WORK, DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT OPEN DOOR, KEY DOES NOT OPEN DOOR. THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE CAR IS TO CRAWL OVER THE FRONT SEAT DIVIDER AND EXIT THROUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DOOR. THE DRIVER IS LITERALLY TRAPPED IN THE CAR. *AK

1998, FORD, EXPLORER, CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS AT DIFFERENT TIMES GETTING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR NOT OPEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOCKED. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING OR WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE HOOD HAD TOO MUCH WEIGHT. THE RAMS THAT HELD THE HOOD WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH AND CAUSED TO HOOD TO FALL DOWN. THE RAMS WERE REPLACED. *AK *NM

TAILGATE SHELL SHOWS CRACKS AROUND THE HINGES FROM METAL FATIGUE. *MR THIS APPEARED TO BE A DEFECT. *SC *JB *AK