1998 FORD Explorer

on dec 6 of this year my husband and i were driving my 1998 ford explorer on a country highway when it just died. we luckily were able to pull over to the side of the road and called a tow to get back to town. this was a very frightening experience for us as it was a snowy day and visibility was poor, we felt fortunate not to be hit by oncoming traffic. we towed our car to a local repair shop where we have our maintenance done where we were told the front timing chain went and we would need to go to the dealership for repairs. we were also told that ford had experienced a lot of problems with the front timing chains on this make and model and that there had been recalls in place- worse case scenario per the dealership $2000. we had our car towed to the dealership only to be told when the front timing chain went it took out our engine also now $4600 to repair.we were also told that thee had been recalls on the front timing chains but not for my vin number, i have called ford twice and have been told that they understand my frustration and acknowledge recalls were in place, however they would need more documentation to consider repairs on my car and vin number. i have looked up on the internet this problem with the front timing chain and found pages of documentation where others have also had this problem, still ford has offered no help for us. this car has less than 88,000 and is in excellent condition and we cannot afford to get it fixed. i feel our safety was compromised in this situation and that our concerns our falling on deaf ears

On February 7th I was making a left turn at the corner from my house as I turned when I completed the turn the vehicle slowed down as I pulled over and coasted to a stop. And when I got out of my explorer and looked under the dashboard the accelerator pedal broke off from the firewall and I looked to see if it had just disconnected or something I noticed that the pedal was mounted on a plastic floorboard, it had broke off from there. I had to get some help push the vehicle home. On February the 8th I called Ford Motor Company and told them about the problem and just the day before I was on the highway, I was told to contact the dealer in my area. So I called San Francisco Ford Lincoln Mercury and asked to speak to the owner or manager and told him about the problem he transferred me to the service department. I explained the problem to Beth she told me there would be a $180.00 fee for a diagnostic inspection to see what the problem was, I had the vehicle towed to them later that day they called me back and told that it cost a total of $379.00 to repair it. I then asked why would Ford install something that important on a plastic floorboard and I was told that it wasn’t plastic it’s foam. I don’t think I should have to pay for this repair, do you think I have a case?

This problem began Thanksgiving Day. When I pushed the lever to unlock the doors, all the locks cooperated with the exception of the Driver’s door, my door. I was given a pair of pliers to lift the round lock, which I did. This became my way of opening my door, which I referred to as my magic door when people or children would stare. Everytime, I would press the remote and all the other doors unlocked. I’d enter through the passenger door, place the key in the ignition, lower the driver’s window, place the pliers on the driver’s seat, exit my vehicle, walk around tot he driver’s door, get the pliers, check my surrounding (in that I did not want to be accused of illegally entering a vehicle), press on the remote to assist in the lifting and lift the lock with the pliers. Unfortunately, it got to the point where the lock will not lift and I am forced to enter and exit my vehicle via the passenger’s door, which is extremely strenuous and embarrasing. I went to Clippinger Ford in Wet Covina, California and was told by David Moncayo that the cost of repair is $300-$400.00. I asked if there were many Explores coming in for this service and he stated there were not; however, I was concerned in that if there had not been many, why is it that he was so quick and sure of the cost of repair? He didn’t write it out, he just blurted it out. I didn’t exit my vehicle (as if I could without having to go through my crawl over routine),but he seemed very familiar with the problem, so if there has not been a recall as David Moncayo further indicated, perhaps one should be in the making.I have a coworker who is experiencing the same problem in that she also has a Ford Explorer. I can only dread being involved in an accident. How am I to exit my vehicle? How are others to get in to rescue me, if needed? This is scarey!

The problem is this, the intake manifold on my Ford Explorer is for some reason made if a plastic metal alloy and tend to warp at a high rate, If you have any information on this problem please tell me, And I want to say here I had a Extended warranty with Heritage Warranty Insurance8055 \’O\’ Street

Paint started chipping and when we talked to the dealership,they gave us touch-up paint. When we went back with the same problem they told us they couldn\’t paint just the roof because the color wouldn\’t match and gave us more touch-up paint. Now it is to the point where we need a gallon of touch-up paint.

On Sunday, April 13th, I was driving my 1998 Ford Explorer on the 110 freeway north, with my husband in the passenger seat. After entering the freeway, I noticed that the car was accelerating without me pressing on the accelerator. When I braked, it only slowed the car slightly. The car continued to accelerate on its own up to about 65 mph. My husband unfastened his seat belt and reached over under the pedals to make sure nothing was entangled in the pedal (like the floor mat) that would cause this problem. I then carefully pulled to the shoulder and braked as hard as I could with both feet. This only slowed the vehicle to 30mph. My husband shifted the car into neutral and the engine continued to rev , maxing out at 6000 rpm until we hear a loud \"clunk\’ and the rpms returned to normal. We took the vehicle to Ford and the Ford engineer found nothing wrong and is insisting it was the floor mat, despite our telling him we checked that. They are also refusing to remove this comment from their findings. I researched and found over 100 complaints on the NHTSB web site citing this same problem for my model year alone. There is a major problem with these vehicles and Ford is definitely trying to hide it. I can\’t believe that it has gone unchallenged.

I have the Goodyear Wrangler tires and one has a quite noticeable (DOT date of 03) “Bulge” almost the entire height of the sidewall and pushing outward approx 1/8″ and am concerned if this is a defect that could cause a problem (failure) when driving to endanger my family? The local goodyear boys say its not a defect, others who have looked at it suggest that it is a very potential failure. How does one obtain a remedy or conclusive evaluation as to defect or not??

I bought a 1998 Ford Explorer and at 135,000 miles the tensioner broke, putting a hole in the valve cover and possibly ruining the engine. Ford\’s reply at first was, \"yes this is a known problem and we will fix this at no cost to you\". They towed my Explorer in to the dealership and called me later telling me that while the time is not up, the mileage is over what they will cover. That answer is not good enough to me. Ford said they would fix it for anywhere from $600 to $6,000! My mechanic, who told me this is a common problem with this engine, said he will fix it for $300 plus parts. I have complained to the dealership and Ford customer service and a supervisor was supposed to call me today but as of yet…nothing. I filed a complaint with Ford and the Better Business Bureau. Ford\’s logo is \"Built to Last\" yet I do not think 135,000 miles is a lot on a engine. I\’m not the only one who has had this problem, go to cartrackers.com and see all the posts on this issue. If Ford knew this part would fail and ruin the engine, it does not matter when it fails, it will fail. Ford put out a Service Bulletin on this problem but no general recall was made to contact the people who had these cars. To me that just means that Ford decided to wait and see and would fix the ones with 100,000 miles or less and everybody else was just left out. It

i AM JUST STARTING TO GET THINGS DONE. THE BLEND DOOR IN THE AIR CONDITIONER NO LONGER WORKS, SO I GET ONLY HOT AIR.tHE DISPLAY ON THE RADIO NO LONGER WORKS. THE PAINT IS PEELING OF THE VEHICLE.

Back in May 2002 my drivers door lock stuck in the locked position it has power locks and I could not get it unlocked unless I pulled the lock button up while I pressed the power lock and unlock switch open an close a multiple amount of times.I brought it to a Ford dealer and had it fixed,it cost me $219.35 nit was the door lock Actuator that needed to be replaced,it has been 1 year almost to the day and it failed again. I think is a big saftey problem because if there is a fire or there is an accident and the automobile ends up in a lake or river the door lock can get stuck locked and a person could get stuck in the automobile.

On 4/4/09, while driving on the freeway, the gas pedal seemed to be stuck and the vehicle kept accelerating. The brakes were only able to slow the car slightly and a collision occured. I was unable to get the vehicle to stop accelerating. It was stopped by the collision and I was able to turn off the engine.

1998 explorer caught on fire to a defect with the vehicle. *ts the consumer received a recall regarding a possible problem with the speed control switch, which could cause a fire. *jb

Consumer has given 1998 ford truck to a family member and wants to update information. *ts *jb

Consumer is out of town and will respond to complaint concerning 1998 explorer when she return. *ts the consumer received a recall regarding the cruise control. *jb

Massive fuel leak under the hood of 1998 ford explorer xlt.*mr another fuel leak occured when a woven part of the fuel line broke. *nm

The abs light came on and stayed on while driving. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and a diagnostic test was performed. the dealer determined that the module for the abs and speed senor went out. the dealership also noticed the pins for the frontal air bags were never connected at the factory, rendering the air bags inoperative. *jb *sb *nm

Airbag light works intermittent. *yc

Attn. nhtsa administrator-[xxx]: i am extremely concerned about the safety of my vehicle. in an effort to help in the investigation of the ford explorer - i would like to offer my vehicle to be used for testing. i would like to be compensated of course and this would allow me to purchase a safer vehicle for my family. the vehicles tested by [xxx] study of the "oversteering" condition were similar to mine. the four door (4x2) design has been chosen by [xxx] for reasons i don't dare wish to speculate. although, it seems fairly obvious that my family and i are operating an unsafe vehicle. as a ford explorer owner, i encourage you to proceed with an investigation into rollovers associated with this vehicle. i have contacted ford's customer relations department several times via e-mail and have gotten tracking/case id numbers in response. they are refusing to act upon a safety concern where lives are at stake. my vehicle is under warranty until october 2001 and i wish to exchange this unsafe vehicle. if my offer does not appeal to you then please offer me any suggestions that you feel are helpful to my cause. sincerely, [xxx]/[xxx]/[xxx] ([xxx]) & [xxx] ([xxx]). *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *js *tr

Hydraulic hatchback collapsed and shattered the rear window. dealer has seen. *ak

Attn. nhtsa administrator-mr. robert shelton: i am extremely concerned about the safety of my vehicle. in an effort to help in the investigation of the ford explorer - i would like to offer my vehicle to be used for testing. i would like to be compensated of course and this would allow me to purchase a safer vehicle for my family. the vehicles tested by dr. dennis guenther's study of the "oversteering" condition were similar to mine. the four door (4x2) design has been chosen by dr. guenther for reasons i don't dare wish to speculate. although, it seems fairly obvious that my family and i are operating an unsafe vehicle. as a ford explorer owner, i encourage you to proceed with an investigation into rollovers associated with this vehicle. i have contacted ford's customer relations department several times via e-mail and have gotten tracking/case id numbers in response. they are refusing to act upon a safety concern where lives are at stake. my vehicle is under warranty until october 2001 and i wish to exchange this unsafe vehicle. if my offer does not appeal to you then please offer me any suggestions that you feel are helpful to my cause. sincerely, [xxx]/[xxx]/[xxx] ([xxx]) & [xxx] ([xxx]). *ak parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Dt: 1998 ford explorer. the brakes lights failed on the vehicle. consumer had the brake light fuses changed. they used the fuses that came with the vehicle. as soon as the second fuse was put in the vehicle caught on fire. another person put the fire out by beating it with a towel. then, consumer contacted a dealership by phone, they told her that there was a recall on the master cylinder but, he was unsure of the model years included. when the consumer contacted ford, they told consumer would get back to her. there were no fire or police reports available. the incident occurred on 7-262005 before the hood latch had acted up. also, cruise control malfunctioned. . it melted the wires for the abs and the spot for putting in the brake fluid. *ak

Brake pedal and switch, auto door lock and brake lights.

Speed control gets hot to touch. all top facing has melted off from heat. i was on highway and my steering wheel became extremely hot. my seat was repaired after recall years ago. it continues to drop low to floor.

My seat belt on my passenger side does not work half the time. my door locks do not work right. i can't get my window on the driver side to go up and down. i hit a tree going 55 miles an hour in my airbag did not even deploy. i'm lucky i'm still alive. the fenders rubbing up against my tire. speed control is wrong. whenever i'm going 55 miles an hour it says 57 actually i don't remember the correct date. but i'm sure it shows i know it was 2017. somebody ran me off the road. my truck hit the tree and my airbag did not deploy. i'm lucky it didn't i guess because don't airbags have metal shards in them is what i was told

Door locks and windows quit working after buying it. so many issue ..the steering wheel control words melted. back door don't shut probably and never has since bought. this was bought as a new not used vehicle. door locks was the worse.they sometimes stick and won't unlock since bought new.never fix by butler ford in milledgeville ga. overdrive switch slips out of position. does not show correct speed. i could go on and on

Parked in parking space started car put in reverse, engine roared, accelerated in reverse applying brakes did nothing , both feet on brakes , turned wheel so that car was not to hit parked cars behind us, car continued racing in reverse with continued applying brakes, thru it into park car continued in reverse , turned key off & car continured in reverse until hitting parked car which stopped us total distance about 200 feet, which seemed a lot longer,i felt i did everything correctly maybe if thrown in neutral brakes would have worked, very frighting having no control to stop

My explorer had been parked in my driveway for well over 15 hours when i heard my neighbor screaming. the suv was fully ignited into flames.just out of no where. i was able to get the fire out with my water hoses before the gotta department showed up but the entire vehicle is ruined and half my garage as well. the fire started down by the brakes and the entire vehicle was engolfed within seconds. obviously it was electrical. upon further investigation i believe it was the cruise control switch malfunction. my suv had 134,000 miles on it and kept in immaculate condition. i will download the fire departments report once to get it. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt

I was driving my truck and one day it started acting weird. my stereo started shutting off and coming in by itself. a couple days later i was driving and my stereo and information center went out and came back on. my truck will only go about 30mps cause it won't shift either. couple days ago it started back firing. what could be the problem.

Front passenger door lock and latch stuck and unable to open door from either inside or outside. occurs both stationary and in motion.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while the vehicle was in operation, the accelerator pedal became detached. the contact activated the hazard lights and drove home with caution. the dealer (phil long ford at chapel hills, 1565 auto mall loop, colorado springs, co 80920, (719) 387-1099) was notified, but could not diagnose the cause of the failure. the dealer and manufacturer indicated that there was no recall to provide a remedy. the contact was uncertain that if the part were replaced, the failure would recur. the failure mileage was not available.

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

I was going down clinton keith in murrieta when all of a sudden my transmission would not shift passed 3rd. it was working fine the day before. so i took it slow back home and the closer i got home the transmisson started slipping gears.

Gas pedal bracket welding broke while driving and gas pedal is now just dangling - checked on internet and there are a large amount of complaints about same thing - should be a recall

Rear end roars and speedometer quit working

When i stepped on the gas pedal and started to proceed through an intersection, i lost all power and had to roll or coast very slowly through the intersection and stop on the other side in a dangerous position in traffic when i could coast no further. the gas pedal bracket had completely broken off the firewall and was laying on the floor. the bracket had been attached by three spot welds. some other people stopped traffic and pushed me to a safe place to park. the ford dealer parts' department has no parts to fix it and suggested we buy some bolts somewhere and reattach it ourselves somehow. to completely lose power without warning was extremely dangerous! thank god i was in a controlled intersection and not turning left across oncoming traffic or it could have turned out much worse. reading online blogs and comments shows this problem of the gas pedal bracket falling off ford products and losing power is not uncommon.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 5 mph, the steering rod fell off and caused the steering to fail. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 30 mph, the speedometer, windshield wipers, interior lights, and four wheel drive failed. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start and smoked appeared on numerous occasions. in addition, the overhead lights in the vehicle did not work and the battery had a shortage. the contact stated that the service engine light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Only got my service dog out, thank god i was in a glass front restraunt. cd player caught the dash on fire and burned the truck completely up. truck was parked and off for 20 min.

So since my daughter bought the ford a brake line that's connected to the caliper gets stretched and bent and it breaks about every 6 to 7 months. i feel as if it's a design flaw.i can't afford to put a new brake line on every time it breaks. i called a dealership and the mechanic there said once every 5 years he repairs the lines, i don't believe that. the turning of the tires stretches the line and it wears it down and then the line leaks and cracks.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle felt as though it would tip over and swayed when driving approximately 70-75 mph. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the suspension malfunctioned. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

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

The cruise sensor on top of the brake master cylinder stay hot all the time and it keeps blowing my number 13 fuse that goes to the brake lights and when i put a new fuse in. the cruise sensor starts sparking an smoking really bad im a phrase that it's going to catch fire soon. *tr

As i was merging onto the highway onto the on ramp like any other morning going to work i began to yield as there was traffic coming in my direction. as i began to yield my car flipped over as if someone purposely tilted the vehicle over. the air bags did not deploy the car rolled over onto my left arm and leg breaking my ankle and causing many other injuries and distress. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 55 mph, the vehicle erupted into flames coming from the engine compartment into the interior of the vehicle. the contact was able to merged over and exit the vehicle as the flames were extensive and the vehicle was destroyed. the fire department was able to extinguish the flames. the vehicle was towed to a yard. the contact was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 98v060000 (fuel system, gasoline). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

Unknown speed and unknown miles on vehicle and center console had to be replaced with electric issue of 4 wheel drive still not working

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the high beams warning light illuminated continuously even after the engine was shut off. the failure recurred whenever the engine was started. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the technician diagnosed that the headlight module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the failure mileage was unavailable.

When accelerating from a stop, the bracket that suspends the accelerator pedal broke free from the firewall (it was tack welded in several spots). this caused an immediate loss of power. luckily i was leaving my residence with no traffic behind. if i had been accelerating via on ramp to highway with vehicles right behind me might have been a different story. local garage repaired ($47.50) by drilling holes and reattaching with bolts. according to "serious explorations" users group, not an uncommon problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 ford explorer. the contact noticed smoke rising from the engine compartment, which entered the cabin of the vehicle through the air conditioning vents. shortly afterwards, flames engulfed the entire vehicle and shattered all of the windows. the vehicle had recently been repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal noise emitted from the engine. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, who stated the timing belt failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 172,000.

Upon getting into my car the seat suddenly fell backwards , thank goodness i was not driving down the street i could have been injured or killed. the post that holds the drivers seat in the upright position broke. after checking on line for recalls i found that there is a problem with this and a recall had been issued but my vin is not in the dealers data base so they will not make the repairs. i did not receive a recall letter and do not know what to do next. *tr

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.

Gas pedal and bracket holding gas pedal broke free of it's mounting location on the firewall. 3 spot welds failed completely. gas pedal is now dangling from its cable under the dashboard. *tr

My car was parked in the driveway and was off. we heard a noise from inside the house and my 1998 ford explorer was in flames from the engine area. we had to call the fire department and the car was quickly engulfed. *tr

The timing chain tensioner broke allowing the chain to slip. it was a recall problem but i was not the original owner and the problem must not have been addressed, or else the recall didn't get done properly. after the repair it hasn't had good oil pressure at idle. it is too bad that ford put this motor in so many vehicles and doesn't stand behind they. it is poor design in my opinion to have four timing chains on a 4.0 liter motor is crazy. i wish that ford would have put more effort into seeing that my vehicle were recalled and not allowed to depreciate because it was happening to so many other explorer. *tr

Driver's side seat belt latch failed. the seat belt latched in the morning but wouldn't catch in the afternoon. truck was parked in a parking lot when the failure occured. *tr

My 1998 eddie bauer ford explorer does not move and when i try to put it in any gear it squeals. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, a noise emitted when the steering wheel was being maneuvered. the malfunction occurred whenever making a turn. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the front and rear ball joints were defective. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he noticed that all of the wheels were deteriorating. the contact stated that chrome portions of the wheels were detaching while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was advised to have the wheels welded and bolted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle engulfed into flames with the sound of a large explosion. the fire department extinguished the fire, which originated underneath the hood area. the vehicle was declared as destroyed and remained at the residence for further investigation. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

May 20, approximately 03:30am, while driving about 35mph to work in the dark with head lights on; headlights unexpectedly turned off. luckily that section of the street, had street lights working properly; but, i was approaching an unlit stretch of winding road with a 45mph speed limit. this could have become very dangerous. (dashboard lights were not affected.) turning the normal headlight switch did not seem to fix the problem. i tried the bright light function, which is part of the turn signal lever. they did not come on at first; however when jiggling the "turn signal lever," i noticed a "looseness in the lever, at the base where it connects to the steering column." wiggling it, turned the head lights back on, temporarily; but, wiggling from vibration in traffic caused them to turn "off" again. the turn signal lever on the 1998 ford explorer is used to control the "bright lights" and also controls windshield wipers. i am not certain; but, i believe i had the turn signal lever assembly repaired several years ago by a ford dealer in san diego...neither of the dealers i used to have service my vehicle are still in business. i believe the problem with the turn signal lever at that time, had to do with the wipers cutting off unexpectedly; and, eventually, not working all together. first: is this something the government should investigate "before" having the vehicle repaired? second: should ford be the one investigating this problem? third: should ford replace the turn lever assembly and provide the labor at their expense? ... on a personal note, after working for the same company for 12 years and being a workaholic, i just got laid off last week. this expense is definitely going to cost several hundred dollars in parts and labor, when i can least afford it. at this time, i can rule out trying to apply for a night job. *js

The explorer brake peddle went to the floor to stop the vehicle . there was smoke coming from under the hood . in a few seconds , the truck was in flames. police and firemen were called to the location . they put the fire out in a few minutes . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30-70 mph, the vehicle would loose power but the engine would continue to run. the vehicle would eventually stall but was able to be restarted after several minutes. in addition, the wiper blades would also fail and would not operate as they should when inclement weather arose. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that the wiring in the entire vehicle needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

When backing up at 5mph vehicle accelerated at high speed went up curb and hit guardrail. after 2-3- seconds vehicle dropped down to 0 mph. *tr

Vehicle accelerates from stopped and brake position for 3 seconds and then returns to normal. *tr

I was driving 45 mph when the accelerator went all the way to the floor, i put the car in neutral and then speedometer went all the way up to the max, and coasted off to the side as soon as i could. this caused the engine to be damaged and the car is not drivable. *tr

We used the ford explorer ealier in the day to visit local relatives. we parked the car in our attached garage at around 4pm that day. we were woken up around 1am to noises coming from the garage. upon opening the garage door from our laundry room, i found the hood of the ford explorer in flames. i slammed the laundry room door and proceeded to get our 3 yr old son out from his room that is located above the garage and out of the house. my husband also went into the garage to see what was happening, by then the truck was fully engulfed in flames. he was going to try to put out the fire but quickly realized that there was no chance.the fire was too big by then and being that our gas water heater was located next to the vehicle, he quickly exited the garage but did receive 2nd - 3rd degree burns to his hands, feet and right flank of his back. by the time the fire dept arrived on scene, the garage was engulfed in flames. the fire destroyed the garage, the support beams for the second floor above the garage and the laundry room. also, the entire first floor has smoke and water damage and the second floor is mostly smoke damage. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact was driving 30 mph when burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle. the contact moved the vehicle from the roadway, found that there were flames coming from under the hood, and extinguished the fire with an extinguisher. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 98,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when the engine caught on fire. the fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. the contact was informed that the fire was electrical and originated near the cruise control switch. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 96,160. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated while the vehicle was parked the vehicle burst into flames. the fire department was called and extinguished the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact did not mention if there were any injuries. the fire department confirmed that cause of the fire was electrical. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the fire and filed a complaint. the contact was concerned that the fire could have caused serious injuries. the failure mileage was 23,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked unoccupied outside of the contacts residence when it burst into massive flames. the fire department extinguished the fire and the vehicle was completely destroyed. a fire report was available. the contact stated that the manufacturer issued a voluntary recall pertaining to the speed control system modification under nhtsa campaign id number: 00v422000 (vehicle speed control) and the vehicle was included in the recall but had not yet been repaired. the contact believed the failure was related to the recall defect. the failure mileage was 167,000. updated 05/03/11*lj updated 05/23/11

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.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the accelerator pedal broke off from the floorboard. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were 140,000. updated 03/15/11*lj updated 05/13/11

1998 ford explorer caught fire parked under my carport. 1/6/11 @ 14:00hrs. *tr

I own a 2000 ford ranger and a 1998 ford explorer. i believe the accelerator pedal and the break pedal are too close together on both vehicles. on at least four occasions i have experienced my tendency to have my foot on both pedals at the same time when in a situation where i have to stop quickly. i t seems that i "panic" to some degree when in a situation where i must stop quickly to avoid a collision. this may be a very isolated personal 'quirk" as it were, but i have caused two rear end collisions so far and i now know that i am pressing both pads when trying to break. i know this because i remember vividly how my motor was accelerating while i thought my foot was only on the brake and i could not understand why my vehicle was not coming to a stop when most likely i had plenty of space available to make a sudden stop and avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph and making a turn, the accelerator pedal separated from the firewall; the vehicle was unable to be driven after the failure. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who informed her that she needed to replace the accelerator pedal bracket. the vehicle had not been repaired for the accelerator pedal bracket. the failure mileage was unknown.

About 3 years ago i started to notice the driver’s side seat reclining and i couldn't reset it to the upright position. through the years the recline got worst and i contacted ford and advised them that this may be related to their recall # 03v281000. ford responded by telling me that i already got serviced for this recall and that my vehicle has no outstanding recalls. i purchased another seat and recently had it installed. upon inspection of the original seat my mechanic and i noticed a stress crack on the reclining bracket of the seat. my argument is that ford’s recall remedy didn't solve the problem because it is a defective reclining bracket that is causing this problem not the upper bolt they replaced. i have worked as an aircraft mechanic and know a stress crack when i see it. this is definitely a factory defect and should be investigated immediately. i had roughly a ¼ inch left before the back of the seat would snap and recline totally. depending on the speed and terrain you are driving on this could be tragic. i have contacted ford numerous times and in their last letter they indicated that they will not communicate with me anymore. i kept the original seat and can send you photos if you need them.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving approximately 10-15 mph she engaged the brakes and the pedal went almost to the floor. the abs system activated with limited braking ability. he stated that none of the warnings lights illuminated. one year later the failure recurred. the contact referenced recall 09v399000, vehicle speed control and stated that the recall was performed on the vehicle last year in 2009. the contact stated that the dealer did not inspect the abs control module connector and repaired it as necessary per the recall. the contact scheduled an appointment with the dealer next week. he called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 164,000. updated 12/14/2011 *cn updated 03/02/11

1998 ford explorer vin#[xxx] registered to the state of nevada; original owner: [xxx]...registered because of disability reasons to wife [xxx]...we were involved in a car crash accident...resulting to a total loss at baker, california because of the vehicle cruise control recall which could cause the tire to be treaded...pushing the car to be out of control..while the brake fluid leaking...and the air bag safety failed to develop (open). i think ford motor company is the primary responsible of the mechanical failure of the workmanship and the car design. i got in touch with their legal department: product recall & liability. the accident report# [xxx] ncic#[xxx]. the injured driver [xxx]; passenger and the permanent disabled passenger were taken to barstow community hospital emergency room. i need your help in removing all 1998 ford explorer from the road; this car could cause major & fatal injuries to the public at large. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while parked, the contact stated that she smelled smoke coming from the steering column. she believed the failure to be similar to nhtsa campaign id number: 06v286000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that they would be opening a case on her behalf to further inspect the failure. the contact did not inform the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Tl. the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated while sleeping the contact heard a loud bomb. the contact looked out the window and the vehicle burst into flames. the contact called the fire dept. to put out the fire. no one was injured nor was any property damage. the contact called the manufacturer regarding any recalls and the manufacturer informed the contact the vehicle has no outstanding recalls. the fire dept. determined the fire was started by a electrical component on the driver side. the contact stated someone could have been seriously injured due to the fire. the failure mileage was 150,000. jo

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when it suddenly caught fire. the fire department was called but a neighbor extinguished the fire. the vehicle was still drivable. the vehicle had not been inspected to find the cause of the fire. the contact believed the failure was caused by the cruise control when he researched recall 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) which was related. the contact had not spoken with the dealer nor the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 113,000.

August 18th 2010 1:30 pm pearland tx . a ford explorer 4 doors get hit it in the back by other vehicle will is in stop position; about 40/50 miles p/h. the front panel get broke, the stereo flu to the front hitting the driver. and the air bag "do not open" driver could be injured on the face and at the arms. also the driver seat is broke in the back

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.

On july 17, 2010 the accelerator to my 1998 explorer (eddie bauer) stuck when i was trying to back a little ways down my drive way. the truck accelerated out of control and jumped the street hitting my neighbor porch damaging the porch and neighbor's yard. the police came and completed an accident report. the ford explorer was towed to the body shop and repaired towed to a local ford dealership for repair. the dealership says there is nothing wrong with the ford explorer. i traded the vehicle in. i have spoken to other 1998 ford explorer owners and they also have experienced the same problem. *tr

Wipers works when they want too. power windows work when they want too. the interior lights works when they want too. *tr

98 ford explorer, abs lockup dry weather, slow speed.... now has accelerated during one of these episodes ....relatively certain the edge of my foot did not catch the gas pedal... *tr

Cigarette lighter caused wiring harness to burn. smoke filled the cabin when lighter stuck and immediately turned off vehicle. afterward several exterior and interior lights stayed on. the rear wipers were also activated.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer xlt. the contact stated that the turn signals were inoperable. the dealer replaced the directional control arm yet the failure recurred within a year. the directional control arm was replaced a second time by the dealer. he also noticed that the wires were discolored and stated that the vehicle needed several additional repairs. the contact declined to have the vehicle repaired. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the control arm did not need an additional replacement but suggested replacing the fuse. on a separate occasion, while using the turn signals, the turn signal switch inside began smoking. there were no additional repairs made to the vehicle or related recalls. the manufacturer stated that since there were no recalls, they would not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 112,000 and the current was 191,000.

While attempting to back of parking space at home, vehicle accelerated out of control and hit townhome across the street. accelerator pedal was recently repaired at dealership (01/12/2010). *tr

While attempting to back of a parking space, accelerator pedal was dangling from underneath the console completely unattached from the car. vehicle had just been picked up from the ford dealership for other repairs. called ford who came and diagnosed the vehicle, took it back to their shop, made repairs and brought suv back to me at no charge. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while trying to use the lighter in the vehicle, it began to smoke. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and no action was taken. the current and failure mileages were not available.

I have a 1998 ford explorer, 4.0l v6 with almost 110k miles on the vehicle. on 2/24/10 i accelerated from a complete stop and the entire accelerator pedal assembly, detached from the fire wall at what looks like the spot wields. this almost resulted in a accident due to immediate vehicle deceleration. the entire assembly is now only "attached" to the car via the throttle cable. i was able to drive the car home by basically pulling the throttle cable. this was extremely dangerous as i had use one hand on the wheel while bending down to pull the cable. i was just able to see over the dash. i was told by santa margarita ford in orange county california, that it's not of their concern since they don't "fix" parts but replace them. they would charge me to "replace" the part. so no fix has been done to my vehicle yet. i will mostly likely drill and bolt the assembly to the firewall, since ford has no interest in "fixing" my car. *tr

1998 ford explorer transmission overdrive light started flashing and trans started slipping badly all at once. can not drive now. i don't yet know how much a new trans will cost, but vehicle has been well maintained and serviced regularly. i believe this transmission should be recalled. *tr

1998 ford explorer. parked at restaurant, shut off vehicle, went inside. approximately 10 minutes later someone yelled fire. went outside to discover smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. fire department called and responded quickly. fire extinguished, but vehicle totaled. no injuries, no other property damage except burned hedges that were in front of the vehicle where it was parked. tow truck driver remarked that it appeared possible that it was one of those cruise control caused fires as it is evident that the fire originated on or near the brake master cylinder. i am the original owner, my son was using the truck when the fire occurred and i am relating his recollection of the events. vehicle was towed immediately afterwards to a holding yard and subsequently to my home where it is presently. *tr

Check engine light comes on and o2 sensors have to be replace every thirty to forty thousand miles. now o/d off light is flashing and car drives like it is in first gear, shifts hard. *tr

I drive a 1998 ford explorer sport. over the past two years, the locks on both the driver and passenger door have jammed, preventing the occupant from opening the door. the repairs have been very costly (around $800 total), and the faulty/jammed locks have posed significant safety concerns, since the driver or passenger had to climb over the arm rest to get in and out of the vehicle. i would strongly suggest that you address this safety issue with ford motor co. asap. it may be too late for me. however, it will be a help to others who might have an accident and not be able to escape a fire or worse. if this had happened with my mother in the car, it would have been extremely difficult. the friend who had to climb in and out of the vehicle over the arm rest ended up with a sore back. we were out of town when the second incident occurred. *tr

After sitting in the driveway for aprox 9 hours, the engine area caught on fire at 4am. speculation is the cruise control switch ignited and caused the fire. the front end of the vehicle is completely destroyed, as is the interior with smoke damage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while parked he saw smoke and flames underneath of the hood of his vehicle. the dealer was contacted, and he was advised to bring the vehicle into the dealer. the speed control wiring harness had melted ; which caused fluid to leak . no repairs were made. he then received a letter for recall campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer will contact him with a response within a fifteen day period. the failure and current mileages were 155000.

We were driving along in our 1998 ford explorer and the overdrive light started blinking and then it would not shift into 3rd gear. it occurs everytime we drive the car now. we took it to a ford dealer, they said it was a torque converter and that it was 2000 dollars. about 2 weeks later it would not come out of third gear. ford dealer said it was not the same problem, and the transmission needed replaced for 4000 dollars. we did some research and found that this is a very common problem from 98-04 explorers, as they share the same transmission. link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml feel free to call me anytime. *tr

Door locks are stuck on passenger side of 1998 ford explorer. the door will not open at all. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while the engine was on she exited the vehicle for a brief moment. when she returned the vehicle was engulfed with smoke. she removed her children and exited the vehicle. after waiting for five minutes the vehicle caught on fire. the fire department was able to extinguish the flames. however, because of the fire damage the cause of the failure was not determined. the current and failure mileages were 110,000.

I own a 1998 ford explorer xlt with electric door locks. both the front driver and passenger door locks do not operate using any of the three available methods for unlocking. the remote key fob operation, the exterior driver door entry pad or the interior locking mechanism do not unlock the doors. this vehicle has the doors set to automatically lock when put in to any other gear than 'park' and the doors can only be opened using the interior handle which is only accessible from the rear door of my 4-door vehicle. this vehicle was purchased today to replace a similar vehicle (1999 ford explorer xlt) that had the exact same issue. thankfully when i totaled the vehicle in an unfortunate accident the door did not stick close with the lock being the culprit. *tr

While accelerating from a complete stop, the gas pedal snapped off and fell to the floor of the car. we were able to coast out of the intersection where it happened. once stopped we discovered that the welds that held the petal to the fire-wall (i believe that is what the mechanic later called it) had broken. the mechanic was able to bolt the pedal back on. while there were no injuries, or irreparable damage to the car, it could have been a far more dangerous situation, as we were headed for a busy highway at the time. we feel ford should be aware of this incident, take responsibility for the cost of repair, and take steps to prevent this from happening in the future. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the windshield wipers in the vehicle would randomly stop working. this causes dangerous driving conditions in rainy weather. a mechanic stated that the electronic module in the wiper/washermotor was defective. the contact found nhtsa campaign id number 00v072000, nhtsa action number pe99049 (electrical system:fuses and circuit breakers) on the nhtsa website. he called the manufacturer and was informed that his vin was not included in the recall. the contact believes that his vehicle should be included because the failures were identical. the current and failure mileages were 42,000. updated 09/01/09. *lj updated 09/04/09.*jb

Doors and locks on my 1998 ford has been out of order they work when they want to!! i saw that it had a recall in 1999 i guess the last owner didn't get it fixed im sometimes locked out of my car 10-15 min at a time!! i was wondering can you do something or is it too late!! i really need to get this taken care of because when i leave work it's dark!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the brake light would not illuminate when the brake pedal was depressed. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was repaired at a repair shop, but the failure continued. the contact took the vehicle back to the repair shop and had it repaired again for free. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the current mileage was 167,994 and failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Reverse sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the front driver's seat reclines all the way back until it touches an object behind the seat. she could potentially lose control of the steering wheel or foot pedals due to this issue. his vehicle model year was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). the vehicle has not been properly repaired. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

My car caught fire while driving it. *tr

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

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner), although no failures were occurring at the moment. the dealer refused to repair the issue after consulting with the manufacturer because the bolt failed. after being denied of the recall repair, the failures began to occur a week later. the driver's seat would recline backwards on its own. the issue occurred over ten times, but the dealer still refused to repair the vehicle. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was informed that because she did not take the vehicle to the dealer in a timely fashion, the bolt sheared; therefore, they could not assist. the current mileage was approximately 170,000 and failure mileage was 157,565.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving approximately 45 mph on normal road conditions, the accelerator pedal detached without warning. immediately, the contact was able to pull over to the side of the road to inspect the failure. the driver temporarily repaired the accelerator pedal and continued to cautiously drive the vehicle. the driver believes that the failure was a life-threatening situation. the vehicle was taken to the authorized dealer for inspection and repaired. the failure and current mileages were 140,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving approximately 45 mph on normal road conditions, the accelerator pedal disengaged without warning. immediately, the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. the driver temporarily repaired the accelerator pedal and the vehicle resumed normal operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and they repaired the accelerator pedal. the manufacturer has been notified of the malfunction. the failure and current mileages were 140,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact was awakened in the early morning hours because his vehicle caught fire while parked. he inspected the vehicle and noticed that the flames were coming from under the hood on the driver's side, next to the wheel well. a couple of minutes later, the engine was engulfed in flames. the fire department was called and extinguished the fire. a police and fire report were filed. the fire department determined that the fire was caused by electrical failure under the hood. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed to call his insurance company to have them file a complaint against ford. the insurance company stated that because the contact only had liability insurance, they could not file a complaint against the ford manufacturer. the insurance company advised the contact to have the vehicle inspected by an electrical engineer to determine the cause of the failure. the engineer stataed that the cost to inspect the vehicle would be $250 per hour. the vehicle has not yet been inspected. the failure mileage was 147,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 06v286000 (vehicle speed control), but did not take the vehicle to the dealer for repair. she was awakened by a neighbor informing her that the vehicle was on fire. the entire front wiring system was melted. an investigator from the fire department speculated that the cruise control was the cause of the failure. the contact has pictures of the failed incident and she is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were unknown.

Spare tire that is secured to underside of vehicle separated from vehicle while driving on the road due to snapped cable. *tr

Tire - tread separation vehicle - ford explorer (1998) tires - firestone (purchased somewhere in the 2003-2005 timeframe). these tires were snow tires and are used only a few months out of each year, so there is low mileage on them. at approximately 1 pm, my daughter left a school function in burbank, wa, and turned onto highway 12. she accelerated; about 100 yards later, just as she reached the snake river bridge, the left rear tire lost its tread. she was going less than 50 mph. the car was uncontrollable, spun around, and smashed into the concrete barrier of the bridge. the car was severely damaged (totaled). no other cars were involved. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact heard a huge explosion coming from her driveway and noticed that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. the vehicle was destroyed. there were no warning signs prior to the failure. the contact called the fire department and they extinguished the fire. the cause of the failure was undetermined. a police report was filed. she called her insurance company and is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 143,000. updated 03/17/09. *lj updated 03/17/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact heard a huge explosion coming from her driveway and noticed that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. the vehicle was destroyed. there were no warning signs prior to the failure. the contact called the fire department and they extinguished the fire. the cause of the failure was undetermined. a police report was filed. she called her insurance company and is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 143,000.

Gas pedal housing fell off the wall nhtsa item #616531. *tr

One day when i attempted to enter my 1998 ford explorer, parked in my garage, the drivers side door would not unlock. whenever the automatic feature locks the doors when i am driving or i lock the door using my key fob, it will not open from the exterior. i have to reach in from the rear door (or if i am in the drivers seat) and open the door with a very strong pull on the door handle. i have not taken the vehicle in for repair as yet. i have been aware of this situation for about 2 weeks as of today. tedwards *tr

1998 ford explorer driver side door lock won't open. it won't open if you use the key, remote, or manually try to pull up on it while inside. however, the other doors and tailgate unlock ok. i am forced to enter the car on the passenger side and climb over a console in the middle to get into driver seat. i believe this is a serious safety issue as there is no way to get in or out of the car on the driver side. i am 76 years old and this is extremely difficult to get in over the console on passenger side. there are numerous complaints on internet for this exact problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v286000 (vehicle speed control). after the repair, the speed control no longer worked. a private mechanic also stated that the wiring inside the column, which connected to the air bag, was melted and caused the air bags to malfunction. the contact returned to the dealer with the report from the mechanic. the dealer denied the free repair request and stated that the repair would not be covered under the recall. the dealer also stated that to remedy the issue, the contact would have to pay $2,500 to replace the wiring, air bags, and the part used for the speed control repair. the manufacturer has not yet been notified. the current mileage was approximately 158,000 and failure mileage was approximately 157,000.

1998 ford explorer spontaneously caught fire in engine compartment 8am, 12/02/08. car was previously driven 12 hours prior to incident. engine was not running. doors were locked. no signs of entry prior to incident. fire engulfed engine and spread to passenger compartment before alameda fire department extinguished vehicle. insurance company has claimed vehicle as totaled and is investigating. suspected cause is cruise control shutoff switch, subject to ford recall 05s28. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. after the contact parked the vehicle in his driveway, he noticed firefighters outside of his house. he then noticed that his vehicle was on fire. the engine was determined to be the cause of the failure. a fire report was filed. the vehicle has not yet been towed. the failure and current mileages were 110,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while parked in the driveway, the vehicle caught fire without warning. a family member safely extinguished the fire. the vehicle was completely destroyed. the contact has a copy of the report from the fire department. the manufacturer stated that her vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number 06v286000 (vehicle speed control); however, they would not assume financial responsibility because the component already failed. the contact stated that she never received a recall notice in the mail. as of october 14, 2008, she has not received a remedy for the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

1998 ford explorer had brake failure due to the brake fluid eating through the metal. *nj when the brakes failed, the consumer hit another vehicle. the brake line was made of metal and had a hole in it. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the vehicle has cooper discoverer h/t tires, size lt235/75r15. while driving approximately 65 mph, the front end of the vehicle began shaking uncontrollably. the contact noticed debris coming from the tires and the vehicle, causing her to pull over onto the side of the road. she noticed that the tread was separated from the tire, which caused major front end damage. a spare tire was placed on the vehicle and she drove to her residence. the contact discovered a recall for her tires and called the manufacturer; however, her dot number was not included in the recall. the vehicle has not been repaired and the tire has not been replaced. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by a dealer. the current and failure mileages were 132,000. updated 11/12/08. *lj updated 11/14/08. *jb

We had two incidents of tire blow outs in 4 months the last one occurring on oct 12, 2008. the cause of both blow outs was the tire stem but we did not hear about the recall until i heard it on the news today. we have since bought new tires afraid that it would happen again but what can we do now? i feel like we should be compensated but how? the ford dealer we bought the tires from is out of business so we could not go there when we realized that it was a tire stem problem and without knowing there was a recall we had no option but to go somewhere else which was american tire. we went to american tire both times it happened for them to fix the tires and they did not mention a recall either. the tires were not old enough to be replaced but for our own safety we did that. i guess i know there is nothing you can do but just wanted to get some advise of what to do, if anything. thanks, patty p.s. no crash, no deaths, thank goodness *tr

Drivers side door is permanantly locked....a small spring fell out of door. it started about 7 months when the handle was getting a little difficult to pull. you could feel the pressure between the door and handle...about 3 weeks later the panel around the handle fell out and i found a small spring on the trucks floor....for a while after that i was able to open the door from the outside but not the inside. very scary thought to know that if you were in accident you wouldn't be able to get out from the inside however, 2 weeks after that the door wont open at all (from the outside or inside!). its such a pain to have to crawl through the vehicle to get in and out and im pretty sure this very unsafe in case of an emergency. i know it cant be something i did to the vehicle because it was perfectly fine when i drove off the lot 2 years ago. i've researched this situation online and have found that there are tons of other people with the same problem, yet no solutions has been made...any ideas on this matter would be greatly appreciated, seeing how im still making payments on this vehicle and am literally "stuck" in it till its paid off. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while leaving his home, the contact noticed that the hood of the vehicle was on fire. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire and a police report was filed. the contact did not notice any differences beforehand. the vehicle has not been diagnosed for the failure. the current and failure mileages were 110,000.

I was leaking antifreeze. brought to mechanic. he changed the intake manifold. a tune up was also done. now periodic smell of antifreeze and oil at different times. very potent. mechanic is aware of these problems, but cannot find anything wrong after doing many pressure tests and flushes. *tr

98 ford explorer stereo-cd-cassette player, volume control and display is defective again. had it fixed out of warranty at 40 months, now broke again...many unhappy people had same problem on "explorerforum.com". should have been a recall. *tr

Driver side seat recliner lever broke off..now is safety issue, can't adjust seat back.. many angry people on the ford truck "explorerforum.com" have same problem...should have been a recall...ford sells a redesigned stronger part #xl2z7862649aa.. *tr

I had a 1998 2dr ford explorer that caught on fire for no reason at my job on june 17, 2008. it was a under the hood fire. i arrived at work at 8:26 a.m. a couple of minutes after 11:00 a.m. is when the building manager knocked on my door and told me the fire department was looking for me because my truck had caught on fire. the car ended up being a total loss. everything on the inside was severely smoke damaged. my radio melted and i loss certain paper work that i had in my glove compartment. my heater cord was left on the ground along with some other wires after the tow truck towed my truck away. that's how burned up my truck was. *tr

I was traveling in my 1998 ford explorer with my son and fiance to bullhead, az. traveling east on hwy40. about 30 miles west of needles, ca i experienced a blown tire on my left rear wheel. these tires were a year old and later we discovered a nail in the tire. we safely merged to the side of the highway and was eventually able to put the spare tire on the left rear. this spare tire is a firestone wilderness at tire (p235/75 r 15). we traveled again for about 20 miles when the spare tread separated causing my suv to experience severe movement back and forth and almost tipping over; slapping the tread into the rear fender and hatch of the car. my fiance managed to get the car under somewhat control and get us over to the side of the road. we were traveling approx. 70 to 72 mph and because of the first blown tire we all were skidish and keeping both hands on the wheel, which i feel was the reason we did not roll over. i called aaa and got towed to needles, ca where we got a new tire on the spare which cost $175.00. we continued to travel up hwy95 to bullhead city, az, approx. 15 miles, where our house was. july 3 we went to superior tires and bought 4 new goodyear tires. i am left with a damaged rear fender and a damaged hatch do to the firestone tire tread separation. *tr

My accelerator pedal bracket separated from the firewall, causing lack of throttle control. this bracket is spot welded, and ford has a tsb regarding this item failure. i think this should be a recall. *tr

Fire in engine bay originating at the cruise control deactivation switch. *tr

Faulty transmission in 1998 ford explorer. vehicle was bought from ford dealership, approximately 4 yrs. old when purchased. trans. not shifting properly after first year of ownership or approx. 65,000 miles. would not go into reverse at all shortly afterward. hard and late shifting from 2nd to 3rd, and transmission will frequently totally disengage while driving at 55 to 60 mph, engine will rev., but car will start slowing down. engine sounds like it's going to blow up while waiting for transmission to shift. had transmission rebuilt by private mechanic and problem is still the same. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that he could not open the driver side door from the inside or outside. the door handle would not respond to any movement and the door would not unlock. the manufacturer has not been notified. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 140,000 and failure mileage was 135,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while parked at the contact's job, the vehicle began smoking and then caught fire under the hood. everything under the hood was melted. the contact did not know if the vehicle was destroyed. when he called the dealer, he was informed that there was no safety recall pertaining to his vin; therefore, he would be responsible for the repair costs. nhtsa campaign id number 00v422000 (vehicle speed control) was referenced. the correct incident date was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 149,382.

Front driver and passenger seat belts do not retract properly and must be fed manually to retract. subsequent damage to seat belt webbing causing possible failure upon impact. *tr

During the annual vehicle safety inspection, it was reported that the two front suspension stabilizer link bolts were broken. each bolt had failed as a result of rust and corrosion at the upper end where it attached to the stabilizer. this resulted in a degradation of handling ability, which in a suv vehicle with high center of gravity, could have caused a serious accident. parts were replaced and i am retaining what is left of the failed parts for further examination. *tr

Tl*the contact's son owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal detached from the frame of the vehicle while his son was driving 30 mph. his son was able to safely stop the vehicle and had it towed to a ford dealer. the dealer stated that the accelerator pedal bracket detached from the dash pane area. the contact would have to pay $634 to have the vehicle repaired. the dealer would have to re-weld the engine panel. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the driver's side seat does not stay in place. if the contact leaned back too hard, the seat would recline onto the rear seat. when she called the dealer concerning nhtsa recall number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly: recliner) and was informed that they do not honor nhtsa recalls. the current mileage was 117,800 and failure mileage was 117,400.

My daughter was driving home the car (engine) caught on fire . the fire chief was not really sure what the cause was. *tr

Engine failure. engine code p0300. cylinders 4, 5, 6 have weak compression. timing chain is damaged. dealer has previously serviced timing chain twice and after second service ford extended engine warranty to 100k miles (now expired). dealer now recommends engine replacement at cost of $5,500. what was once a $30,000 beautiful eddie bauer rig now has a kelly bb retail value of ~$8000, but without engine, car is a total (auction block) loss! while no one was hurt when this engine failed, it is both a potential safety hazard and yet another shock to a vehicle with a troublesome (and expensive) past, and to a loyal ford customer who expected a better quality product. i can't help but wonder how many more 1998 explorers are out on the roads about to loose their engines. is 10 years too long to own a ford? i am still pondering what to do with this vehicle which now sits as a 2-ton "bookend" in my garage. *tr

Loss of acceleration while traveling through an intersection due to the accelerator pedal bracket spot weld failure. minor child was driving auto when the accelerator pedal fell over to its side. no power. luckily was able to coast through intersection without being hit. my inspection revealed all three spot welds had failed. further, the middle weld of the three was only about 1mm in diameter with the outermost two yielding a nugget size of approx. 5mm. the bracket spot welds failed due to the firewall sheet metal fatigue. the firewall sheetmetal completely pulled loose leaving three holes where the spot welds were. this area of workmanship is of concern to me as it endangered the lives of my children due to the vehicle loosing power in the middle of a busy intersection. the failure was reported to a customer service rep with ford but the only response i received was that i would be responsible for any repairs since the auto was out of the warranty period. cost was not my concern, giving notice of what is clearly a safety matter was my concern. i was informed that no current bulletins or recalls existed for the described problem. i feel there should be. these welds should never fail. my background? i am a welding specialist for a major automotive manufacturer in the u.s. i do have supporting photos of the failed spot welds. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact received a ford recall notice for the vehicle speed control: cruise control switch in august of 2006. she called the dealer in august of 2007 and they stated that the parts would be unavailable until november. she called the dealer every other month and they stated that the parts would be unavailable until august of 2008. the contact refused to have the cruise control switch disconnected. the vehicle has not caught fire and there had been no failure to date. the transmission type, recall number, and powertrain were unknown. the current mileage was 105,000.

Tl*the contact's father owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving various speeds, the accelerator pedal would stick and then release. the accelerator pedal became detached from the floor. while attempting to pull into a mechanic's garage, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal hard because the vehicle would not move. the contact then proceeded to move the accelerator pedal with her foot, but the vehicle surged forward into the mechanic's wall. there were no deaths, injuries or a police report. the vehicle sustained damage to the front end. the manufacturer will be notified. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 119,031.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 15 mph, the accelerator pedal fell off. prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the pedal felt loose and then completely detached while pulling into a repair shop. the failure caused unexpected acceleration and the vehicle crashed into a wall, causing damage to the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 116,000. updated 03-04-08 *bf

Transmission slips when shifting into gear and clunks. transmission disengaging out of drive gear; will not stay in gear when moving in the forward (drive) direction. almost was in wreck due to transmission/drive failure. had taken vehicle in to transmission specialty service station to have looked at. faulty solenoid and stuck mechanism due to failure. total cost of repair $1700.00. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 45 mph, the accelerator pedal detached from the panel. the vehicle suddenly decelerated. a police officer pushed the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the current and failure mileages were 107,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while parking his vehicle (2 mph), the vehicle surged forward and crashed into the wall of the parking structure while the brake was depressed. the contact stated that the vehicle would not stop until he shut off the engine. the current and failure mileages were 150,000. the purchase date was unavailable.

While accelerating the vehicle hesitates as if it is going to stall. i've taken it and had it checked out. the only thing that has ever been found is faulty o2 sensors. *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.

Blend door motor failed permitting only hot air to enter vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 40 mph, the driver's seat reclined towards the rear seat. the dealer stated that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). the dealer refuses to make the repair until the contact pays $400 to have another mechanism of the seat recliner repaired. the ford manufacturer stated that they knew nothing about technical issues and that the dealer would make the final decision. the seat has not been repaired. the vehicle does not have cruise control. the failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 176,000.

My wife's 1998 ford explorer xlt caught on fire while parked right in front of my kid's school, she drove for 1 mile from our house to the school to pick up my kid, luckily it didn't burn in the garage. the fire according to the fire department looks like it started around the brakes master cylinder under the hood directly in front of the driver and according to the burn marks on the hood looks like it was there where it burned the hottest, the whole engine compartment burned and luckily the fire dptm is real close so it didn't burn completely. upon investigation on the internet i came to know about a safety recall for these vehicles involving the cruise control switch that is located by the brake master cylinder and that can result on fire, so i strongly believe that this incident is a consequence of this recall that i had no idea of. the vehicle is totaled and now we are struggling without our primary family vehicle, i'm just thankful that my family and my house are safe. *jb

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

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact received a recall notice in august of 2007 for the vehicle speed cruise control switch. he called to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle repaired and was informed that the parts would be unavailable until october. the contact called again and was informed that the parts would remain unavailable until march of 2008. he filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. there had been no failure to date. the recall number was unknown. the current mileage was 101,000.

Failure of front wheel bearing hub assembly. wheel broke loose leaving vehicle undrivable. wheel bearing hub assembly had to be replaced. *jb

Failure of front brake rotors due to excessive warping and corrosion. this resulted in poor braking and increased stopping distances. poor quality oem front brake rotors were factory installed on this vehicle. proper high quality aftermarket front brake rotors were installed. this resulted in excellent braking! *jb

Rear metal brake line, running across rear axle, ruptured due to extensive corrosion. this resulted in complete loss of rear brakes. a new metal brake line had to be fabricated [part was not available from ford]and installed. dealer cost $400+. note: several ford dealers and brake shops advised that this is a common problem due to the fact that these brake lines were not properly coated to guard against corrosion. *jb

1998 ford explorer, door locks fail and can't get out, can not be open with key or remote, can't even be slim jimmied.. dealer tell me that the enter door has to be torn apart and it will cost $500.00... this is a very dangerous safely hazard. what happens when this vehicle is in a accident or starts fir and passengers can't get out...should be recalled. *jb

The spot welds broke on the metal bracket that holds the gas pedal to the floor. *tr

Spare tire lost from lift/hanger. at the time of purchasing new tires i learned my spare tire was missing. the cable used to lift the tire was broken, it did not appear to be cut. i don't know when the tire was lost, but this could be a very serious hazard to other motorists if it happened while driving. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 5 mph into the garage at the repair shop, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a wall. the dealer stated that the throttle failed and referenced nhtsa campaign number 00v422000 (vehicle speed control). the current and failure mileages were 37,000.

Vehicle hesitating and stalling. all six fuel injectors melted and had to be replaced. after the replacement of fuel injectors, strong gas smell, and the vehicles still currently stalls or idles to high. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 30 mph, the contact lost steering ability and defective parts punctured the front passenger side tire. the failure caused him to crash into another vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local body shop. the contact felt that the cause of failure was due to a failed steering knuckle. the body shop repaired the steering knuckle and all related parts. no other failures have occurred since the repair. the failure mileage was 121,916 and current mileage was 123,000.

In the middle of the night, my 1998 ford explorer spontaneously burst into flames. the fire department determined that this was caused by a defect in the cruise control system that is systematic of ford vehicles. the fire completely burned down most of my two-story house and caused extensive smoke damage to the remaining areas. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact received recall notice # 06v286000 (vehicle speed control). she called the dealer to schedule an appointment for the repair and the dealer asked if any failures had occurred. the contact stated that the engine and abs warning light indicators had illuminated. the dealer then stated that there would be a service charge of $100. when the dealer was told to only service the vehicle for the recall, they stated that the $100 service fee would still apply. the mileage information was unknown.

My wife was just leaving our house and the crankshaft broke. this happened without any warning and led to sudden loss of power steering. she was able to get it to the side of the road without mishap. this was at a low speed. this failure at highway speed could resulted in an accident. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving in reverse with a trailer attached, the vehicle accelerated at full speed. the contact stated that there were recalls for this year, make, and model, however he was never contacted about the recall. the manufacturer offered to sale him another vehicle. the vehicle's entire rear end is damaged, the trailer is completely destroyed, and the boat that was parked in his yard now has a hole. the current and failure mileages were 110,000.

The air conditioning system was leaking in the 1998 explorer, and the accumulator was rusted very badly so that it too may have leaks in it. ford needed to recall these units, and replace the rusted accumulator.*ak

The 1998 ford explorer accelerator pedal fell off. i was driving at 60 mph in a straight line and accelerating to 65 mph when i felt a pop. the accelerator pedal stopped working. despite the emergency flashers, i was nearly rear-ended by a car that didn't notice i was slowing down on the freeway. luckily, i pulled over and stopped safely. looking at the break, i think the sheet metal holding the rivets was too weak.*ak on 5/23/07 i called the ford customer relations hot line. they refused to help stating only there are no recalls on my car. i believe this is a safety issue and can very easily result in an accident and deaths. ford should investigate this and pay for repairs of defective materials used or improper installation. when was the last time you heard of an accelerator peddle falling off?

Ford explorer transmission problems ~ haven't had my vehicle in about a month due to continuining problems with the transmission

Ford explorer burst into flames from under the hood in a shopping plaza garage parking. the vehicle was not running at all, had been parked more than a couple hours. property damage to the shopping plaza. *ak

1998 ford explorer. consumer was traveling east on the ohio turnpike in the center lane when the right rear tire went flat which caused him to loose control of the vehicle going off the right side of the road into a ditch. *mc the left rear tire tread separated from the casing which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. (ohio traffic crash report)*jb

On march 29, 2007, my wife drove our 1998 ford explorer xlt to a doctors appointment at 9:00 a.m. and then to her work location. at 9:36 a.m., my wife parked the explorer, turned the engine off and went into work. at 10:50 a.m, my wife was notified by an employee from another business that the explorer was smoking. at that time, my wife noticed that the engine compartment started burning on the driver's side. the firefighters were summoned to the scene. upon their arrival, my wife noticed that the entire engine compartment was on fire and there was a cloud of dark heavy smoke. the firefighters were able to extinguish the fire and confine the fire damage to the engine compartment. the interior compartment was saturated with smoke. the county fire marshall was contacted and advised us that similar spontaneous engine compartment fires in ford trucks and suvs have been linked to a defective cruise control deactivation switch and that ford is currently recalling vehicles with those defective switches. the fire marshall indicated that this engine fire may have potentially been attributable to a defective or faulty cruise control deactivation switch. the firefighters documented the incident. upon being apprised of the recall. we researched the issue and confirmed that ford is conducting a recall of vehicles with defective and faulty cruise control switches and that the vehicles being recalled include the 1998 ford explorers. however, we have not received any notification of the recall from ford motor company and/or its affiliated dealerships. we contacted ford motor company customer relations to register a complaint and inform them of the engine fire. we also contacted our insurance company to file a claim. to clarify the questions following this narrative, the county sheriff's office was contacted they did not need to generate a report in light of the firefighters incident report. additionally, the only property damage was to the vehicle itself.

On 2/22/07 i was driving to work in my 1998 ford explorer xlt 4dr. i had just come off the nj turnpike and was driving through union city at 6:45 in the morning when i stopped at a red light. when the light turned green i accelerated and attempted to turn the vehicle to the left to follow the road. to my shock and horror the steering wheel spun freely without changing the direction of my vehicle. i had absolutely no steering with barely any resistance on the steering wheel itself. my vehicle went straight across the road; i stopped the vehicle up on a sidewalk just before a building. thank god there was no one walking there at that early hour. after i managed to compose myself i tried turning the wheel and found that it would just continue to spin freely either left or right, with nothing stopping it. if i turned the wheel hard and let go the steering wheel would spin completely around 5 or 6 times before coming to a stop. i called the union city police and told them what occurred and that the car was up on a sidewalk with no way to steer it. they told me to call aaa and sent a car by. aaa came with a flat bed and after a long time managed to get the vehicle off the curb and on the truck. the driver had a very difficult time because there was no way to steer the vehicle. i accompanied my vehicle as it was towed to my local repair station 30 miles away. the station found that inside the drivers compartment the steering column is two separate shafts that are held together by a single bolt ( no nut ). the bolt had backed out of the connection and the shafts had become separated. the mechanic found the bolt under the driver's seat. the mechanic told me that once the shafts became separated there was no way to steer the vehicle. he expressed great concern that the bolt did not have a nut or some kind of pin to keep it from falling out. the mechanic put some 'thread locker' on the bolt and put it back in the steering shaft, which fixed the problem. *jb

Last night i pulled into my driveway after coming home from work, my family had dinner and i was sitting down in the living room to play with my 2 year old son. i heard a popping sound and asked my wife what was that noise, she looked out the window and yelled your car is on fire ! my car burned to the ground!!! *jb

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 1998 ford explorer at approximately 15 mph she heard a rubbing noise coming from the left front of the vehicle. she did not receive any warning lights, and the road conditions were clear. suddenly, it became very hard to turn the steering wheel and she had no control of the vehicle. the contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the dealership informed the contact that the power steering pump failed, and it released debris into the rack and pinion, which caused that to fail. the vehicle was being repaired by the dealership. the vehicle currently has 65042 miles.*ak updated 04/12/07. *jb

Lifted hood, engaged hydraulic air lift feature to hold hood up. hood suddenly and without warning fell, striking my left upper arm, causing severe bruising and pain. no action taken yet to remedy situation other than i will not open hood unless i have a stick or some sort of device to hold hood open. *jb

Tl*- the contact stated that after the 1998 ford explorer had been sitting for more than 30 minutes she proceeded to drive when the accelerator pedal felt stuck. constant pressing on the gas pedal will release it, but in the process the vehicle lunges forward with great force. *ak updated 2/27/2007 -the vehicel was taken to the dealer who cleaned the throttle body. the problem has not returned. *nm

1998 ford explorer radio (electronic, with single cd) display periodically fails to operator. all lighting fades out, cannot cause it to return. no know cause or preceding event... but it might be temperature-related. radio/cd/tape still functions well. this is an ongoing event. an internet search for comments from other drivers results in many replies, appears this may be more common an occurrence than just me. *jb

1998 explorer caught on fire to a defect with the vehicle. *ts the consumer received a recall regarding a possible problem with the speed control switch, which could cause a fire. *jb

Am/fm/cassette cd radio display no longer works. at times the display appears but then goes blank for some unknown reason. currently the display has been blank for months. *jb

1998 ford explorer engine fire total loss wile parked overnight in the garage. *nm

Consumer has given 1998 ford truck to a family member and wants to update information. *ts *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the driver side door was permanently stuck closed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that it was an internal problem that caused the door to stay jammed. no repairs had been made.

Our 1998 ford explorer xlt was parked in our garage (on the ground floor of our house). it had not been driven since the day before. the cruise control deactivation switch spontaneously combusted and caused extensive fire and smoke damage to the vehicle and to our primary residence. both the local fire department and a forensic investigator inspected the scene of the fire. we understand that this switch was just recalled by ford for 1998 explorers in august 2006. however, our family did not receive mail notification. out suv was totaled and the estimated loss to our dwelling and personal belongings alone is $350,000. *nm

Consumer is out of town and will respond to complaint concerning 1998 explorer when she return. *ts the consumer received a recall regarding the cruise control. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while parked in a driveway, flames erupted from the under the front of the hood. there were no warning signals prior to the incident. the fire department was contacted and extinguished the fire. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified, but the contact planned to do so after filing a complaint with the nhtsa. the contact noticed on the internet that there were nhtsa recalls #06v286000, #00v422000, and #99v062001 which pertained to the vehicle speed control. a recall letter was never received and pictures were available. the vehicle was deemed totaled.

I had 4 of the firestone tires on my explorer when i heard of the potential danger. i removed them immediately (my wife and child were using that car) before they were recalled. firestone refuses to reimburse me for them because i took them off before the recall. *nm

The rear brake line broke due to corrosion. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling out from a stop sign, traveling 5 mph, the vehicle's check gauges light illuminated on the dashboard. as the vehicle accelerated, there was a noise heard coming from the engine that sounded like something flying around inside the engine. the vehicle stalled and wouldn't restart. the vehicle was towed to a local ford authorized mechanic who determined the pins used in the timing chain on these vehicles are plastic and had fractured, penetrating the engine and ending up in the oil causing the vehicle to stall. the dealership has been informed.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30mph on the highway, the vehicle decreased acceleration without warning although pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal. the contact managed to pull the vehicle over without incident. upon initial inspection, it was determined the accelerator pedal fractured, but was still attached to the accelerator cables. the vehicle was towed to the dealership who bolted the bracket of the accelerator pedal to the vehicle's firewall. the manufacturer was not alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated the locking mechanisms on three doors and the rear hatchback failed to operate properly. the door locks felt loose, while the door is manually unlocked, prior to each failure. the rear left door will not unlock from the inside or outside of the door. the rear right door failed to unlock from the outside, and the rear hatch failed to unlock on an intermittent basis. the service dealer and manufacturer have not been contacted. updated 01/19/07.*jb

Dt*: the contact stated the keyless entry was intermittently inoperable, then completely failed. afterwards, the locks on the driver side door failed, and the driver side door no longer unlocks and cannot be opened. an independent repair shop determined the entire lock assembly on the driver side door needed to be replaced. updated 09/15/06. *jb

Power steering gear box is leaking. both the gearbox and tie rods need replaced. only 75,000 miles on the vehicle. *nm

Ford explorer 1998 date 8-3-06 i have had this car for three years. i have never had any major or minor problems. i have regular required maintenance done (example) fluid changes and brakes. early february. i noticed around november 2005, my cruise control stopped working. i didn't take it to be checked; i didn't think it was a big issue. i noticed when starting my car, the battery sounded weak. i took the car to ntb to have the battery checked. the battery was bad and was replaced with the exide 72 month battery. i had never the battery replaced. ntb installed the new battery on february 5, 2006. i drive this car to and from work regularly, about 12 miles. on february 28, 2006, leaving work heading home, i stopped at the grocery store about 1 mile from my house. i left the store and went home. after turning the engine off approximately 5 minutes later standing on my porch, i noticed heavy white smoke coming from under my hood behind the battery area. i ran to my car and opened the door and released the hood. when i raised the hood, i saw the heavy smoke coming from what appeared to be near the wiring in front of the master cylinder. i ran in the house to call 911 and get a fire extinguisher. when i went back to the car under hood area was fully involved in flames. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. after hearing and reading the reports about the cruise control switch, i really think this is exactly what happened to my vehicle. *jb

1998 ford explorer parked in garage had spontaneous fire in engine compartment department put out fire. this was a cruise control deactivation switch fire. it may have been reported to you by police, insurance, or fire dept. if so, just let me know you have the information. *jb

Very heavy rattling in the engine of my 1998 explorer 4.0 sohc. took to local ford dealer, they claimed characteristics of the motor, twice. some time later tensioners broke while driving and motor ceased. no cooperation offered on ford's part. had to replace engine out of pocket for ford's design flaw, which has been getting swept under the rug for years now. one month after the replacement ford offered to fix others, if found before 75k miles, etc. too late for me. how many failures have occurred? what if this failure had of occurred at highway speed, instead of idle speed. check the figures on this problem, it's scary, and ford is pitiful. *jb

Ford explorer 1998 date 8-3-06 i've had this car for three years. i've never had any major or minor problems. i have regular required maintenance done (example) fluid changes and brakes. early february. i noticed around november 2005, my cruise control stopped working. i didn't take it to be checked; i didn't think it was a big issue. i noticed when starting my car, the battery sounded weak. i took the car to ntb to have the battery checked. the battery was bad and was replaced with the exide 72 month battery. i had never the battery replaced. ntb installed the new battery on february 5, 2006. i drive this car to and from work regularly, about 12 miles. on february 28, 2006, leaving work heading home, i stopped at the grocery store about 1 mile from my house. i left the store and went home. after turning the engine off approximately 5 minutes later standing on my porch, i noticed heavy white smoke coming from under my hood behind the battery area. i ran to my car and open the door and released the hood. when i raised the hood, i saw the heavy smoke coming from what appeared to be near are in front of the wiring in front of the master cylinder. i ran in the house to call 911 and get a fire extinguisher. when i went back to the car under hood area was fully involved in flames. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. after hearing and reading the reports about the cruise control switch, i really think this is exactly what happened to my vehicle. *jb

