1999 Ford Explorer Suspension Problems

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. NEUTRAL IS ACTUALLY REVERSE OVER DRIVE IS NEUTRAL 2ND IS OD 1ST IS 2ND PAST 1ST IS 1ST GEAR. WHEN I MOVE POWER LAMP TO OFF MY HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF. ALL OF THIS HAOPENED WHEN I TURNED MY VEHICLE ON OR WHEN I WAS DRIVING.

HI,I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE CORRECT SITE FOR ME TO BE WRITING BUT I BOUGHT A 1999 FORD EXPLORER FROM A DEALER IN NEW BOSTON ON OR AROUND 7/23/2010 IT HAD 113,027 MILES ON IT, I WAS TOLD IT WAS FULLY INSPECTED WITH NO ISSUES AND THEY PUT A SAFETY INSPECTION STICKER ON IT. ON 8/13/2010 I DROPED SAID FORD OFF AT AUTO FAIR FORD IN MANCHESTER, N.H. TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT WITH APPR. 113850 MILES ON IT AND THEY FOUND MULTIPLE SAFETY FAILURES AND VIOLATIONS SUCH AS BAD BAD BALL JOINTS, EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS INOPERABLE, BRAKE LINE LEAKS AND WORN BRAKES THAT COULD NOT HAVE PAST INSPECTION AMOUNG OTHER SAFETY INSPECTION ISSUES. IT ENDED UP COSTING ME ABOUT $2700.00FOR MOSTLY SAFETY REPAIRS.HOW CAN A SAFETY INSPECTOR ISSUE A SAFETY STICKER WITH THESE PROBLEMS? DO I HAVE ANY KIND OF RECOURSE AND IF SO TO WHOM OR TO WHAT AGENCY COULD I CONTACT? THANK YOU FOR ANY AND ALL HELP [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

FRONT AND REAR BALL JOINTS WENT BAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR GREATER, THE CONTACT HEARD A RATTLING NOISE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE TO BEGIN CUPPING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

WHILE DRIVING FRONT HUB CAME OFF THE VEHICLE, SIDE UNKNOWN. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER OF THE WORN OUT LOWER FRONT BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

BOUGHT VEHICLE FROM AMERICAN FORD IN HACKENSACK NJ CAR ALWAYS HAD A HUMMING SOUND IN THE FRONT THOUGHT ONLY TO BE TIRES TOOK CAR BACK TO FIX THREE TIMES WHILE I STILL HAD ORGINAL WARRANTY AND NOT ONCE DID ANYONE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE HUMMING. ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY SAY THIS PART IS NOT COVERED AND WAITED UNTIL NOW TO SAY, OH BY THE WAY YOU HAVE A BAD HUB AND IT WILL COST YOU 500.00 TO GET IT FIXED. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THIS PART WAS DEFECTIVE BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY OUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN FIXING IT. I ORIGINALLY TOOK THE CAR BACK THE 4TH TIME BECAUSE WHEN I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AGAIN WHEN PRESSING DOWN THE ACCELERATOR. *MR

1999 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION... WE HAD GONE OUT TO DINNER AND WHEN LEAVING THE PARKING SPACE IT SOUNDED AS IF WE RAN OVER A GLASS BOTTLE. MY HUSBAND LOOKED AROUND THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. I GOT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND IT FELT AS IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON (WAS NOT) AND WAS VERY HARD TO MOVE. WE RETURNED TO THE PARKING SPACE, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE GETTING READY TO CALL AAA FOR SERVICES. WE BOTH HEARD A "RELEASE" SOUND. HE TURNED ON THE VEHICLE, BACKED UP AND WE DROVE HOME VERY CAREFULLY. THE NEXT MORNING THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK INTO THIS MYSTERY. THE BRAKES WERE FINE; HOWEVER, THEY FOUND THE FOLLOWING TO REPAIR: *SEALS TO BRAKES *REAR AXLE PINION SEAL *BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE FRONT END I WAS TOLD THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BALL JOINTS WERE COMPLETELY WORN DOWN AND THE TIRE WAS JUST WOBBLY HELD ON BY THE LUG BOLTS. WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN REVIEWING THE PAST RECALLS ON THIS TYPE VEHICLE. THIS COULD AND WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREME HAZARD WITH PROBABLY EXTREME INJURY TO THE PERSONS INVOLVED. ALSO, IF YOU CAN PLEASE CHECK THE PAST HISTORY OF THE OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE KEPT THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED WITH ANY SUGGESTED RECALL ITEMS. THANK YOU, MARLENE MORGAN *LA *SC *JB

WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWING VIOLENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *PH AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING A 5X 10 SINGLE AXLE TRAILER ON THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE *JB

I OWN A 1999 EXPLORER WITH 60000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE FRONT UPPER BALL JOINTS WERE BAD, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH THE CONTROL ARM SINCE IT WAS ONE UNIT. WHY WERE SEALED BALL JOINTS THAT WERE PART OF THE CONTROL ARM BEING USED, UNLESS IT WAS TO RAISE THE FREQUENCY AND COST OF REPAIRS AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC SAFETY . A BALL JOINT FAILURE AT ANY SPEED COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLES ROUTINELY GO WELL OVER 100,000 MILES WITH NON SEALED BALL JOINTS, AND HAD NO PROBLEMS. THIS WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE CONSUMER BECAME AWARE THAT HIS PROBLEM IS BY NO MEANS AN ISOLATED CASE. HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE LOCAL DEALER WAS DOING A LOT OF THOSE, AND THAT THEY WERE AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEM.*AK

COMPLAINED OF LOUS RATTLING NOISE IN ENGINE ON 7/07/03, AND AGAIN ON 09/29/04 AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALER. THERE ARE MAJOR MECHINICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IN CONCERN TO THE ENGINE CAM GUIDES, REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND LOWER BASLL JOINTS WORN, WHY WASN'T MY FORD EXPLORER SPORT RECALLED FOR THESE PROBLEMS OR GIVEN THE SAME TSB AS THE 1999 FORD EXPLORER?

I WAS TOLD BY ALDERMAN FORD THAT THE BALL JOINTS ON MY FORD EXPLORER WERE IN A FAILURE CONDITION AT 53000 MILES--"UNSAFE TO DRIVE". THIS CAR HAS HAD NORMAL DRIVING USE. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD'S CHOICE OF "SEALED BALL JOINTS" WAS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE-PRONE BALL JOINTS, AND THAT THIS IS "NORMAL". ARE ALL EXPLORERE USERS IN THIS ENDANGERED POSITION? IF SO, IS A RECALL NECESSARY? IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN CHECK HOW MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THESE BAD JOINTS? MY 91 EXPLORER WENT 135000 MILES WITHOUT BALL JOINT PROBLEMS. BALL JOINT FAILURE AT SPEED IS DANGEROUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

I WAS ON THE MOTERWAY {UK} TOWING A CARAVAN I WAS DOING 45/50 MPH TRUCK PAST ME BY AND MADE US SWAY I GAINED CONTROL AND THEN THE CAR&CARAVAN STARTED BOUNCING. CARAVAN PARTED FROM THE CAR AND THEN WE FLIPPED OVER ON TO THE PASSINGER SIDE AND THEN ROLLED ONTO THE ROOF ACROSS 3 LANES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THROTTLE/ AIR BYPASS VALVE MALFUNCTIONS WHICH CAUSES ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK, AND PEDAL GOES NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. ALSO PEDAL HAS TO BE PUMPED BEFORE IT RELEASES. *AK THE DEALER SAID THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL HESITATES AND THERE IS ROUGH IDLE, THE LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED, AND WERE REPLACED.*YH

WHILE DRIVING, UPPER CONTROL ARM DISENGAGED FROM VEHICLE AND WHEEL CAME OFF *AK CONSUMER HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND WENT TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED AND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO THE PAVEMENT, CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THIS VEHICLE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING IN OVERDRIVE AT 50 MPH AND GOING UP AN INCLINE, VEHICLE VIBRATES ERRATICALLY. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. *AK O2 SENSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER CAN NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.*YH *SLC

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RUMBLING NOISE, AND VEHICLE WAS BEING PULLED TO RIGHT. CONSUMER SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BLOWN APART, AND AXLE POPPED WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

WHEN ROADS WERE WET VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL. CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING 65-70MPH IN RAIN. VEHICLE STARTED TO FISHTAIL, SPUN 180' WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT THEN HIT A TREE. CONSUMER COULD NOT CONTROL VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. ON DECEMBER 15, 2000 CONSUMER HAD A SIMILAR ACCIDENT, ROAD WAS WET, HIT A PATCH OF SLUSHY SNOW, VEHICLE WENT INTO TAILSPIN, AND ROLLED OVER, DAMAGE WAS AROUND $ 4500. *AK TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS, P235/70R16. *SLC

WHEN GOING UP A HILL AT 55-60 MPH IN OVERDRIVE THERE IS A VIBRATION SENSATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS NORMAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK