2001 Ford Explorer Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED ANTI-FREEZE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. THERE WAS ALSO RUST UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND A HOLE IN THE RUNNING BOARDS, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THEM TO DETACH. THE CONTACT CLAIMED THAT THE GROUND COULD BE SEEN THROUGH THE HOLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO PRODUCED THICK SMOKE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

SWITCHED INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW WITHOUT A COMMAND WHILE DRIVING AROUND 30 MPH ON A DRY LEVEL PAVED ROAD.

DRIVING AROUND 30 MPH ON A FLAT STRAIGHT PAVED ROAD WHEN IT SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO 4 WHEEL LOW.

THE FORD EXPLORER 2001 XLS 4.0L REAR WHEEL DRIVE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE IN SLIP 4 TO 5 GEAR IN 75000 MILES. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR TO ASTORIA FORD LATE LAST YEAR, BECAUSE IT WAS STALLING AND LOSING POWER. THE CHARGED ME ALMOST $1,000.00 AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE O/D ON OFF LIGHT WILL STOP AND START. WHEN IT COMES ON WHICH JUST STARTED TODAY, THE CAR IN ANY GEAR WHILE ONLY GO FORWARD. IN REVERSE AND NEUTRAL, ONLY FORWARD. AS A POLICE OFFICER THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND I CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MANY HAVE SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TO FORD, THEY CALL IT A PHANTOM PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS PHANTOM PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR IN FRONT OF A DAY CARE. *TR

FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION FAILED, LEAVING THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY POWERLESS WHILE DRIVING. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES IN 2006, AGAIN WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. IN BOTH CASES, I, AS THE DRIVER, WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS WITH OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE OF THE COMPLETE LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION POWER TRAIN. THE VEHICLE ALSO GAVE NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE PRIOR TO THESE EVENTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING DESIGN DEFECT WITH FORD EXPLORERS, WITH A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES FROM THE EARLY 2000S SUFFERING SIMILAR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. THIS IS BOTH DANGEROUS AND, I BELIEVE, A DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY AND/OR DEATH.. I ALSO WISH TO ADD THAT THIS VEHICLE, WHICH IS 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND INCLUDES A FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING PACKAGE, HAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY BEEN USED FOR TOWING A BOAT (2X PER YEAR) AND IS SELDOM USED IN ITS 4 WHEEL DRIVE CAPACITY (ONLY ON SNOW COVERED ROADS 2-3 TIMES PER YEAR). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS IN EACH CASE WAS OVER $2,000. *TR

AS WITH SO MANY EXPLORERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, MY O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND FLASHES. I LOSE ALL POWER DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION AND THEN THE TRUCK SHOOTS OFF LIKE A ROCKET. IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF, THE LIGHT RESETS AND THE VEHICLE IS OK FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE LIGHT AS WITH SO MANY EXPLORERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, MY O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND FLASHES. I LOSE ALL POWER DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION AND THEN THE TRUCK SHOOTS OFF LIKE A ROCKET. IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF, THE LIGHT RESETS AND THE VEHICLE IS OK FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. I HAD THE CODES READ AND IT CAME UP A SOLENOID PROBLEM. I HAD THEM REPLACED AND TEN MILES FROM THE LOT, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM FORD, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE. COMES ON AGAIN. I HAD THE CODES READ AND IT CAME UP A SOLENOID PROBLEM. I HAD THEM REPLACED AND TEN MILES FROM THE LOT, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM FORD, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE FIXED SEVERAL AND THEY GO RIGHT BACK OUT IT WAS A WASTE OF MY TIME.. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE U ALL FIX THIS IF U TRY TO TAKE OFF AND IT SLIPS AND WILL NOT GO U CAN AND WILL GET HIT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND WITH AN UNUSUAL WHINING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN DRIVEWAY WITH THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN. TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK. TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO REVERSE, ROLLED BACKWARDS IN DRIVEWAY, CRASHING THROUGH TWO CHAINLINK GATES, THE DOOR WAS TORN BACK AGAINST THE FENDER, I TRIED TO REACH INTO THE TRUCK TO TURN IT OFF, AND WAS PINNED BETWEEN THE TRUCK, AND THE CHAIN LINK FENCE. EXPLORER CURRENTLY IN THE COLLISION SHOP, AND TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPAIRED WHEN THE BODYWORK IS DONE. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WOULD NOT CATCH 3RD GEAR AND THEN SOUNDED LIKE A TOOLBOX WAS SCATTERED UNDER THE CAR. CAR SUCCESSIVELY LOST ALL GEARS EXCEPT 1ST. REPAIR COST OVER $2800.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN RPMS. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY AND THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH THAT INVOLVED FOUR ADDITIONAL VEHICLES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SERVO PLUG HAD POPPED OUT OF PLACE AND FRACTURED THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