1998 ford explorer equipped with dual media (am/fm/cassette/cd) radio; there is a failure of the graphics display (i.e. time, station identity). the display sporadically lights up briefly for a few seconds every few months. also dashboard lights do not work at gas gauge. *nm

Intermittent stalling when coming to a stop. *nm

I have a 1998 ford explorer that i have been getting a loud grunting noise everytime i turn left. replaced rack n pinion and power steering pump, and still no change. noise is still there. *nm

Normal operation; a the drivers door latch failed in the locked position. as a result, the door could not be unlocked or opened by normal means. the door was finally opened after the door panel was removed allowing the latch to be unlocked by reaching a hand inside the door. the failure is a broken spring. the failure resulted in an internal lever interfering with the lock portion of the latch during the unlock attempts. i have not repaired the failure as of this date. i have the failed item (a spring). *nm

I purchased my 1998 ford explorer limited from my mother in january of 2006 with 68000 miles on the odometer. in feburary i first noticed vehicle was unable to defrost the front windshield and defog the vehicles windows. the cause of the problem was the climate control would sometimes not blow warm air. this would also result in a very cold interior. after researching the problem on the internet i found many complaints regarding the 1996-1998 ford explorer and a common problem with the climate control's air blending door breaking, making it impossible to regulate heat and cold. the vehicle was parked until i could determine if this was in fact the issue i was having. i had no choice but to park the vehicle until i was sure i had no need to operate the climate control. i was instructed how to check for a broken blend door and indeed found mine to be broken. i took the vehicle to a local ford dealer in carson city nevada and was told that despite the frequency of this problem it was not a recall issue and without a warranty the cost for repair was $1100. i was also informed the broken parts were being replaced with parts constructed of improved material (nylon) because of their tendency to break using the previous material (abs plastic). i feel ford is well aware of this hazardous problem but because of the cost, won't issue a recall or even a technical service bulletin. instead the leave the consumer to cough up the labor and parts cost to repair something that should be the responsibility of a reputable automobile manufacturer. *jb

My car caught on fire while sitting in my driveway. it was not running and it had not been driven in over 3 hours. *nm

On april 4, 2006, my 1998 ford explorer caught fire and was totaled. i arrived at work at approximately 3:15 pm. i went in and went to work. at about 3:55, i was paged over the intercom to get to the north entrance immediately. when i got there the security guards told me that my truck was on fire. as i looked out the doors, the front of my truck was engulfed in flames. the fire department had got there and was in the process of putting the fire out. when the fire was put out, all that was left was a big mess. my truck was gone. the vehicle had been running fine. my cruise control had went out about 1 month prior to the fire. i was unaware of any recalls except for a screw in the drivers seat (which was the only recall letter that i had received.) for days that they can't speak to me about the vehicle or incident because i have an insurance claim and my insurance adjuster says that they won't speak to him either. what are we as consumers supposed to do when the products we purchase, and for the amount they ask for their product , are lost due to the manufacturers defects? how are we as consumers protected? *jb

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 without warning the engine stalled and the steering and brakes locked up. this occurred at 55 mph, the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. a family member inspected the vehicle and determined the crankshaft busted, causing engine failure. the engine would need to be replaced at a cost higher than the value of the vehicle. the contact tried to replace it with a used engine, but was told by several mechanics that ford manufactured a bad engine with the 4.0 sohc, and to put a used engine would be a waist of money since it would fail again. *ak

1. my 1998 ford explorer xlt burst into flames with absolutely no warning while parked at my daughter's high school parking lot. 2. the vehicle was consumed by flames and is a total loss. the local fire department brought two units to put the fire out. 3. after filing my insurance claim, i researched the problem and found that the ford explorer poses a big fire risk. 4. specifically, my cruise control stopped working 3 months ago and just as been documented by the nhtsa, the defective cruise control caused the electrical fire. 5. i thank my lucky stars nobody was hurt....but if my explorer had been parked inside my apartment building this incident would have burned down my building. pls let me know if you require additional documentation or photos. *nm

1998 ford explorer, 5.0, sn [xxx], speed control after learning about the fires caused by the speed control on other ford vehicles i check the '98. voltage is measured at the speed control disengage switch located on master cylinder. using a voltage meter i measured 12 volts to this switch with the ignition switch in the off position with the key removed. this indicates that the switch is hot 100% of the time. i have not had a failure yet, but am concerned that this represents a possible failure in the future causing the vehicle to urn up. i have noted that there have been 16 failures and fires on 1998 ford explorers do to this problem. *jb updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

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

1998 ford explorer cruise control switch caught on fire. *ts ***no answer required*** *jb

We returned home from a concert at approximately 11 pm on january 21,2006. this was the last time the vehicle was driven. on s january 22 2006 at approximately 8:30 am we were awakened by our fire department concerning 1998 ford explorer limited was in flames. no investigation was done , but they said it was an apparent electrical fire. exploded front tires, busted windshield ,hood and grill demolished, engine compartment destroyed, both front fenders burnt , gas and brake pedals melted, dashboard damaged it is basically a total loss. *ak

My 1998 ford explorer was parked in our attached garage. my wife used the vehicle earlier in the day and parked it in the garage at about 2:30 pm. at about 8:15 pm a smoke detector in the garage alerted us there was smoke in the garage. i opened the door between the laundry room and garage to see the left front tire of the explorer in flames. i immediately had my wife call 911 and i tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose. this did not stop the fire. i then had to remove another vehicle parked in the driveway. we both safely escaped the fire. in the time between the call to 911 and when the corpus christi fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, two vehicles were destroyed, extensive damage was caused to the house and much personal property was lost. *jb

I own a 1998 ford explorer. this vehicle has been making an awful knocking/rattle in the engine on start up. it has been doing this for about 6 months now. unable to diagnose problem due to it only does it on cold start ups, once the engine has warmed up it tends to stop. however, after a cold start up it will rattle (sounds like a diesel engine), the rattle increases as i accelerate, however once vehicle has ran for about 10 miles it will go away. if vehicle is parked for an extended period of time then started up again then the noise will return.*jb

Dt: the contact stated all four doors were shut and will not open. the two front doors will unlock with the key, but they could not be pulled open. the contact took the vehicle to an auto repair shop for inspection, and the service repairman determined that the linkages on the inside of the doors were worn out and would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted. they offered no free remedy. no repair has been made due to the excessive cost.*ak

Dt: contact stated that right after purchasing the vehicle he had replace the brakes, tires, fuel filter, the fuel injection was cleaned , the anti lock sensors where replaced, the windshield was replaced . the air bags are also deployed. while driving the vehicle it vibrates on the left side. he took the vehicle to a mechanic they put the vehicle on a rack trying to line the vehicle. it would not line up. they found that the ball joints bad, also the motor mounts are broken. the mechanic told him that the frame is bent beyond repair. *nm

Dt: the contact stated the key did not unlock the doors. it still worked on the ignition and the rear door. the vehicle has not been to a dealership for a diagnosis. but according to the dealership the computer chip in the key failed. the dealership stated they could make a new key for the doors, but if it was put in the ignition it could damage the ignition. *ak

Dt: the contact purchased a used vehicle on a warranty. she discovered the rear seat belt buckle assemblies were broken. also, the front seats did not recline properly. she took the vehicle to a dealer. no repairs have been made at this time. *ak

Proceeding slowly at idle speed with foot on brake. auto suddenly accelerated spontaneously requiring much harder braking to stop. happened two times within 10 minute span. similar problem occurred about 3 years ago and was fixed by ford dealer. no injuries occurred. *jb

Dt: 1998 ford explorer. the contact states there is a broken sway bar link pin. he states this is happening again and again. this has happened three times since they purchased the vehicle. the vehicle will pull to the left and then pull to the right real badly. the vehicle was then taken to the place of purchase. they replaced the sway bar link pin twice. this started on august 4, 2005. the vehicle was taken to dealer on august 8, 2005 . then the problem started less than 20 days later. *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

Temperature control system locked in cold ac mode. system will only blow cold air due to a broken air blend door. driver can not defrost windshield with cold air conditioned defrost. i believe this is a safety issue for the driver. the problem has not been fixed because the cost will be $1200.*jb

Dt: 1998 ford explorer. the consumer parked car in the driveway and five hours later the car was on fire. the car exploded, and that was what alerted the consumer to the fire. there were no prior warning lights on before the fire. the cruise control still worked when consumer parked the car. also, the brakes worked fine when she parked the vehicle. the car was only used for local activities. the car was inspected in november 2004 and nothing was found to be wrong . the fire department was called , and a report was taken. in addition, a police report an insurance company report were taken. when the vehicle was on fire it caught the consumer daughter's house on fire. there was at least 50% damage to the house. there was damage to other cars that were parked close to vehicle on fire, and damage to other people's property. the consumer contacted ford costumer service, and they advised her that there was no recall. since then she received a letter from ford's legal department stating they will be in touch with her. *ak

Dt: the consumer stated that 1998 ford explorer caught on fire and burned. the consumer was driving when the fire started. the vehicle was parked overnight, and the consumer had only been in the vehicle for about five minutes. the cruise control was still working. all of the instruments on the dashboard were in working order. the consumer had the air conditioner (a/c) on and noticed that smoke was coming through the vents. the fire was coming out of the dashboard from underneath the hood. the fire department stated that it looked like an electrical fire. the consumer contacted ford, and they asked what she wanted them to do about it. the consumer did have a fire report and pictures . the consumer only has liability insurance on the truck, which was a total loss. the fire was called in to the police, but the consumer was unsure if a police report was taken.*ak

Dt:1998 ford explorer. while driving the vehicle shut off and was almost involved in a wreck this was the first time this happened. the consumer took the vehicle to dealership, who informed the consumer there were recalls 00m12 and 01m01, but the recalls expired, dealership said they were not official recalls. ford m said it was the intake manifold gasket.*ak

I own a 1998 ford explorer xl 4 door model with 29744 original miles on it. the vehicle is in excellent condition and has never been involved in any kind of accident. the vehicle has been well maintained and was taken to the dealer for 3 different safety recalls, throttle cable, hood latch and drivers seat in the early part of my ownership. on september 21 2005 while driving the vehicle home from work the drivers seat fell backwards about 4-5 inches making me momentarily lose control of the vehicle and nearly caused and accident. upon inspection of the seat when i got home it was apparent that the seat frame just in front of the hinge mechanism had broken and bent upward allowing the entire mechanism and the back of the seat to move rearward. the vehicle is now unusable due to this extreme safety defect. on september 22 2005 the vehicle was taken to south bay ford at 5100 w rosecrans ave. hawthorne ca. 90250 and presented to the service adviser aaron estrada and asked if this was a result of the safety recall of the drivers seat. i was informed that this was not part of that recall and that ford was not responsible for this potentially deadly seat defect and other than selling me a new seat there was nothing they would do. i feel that this is a very dangerous safety defect that ford should be responsible for repairing. south bay ford said they wanted a minimum of $87 to even initiate a repair ticket to look at the defective seat. i now own a ford vehicle that looks to be in perfect condition but is in fact, the vehicle can not be driven or sold. i could never recommend this vehicle to anyone in good conscience knowing it could kill their family!. *jb

1998 ford explorer accelerator pedal broke loose from the floorboard while the vehicle was in motion.***no answer required***. *mr this caused the consumer to become unable to handle the vehicle in a safe manner. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc

Dt: 1998 ford explorer. the consumer stated while driving the gas pedal fell off including the mounted metal. the vehicle was not inspected to see why this occurred. the consumer's father fixed the vehicle. the problem has not been reported to ford. there were no prior problems with the pedal. this happened on august 24, 2005. this problem did not cause a crash.*ak *mr

Dt: the consumer states that 1998 ford explorer had a steering problem. the steering wheel was turning to the left, she heard a clung, and the steering wheel was turning, but she was not moving. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and was told that a steering shaft broke. the shaft was replaced, and the vehicle was driving fine now. the consumer stated she called the manufacturer, and they said that the vehicle was not under warranty, and the consumer was looking for someone to pay the bill. *ak

At about 6:00 pm on saturday 13 aug 2005 i went into my garage to get something and noticed it was full of smoke. i saw smoke coming from under the hood of my 1998 ford explorer. when i raised the hood, flames rolled from beneath it. i immediately extinguished the fire and then disconnected the negative battery terminal. my wife had already called 911 by this time. the fire fighters determined the source of the electrical fire to be a connector on the brake master cylinder. i was very lucky to have caught the fire in time. if this had happened when we were sleeping we might not be alive now. i have not received a notice of recall for this. i am sending the vehicle to the dealership on monday, if this is not a recall part i will have to pay for the repairs. i think that people should know about this problem and probably not park their ford in the garage. *jb

To whom it may concern: i purchased a used 1998 ford explorer 13 months ago. on aug 15,2005 i started my truck up and i could not roll my windows down then i went on to testing the wind shield wipers ( front & back ) they did not work (this is a safety hazzard ) i tried the interior lights they did not work and as well as the 4x4 system. i had to get home so when as i was driving ( luckily it was not raining ) i randomly tested everything again still nothing worked, so i left the switches on and every now and then everything would come on for a split second. when i got home i was baffled and started looking through my owners manual, no info that could help me figure out what the problem could be. so i went online and did some research on ford explorers and its electronics. my search brought me to the recall sights and when i looked on that sight i noticed that i had found the same excact problems i am having as the 1999 & 2000 ford explorer recalls as well as 1999 & 2000 mercury mountainers which is by the ford company. they are under the title - component: electrical system, fuses, and circuit breakers and the nhtsa recall # 00v072000 and the remedy for this problem is that the dealers will install a resistor in the gem circuit. i called ford company and they are not willing to help me with this problem because my truck is not on the recall list and i feel that it should be and that someone needs to understand that if this problem is happening to the 1999 & 2000' s then it is happening to the 1998 as well, they are the same truck made with the same materials and only updated with more physical features or omitted out dated physical features. unfortunatly i can't drive my truck now unless i know the weather is going to be clear of rain or other bad weather. i am not able to get it fixed because i can't afford it so i am stuck at the moment if anyone can help or advise it would be greatly appreciated - thank you david stansbury

We have a 1998 ford explorer. on january 25th, 2005 o explorer was parked in the driveway & had been there approximately 2 hours. consumer's wife had put chidren in the car & noticed smoke coming from the hood. when she opened the hood there was a fire near the brake fluid assembly. fortunately she was able to get children out and put out the fire. had the explorer towed to the ford dealership for repairs. when i asked the dealer what could have caused a fire in the vehicle when it was not running they seemed to have no idea & said they had never heard of this problem before. the next night while watching the news saw the recall ford had for later model vehicles due to the engine catching on fire. iconsumer called ford, and they told him thiscar did not qualify for the recall since it was a 1998 exlplorer even though the pictures on the news showing were the fire occured looked identical to the engine on this vehicle. ford did not seem overly concerned & the dealer just told me to keep reciept in case they changed their mind about the recall. i took pictures of my engine if needed. prior to the fire my cruise control stopped working. repair cost was over $700.00 plus rental car fee & towing expense. the cruise control swicth, brake fluid assembly, & hood insulation were replaced. do not have the old parts.*ak

Dt: while driving in july the owner noticed that there was a problem with the shift mechanism. the gear position indicator was not correct. the vehicle had a normal position indicator for about 7 years. then one day it went out of wack. the reverse was where neutral should be, neutral was where drive should be, and drive was where second gear should be. the owner has not taken it to the dealership or contacted them yet. the owner has not contacted the manufacturer. there was no problem with the transmission's performance, the owner is just concerned because he doesn't know what gear the car was in. the owner added that the gas pedal got stuck yesterday. the owner was backing out of a driveway. the owner was going slowly and and went to push the accelerator and it wouldn't accelerate. the gas pedal was jammed. the owner thinks the pedal was down a little bit and there was no reaction. the owner stopped the vehicle and shouted for husband to come over and look. then she tried again. this time the accelerator worked. this was the first and last time the vehicle has ever this problem.*ak *nm

Dt: the vehicle caught on fire. the fire department checked it and concluded fire came from driver's front side around the battery. this happened on june 30, 2005. the vehicle was parked about 6 or 7 hours before it caught in fire. contacted ford, they sent a letter saying sorry, but they didn't have any recalls on this type of vehicle. *ak

Dt: 1998 ford explorer. the brakes lights failed on the vehicle. consumer had the brake light fuses changed. they used the fuses that came with the vehicle. as soon as the second fuse was put in the vehicle caught on fire. another person put the fire out by beating it with a towel. then, consumer contacted a dealership by phone, they told her that there was a recall on the master cylinder but, he was unsure of the model years included. when the consumer contacted ford, they told consumer would get back to her. there were no fire or police reports available. the incident occurred on 7-262005 before the hood latch had acted up. also, cruise control malfunctioned. . it melted the wires for the abs and the spot for putting in the brake fluid. *ak

Vehicle is a 1998 ford explorer equipped with a 4.0l sohc engine purchased in march of 1998. battery had died and attempted to jump start the battery (wouldn't jump, was replaced). ground cable was placed at a location that appeared to be a safe location. unknown to me at the time, it turned out to be the fuel line bracket. later that day and the next day a strong gas smell was eminating from vehicle. took to adamson ford dealership in birmingham, al and was informed that the fuel line was damaged resulting in a fuel leak which could result in fire. after getting over shock of a $889 repair estimate, i searched the internet for more information and came across a link to your website concerning a recall issued by your group (id# 98v060000). the summary of the recall described my situation perfectly. you issued the recall the exacth month and year of my purchase, march of 1998. found another internet article stating that ford motor company issued a voluntary safety recall in may, 1998 for the same subject matter as your recall. i never received any recall notification from ford motor company regarding this matter. i've pressed the issue with the dealership as to why i did not receive notification of the recall and they are claiming it is due to the "build date" of my vehicle. they claim ford's recall of may, 1998 covered explorers with a build date up to 02/01/98 and that the build date for my vehicle was 02/03/98, a difference of 2 days. was told that my vehicle did come from the same plant as those covered by the recall. i have a hard time accepting that a 2-day difference would be grounds for ford to designate that the recall in question was not applicable to my vehicle when the danger existed.

Routine travel, coming to intersection when throttle stuck and vehicle proceeded through intersection. brakes applied, but due to the high acceleration the vehicle would not stop. put vehicle in neutral and turned off ignition to stop vehicle. once vehicle stopped and waited for a few seconds, everything resumed as usual. after researching issue, this vehicle is experiencing the same issues as in recall numbers: 00s58 & 99s09. *nm

Dt: driver's side back seat belt latch broke. on june 1, 2005. caller said the other two seat belt latches broke about a year ago and caller had them fixed. also, she low beam iwasnot working . she had it checked at a repair shop and was told they could not find what was wrong with it. dealer and manufacturer have not been contacted yet.*ak

Dt: the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the engine caught on fire while the car was sitting there. this did happened on july 27, 2005. the firemen could not determine what started the fire. the vehicle had been sitting for approximately four hours before it caught on fire. the vehicle had not been driving any different before this happened. *ak

My wife had the ford explorer parked outside the curves gym where she and her mother work out. when they were finished they were talking outside when her mother noticed smoke coming out othe the suv. the explorer then caught on fire and burned.

Dt: 1998 ford explorer, accelerator pedal gets stuck while consumer driving, consumer took vehicleto the dealer for repairs. the dealer test drove the vehicle, and told the consumer that they could not recreate the problem. consumer was concerned about the vehicles safety, this problem has occurred about 20 times this year. *ak

Front suspension ball joints front wheel bearings and brake rotors

Fire started in vehicle in the garage of our home

5-5-05 3:30 a.m. licking county fire department was called due to fire 0f my 1998 ford exployer. it had set for two days before the fire. its not clear what caused the fire. co-counsel, lieff cabraser representing owners of ford vechicles claims ford speed control deactivation switches. also known as "brake pressure switch," powered by the battery and is mounted above flamable flammable reservoires of brake fluid. if certain conditions occur, a fire can break out, even when the engine had been turned off and, in some cases, idle for days.

Dt: on june 17, 2005 caller's vehicle caught on fire. this happened while vehicle was in the driveway turned off for about an hour. caller said a passerby noticed the fire and warned her. caller's fiance put the fire out and suffered smoke inhalation. he did not go to the hospital. vehicle was totaled. no report was filed with fire department. *ak

The blend door , plenum, that controls the tempature of the air coming into the cabin is broken in the same place that many others have experienced. this will not allow heated air to come from the defroster vents resulting in a safety issue.failure date given is approximate.

I have a 1998 ford explorer, 5 liter, automatic, with cruise control. the safety disengage switch is on the master cylinder. with the ignition switch turned off there is still 12 volts going to that switch. the switch has a red body. my local ford dealer advises tht this is not a problem and there is not recall on this vehicle. this appears to be the same type switch setup as that in the ford vehicles that have caught on fire. please advise if i have cause for concern. presently i am disconnecting the switch when i park the vehicle in the garage.

Dt: gas pedal fell off without warning. dealer and manufacturer had not been contacted yet.*ak

Dt: contact states while vehicle was parked it started smoking from underneath the hood. upon inspection it was noticed that the cruise control switch was burned up. this vehicle was not covered under the recall due to vin. *ak

Dt: consumer had a 1998 ford explorer. it caught on fire under the hood. the only damage was to the cruise control sensor, and to the brake reservoir. a bystander saw the fire and was able to extinguish the fire. the local dealership said they had never seen this problem before. consumer had contacted ford, and was told because it was used and out of warranty that there was nothing they could do. the car was parked at approximately 7:30am ,and the fire started at approximately 11:45am. consumer statesdthat they have only used the cruise control approximately three times since owning vehicle. *ak

Hard to get vehicle out of park into drive for several days prior to the fire. about 2 hours after the vehicle had been parked, and engine turned off, a fire started under the hood, and destroyed the vehicle.

On may 15, 2004, i was fishing in a local bass tournament. i parked my 1998 ford explorer beside one of my fishing friends chevy truck and boat trailer. after launching my partner for the days boat, i parked his truck and trailer on the other side of my explorer. approximately 4 hours later, my partner and i were approched by another friend and told us we were needed back at the parking lot that my explorer had burned to the ground, burned the chevy with the trailer to the ground and scorched paint and melted parts of my partners truck. the chevy truck and my explorer were total losses and i lost a lot of personal items that insurance did not pay for. state farm claim # 18-1010-243

Dt: 1998 ford explorer, one afternoon while at work her vehicle caught on fire. the vehicle was turned off and had sitting for hours. there were lots and lots of smoke. the fire dept. put out the fire and the engine and spread to the dash area. the vehicle was totaled out. the recall letters had not gone out yet, and the day after the fire, the recall was extended to her vehicle year. the dealer told the consumer that is was obvious that the started from the cruise control mechanism. have been in touch with the local dealership and the ford manufacturer and ford keeps putting her off. because they keep saying that they will call her back in two days, so far it's been 3 weeks and no call from ford. the were no sign of any problems before this incident. *nm

It started with a minor rattle in the engine towards the front of the engine. the rattle got louder and louder and louder until it was decided not to move the vehicle any longer. took vehicle to a certified mechanic, turns out, the timing chain assembly broke throwing pieces all over the place causing the chain to malfunction that lead to damage to the engine. engine block had to be replaced at a cost of around $3000. ford has a service bulletin out on this same problem, however i bought the vehicle in nov 2000 and i never received any service bulletin from ford informing me of this problem. i tried taking the vehicle to the local dealer and was told they won't repair it under the ford safety bulletin because it was only for 7 yrs or 100,000. the vehicles 7 years expired in april 2005. i tried emailing or contacting ford directly and got no response.

Driver door won't unlock. key won't unlock it can't pull up on pluncher. and inside door handle won't open door.door is just stuck locked. have to crawl out window or go out passenger door.what would i do if i had to get out fast. i read on web sites, its a spring that every one is having trouble with.and its the same door. i found out about the door problems from offroadexchange.com

Consumer states: front brakes on outside of wheels it has a coating of dark powder. the mechanic thinks it's brake dusts no sign of it on rear wheels. *nm

The abs light came on and stayed on while driving. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership, and a diagnostic test was performed. the dealer determined that the module for the abs and speed senor went out. the dealership also noticed the pins for the frontal air bags were never connected at the factory, rendering the air bags inoperative. *jb *sb *nm

Vehicle was parked for about 15 minutes when all of a sudden it caught fire on its own. results showed that there was an electrical short with the cruise control switch.*ak

Vehicle was parked outside of the home and a few minutes later it caught on fire. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. *ak

The left rear tire exploded. goodyear, wrangler rt-5 p235/75.r16 tires are regularly serviced. there was no vibration prior to explosion. no bulging in the tires. tires just checked 3 weeks ago. 40 mph on highway, clear weather. no problems with the tires before. *ak

Vehicle was parked for an hour or more when it caught fire under the hood on the driver side. the local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. the cause of the fire was not determined at this time. the manufacturer was notified. *jb

While parked for 45 minutes a fire started under the hood. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

I have a 1998 ford explorer 4 dr 2wd and the driver door will not open something went wrong with the lock from the inside u can open it from the outside but it wont open from the inside since that occured my anti-theft my security system and my horn also stopped working i have checked the fuses and the relays they tell me that its something in the wiring what should i do

After vehicle was parked for four hours a fire started under the hood. the fire was put out. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *jb

Drivers side front door lock does not unlock with either the remote keyless entry, the interior lock/unlock button or the key. in order to unlock the door you must press either the remote or the interior unlock button 10 to 15 times. in addition to being very inconvenient, this could cause a serious problem if the driver is not able to exit the vehicle quickly in an emergency.*ak

The driver side door of my 1998 ford explorer sport will not unlock. a spring broke, and the lock will not open without numerous attempts. this problem is well documented and the cause is well known (the spring design is poor). *ak

While driving 30 mph the consumer was hit by another vehicle on the passenger's side. the air bags did not deploy. the vehicle was totaled and two occupants sustained injuries. *ak *nm

The left front door would not lock or unlock. the consumer noticed on more than on occasion that the problem would occur. the consumer has contacted the dealer for appointment. please fill in additional information. *jb

After starting the vehicle and the vehicle was in gear it had to be given more gas because the throttle body was sticking. owner contacted the dealer and the manufacturer. because of the mileage on the vehicle they will do nothing about the problem. *ak the throttle continues to stick causing unsafe driving conditions. *nm

Doors have a safety issue in which they cannot be locked because they can only be unlocked from the inside. the keys nor the remote can unlock the doors from the outside. dealership indicated that the doors were frozen, and it was not their problem.*ak

The vehicle was parked around 8:00am, about 4 hours later, the vehicle caught on fire. the fire was coming from the driver's side engine compartment. there are 35 mm pictures. the vehicle had cruise control, but it was rarely used, and the consumer did not know if it was working. the insurance was liability only. *ak *sc *jb

Automatic door locks sometimes work and sometimes does not.*ak

Drive train failure, differential, within 12 months after having 60,000 mile differential fluid replaced with synthetic ,to ford specs. differential gears and clutch assembly disentigrated. resulting in replacement of entire differential. could have caused gears to lock-up while driving.*ak

Driver door won't open on my 1998 eddie baur explorer. door lock stuck shut... safety issue! *jb

The consumer was involved in an accident. the consumer was driving at approximately 45 mph. upon impact, the airbags failed to deploy. the consumer had to have the vehicle towed to her home. provide further details. *jb

The consumer parked the vehicle at her house for at least 7 hours. then, vehicle caught on fire. the fire department was contacted, and they indicated that the cause of the fire was possibly electrical. also, consumer contacted the manufacturer, who was no help at all. *ak the vehicle was totaled. *sc

The locking mechanism automatically locked, and unlocked by itself. the key worked intermittently. sometimes when the consumer was inside the vehicle she could not get out or she got out, but could not get in. *ak keys do not work on drivers side door. the consumer broke the door latch trying to get out of the vehicle. *tc

Nhtsa recall 00v422000; ford issued a throttle recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin, although, accelerator got stuck and engine surged forward when accelerator was freed. *ak

While vehicle was parked for 2 hours, a fire started in the engine. the vehicle was totaled. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak six to nine months prior to fire the cruise control stopped working. the insurance fire investigator determined the fire started in the cruise control. *bf

Inner door locking mechanism failed due to a small spring breaking. the result is that the door effected (drivers door in this case) will not open from the inside or outside. thus, trapping a person in the event that an exit must be made quickly. a replacement part has been purchased and i am in the process of replacing the damaged piece. the damaged piece will be available. *jb

Driver's side door lock and latch no longer work and prevent door from opening. this creates a very hazardous situation for driver who now cannot exit vehicle reliably in the event of an accident or fire. driver's side door is effectively permanently locked and driver must enter/exit via passenger side door. door lock no longer resounds to remote keyless entry, outside key, nor inside door handle. only after repeated attempts to pull on tapered door knob while repeatedly pressing internal electric door unlock button will driver's door sometimes become unlocked and then the door can be opened. none of the other doors to the vehicle (4 door plus rear hatch) have similar problem. this problem has been reported previously to through nhtsa by numerous other ford explorer owners, yet apparently no recall has yet been issued for this problem. car was taken to the vista ford dealer on november 28, 2004 for a safety check and warranty repair of bolt in driver's seat. dealer initially estimated $230 for repair, but after inspection they demanded $500+ (including parts and labor). repair not performed. vehicle remains in hazardous condition. *jb

Vehicle taken to repair shop when the left turn signal did not operate. the result showed that a new computer module was needed. then, vehicle was driven home when consumer heard a crackling noise coming from inside the steering column. vehicle returned back to the repair shop, and mechanic determined that there was a problem with the electrical wires in the steering column. repair was performed by the repair shop.*ak

The accelerator pedal separated from the floor on my explorer. the car would only idle. i was able to pull over. i re-bolted the bracket to the floor after visiting the dealer. it appears two spot welds broke. *jb

Nhtsa recall 03v281000; ford issued a high back seat recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall, but the seat reclined back, almost touching the second row cushion. driver had to manually push the seat forward. *ak

While driving 45 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. driver and passenger sustained minor injuries. vehicle was towed to a garage. *ak

Defective bolt that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to driver seat frame kept the seat from reclining. *bf campaign id number : 03v281000 the consumer received a recall letter which stated that drivers may experience looseness or noise in the seat and in extreme cases it could potentially cause one to lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals resulting in a crash. the dealer indicated that the consumer would have to pay $110. to have a component within the seat repaired so they could easily repair the recalled part. the consumer stated that she should not be made to pay for service that a recall was issued for. . *tc *jb

The timing chain tensioner inside of the engine failed, causing the timing chain to come loose. as a result heads and pistons inside of the engine came loose, destroying other parts inside of the engine. the ultimate result of this was that the engine seized and the vehicle lost power, making it difficult to steer at highway speed prior to getting off of the highway. manufacturer has a waranty extension in place prior to 72,000 miles, but no recall, and considers a vehicle that looses power and cannot be completed steered as a result of an explosion in the engine not to be a safety issue!?!?!? the manufacturer acknowledged that there is a potential problem with these engines, but will only do something about it if the vehicle has symptoms. i had the first minor symptom on a sunday afternoon, and a major problem the next day, monday.*ak

Today, i was going to adjust my drivers seat and the lever that allows you to adjust the seat snapped off. i didn't use force or anything. now my seat is unable to be adjusted. *jb

Re:ford explorer wheel lockup and uncontrolled skid at highway speed. *bf the vehicle was taken to be repaired. the technician found significant metal fragments in the transfer case indicating severe gear stress when the vehicle self shifted into 4x4 low engagement. *nm

When attempting to stop, the bakes failed. the dealer stated that the brake line corroded. no impact reported. *ak the non corroding steel brake line rusted and ruptured. *sc

While driving 50 mph engine started producing a clicking sound. cause has yet to be determined. *ak

Underhood fire in explorer. minor fire concentrated around cruise control deactivation switch. fuse for that circuit blown. xrays show total internal destruction of the switch contacts even though the plastic body is still relatively intact but charred and deformed.

Vehicle experienced unexpected acceleration. when approaching a stop vehicle accelerated intermittently, and while driving consumer's vehicle smashed into two other vehicles. consumer was aware that this problem was ongoing, and would like to know why the manufacturer had not recalled vehicle. took vehicle to the dealer, and after the vehicle was evaluated by the service technicians, consumer was told that the problem could not be duplicated.*ak the consumer had a tire failure. *tc

While attempting to stop brakes locked . as a result, consumer had to pump the brakes several times to unlock the brake pedal. *ak

While driving in inclement weather windshield wipers would come on and off on their on. this problem was intermittent, and consumer was aware of the problem. *ak

While pulling up the seat lever driver 's seat would not move on its own. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat and lever needed to be replaced. *ak

Headlights suddenly stopped working. side markers and turn signals still work, as do hi-beams when in flash/passing mode. i have replaced the headlight switch, but they still don't work.*ak

Vehicle is having a problem with the abs hydrolic unit. when the vehicle is in motion, it spits out brake fluid which damaged the rotors and the brakes. owner took the vehicle to a service center to have this problem resolved. owner later contacted the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and the owner had to pay out of pocket for the repairs. provide further details.

When the consumer place the gear in drive or reverse, the throttle became stuck, as a result the vehicle lurched forward. please provide additional information. throttle sticks after starting the vehicle. additional force is required to depress the throttle, which results in th vehicle lurching. the sticking throttle makes it very difficult to maneuver there vehicle in tight spots such as parking areas. ford dealer was notified but said the vehicle was past the extended warranty for this problem. the problem occurred again between 30000-35000 miles and was repaired under warranty. *tc

Ford explorer 98, interior windows, lights, etc. do not work. electrial power problems interiorally. have tried over 5 times over years to have fix by carmax and ford. electrical problems would work for 1-2 weeks, had warranty at times. but now warranty is out carmax and ford stated it a manufactory electical issues.*ak

The consumerthat the accelerator pedal came off of the fire wall, when he attempted to accelerate. the bracket came off. provide further details. *jb

While driving a loud noise was heard coming from the rear. consumer pulled over, and noticed that the passenger's front and rear tire tread separated, and the tread came off. firestone wilderness a/t, p225/75r15, dotw1345600.

The left driver's side door's lock broke. once inside the vehicle passenger could not get out of the vehicle. the door had to be opened from the outside. *ak

Tire failure on left rear tire. *mr this occurred while traveling at highway speeds. the tire was completely shredded.*sc the consumer replaced the firestone tires with goodyear tires because of the recall he heard about in july 2001. the tires that experienced the failure were goodyear tires and the consumer has since replaced all the tires with michelins. *jb

Drivers side front seat belt gives around the waist causing the seat belt to lose with no restraint while driving. *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

Headlights go off unexpectedly while driving. action to be taken is to have the dealer inspect and repair.*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

When pressing on the brake pedal, the vehicle surged forward. this caused the consumer's vehicle to rear-end another vehicle. *ak the consumer rear-ended a harley davidson motorcycle. *sc *jb

While driving consumer experienced that vehicle was riding roughly. while sitting still vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to a cracked cylinder . *ak ...... *ak

Tailgate shell shows cracks around the hinges from metal fatigue. *mr this appeared to be a defect. *sc *jb *ak

Vehicle locked up after about 1/2 hour of driving. consumer called ford, and had an appointment to take the vehicle in for this problem. but it will cost consumer $100.00 just for ford to look at the vehicle. consumer was not involved in an accident yet, but was afraid that he will.*ak

Spot welds holding accelerator pedal to firewall broke, leaving foot pedal attached only by accelerator cable. breakage occurred while driving 1998 ford explorer on interstate highway. when driver moved to brake for stalled traffic, accelerator pedal lodged under brake pedal. driver avoided multi car collision by shifting to neutral and kicking accelerator pedal out of way. fuller ford dealership re-welded accelerator pedal to firewall for $152. worker noted that windstars are far more prone to this condition, and that this is the second explorer that has been seen for this condition. *ak

Massive fuel leak under the hood of 1998 ford explorer xlt.*mr another fuel leak occured when a woven part of the fuel line broke. *nm

The accelerator pedal bracket suddenly broke as a result of flimsy craftsmanship. the metal bracket is attached to the metal body of the vehicle by 3 thin pegs (they snapped at the base of the bracket) and glue! (it's obvious it's the faulty manufacture's work, and never messed with previously.) this defect could potentially cause you to be stranded (no acceleration) possibly on the highway making it a dangerous situation. i experienced loss of control with the acceleration and a sudden acceleration which nearly caused a crash. i'm attempting to consult with galpin ford of van nuys, ca currently to repair the problem, but am experiencing lack of communication. 1998 ford explorer-eddie bauer v-6 sohc(?) vehicle wall accelerator pedal bracket. *ak ! ___/ ! ---! ! ---! * ! ---!___

While driving,vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. the driver placed both feet on the brake pedal the vehicle continue to accelerated. the driver shift the vehicle in neutral and turn the vehicle off and was able to coasted the vehicle to the shoulder. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the problem could not be duplicated. the driver informed the mechanic recall number(99v062001) was for this vehicle based on the problem with driver vehicle. also the mechanic informed the driver the is recall was not available for this vehicle. a representative would be down to make that determination. please fill in additional information. *nm

Radio display goes out. cannot see the clock or radio selection. this has been vary dangerious in the winter during early morning driving when i cannot see my watch and travel through school zones and i don't know if the zone is active or not. the radio was replaced once under warranty and has since gone out again. *ak

Since purchasing a used 1998 ford explorer i have been blessed with nothing but problems with it. 6 months after purchasing the vehicle my wheel bearings went out and damaged the spindle. this was a $500 expense as the spindle was a dealer part. when i purchased it there were 26000 miles on it...there were about 36000 when the bearings went out...just as the warranty expired. then, about a year later, the upper air intake manifold got a hole burned in it. again, ford couldn't offer me any kind of help and said it was a $800-1000 repair. on a side note, this type of problem was a known issue by ford. in fact, recalls were made by ford to replace the intakes free of charge to fleets but not to the general public. just recently my freeze plugs rusted through and caused my car to overheat. this has been quoted by ford as a $1300 repair. i called ford to see about some sort of goodwill warranty and of course anything with goodwill in the equation is definitely something ford will not do. i currently have 2 years left on the loan for a piece of crap car that isn't even worth half of what i still owe on it. i am really thinking of taking it back to the dealer and parking right in front of the entry way and taking the keys with me and telling them to stick it up their rears. ford makes the whole car industry look really bad and in no way would i ever buy another ford. please help us consumers out and make the game fair between the auto industry and consumers...we are getting ripped off left and right while they keep getting richer and richer. *la

I can't open my driver's side door of my ford explorer from either the outside of inside. the power locks don't open and the door should still open from the inside even if it is locked and it doesn't. this is a huge safety issue. ford said it will cost me $130.00 just to look at the door. i am going to my own mechanic to see if he can fix this problem. until then i can't drive the car because it is unsafe. *nm

I had problems with my ford explorer engine since the first day i bought the truck. it has been in the shop a few times for recallas on the engine, the last time only this past december. last saturday, may 22nd the truck stopped in the middle of traffic. i had it towed to ford dealer and was told my crankshaft broke. two different dealers told me the same thing and agreed that that should not have happend but also told me that there is nothing they can do. basically to bad on you. i have seen many messages on the internet on this very same problem happening to others. this could have been deadly if i were on a highway when it stopped. ford should be responsible to cover costs when something that should not break does. ford could care less. cost to me over $4,500.00 for a new engine on a maintained 6 year old car. per an attorney this is known as a latent defect and it took this time to happen, when that kind of part should last a long time.*ak

Driver's side door will not open. the door will not reliably unlock. power lock actuator works fine. broken spring inside of latch mechnism.*ak

On 6/18/04 my family was in a rollover accident while on vacation in ny. my son was driving and swerved to avoid a car coming at high speeds. the steering became very loose and we rolled over. before rolling over, he tried to regain control and totttled left then tottled right and then flipped and landed on the hood. the three with minor injuries included cuts on hands from cladd, sprain neck and bruises.*ak

While driving 50 mph accelerator pedal fell off. as a result, consumer lost control of the vehicle. no impact reported. *ak

While driving 65 mph, a loud knocking noise was heard from the rear. the driver was able to pull over. the driver noticed that the driver's front tire separated from the wheel. the driver wa able to change the tire. firestone lt p18575r14 #dot vnj7791. the driver contacted the firestone to make a appointment for replacement of the tires. please fill in additional information. *tr

The air conditioner in my 1998 ford explorer gradually did not operate properly. at this time, it is not cooling at all. today (june 12, 2004), i read about problems with the a/c accumulator. i pealed back part of the "thermal blanket" wrapped around the accumulator, and found it to be rusted. the ac has not been cooling in about 2-3 months, but it is most inconvenient and dangerous now with the summer heat in full force. *ak

Consumer received recall 00v422000 notice concerning vehicle speed control. while cruise control is engaged at any speed and the brakes are depress vehicle will surge forward. the only way this problem won't occur is if the consumer puts the gear in neutral. this problem happened three times in the last eighteen months. *ak

The steering wheel makes a grinding noise when making a left of right turn. dealership replaced the power steering hose with an updated one, as stated in the technical servic ebulletin 9821-01 which corrected the problem.*ak

Vehicle accelerated in full throttle when brakes was released. as a result, vehicle was involved in a frontal crash. no report of airbag deployment. dealer could not duplicate the problem. *ak *nm

One month after getting my 1998 ford explorer in october 1998 the rear wiper motor failed and was replaced under warranty. the dealer said that they were having problems with the wiper on all explorers. in july 2001 the rear wiper moter again failed and was again replaced under warranty. again the dealer said that this was a continuing problem with the explorers. on may 13, 2004 the rear wiper motor has again failed. now the dealer wants $320 to replace the motor assembly. this time there was no acknowledgement that this has been a continuing problem with the explorer. without the rear window wiper being opperable it is impossible to see out of the rear window during rain storms or when the road is wet and dirt splashes up onto the window. this creates a hazard that ford should address as soon as possible.*ak

Back in may 2002 my drivers door lock stuck in the locked position it has power locks and i could not get it unlocked unless i pulled the lock button up while i pressed the power lock and unlock switch open an close a multiple amount of times.i brought it to a ford dealer and had it fixed,it cost me $219.35 nit was the door lock actuator that needed to be replaced,it has been 1 year almost to the day and it failed again. i think is a big saftey problem because if there is a fire or there is an accident and the automobile ends up in a lake or river the door lock can get stuck locked and a person could get stuck in the automobile.

Defective tires, hood latch, seat latch, cruise control, rear window wiper, etc... *ph the consumer stated the hood latch , seat recliner, cruise control and tires were all recalled. the rear windshield wiper and passenger power window were inoperative. *jb

Drivers side door does not unlock nor open from inside. possible safty hazard if must exit vehicle in emergency.*ak

While driving down a hill, the driver applied the brakes. the pedal went to the floor and continued to pick up speed. the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree. both frontal air bags did deploy. the driver was not hurt. the vehicle was totaled. *nm the hill was approximately 2 1/2 blocks and the consumer would normally drive down the hill with the brakes applied. *sc *jb

Consumer noticed two rear seat belts didn't hold the passengers in the seats. dealer notified. *ak dealer said that the continued pressure from the child seat caused the damage. *la

The harmonic balancer came loose and the camshaft had broken right at the engine block. *ph consumer was given an option by the dealer to either overhaul the engine, with no warranty, or replace the engine, with a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. a service technician found out that upon inspecting the harmonic balancer camshaft area that the long bolt holding the pulley to the camshaft was never tightened was able to removed with the technician's fingers. in addition, the bolt should have some markings on it consistent with an impact wrench. it was confirmed that the bolt would have been removed in order to replace the timing chain. when engine was replaced and performed additional test on vehicle, dealer found a small fuel line leak. fuel line was repaired and made another test on vehicle. consumer currently seeking reimbursement of all expenses incurred due to mechanical error that rendered vehicle inoperable. *la

Drivers seat bolt broke, causing the seat to recline backwards. this occurred without any warning while vehicle was being driven. dealership replaced the bolt, but not the seat. *ak

Blend door broken on 98 ford explorer. this caused the heating and cooling in the engine to be stuck in the "cold" position throughout winter. while driving in winter, i had to look out the freezing cold window to drive because the defroster in my windsheild would not heat the window.

Prior to receiving latch recall, the consumer experienced the defect and was told only the bolt would be replaced, not the latch. *ph *jb

While idling or driving vehicle vibrated continuously until vehicle was turned off. consumer applied the brakes and vehicle stalled. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic was unable to duplicate or resolve the problem.*ak

While driving the sidewall blew out of my bridgestone tire. *ak

Stock jack with ford explorer will not allow the tire to be changed. also found dealer did not replace recall firestone wilderness at recalled tire as per invoice. tire exploded and ruined. near miss 16 wheeler. *jb

Consumer was complaining about seat belt problem on driver's side. when belt was latched into the buckle, it didn't hold. *ak

Engine head gasket cracked. *ak the consumer stated while driving home the engine started to misfire and the temperature gauge went up a little. *jb

Vehicle would not start. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and dealer indicated that battery was leaking acid. *ak

Crankshaft cracked at 93000 miles. *ak

I own a 1998 ford explorer. in january i took it to be serviced because the steering seemed off and i do alot of highway driving. the problem turned out to be the suspension--the upper ball joint separation. i was told i was an accident waiting to happen. this was a very costly repair and i would hope this could be investigated to prevent any accidents that could occur if this is a problem that no one realizes is out there.