OD LIGHT IS FLASHING AND THE FIRST GEAR SHIFTS REAL HARD. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE FIXED SEVERAL AND THEY GO RIGHT BACK OUT IT WAS A WASTE OF MY TIME.. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE U ALL FIX THIS IF U TRY TO TAKE OFF AND IT SLIPS AND WILL NOT GO U CAN AND WILL GET HIT. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXPLORER AND AT FIRST THE TRUCK WOULD SLIP IN AND OUT OF GEARS SO I TOOK IT TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH. I HAD THAT REPLACED ABOUT A MONTH AGO. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING AND THE TRUCK SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE.... AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. THIS TRUCK IS GOING TO COST ME OVER 2,000 DOLLARS TO FIX AND IT SEEMS AS IF I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE HELP! *TR

'O/D OFF' LIGHT IF BLINKING, ON AND OFF. WHILE LIGHT IS BLINKING THE CAR SEEMS TO BE SLUGGISH AND DOES NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE PROPERLY. ROUGH SHIFTS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

FORD EXPLORER O/D LIGHT FLASHING, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. *TR

MY 2001 FORD EXPLORERS TRANSMISSION IS HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS FOLLOWED BY IT'S OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHING. I TALKED TO SEVERAL FORD TRANSMISSION FRIENDS AND THEY ADVISED ME TO INSTALL A UPGRADE KIT IN THE VALVE BODY. THIS WAS DONE, FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED, TO NO AVAIL. THE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASHES AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING WEIRD. AFTER READING SEVERAL POSTS ON SEVERAL SITES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I AM AT A LOSS AT WHAT TO DO. SEVERAL PEOPLE STATED THAT THEY WENT TO THE EXTENT OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSIONS WITH NEW ONES AND THE LIGHT STILL FLASHING AND HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY EXPLORER HAS 60K MILES ON IT AND THIS PROBLEM STARTED AT ONLY 50K MILES, TO ME THIS IS A PROBLEM FORD SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, AND ALLOW SOME COMPENSATION TO IT'S LOYAL CUSTOMERS. *TR

FORD PART # 1L24-7H473-AG VENDOR # M799G MOTOROLA MODEL # 01MU152B06 DATE CODE 01211 SERIAL # 21396939

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE EVERYTIME THE BLINKING OCCURRED. THE TRANSMISSION SWITCHED FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR EACH TIME THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,491 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,427.

AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP IN A LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AS MY WIFE EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE SHIFT LEVER BROKE INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE. I WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY SHIFT THE LINKAGE ON THE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION USING A PAIR OF PLIERS WHILE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS SET, AND MY WIFE APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1200.00. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW IN 2001 AND HAS ONLY 58,000 MILES. IT HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED IN ANY MANNER. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER THAT THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF A PROBLEM. SURELY, THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT FORD WILL PROBABLY DENY.*AK

AT AROUND 55000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE MY REAR AXLE AND I AM NOW AT 62000 AND MY O/D WILL START FLASHING AND MY 2001 EXPLORER WILL SHIFT HARD OR NOT SHIFT AT ALL. *NM