Air bags didn't deploy upon impact. *ph *tt *jb

When the vehicle was parked or running, the front driver and passenger door would not unlock. this caused the consumer to exit/enter through the rear doors. the dealerships mechanic was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *jb

Vehicle hit a telephone head on while traveling at 25 mph and air bags did not deploy. *mr the seat belt did not prevent the consumer's contact with the sun visor. *sc

Vehicle lost power (to accelerate) yesterday after grinding noise from transmission. coasted into a parking lot, but was unable to move it from there. continued to grind moving shift lever from any gear into park. vehicle has less than 60,000 miles on it. current transmission is a replacement. previous (original) transmission dropped into neutral and engine revved (w/ loss of power) at inopportune moments- while accelerating or trying to accelerate, while coasting or while at a complete stop. began complaining about this about a month after purchase, but transmission was not replaced until jan. 2002. i was given a 12-month warranty on it then, although the vehicle was purchased with the extended warranty, which was supposed to cover everything (bumper to bumper) to 50,000 miles.

While driving at about 40 mph, the accelerator pedal detached from the floor. it looks like the spot welds broke. i managed to coast the card to a save stop but this could have have caused an accident in a different location.

While driving 45 mph seat reclined without warning. dealer stated the reclining bolt cracked. no impact reported. *ak

The spare tire which was located underneath the vehicle, snapped and fell to the ground while driving. *jb (the wench system) *sc the passenger side mirror was replaced. *jb

Heater blend door broken, ford is aware of it in 1995 to about 1999-2000 ford explorers, with blend door broken there is not a proper flow of heat to the windshield, and the cost from ford is $1000.00 dollars to replace, and they state there is no recall or warranty. *la

While driving at night the interior and exterior lighting shut off which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. the rear end of the vehicle began to fish-tail and the vehicle rolled over twice. *nm all systems including the antilock brakes failed. the accident was a result of multiple system failures. *sc

Dealership refuse to repair car parts that are important and have serious safty issues. drivers car seat back collapse, accelerator pedal support bracket ell off the floor boad...needs to be welded back on.*ak

I have read 24 complaints concerning the failure of the camshaft chain on the 1998 ford explorers with the 4.0 sohc engines and seen 23 technical service bulletins concerning this same problem. this type of failure can cause serious injury if this occurs while operating the vehicle due to engine failure,not to mention the fact that it also blows the engine requiring it to be replaced at a cost near $5000. ford has acknowledged this problem and has offered replacement with mileage limitations. if this is a defect and a safety hazard causing the loss of control of the vehicle when this failure occurs ,why is this not important enough to warrant an investigation? my ford is 4000 miles over the limit set by ford to replace the parts in question. although this did not lessen the danger when this failure occurred to my wife, 5 year old and 1 year old daughters while in the vehicle causing her to lose control due to the engine failure as a result of these defective parts. i was told in a phone conversation that the recall was voluntary by ford and it is legal for them to set those limitations. this is unconceivable that they can place individuals in harms way knowingly and in an effort to save a buck, not a life , set limits to the remedy of the situation. why are these complaints not being investigated and if they have what was the end results of this investigation? *la david kyde 810 third st. #5 trenton, ohio 45067 513-988-6516

I was involved in an accident while driving a 1998 ford explorer. due to black ice there was a loss of vehicle control. this resulted in a rear end collision with the concrete barrier at the side of the road. the drivers seat back collapsed, and the seat for aft adjusting mechanism failed. the seat back reclining mechanism had been fixed for the recent recall. *la

1998 ford explorer fire.*mr the consumer ( a fire fighter) responded to a vehicle fire. the owner of the vehicle stated the brake light blew. he changed the 15 amp bulb and noticed a plug on the master cylinder was hot and had some soot on it and it wasn't melted or deformed. the vehicle sustained heavy fire damaged to the engine compartment with the heaviest fire damage near the master cylinder. *ph

Driver's seat reclining lever broke. had been bent for sometime. will cost almost $200 to replace. told by dealer that several people had been in with the same problem. *ak

Seat recliner mechanism failed on 1998 ford explorer.*mr the consumer received recall notice 03v-281000, related to the seat recliner mechanism bolt, after the vehicle's seat recliner mechanism fractured. the consumer wanted to know if his vehicle's failure was covered by the safety recall. the consumer took the vehicle to the nearest ford dealer to have the seat inspected by a technician. the consumer was informed that the recall only cover the replacement of the bolts, therefore the failure of the recliner handle would not be covered. *nlm

My 1998 ford explorer ltd's gas pedal assembly separated from the vehicle's firewall. this almost caused accidents, and endangered our family. this $39,000 vehicle i purchased based on its safety and ratings has proven otherwise, as this is the most recent in this vehicle's faliures.*ak

Consumer unable to take vehicle to have recall repair performed because consumer has been deployed to iraq.*mr consumer inquired as whether or not the repair would be free of charge when he returns home from iraq. the recall is on the reclining bolt that connects to the back of the seat. *ph

Consumer stated driver's side seat broke. when consumer received recall notice, he took vehicle to the dealer for repairs, and was told that since bolt did not break the recall did not apply to this vehicle. consumer indicated that drivers' seat frame cracked, and he took it to the mechanic, and was told that this was a problem for the dealer. also, consumer insisted that what the recall stated was exactly what happened to his vehicle. *ak

On december 17,2003 the drivers side seat release on my 1998 ford explorer broke while i was trying to adjust the seat back. the steel that attaches the positioning lever to the mechanical part of the seat shirred off in a clean break and came off in my hand. my seat became stuck in a forward position while i was in the seat forcing me into a forward position. i had to drive in this position to the dealer where they used a large vice grip type wrench to release the seat back into a position so i could drive the car. at this time the seat is jammed in a static position while the remaining part of the steel is still in the reclining gear.

While driving at 40 mph gas pedal disconnected from the floor. consumer coasted to the shoulder to assess the problem. vehicle was able to make it to a friend's house. aaa was called to evaluate the problem, and found that the weld connection from the pedal to the floor broke. *ak

Cam shaft broke inside engine, during normal operation. car had only 85,000 miles, there must have been a defect in the part. it cost $3,500 to repair damage. *ak

Consumer heard a loud noise when attempting to back up. the vehicle failed to move because the reverse gear failed. *ak *sc *jb

Rear window wiper not working when raining. *la the vehicle has been to the dealer three times and there's nothing they can do. *ph *jb

Emergency brake release lever bracket fell from connection to plastic dash. ford will split the $2000 cost 50/50 to repair since no recall at this time. feel poor design attaching mechanism to plastic dash instead of metal bracket. when used currently, must be careful to not let release get stuck under dash making it very difficult to retrieve and release the lever. *la

Have ford exeplorer 1998 transmission has been acting up for a year and a half. jerking when you put it in reverse and clunking when you put it in to drive. my exeplorer just turned 60.000 miles and the transmission is no longer working,i can not believe the problems i have had with this car,from having a wreck and airbag not deploying to all of the recalls,had the bad tires and windsheild wipers not working.they should really have to do something about the exeplorer from that year.ibought my exeplorer in oct,98 of that year new. when my exeplorer was hit head on ,the police asked if i turned off my airbags.the car had to be towed.*ak

Driver's side door did not unlock. consumer was forced to get in/out on the passenger's side of the vehicle. *ak

While driving at 30 mph vehicle suddenly accelerated to 70 mph. brake pedal was depressed to decrease speed but engine continued to rev although vehicle came to a complete stop. *ak

The consumer was contacted regarding recall 03281000 related to the seat back frame. the vehicle seat never exhibited any symptoms of the recall prior to the vehicle being taken to the dealer. after the recall was performed the consumer noticed instability in the driver's seat. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the dealer indicated that the repairs they performed did not cause the instability and that it may be the wearing of the truck that caused it. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that it sounded like the recall remedy failed and that they would send a complaint for. the consumer has not received the form. the warranty on the vehicle expired. dealer stated nothing could be done. *ak *nlm

Vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall# 03v281000 repairs concerning high back seat failure. after the repairs were done, driver's seat back broke and fell all the way back. dealer was refusing to do anymore repairs to the vehicle.*ak

Dealership was not honoring the recall that has been extended to this year/ make and model vehicle. vehicle had a broken seat. dealership repaired the top bolt only. however, the bottom bolt needed repairs. however, the seat was still defective. *ak

Brake light switch malfunctioned due to a wiring problem. *ak

While driving about 65 mph on the highway and without warning vehicle lost control and was involved in a crash. upon impact, driver's side air bag did not deploy. driver sustained injuries, and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. *ak

Air conditioner mode will cool great in max a/c mode but not in all other modes. only hot air comes out. i've had this investigated once in germany and twice in the states. no dealership claimed to have found anything wrong. finally, the dealer said it was the air blender. it is a common problem that is in a lot of explorers from what i see on the internet. this is a manufacturers defect and should be recalled to fix. the internet shows a backyard garage fix, but is not ideal solution. ford needs to correct defective design. *la

Upper intake plenum had burnt a hole in it.*mr while driving the vehicle hesitated and the consumer smelled something burning like rubber/plastic. the hole in the plenum caused two vacuum hoses to melt. *ph *nlm

My wife was driving our 1998 ford explorer "eddie bauer" and experienced a sudden pull to the left. upon arriving at our mechanic, la autobody - newton ma, we were informed that we were missing both of our sway bars. has there been other complaints from ford truck owners? if so when will a recall be demanded by the nhtsa. according to our mechanic he has seen this many times and it can cause accidents on the road. *la

Check engine indicator light illuminated. vehicle was taken to the dealer at consumer's expenses of $850.00. twenty days afterwards the problem was still recurring. *ak

1998 ford explorer, 4.0sov has a repeated engine hesitation problem when engine is warm and accelerating from a stop. dealer says after numerous complaints he can not find the problem. i have had this problem since the vehicle was new it now has 100,000 miles and still hesitates on acceleration. *la

1999 ford explorer experiencing high idle.*mr vehicle experienced high idle for 1 year. *ts *jb

Vehicle frequently stalls and starves for fuel. consumer has had this problem for the past two years. dealer has inspected vehicle several times and found nothing wrong .*ak

While driving 60 mph on the highway and without warning driver's reclining seat broke in half. driver was not hurt, but was concerned because the mechanic at the dealer was aware of the problem but would not fix it.*ak

Seat belt locked around child's waist, consumer had to cut child out . as a result, seat belt left a bruise. *ak

The consumers were never notified of three recalls that applied to their vehicle until the defect occurred. the dealership refused to honor the recalls them because the campaigns had ended. the recall numbers are: 99 v 164 000, 98 v 060 000, and 00 v 422 000. *nlm

While driving 55 mph on the highway in inclement weather vehicle crashed into a tree without warning. upon impact, neither driver's side nor passenger's side air bags deployed.*ak

The accelerator pedal would stick causing sudden acceleration. this will eventually get someone killed. ford should recall vehicle. *ak the vehicle would surge when the brakes were applied. the problem remained the same. *scc the reverse lights were inoperative, the heater control valve was replaced, the left rear brake light was replaced. *jb. surges into oncoming traffic with brakes on. the consumer received a response from nhtsa that indicated that review of the evidence during the investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to include the 1998 ford explorer 5.0 liter engine in the scope of recall 00v-422. *ak

A cooper tire's [discoverer h/t-size p235/75 i5 m+s-dot uthl g5u4700 m5r] tread came off while driving hwy 95 in nevada. it did approx. $2500.00 damage to my 98 ford explorer's left rear quarter panel.. cooper originally said they were going to pay for damages.they blame underinflation and that is a big lie. i checked the pressure that very same day!*ak

While driving seat reclined without warning. *ak

The bolt of my drivers seat broke on my way form vacation in navada, almost causing an accident. i fell into the back seat trying to maintain my balance i grabbed the arm rest which broke, and the bottom frame broke also. i took my car to southbay ford in torrance ca. to make the" recall ' repairs but they refused to fix or repair my seat. stating, the broken seat was not part of the recall. i onformed the service rep., that the damage was due to the seat dropping backward. i called the number provided on the recall notice and made a complaint but was told the dealership had made a final decision. all i could do was to buy another seat and wait to see if another "recall" comes out and to try to get reinbursted . i had my family in my suv with me when this bolt broke and we all could have been killed if traffic would have been heavier. also i use my vehicle daily on my job as a mileage vehicle , having it propped up so i can drive is an hazard in itself. this vehicle is the fourth new ford product i have purchase, and the only time i have ever had a problem will make this the last one for me

Right turn signal periodically sticks "on" (not flashing) when commanded and sometimes comes "on" (not flashing) when the ignition is started. if left "ono" (not flashing) for more than 30-45 seconds, smoke comes out of the steering column. the smoke stops as soon as the light goes off. *jb

While driving 20 mph on a curve the reclining seat back lurched forward. this abrupt forward motion caused the recliner handle to break off. *ak *scc *jb

After the vehicle had been parked for about two hours it caught on fire. fire department was called, and they said fire was due to a fuel leak. *ak

Consumer received recall#03v281000 concerning front seat assembly recliner. passenger's seat recliner lever broke. passenger's seat had to be supported by two tennis rackets in order for the seat back to stay in the upright position. *ak

When applying abs brakes, they would fail. had taken vehicle to dealership, and mechanic could not determine cause of failure.*ak

Engine light illuminated and the vehicle was driving "rough." dealer determined that the cam chain guide broke, and engine had to be replaced. *ak

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the accelerator pedal. every time he tried to step on the pedal it got stuck to the floor. manufacturer was contacted, and stated that this vehicle was not recalled, and did not have any warranty.*ak

4.0l sohc engine failed within 9,000 miles of replacing timing chain cassette under ford program oom12. towed to a ford dealership and was told that i would need to pay 5,800 for a rebuilt engine and there was nothing they could do with regard to oom12 which is a known problem with the ford 4.0l sohc engine failing prematurely.*ak

Consumer received a recall letter concerning front assembly seat recliner from the manufacturer, but dealer indicated they did not have yet recall parts.*ak

While driving at 40 mph steering locked up. *ak

Mulifunction switch on 1998 ford explorer eddie bower 2wd smoking and required replacement. mfs began smoking after starting the vehicle, potentially causing a fire hazard. no fires reported after numerous vehicle starts, however, smoke becoming more prevelant after each vehicle start. vehicle was driveable. mfs was replaced. *ak

While driving at any speed there was heavy rear vibration. dealer and manufacturer had to this point refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong with the vehicle.*ak

1998 ford explorer, we have had problems at different times getting the driver side door to open after the car had been unlocked. this happened several times. this might become a problem if consumer was trying to get out from the vehicle in case of an emergency. *ak

While driving driver's side seat reclined without warning.*ak

Took vehicle to have recall (03s04) performed for broken drivers seat bolts. (drivers seat is broken and leans way back ) . i also asked them to fix the defective drivers door lock. the electric lock stays down i can not open the door i have to crawl out passengers side or out the drivers window. as i have been overcharged for repairs in the past i said i wanted to know how much it would cost to fix the door. they estimated that it would cost me $68.00 just to have them tell me how much it would cost to fix the defective door lock. i hit the roof, as they have cheated me in the past. (this dealership previously tried to sell me a new clutch for f150 pickup, it turned out that ford had already created a $20 kit that fixed the clutch. ) service manager said they were not going to do the recall and told me to leave. i asked to speak with the dealership owner they told me that he was not in. i called the dealership10 minutes later and the owner was there. i highly suspect i was lied to . i told mike pallata the owner i wanted the recall performed. he told me that his dealership was not going to do the recall. my explorer is on the road with defective seat and a drivers door that will not open. ford has replaced two sets of defective tires and replaced a hood latch with all these defects why am i to think the door latch is not also a safety defect. i previously leased a 97 ford explorer the passengerrs seat broke on this one just like on the 98. they wanted me to pay to fix that seat at the end of the lease.*ak

The consumer received recall # 03v281000 concerning the high back seats. the lever to recline the seats broke off before receiving this recall notice. according to the dealer, the lever was not included in the recall repair instructions. *ak. *jb

Fuel leaked onto the engine, causing a fire. the location of the fuel leak had not been determined. *ak

When driving at 40 mph transmission transfer case would make a loud noise and it would be hard for the driver to accelerate forward. *ak

The driver side seat back recliner lever broke off without being used. consumer feels that the recall defective component for the high back bolt 03 v 281 000, is the possible cause of the lever breaking because it's part of the same structure. *ph

While driving at highway speeds the steering wandered and swerved. at this time the cause is undetermined. *ak

Issue: ford explorer has fuel cut off switch directly below the glove box against the passenger side pillar (directly above the carpet on passenger size) approximately 1 foot above floorboard. passenger may be able to knock the connector or switch loose, causing fuel shut down and loss of power in the vehicle. connector is on bottom of switch; cable runs directly below carpet and can be tugged loose with enough force (connector is standard ford locking blade type). incident occurred on interstate 10 w in los angeles on the interstate 5 north on ramp. heavy traffic caused wife to straighten legs and kicked the connector loose at 60 mph. vehicle lost total engine power and stalled in traffic. vehicle was towed to dealership once before this incident. fortunately it was in a parking lot. dealer mentioned issue was resolved after plugging switch back in. resolved issue using cable ties, but a more suitable recall should be done to ensure other owners do not encounter the same situation. recommend a plate or fastener that makes it impossible for plug to come loose when hit with foot or other objects. also recommend repositioning switch to rear of vehicle, or underneath rear seat on newer models, if it has not already occurred. discussed this with a friend who recommended i file a complaint, even though it occurred almost a year ago. *jb thank you.*jb

Driver's side seat wobbles and is not sturdy. dealer will fix the seat at owner's expense. *ak

Cruise control failed while activated on 4 lane highway in washington d.c. traffic. then realized the horn had failed as well days later. the ford dealer seems awful aware of the problem, and the need to replace a "clock spring" in the steering column.*ak

We have a 1998 ford explorer, we have had problems at different times getting the trunk open after the car has been unlocked. this has happened several times and one time we worked on it for over an hour before getting it unlocked. this might become a problem if you were trying to get something or someone out of the back of the vehicle in case of an emergency. *nlm

Broken blend door in 1998 ford explorer, a/c only runs on high and heat only runs on high, common problem on numerous explorers from 1995 to 1999-2000. ford either states they have never heard of it, or its not a big deal but either way will not cover the 800.00 to 1,000.00 cost to repair the broken door unit.*ak

Vehicle engine idle will jump up to 2300 rpms while in park or netural without touching gas pedal, a/c and acc's off. the only way this is noticed is when you shift out of drive while engine is running, or hear the transmission making a clunking sound tyring to downshift at such a high rpm. vehilce will also increase speed on it's own without pressing gas pedal. it's almost a daily occurance.

1998 ford explorer eddie bauer model, caught on fire while parked in my garage at 4:00 am. vehicle had not been driven since 5:30 pm previous evening. we were alerted by a smoke detector. vehicle was total loss, garage & attic above garage badly damaged resulting in complete loss of our personal property stored there. fire department report states that they think the fire started with the battery, which was original to the vehicle. *nlm

2nd time this happened...tensioner pulley failed (broke off) while driving on the highway. serpentine belt came off, car overheated/engine failure/etc. first time was ay 40,000 miles. this time, at 102,000 miles. towed to a texaco station in aberdeen, md. service manager says tensioner pulley failure common in explorers. had to replace pulley/belt. once i returned home to nj, i started to notice minor dripping of radiator fluid. 2 weeks later, it all gushed out, causing me to also replace my radiator. to know this has now happened twice, caused secondary damage both times, and that you get left stranded on a highway each time is very concerning.

Have been hearing loud tapping noises from engine-brought it to stadium ford and was told it was front timing chain and gaskets which they replaced for $300 (no discount) noise has continued so never brought car home from dealership same day. left car at ford service center (stadium auto mall rutherford, nj) and now being told it is the lower/rear tensioner and was advised ford has a program for this defect yet was advised that they will not cover this for me. they want me to pay $2100 minimum to repair this defect with camshaft tensioners. however this defect/problem has previously shown to cause engine dmage other than w/the tensioners. also read many complaints about this issue where was covered. made complaint w/ford customer relations and was advised that car w/either 7 years or under 100,000 miles is covered. yet the dealership will not cover it and my truck is under 7 yrs and under 100,000 miles...at this point has been 3 weeks and still have not come to resolution and my truck is still in the dealership service center. still waiting for manager/owner to contact me back...*ak

Nhtsa recall 98-v-060-000:vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with 4.0l single overhead cam engines. engine fuel lines can be damaged if the vehicle is jump started and the ground cable is attached to the fuel line bracket that is located near the battery. since the bracket is not grounded, the stainless steel fuel line braid could act as a ground potentially overheating the ptfe inner liner of the fuel line, resulting in damage to the fuel line. consumer has the same problem. however this vehicle was not recallede due to the vin. *ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning four wheel drive will engage on its own, causing vehicle to suddenly accelerate. *ak

Defective alternator, rear axle seals, and oxygen sensor. *scc

While driving at 30mph on a busy road suddenly accelerator pedal went down to the floor . dealer found that pedal mountain attachment was broken. *ak

Consumer noticed oil leaking, took vehicle to dealer, dealer stated that seals were defective. *ak

Left rear tire tread separated. firestone wilderness at tires. *ak

Vehicle stopped dead in traffic on weems creek bridge in annapolis maryland during a rainstorm because the crankshaft broke. *nlm

1998 ford explorer left rear passenger safety belt release device that you put the seat belt into broke. i had my 1 year old daughter in her childseat correctly belted behind me in the left rear seat. i came to a normal stop, the heard belt click and turn around noticed it had come out of the buckle assembly. i pulled over and put the childseat and my daughter into the right rear seat. if i had come to a harder stop, or even a crash, my one and only daughter could have been killed. as of today, capital city ford has not received my new buckle assemby. they called me in once sayinf the part was in. after 1 1/2 hours in the waiting room, i was told that they ordered the wrong part and that they needed to order the new one. i was then told that it would take some time because of the holidays. i called on monday, july 07, 2003 and was told that the part was not in that i will be called when in it comes in. this means that no one can safely sit and ride in my 1998 ford exlporer in the left rear passenger seat. as you can tell i am perturbbed with this situation and would like it resolved asap. and to make things worse, my time and money are not going to be compensated. question? are 1998 ford explorer left rear passenger seat belt buckle assembly parts designed to fail after 78000 miles????*ak

The information for the radio was visible at times and sometimes it was not visible. *ak *scc *jb

No description given. *ak *nlm

I was checking fuses under the hood of our 98 ford explorer when the hood came down without provocation, crushing fingers on my left hand. the pistons that hold the hood up, gave way causing this accident. to date i have difficulty using my left hand correctly. i spoke with many attorneys and they said since there has not been any similar cases to mine, none would pursue it. i called ford and they said they would make a note of the incident. ford manufactured a defect, harmed me and everyone just wants to round file the case. would your group like to see pictures of my crushed finger? it happened, and ford is responsible. is there anything i can do? garry melott. *jb

The power door locks are malfunctioning on my 1998 ford explorer. the expolanation is that "water, dirt and stuff get in there". this is the seciond such incident. i'm now being billed $186 plus tax to repair something that shouldn't need rerplacing on a vehicle with 70000 miles!. *ak

The thermostat on my 1998 ford explorer has had to be replaced for the second time in two years with no definition of why it has broken. *tt

After sitting idle for an hour the vehicle caught on fire. the fire department determined the fire started in the engine. *tt

Well driving my 1998 ford explorer gas pedal completely fell off the firewall/floorboard. the two spot wields broke nearly, causing vehicle to crash. i was able to safely moving my vehicle to the side of the road, but was almost rear-ended by a big rig. *ak

Driver's seat reclined without warning while driving down the road (heard a snap and then the seat fell back). talked with the dealership - ended up having to replace the upper recline bracket bolt. the replacement of this bolt was not covered by extended warranty or safety. *ak

Broken crankshaft on 1998 ford explorer with only 83,000 miles. no help from ford. seems to be a materials defect. *jb

The upper ball joints and lower ball joints were warped. *nlm

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning upper ball joints broke, causing consumer to lose control of vehicle. please fill in additional information. *ak

The hatchback would not open at all. the consumer felt it was unsafe to have no manual way to open the hatchback from the inside. *ak *nlm

The crank shaft broke in half, which caused the vehicle to be disabled. *jb

While driving the accelerator pedal fell off and caused the vehicle decelerate rapidly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they could not determine why the pedal fell of but were able to fix the pedal. *nlm

Rear chain guide tensioner broke - part of cam chain guide assembly. engine died in morning rush hour, but car coasted safely to emergency lane. *nlm

The vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. *jb

Front end felt loose and vehicle was veering to the right due to cracked ball joints. engine check light appeared, and a red brown liquid was leaking from driver's side because power steering rack was defective. also, dealer replaced timing gear, and upper and lower intake manifolds.*ak

1998 ford explorer. the rear passenger side seat belt won't retract. it has already been replaced once, while under warranty, and now the replacement is doing the same thing. of course it is no longer under warranty and the cost will be around $300. also, cd exchanger has already been replaced once and is broken again. *nlm

The transmission experienced problems. *nlm

On 5/7/03, i took my 1998 ford explorer to classic ford in smithfield nc., because i had been hearing a roaring noise when ever i turned to the left. i was told they needed to replace my rack & pinion. they will have to keep it a couple days to replace it. i feel that is very unusual for an auto with only 66,000 miles would have that problem with the steering.(incident date should be 5/7/2003) *jb

The engine stalled off while driving. *jb

The front windshield detached from the adhesive. the dealer/manufacturer had been notified and refused to repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. mr scc *jb

I was driving while towing a trailer and headlights, parking lights, and fog lights went out and smoke came out of the steering column. after cooling off, i drove the rest of the way holding the dimmer switch back towards me for 2-and-a-half hours. *nlm

The consumer was unable to unlock the power door from the inside and had to crawl out of the window, it was determined that the solenoid failed in the driver door. *scc *nlm

The magnesium wheels on my vehicle are deteriorating around the hub. a local tire center informed me they are unsafe to use. you can put your finger right through the center. if a wheel was to break up while on the highway it could be disastrous. i purchased the vehicle brand new in february of 1999 from rodman ford, foxboro, ma these wheels were used on saleen explorers and saleen mustangs from 1994-1998 so there could be more out there with impending failure.*jb

Tire blew out on the highway. driver loss control of the car, veered to the right, missed a couple of cars on the right lanes and hit the side of the hill on the left of the road. car spun and rolled over several times. all passengers (5) were injured. tire was in good condition and driver did not drive over anything (i.e. potholes, debris, etc). *ph *jb **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**768040

The blend actuator door is stuck in the open position which means that i can't set the temperature in the passenger compartment to a comfortable level. after searching this problem on the internet it's apparent to me and others that this has got to be a defect based on the number of complaints.

There is a problem with the battery discharging . also the engine was stalling . i had to take the vehicle to the shop 4 times , and finally they changed the thermostat . the battery has started discharging again

The drivers side door lock failed to unlock.*jb

The right rear tire experienced a blowout, which caused the vehicle to roll over. (tire by michelin) there was a cut found in the inside of the sidewall. *jb the vehicle pulled to the left, veered harshly to the right, and the right rear tire had shredded, which was a firestone tire. (the front tires were moved to the rear and replaced the front tires with the spare a new tire. in october 2000, all of the tires were replaced with michelin tires) *scc

Consumer stated that when checking under the hood the hood latch snapped and it could have caused injuries to the consumer. dealer will be notified. ts

Radio led display does not work the majority of the time.

Consumer states that the electronic module attached to the cruise control assembly is defective. this causes the cruise control to engage at very low speeds when brakes are applied. ph

The brake sensors were faulty, the driver seat bolt had broken and fell while driving, the driver door lock was defective, and the brake warning lights system was inoperative. scc *jb

At about 73,000 miles the rear differential went out on my 1998 ford explorer.

Prior to the recall for the throttle 00 v 422 000, the part was replaced under warranty. consumer received a recall letter, and the problem has recurred, the dealership briarwood ford; saline mi;734-429-5478; is refusing to honor the recall. ts the recall was previously repaired, thereby making it null and void. the accelerator pedal sticks until enough force is applied for the vehicle to lurch forward. *jg

While traveling 25 mph accelerator pedal broke off ,causing consumer to brake to stop vehicle. please provide further information.*ak

There was a hairline crack through one spoke of the driver's wheel. it was only supported by 4 spokes instead of 5. consumer was very concerned that other spokes would fail while driving, possibly causing serious injury. related recall 00e027000 consumer's vehicle identification number was not included. *ph *jb *nlm

While driving the vehicle at 65 mph the gas pedal weld broke. the dealer was notified but told the consumer that there was nothing they could do. please provide any additional information. *nlm

Was driving approximately 75mph when the tread separated from the tire. this caused the vehicle to be steered towards a hill and bounced off it. the vehicle then rolled over and landed onto the lane, on its roof. firestone wilderness at; size p255 70r16. ts

Vehicle suddenly went out of control and almost rolled over. while changing lanes between uneven pavement, three of the tires were on newly paved lane, the other on old pavement. the vehicle suddenly without any warning began to rock uncontrollable from side to side.

Driver side mirror vibrates at speeds 40mph and above.

Car keep stopping and dying, the plenums (fuel injector) that melted and had to be replaced.

Consumer states that when hit at 45mph in the front center of the vehicle the air bag did not deploy causing minor injuries to the consumer. dealer notified. ts

Electrical fire in steering column. while traveling at highway speeds at night, drive lights went out and steering column was glowing and smell of burnt plastic. wiring harness, multi-function switch both melted. no after market add on or modifications made to vehicle. ts

Vehicle makes loud clunk noise and act as if it has been bumped from behind, action aslo felt in the brake pedal and resulting in forward motion. ford invoice indicates customer statement resulting in r&r transmision and overhal, to no avail. problem can not be determin

Firestone tire blew out on freeway

While pulling inside of a parking space. without prior warning the vehicle jump forward and accelerated and hit a palm tree. please provide additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. ts

Driver was driving 55mph with one passenger in the 1998 ford explorer when the right rear tire had blowout; conditions causes a roll over crash. driver and the passenger sustained injuries from the crash. a after market equipment, install at 57,276 miles tire michelin, model txa115 size 235/75r15, dot unavailable. feel free to provide any further information. mr

Driver was driving 35 mph with three passengers in a 1998 explorer when the right rear tire had a blowout. after market equipment. install at 29,17 miles, tire size 235/75r/15. dot # unavailable. dealer and manufacturers were notified. feel free to provide any further information. mr

While consumer was parking the vehicle, the gas pedal broke completely off of the pedal bracket. the dealership do not know how to fix the problem. please provide more details. ts

Nhtsa recall campaign 00v422000; throttle body; this part was replaced under warranty by a ford dealership june 1999. the recall came out in 2000 which the owner was declined the recall repair because he had the work done in june. the truck is now again having the failure which the manufacture and dealership are giving any assistance. please describe details. ts

Purchased a 1998 ford explorer, which had four firestone tires,slowing to a speed of 15mph, right rear tire suddenly blew outwithin seconds it was completely deflated.

Suv surges when backing back boat and trailer.

Consumer states he cannot get into his truck because the driver side latch is broken. he has not received a recall but think this should be a safety issue. ts

Experienced on three different occasion tire flats on three of the four tires on my suv

Rear tire exploded causing loss of control and vehicle rolled three times, totalled.

After driving short distance, tire went suddenly flat. it was sitting on the rim when driver got it off the road into a parking lot. a repair shop could not find anything wrong with the tire except that it had no air in it. there was no tread separation.

Consumer was unable to defrost vehicle because of air temperture coming out of defrogger. contacted dealer. they sad this was a result of blend door case being broken.*ak

When reducing speed from 60 mph to a stop the vehicle stalls. *ts *nlm

Vehicle stalled and shut down without prior warning. all of the lights appeared on dashboard, and vehicle would restart. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Consumer states that theres a noise coming from the engine while driving, when the accelerator is pressed the noise stops, the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the mass air flow sensor was the problem, 4x4 sensor is defective. mr *nlm *dt

While driving on a dirt road right front tire got sucked into car. vehicle swerved, and hit a tree and exploded. vehicle occupants were able to exit from vehicle.*ak

The driver side door lock is inoperable and the door cannot be opened. the dealership is aware of the problem. nlmjlg

Front windshield frame is corroded from inside out, and it could cause consumer to have visibility problems. dealer notified.*ak

While driving on the freeway gas pedal suddenly fell to the floor. took vehicle to dealer, dealer stated that bracket holding gas pedal back to firewall needed rewelding. please provide any further information.*ak

When activating turn signals there is a cranking sound, signals will only work intermittently.*ak. the dealer replaced the multi function switch.*jb

Anti theft indicator illuminates, vehicle will not start. this has happened 3 times. dealer stated computer showed no error code, cannot remedy the problem.*ak

4 wheel drive will not engage, and indicator light says it has engaged.*ak

Vehicle was parked outside of home and without prior warning it caught on fire. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

While driving, firestone wilderness ht, p225/70r15 belt inside is broke, and tread looks like it will separate from the tire. dealer has been notified. *akthe vehicle is a 1998 ford truck explorer. *jg

While driving at 70 mph throttle got stuck and vehicle was stuck at consumer could not slow down. in 1999 consumer had throttle replaced due to a recall, but remedy did not work. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak

On two separate occasions driver's seat has collapsed backwards while parking in reverse. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

When brakes are applied their is a loud noise from front end of vehicle, and underneath of vehicle vibrates.contacted dealer.*ak

Two years ago vehicle was involved in frontal collision while driving a little over 25 mph. estimated damage was between $3500-$4000. owner was concerned because dealership was not able to detect the cause, presently air bag light comes on and off, and owner is very concerned. *ak. there were 2 injuries.*mj

Driver's side door would not open.*ak both the key and keyless entry failed to open the driver side door. it was also impossible to open it manually from inside and outside since linkages were bent and latch mechanism was inoperative. latch assembly and arms were replaced. *yh

Immediatly after starting vehicle there was a loud explosion under the hood, then a knocking sound. vehicle was towed to dealership, a spark plug had blown out, causing damage to engine.*ak

Brake lights are not working properly. dealer contacted. *ak

Driver's side door will not lock or unlock from outside or inside. consumer is forced to climb in and out through passenger's side. manually, lock can not be pulled up to get out. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak

At high speeds vehicle shakes and will not stay in lane, and steering wheel is very loose. *ak the consumer had rack and pinion installed, but it started leaking and become loose. *yh

While turning onto an intersection vehicle shutdown without prior warning. vehicle had to be towed. *ak

While driving 20 mph and without warning, power steering failed, causing loss of vehicle control. after inspection of vehicle by dealer it was determined that power steering pump needed to be replaced. *ak *slc

Vehicle stalls intermittently at 50 mph. mechanic cannot find cause. *ak

Driver's side front door does not lock properly. problem is intermittent. please provide any further information.*ak

While driving on highway vehicle completely lost power and stalled. vehicle was checked by dealer who advised consumer that crankshaft had broken, and vehicle needed a new engine.*ak

While traveling on highway without prior warning vehicle wandered from lane to lane. *ak

Vehicle was placed in park and without any warning vehicle jumped out of gear into reverse and rolled backwards.*ak

Steering wheel makes a clicking noise and vibrates floorboard. sound in the steering has progressed, and has more play since problem occurred. dealer was notified. please more information.*ak

Consumer states while driving 50 mph vehicle suddenly rolled over multiple times having frontal impact, the driver and passenger air bags failed to deploy, leaving both driver and passenger seriously injured. *ak *yd

Consumer states that while driving, vehicle suddenly experienced a rollover, resulting in major injuries to passenger and driver, the roof crushed in on the passenger and broke his neck, consumer is concerned about the design of the roof. *slc

Consumer hears a grinding noise when slowing down and applying or releasing the brakes. vehicle was taken to the dealer and inner tie rod had deteriorated from wear and tear. the part was replaced.*ak *yh

While driving side driver mirror fell completey off the vehicle. please provide any further information.*ak

When turning steering wheel to the left theres a rubbing grinding sound coming from steering. took to dealer, and they stated that steering wheel case needed replacing. please provide any further information.*ak

While opening manual tailgate window right hinge detached and hit consumer on the head.*ak

While driving on a winding road at 50 mph due to the instability, vehicle suddenly rolled over, flipping left to right and crushing the roof that caused serious injuries to driver and passenger side occupants, also upon impact driver and passenger side air bags failed to deploy. *ak *yh

Without warning engine is overheating and caused vehicle to stall twice.*ak *yh

On going squealing noise coming from front wheels while driving, vehicle has been to dealer on two occasions, and the problem has reoccurred. *ak consumer was told that the new parts would eliminate the noise, but it has not.*jb

While driving, rear axle broke on driver's side. consumer lost control, causing a vehicle roll over. driver injured. *ak *yh

When making turns, especially right turns, vehicle slides and almost turns over.*ak. consumer states vehicle is experiencing acceleration problems,and there was a humming noise coming from the engine, signals are not working, dealer replaced a defective connector and multi-function switch, firestone tires have experienced tread separation, which were replaced in july 2001, the rear seats move/bounce when driving, the rear seat belts were inoperative, the dealer replaced the buckles, there was smoke coming from the steering column, dealer replaced the multi-function switch, the windshield was chipped, the alarm would not chut off at times, dealer replaced a bad loose wire.*jb

Rear sear belt behind driver's seat does not release from retracking mechanism. *ak

Consumer stated the rear seat belt behind drivers seat becomes jammed and will not release from retracting mechanism, causing the seat belt to become inoperable.*aa *yh

Upon driving vehicle consumer found that air bag contains corn starch and talcom powder. this made air bags unsafe. please provide any further information, and vehicle identification number.*ak

When at a complete stop vehicle will start to accelerate without consumer pressing on gas. contacted dealer. *ak

Vehicle would not start and was towed to dealer. dealer determined crankshaft had broken and needed to be replaced.*ak. *jb

When consumer went to step on the gas pedal the vehicle would not accelerate.*ak consumer states the gas pedal sticks requiring extra pressure which results in sudden accleration when the pedal breaks free.*jb

While driving 40-45 mph when appyling the brakes, the brakes locked up causing loss of vehicle control. consumer also states that the front right wheel came completely off and the truck flipped over causing injuries to the passengers. nlm

While driving at 70 mph the vehicle serverly turned to the left, the consumer had to quickly regain control of vehicle by turning to right to stay on road, the vehicle wa talen to the dealer for a brake job when dealer discovered a vibration in steering column. dealer repaired a steering hose that was routed improperly. there is a bulletin # 98-21-1.

Vehicle was approximately going 60mph when a loss of steering caused vehicle to jerk side to side and roll over. metal fatigue caused the hydrualic rack and pinion to burst and leak fluid. this manufacturer was notified, and vehicle was totaled.

Firestone wilderness 235/75/15 tire failure. insured advised tire blew. it is uncertain if tread separated. 10% wear on tires at time of loss. insured was pulling a boat and was pulling from toll booth when right rear tire. there were injuries, but health insurance took care of payment. injury claim never pursed. no salvage, no tire. insured contact agent regarding media attention. (claim# 13-9504-056) *mw

Ins was traveling south bound on i-95 and rear passenger tire blew out, which was caused by a metal piece in road. ins said that the veh flipped about six times. salvage sold and not available, insured now alleges the tire blow out was caused by product defect. firestone wilderness 235/75r15. (claim# 59-v482-220) *mw

Firstone wilderness 235/75r15. veh 1 was traveling on 285 when the left rear tire blew out. veh 1 spun completely around when the tire exploed the tread came off of the tire and hit the driver side of the veh 1. (claim# 11-3496-517) *mw

Please advise if any manuf. defect on firestone tires and on rear seatbelts on the explorer in this situation thanks they are the wilderness tires but he will make photos of them. only two are flat and that is because it landed on those two when it came to rest and finished it's roll. (claim# 11-3502-573) *mw

Firestone: front & rear left tires blew out causing collision w/driver tire confirmed to be a wilderness p235/75r15. (claim# 30-v250-841) *mw

The tire was a firestone wilderness at 235/75r15 insd is currently in poss. of the tire that blew apart and the tread that came off. (claim# 03-3162-844) *mw

Firestone: insured severely injured in single vehicle roll-over crash. wilderness tires involved. witness (truck driver) indicated he thought tire blew. evidence at scene clearly indicated that the left rear tire was flat prior to this loss-that it blew out from the sidewall. sidewall blow out no tread separtion wilderness at tires show even wear pattern. size unknown. (claim# 22-v083-768) *mw

One car accident of the freeway. right rear tire destroyed. insured had complained of foating feeling prior to accident. firestone wilderness tires. (claim# 47-4079-724) *mw

Accelerator pedal broke while driving. dealer and the manufacturer were notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Veh#1 had a blow out & veh overturned comments from the adjuster firestone wilderness tire p235/75/r15. (claim# 53-c586-926) *mw

Appears to be tire failure. side of the tire has blown out. firestone wilderness at p235/75r15. (claim# 01-6196-609) *mw

Insured on the highway, hit some oil in roadway, lost control of vehicle, rolling it over several times. he was taken to er with multiple injuries. passenger also suffered unknown injuries. passenger is insured's roommate in college. verified that iv has 4 firestone wilderness tires. all 4 tires are flat. (claim# 59-v467-108) *mw

We understand there is some type of recall on firestone tires put on ford vehicles? we have tire as evidence. plz advise on handling. ann called confirming tire to be wilderness at p235/75r15 dot n/a. (claim# 75-a259-335) *mw

Firestone tire failure-firestone wilderness at (size unknown). tread separation-insured was driving down highway (interstate 10). insured felt vibration in rear of vehicl. insured drove into service station and had tires checked. attendant advised tires in rear okay. insured re-entered highway and lost control flipping vehicle over. tire has been removed and retained. rep has contacted firestone. tire has been shipped to firestone with certified letter. firestone has not replied to date. (claim# 24-5124-255) *mw

Firestone wilderness at size p235/75r15 105sm/s sot vdhl 1p1y028 the tire was the original with 38,037 miles

While driving consumer notice flames coming from rear window, consumer took vehicle to dealer, the delaer stated connection to rear defroster unit caught on fire. *ak. delaer stated it was a short in the circuit.*slc

Insured believes that he had a tread separation occur causing the accident. firestone wilderness at tire. wilderness a/t p255/70r16. (claim# 42-1278-129) *mw

Any recall on firestone wilderness at tires, model #p255/70r16? driving at 73 mph and felt a pull to the right. lost control and rolled over twice. (claim# 06-6479-663) *mw

All 4 tires blew on insd veh causing him to loose control--tires are 16" firestone wilderness at tires. please advise tires had 40,000 miles. (claim# 14-1306-507) *mw

08-17-00 11:49am moving to sub to attempt recovery for latent defect in tire--photos of tire in file--ni has other 3 tires and has confirmed with firestone these are included n recall. (claim# 16-n116-274) *mw

Tire blew causing damage to the vehicle. the tires are firestone wilderness spoke with insured, the tire is the org tire that came with the vehicle. it has over 38,000 miles on it. (claim# 03-3161-369) *mw

08-11-00 02:00 pm dive called-she will have her husband stopped by on monday to pu all info on her 98 explorer (she advised that accident ocurred because the l.frt tire blew. she wants all info on her vehicle because of the firestone tire recall. (claim# 20-5174-819) *mw

Rollover accident at 35-40 mph, and neither airbag deployed. vehicle had started to twist. then, started to spin sideways, and rolled over, landing on passenger's side. damage to vehicle was $ 5500.00. no injuries.*ak

The tire that blew is a firestone tire and has recently been recalled. the file is now being moved to subrogation. (claim# 05-4448-635) *mw

There was vibration in vehicle while driving at any speed and making a right turn. an independent mechanic examined vehicle and determined that stabilizer bar broke on left side, and needed to be replaced. *ak *yh

While driving 35-40 mph it started to snow rear of vehicle twisted a bit, then started to spin sideways. vehicle rolled over, and landed on passenger's side. driver's rear tire was flat. damage to vehicle was $ 5000.00. no injuries.*ak

Firestone: ins going east and tire blew out and insured lost control and car rolled over 3 times car landed on top. (claim 43-r532-651) *mw

Vehicle was hit in a 45mph zone. vehicle flipped over and slid into a ditch with front hitting a tree. front driver's/ passenger's air bags didn't deploy. no contact has been made with manufacturer. *ak

While driving around engine check light came on dashboard. took vehicle to dealer for a tune-up to correct the problem, but did not help, engine check light still popped up. please provide more information.*ak

Consumer had experienced some problems with suspension. had to replace shocks and tires. currently, dealer indicated that wheels needed to be replaced also to correct the problem. please provide more information.*ak

While driving about 70-80 mph vehicle will start vibrating without any notice. consumer had replaced four sets of tires, and had an aligment done on vehicle. but, vibration still continued. dealer could not determine what was causing vibration. please provide more information.*ak

After coming off a highway stopped at a red light, tried to avoid hitting another vehicle, and red light came on dashboard. took vehicle to dealer, where they said that transmission had broken down. please provide more information.*ak

When depressing throttle pedal to accelerate throttle pedal sticks, causing vehicle to accelerate. consumer has to apply force to get throttle to return to normal. dealer has been contacted. please provide further information.*ak

Recall 00 v 422 000/throttle: vehicle would run rough when starting up in morning and stalled intermittently. dealer and manufacturer were notified, and informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter. *ak

Newspaper has article about families in florida suiting ford motors and firestone about tires. insured's tire is firestone wilderness. it blew in acc. (claim# 14-1288-106) *mw

Tire failure: firestone all terrain wilderness 235/75/15, tread came off, tire remained inflated, no inj, approx 2 years old, not worn out per firestone. (claim# 43-r511-299) *mw

Firestone wilderness at tire. rear driver's tire blew and tire tread just peeled off it. id lost control and rolled 98 ford explorer. advised of findings and e-mailed information listed in document. (claim# 03-3148-617) *mw

Damage to quarter panel and molding due to tire tread failure firestone wilderness at tires. (claim# 18-0415-439) *mw

Firestone wilderness at p235/75 r15 105 s m/s dot #w2uu1p0. left rear tire is one with tread separation. (claim# 55-s267-885) *mw

Radio lights go out intermittently. vehicle not taken to dealer yet.*ak

Heater/defroster control is no longer working. took vehicle to dealer, and informed consumer that heater box needed to be replaced.*ak

Tires had been wearing out from inside out.had taken vehicle to dealer for the situation, but dealer said that problem was with tires that had need to be replaced. please provide more information.*ak

While driving could feel the vehicle pulling to the side of road. had taken vehicle to dealer, where an aligment could not correct problem. please provide more information.*ak

While vehicle was parked tailgate window blewout. dealer replaced it under warranty. on 30.jan.2002. while vehicle was parked tailgate window blewout again. *ak

I put on the brakes and the pedal simply chattered like the anti lock brake mechanism was working. however, even when i let off and lightly hit the pedal again for 3 separate times the brakes did not work and only chattered. i ran into a tree to avoid a hitting another car and some pedestrians which wrecked my front end, right fender, right door, hood and other parts on the right. *tr

98 ford explorer is there a recall on transmission 2 wheel drive

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

Tires are damage and cracking

1998 ford explorer caught on fire while parked.*mr the vehicle fire caused damage to another vehicle as well as the consumer's home. *nm

The water pump was replaced on vehicle on 09 aug, 2003, necessitating removal and re-installation of the air intake hose connected to the throttle body. on the morning of 09 feb, 2006 the accelerator was briefly depressed to the floor while navigating in freeway traffic. the accelerator remained in this position after having removed the driver's foot from the accelerator. full pressure was being applied to the brakes with no apparent slowing of the vehicle. the vehicle was steered towards an open construction area adjacent to the freeway, and shifted into 'park' while still moving at about 50 mph. the vehicle stopped safely, and without collision. the vehicle remained drivable after this incident. upon investigation, it appears that the body of the hose clamp that secures the air intake hose to the throttle body was interfering with the throttle mechanism such that when the accelerator was fully depressed, a plastic tab on the throttle mechanism would rub against the body of the hose clamp with enough force to hold the throttle in the fully open position. as previously mentioned, this hose had been removed and re-installed, possibly causing the hose and attached hose clamp to be rotated several degrees from their original (factory) position. it should be noted that there are no features on the hose or throttle body to ensure proper orientation upon re-installation. to correct the problem, the air intake hose was re-positioned , and the offending corner of the plastic tab on the throttle linkage was filed off. (digital photos and video of the failure condition are available)*jb

While vehicle was moving in reverse at an unknown speed engine suddenly accelerated, and crashed into a parked bus. vehicle accelerated to an unknown speed, and traveled approximately 15 feet before the crash. vehicle has not been examined by a mechanic to determine cause of the problem. consumer experienced back pains since this incident. please provide any additional information / documentation.*ak

Rack and pinion steering momentarily locked up while making a left turn. vehicle taken to dealer, and had rack and pinion replaced. currently, it was making noise whenever a turn was being made. dealer unable to locate problem. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

Consumer stated vehicle experiencd premature wear of the front ball joints and tie rods, dealer has been notified. *ak *yd

When turning steering wheel to the left there is a noise. rack and pinion malfunctioned. please provide any further information.*ak

Front brakes drag. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced rotors and other parts. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle rattles underneath. dealership is aware of problem. camshaft broke, and chain that goes around it also broke.*ak

When back out there is a popping noise coming from front tire. *ak

There will be resistance behind the brake pedal when trying to stop vehicle. this has occurred approximately six times. dealership could not determine cause for this problem. please provide any additional nformation/attachments.*ak

While traveling at approximately 30 mph steering wheel came off in driver's hands, causing consumer to lose directional control of vehicle. consumer was able to stop vehicle without incident. no determination has been made as to the cause for this problem. *ak *jb

While driving smelled strong fuel smell, vehicle taken to dealer who replaced a leaking fuel rail. *ak

Driver's seat latch broke due to metal fatigue and rust, and passenger's side latch is cracked. dealer has been notified. please provide additional information.*ak

When making a left turn or accelerating to left vehicle completely shuts down, cause unkown. also, consumer has concerns about wheels being out of around. please give any further details. *ak

While driving at approximately 60 mph in 1998, ford, explorer right rear firestone wilderness at tire, size: p235/75r15, dot: w2h experienced complete tread separation. there were approximately 30,000 miles on the tires, and they were original equipment on vehicle. *ak firestone informed consumer the problem was with ford and not them, consumer has been on the waiting list for over 2 months. *slc

When foot is not on brake, vehicle can be shifted into any gear. ignition would be in between on and off when this occurs. have taken to dealership, and informed by mechanic all vehicles are designed like that.*ak consumer states owners manual specifically states that vehicle has interlock safety and the brake must be applied to shift into gear, this caused an accident where vehicle ran into a fence. *slc

Consumer was traveling about 50mph on highway and was changing lanes, and it felt like it was going to cut off. happened to look down, and saw gas pedal detached from floor. it was holding on by a wire. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

Vehicle will not idle without pressing accelerator pedal, engine will stall . dealer said it was a faulty idle air valve.

Vehicle stalled when making a 90 degree left turn. consumer stepped slightly on gas and it hesitated. consumer has to press down giving vehicle gas to by pass hesitation. dealer really had no remedy. but once before replaced fuel injection. *ak

While making a left turn steering failed. as a result, vehicle made a complete turn and damaged front and rear end of vehicle. dealer has advised that there was no problem with steering. please add additional information. *ak

Pe00 020; when consumer is traveling vehicle shakes due to firestone tires.*ak

Accelerator sticks whcih causes vehicle to become inoperable in traffic. after ten minutes vehicle is fully operational. dealer has been contacted, but refused to contact manufacturer. please provide further details.*ak

Vehicle involved in a frontal collision with a phone pole at 35 mph. upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. manufacturer notified. feel free to provide any further information on this matter.*ak

Consumer took vehicle into the dealer to get camshaft fixed. after dealer fixed the problem back engine.*ak

When consumer turns on heat it is out of control heat gets hotter and hotter. when she turns air conditioning on cold air is cold for a moment, and then heat comes on while air conditioning is running. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

When consumer turns on heat it is out of control heat gets hotter and hotter. when she turns air conditioning on cold air is cold for a moment, and then heat comes on while air conditioning is running. dealership is aware of problem.*ak lock broke on drivers door and was repaired. *slc

When turning on windshield wipers they will not work. however at times will will work intermittently, which will not give any help to consumer.*ak

While consumer was driving vehicle and trying to slowdown gas pedal got stuck, and the vehicle accelerated. it usually happens at 30 mph and up. has not contacted dealer.*ak

Driver's door lock is no longer operational, key code and key will not unlock vehicle. nor will inside door handle work. consumer is concerned in case of a accident she will be trapped in vehicle. *ak

While driving a bolt came out of steering column which rendered steering totally inoperative. also, it deactivated air bag . consumer lost control of vehicle. contacted dealer, and dealer was not being cooperative.*ak *jb

Rack and pinion steering failed. while driving would feel like vehicle had flat tires. would have to overcompensate for steering. the steering was very difficult to control. took vehicle to an independent mechanic, who indicated there was no rack and pinion steering left. *ak nlm

Consumer's son got inside of vehicle, turned on ignition switch without stepping on brake pedal and not turning on engine, shifted gear where vehicle was at an incline hill, and vehicle rolled backward, crashing into a fence. dealer said that was normal on that particular model.*ak

Vehicle was rear ended. upon impact, driver's seat collapsed, resulting in minor injuries to passenger sitting in seat. dealer has been notified.*ak

When vehicle comes to complete stop or when it takes off vehicle stalls without prior warning. dealership is aware of problem.*ak the vehicle had stalled more than six times but the cause was not known. *yh

Engine failure due to camshaft pulley. dealer notified and replaced engine under ford program. please feel free to provide any further details concerning this matter . *ak

Whenever vehicle hits a bump it would jerk either to right or left. this causes steering wheel to jump out of driver's hand. contacted dealership and manufacturer, and informed consumer it was front end suspension. *ak

Vehicle experienced poor directional control after vehicle hit a bump or pothole in road while traveling at speeds in excess of 35 mph. dealership informed consumer that there was nothing wrong with vehicle. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak

Trunk door will not shut properly. consumer is able to slide his hand in while door is shut. *ak consumer contacted dmv and found out vehicle had been in an accident, consumer specifically asked for a vehicle that had not been damaged, however dealer sold it to him anyway, consumer feels deceived and is experiencing multiple problems with vehicle. radio is inoperative at times. hatch rubs agains frame of vehicle. taillight and headlight are out of alignment, fog lights had lamp failure. vehicle experiences problems with absorbing road shock, vehicle pulls to right. check engine light illuminates, vehicle experiences low power. rear power window motor failed. power antenna failed. right windshield wiper interior garnish molding loose, rear wiper blade skips center of glass, dealer replaced rear wiper arm and blade assembly. steering gear assembly replaced due to noisy. bumper not even. *slc

Vehicle is leaning to right. took vehicle to dealer numerous times. vehicle bounces and rocks to left and right as well. dealer cannot remedy. *ak

While driving vehicle would vibrate once it goes over 30mph. there would be severe shaking & hard to control. this would happen when just idling or waiting. sometimes vehicle would stall out. *ak

Tires were original equipment on a 1998, ford, explorer, tire size p23575r15, dot number not available, tires had 35 thousand miles on them. all four tires would not stay inflated, tires continuously went flat.*ak consumer states continously had slow leaks fron stones from dirt road thathe lives on.*jb

Consumer was traveling 60mph and let up to reduce speed. throttle never lifted for vehicle to slow down. consumer road 2-3 miles, hitting brakes and throttle to see if pedal would lift. consumer ended up running into a field, slowing to 40mph and slammed on brakes. all four brakes were burned up. consumer wasn't sure if transmission was damaged. vehicle is at ford to be looked at.*ak

Rear windshield wiper is inoperable. when consumer turns switch windshield wiper will not move. dealership has replaced rear windshield wiper motor and windshield wiper assembly. dealership is currently looking into defect for third time. *ak *jb

While driving vehicle it accelerates by itself. vehicle accelerates with brakes on up to 30 rpm. also, ehicle accelerates where consumer has to turn key off to stop vehicle. contacted dealer, and dealer stated there was nothing wrong with vehicle. please provide vin#. *ak

After consumer had recall 00v422000 repairs done throttle was still experiencing the same problem. gas pedal will stick while driving, and she has to keep pushing to keep pedal from sticking in one position. please provide any additional information/attachments. *ak

There was squeaking noise coming from front of vehicle as if shocks were going bad in vehicle. in march, dealership informed her that there was nothing wrong with vehicle. on may 11, 2001- after the warranty expired, dealership informed consumer that following components needed to be replaced: both upper ball joints, right outer tie rod , and alignment. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

While driving over a period of time and attempting to accelerate, vehicle failed to accelerate and accelerator pedal was slow to respond. vehicle was parked for a short period of time. upon restarting vehicle and depressing accelerator pedal, it failed to respond, pedal fell off. *ak it was determined that the 3 rivets that hold the mounting bracket hard sheared off causing the accelerator pedal to fail. *yh

Fuel lines going into engine were leaking fuel near spark plug. consumer repaired this himself, and informed dealership when he went in for replacement parts. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Throttle gets stuck, and vehicle doesn't move. dealer could only tell consumer that throttle needs parts. *ak

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 75mph on highway and heard a noise. he was able to pull over to shoulders. he noticed that left rear tire tread had separated. firestoine, wilderness, atp23575r15, 105 m/s #dot w28l. firestone will be notified. *ak

This was second time that seat has reclined back while consumer has been driving. first time being at 26,400 miles. this time consumer was traveling at 55mph, and seat reclined straight back, and wouldn't go back into postion. consumer called dealer, and they couldn't give any information without seeing vehicle.*ak

Left rear tire had a flat. took vehicle to private shop who happened to notice spare was larger than other tires. consumer took vehicle to ford dealer , and dealer noticed that other tires on vehicle were incorrect tires, and that spare tire was the correct one. *ak *slc

While traveling at highway speed of 55-60 mph sun roof came off vehicle. dealer was notified, and informed consumer that it was out of warranty and not cover under a recall. feel free to provide us with any further details on this matter. *ak

Master cylinder failed, causing loss of brakes, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer has been notified.*ak

While vehicle was parked consumer's wife was at a side of vehicle, released parking brake pawl and vehicle ran her over without prior warning. consumer would like to know what was next step against this situation.*ak

All of seat belt buckle assemblies failed to lock and hold restraints in place. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak

Doors on driver and back passenger sides will not open from inside of vehicle which could pose a risk if quick exit is needed. *ak consumer states upon arriving home she tried to exit vehicle by pulling the door handle to open door when all of a sudden it failed to open, consumer states she had to crawl over the passenger side to get out of vehicle, consumer states she also has to go through passenger side to get into vehicle , also the back door on the same side is broken with the same problem. *jb

An electrical fire which originated in dashboard area while vehicle was in park. prior to fire, if turn signal was left on for an extended period of time, roughly over a minute, smoke would come from dashboard. no investigation has been made to determine cause of fire. *ak

When vehicle is slowing down or is at a complete stop it accelerates without any notice. problem occurs intermittently. consumer has contacted dealer.*ak *slc

Vehicle shimmies and makes a groaning noise. *ak

Left rear firestone wilderness/at p23575r15 tire on this explorer had a belt separation at 60 mph. ford, and firestone have been contacted.*ak consumer states that prior to the tire failure there was a vibration, he also states that lowering the tire pressure from 35lbs to 30lbs may have caused excessive heat and the belt separation, consumer is requesting reimbursement, dot #w2hl1ply178. *slc

Vehicle would stall while accelerating from a stop and also while in motion. *ak

Pe 00 020/tread separation: while parked noticed a chunk of tread missing from left rear tire on a 1998, ford, explorer; original equipment, tire size p235/75r15, dot# w2hl; firestone notified, and informed consumer that it was not recalled. tire was available for analysis. *ak *slc

Vehicle is blowing fuel inside of gas tank, it has been on more than one occasion. dealers will be notified. *ak

After driving 10 minutes or more vehicle would intermittently stall or cut out while appliing accelerator from a low speed or at a stop postion in heavy traffic. vehicle been in dealer shop on two occasions, and informed that nothing could be found or problem could not be duplicated. feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

Lower ball joints were shot. problem was found during routine maintenance. this was what caused vehicle to rattle when hitting bumps or cracks in road.*ak consumer was advised that ball joints have no grease joints and that is why they failed .*jb

Consumer had 2 accidents due to sudden acceleration, neither time did airbags deploy. in july 2000, vehicle went through garage door, and on march 13, 2001,vehicle hit concrete wall. *ak

Vehicle accelerated on its own when applying brakes to come to a stop. engine revved, and even though consumer applied brakes, vehicle went through garage wall. dealer could not find problem. on mar 13, 2001 this happened again. consumer pulled into parking space on 5th level of parking garage, applied brakes, and vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit concrete wall. vehicle at dealer at this time. consumer no longer feels safe driving vehicle.*ak

Windshield was leaking for about 4 months, then consumer was driving slammed on brakes and windshield separated from frame.*ak

While driving on road engine will lose power. each time when stepping on gas pedal vehicle will not go.vehicle had been recalled for this problem. but consumer had never taken care of defect.*ak

Consumer had a flat and while jacking up vehicle , metaljack crumbled into pieces. dealer was to contact consumer per manufacturer, but they have not called.*ak consumer states that the vehicle fell off jack. *slc

Was braking to slow down to come to a stop, and a semi trailer had slammed on brakes suddenly. driver of explorer slammed on brakes, pedal was hard, and would not move. had no brakes, and rearended semi trailer. brakes returned to normal after vehicle was moved to side of road. *ak

Intermittently accelerator pedal will stick. a recall has been issued on vehicle; however this vehicle was not included due to vin. the dealer has inspected vehicle.*ak

Consumer had an accident when gas pedal got stuck, then, vehicle accelerated, and lurched forward. dealer replaced throttle body, speed unknown. currently, consumer received recall on this component.*ak the manufacturer denied any defective part exists. *yh

While driving under winter conditions, traveling at approximately 65 to 70 mph, vehicle began to lose control. right driver's side tire went into a ditch, and vehicle rolled 1 1/2 times. driver's seat belt failed to lock up and preventing injury to driver. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak air bags failed to deploy during accident. nlm

Consumer was traveling 5to 10mph. while entering into a parking lot he applied brakes, and vehicle continued to acellerate and hit another vehicle.*ak

Vehicle was parked in off position for over ten minutes and caught on fire in engine compartment. also, vehicle was serviced for recall 00v422000 regarding throttle. consumer not sure if cause of fire was due to that problem. please provide any further details. *ak

While driving 50-55 mph vehicle started spinning and started to roll. consumer had been driving on a straight part of highway, damage to vehicle unknown at this time. *ak

While driving about 30 mph consumer noticed gas pedal sticking. pressed a bit harder to get it to release, and vehicle started spinning, resulting in a crash. damage to vehicle unknown. *ak

Driver's seat back broke while driving 55 mph. *ak

Pe-00-020; original equipment, tire size p23575r15, dot number not available tires have over 31 thousand miles on them. . consumer noticed a bulge in the passenger's side rear firestone wilderness at tire, tires have been rotated. *ak *slc

When consumer gets out of driver's or passenger's seats and releases seatbelt, seatbelt will not retract back into system, it will just hang out. please provide further information. *ak

Notice report on tv & checked out tires. noticed cracks on sidewalls between tread & the casings. cracks wereon all four tires & went all the way around. have not been in contact with tire retailer. firestone wilderness at p235/75r15.*ak

Vehicle hesitates when pulling onto the highway. it has been taken to the dealership 14 times for this problem. dealership was not able to detemine what was causing this problem. this has been an ongoing problem for the last 5 months. please provide any further information.*ak

When driving 40 mph vehicle hit a patch of ice in the road and vehicle went off to side road, and fliped three times. possible cause of the problem may be linked to tires. please provide any further details.*ak

While driving about 40 mph engine locked up. explorer was able to be driven to dealership. timing chain was replaced at owner's expense because it was stretched and slipped off. ford is aware of this problem because of service bulletin. *ak

Ongoing problem with noise coming from engine. vehicle taken to dealer for inspection. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak

While backing out of driveway there was a sudden loss of steering. dealer has been contacted. *ak

While driving gas pedal fell apart due to accelerator cable breaking which may have caused a crash. *ak *slc

When gas pedal is applied it sticks unless extreme pressure is applied. vehicle will not move. afterwards, vehicle will accelerate faster then intended. also, having idle control valve sticking which causes vehicle not to start. please give any further details. *ak

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 65 mph on highway and heard a noise. vehicle started to flip over twice. dreiver's side rear tire tread separated. firestone, wilderness, p23575/r15, a#dot vdhlity. there were some injuries.*ak

When trying to lower power windows and turn dome lights on they did not work, also, windshield wipers would not work at any time. dealer has been contacted, and technician cant duplicate problem. please provide further information.*ak

While traveling on highway heard a noise. pulled vehicle over, and noticed tire tread separation. p23575r15. *ak firestone wilderness at dot w2hl, on may 16, 2001 consumer had tire replaced with another brand. *jb

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling 35mph on a main street and suddenly heard a noise. he was able to pull over to side shoulder, and noticed that left rear tire tread separated from vehicle.. tire was a firestone, wilderness#at, p235 r15. there were no injuries involved at this time. *ak

Vehicle parked. noticed cracks about 1" from tread on casing. been to tire retailer & ford & was informed tires not recalled. brought different tires for vehicle. firestone wilderness at, original equipment, p235/75r15 with 32,000 miles made at w2 plant.*ak

Windshield wipers become inoperable in rainy weather conditions, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

Pe00 020; consumer was traveling 45mph on highway and heard a thumping noise. she was able to pull over to shoulders, and noticed that driver's side rear tire tread had separated. firestone, wilderness a#at, p255.70r16. *ak

Vehicle stopped producing heat. heater core needed to be replaced, and consumer had to replaced it herself. *ak

Pee00 020; consumer was putting air inside of tire and noticed that all four tires in inner side of tire tread were beginning to separate. firestone, wilderness #at p25570r16. there were no injuries. *ak

On 11-7, vehicle was making s-like movements, consumer had difficulty keeping vehicle in the lane, after about 10 seconds, the problems ceased, however the following day the same problems occurred and consumer was unable to control vehicle, the vehicle would not respond to the steering wheel being turned, consumer collided twice with the guardrail. *slc

These are original tires on a ford, explorer,1998, w2hl p235/75r15. all 4 tires have splits on sidewall. *ak firestone when asked by the customer about the splits on the tires put the customer on waiting list. customer out of safety concern, paid and replaced all tires. *yh

While traveling at 15 mph vehicle died. took to a dealer and they said camshaft went into motor. two months before that van pulley split open, and vehicle cut off. *ak

After arriving home spare tire had fallen out of vehicle. took vehicle to dealership & was informed by service manager that cable attachment for spare tire had broken. can be repaired. *ak

Pe00023; tire tread separation: owner replaced all 4 tires because of signs of tread separation. there is a crack all around the tread of the tire. tire size p23575r15, dot # vnhl1py058. *ak the customer gat new tires to avoid tire blow out. *yh

When wheather is hot vehicle will lose power for a couple of seconds, then it will come back on. *ak

Consumer wants a refund for firestone tires that he replaced before recall was announced, firestone is not willing to do so. *ak the tires were firestone wilderness 15 inch tires. *slc

While at a curve driving 30 to 35 mph, right rear firestone tire went flat due to a nail in tire, vehicle rocked back and forth violently. consumer was afraid vehicle would roll over. *ak tire was a firestone wilderness, size p255/70r15, dot w2uu 1po138. *slc

When coming to a stop engine raced to extremely high rpms, consumer had to apply both feet to brake pedal to gain control of vehicle, cause unknown. please give any further details. *ak

Pe00020, original equipment 1998, ford explorer, tire size p235/75r15, not recall, all four tires have cracks along tread which seems that tread may came off, which may cause a crash. *ak firestone says it is normal for tires to have cracks. *yh

While driving engine would stall. while at an intersection on a six lane road, in middle lane, vehicle stalled. felt this was dangerous because consumer could have been hit from behind. took vehicle to dealer when rear timing chain jumped time, timing chain broke. dealer said engine needed to be replaced. *ak

Original firestone wilderness at tires on a ford, explorer, 1998, left front and left rear tires blewout, and truck flipped over.p2557016 109. *ak dot# vndu. *slc

Brakes failed while in parking lot without warning due to failure of brake master cylinder. *ak consumer states that vehicle is serviced every 3500 miles. *slc

Defective rack and pinion rubbs against front tires, causing more wear and tear on tires. please provide further information.*ak

Checked on tires after watching program on tv. noticed front tires were on recall & needed to be replaced. contacted firestone retailer & placed on waiting list. front tires were cracked in the tread. have been hearing thumping noises for 3 weeks. firestone, wilderness at, p235/75r15 with 10,000 miles.*ak

Traveling 20mph, had no prior warning;, and lost power, just stopped. a few seconds later, it would catch again. also, when accelerating or turning corners, vehicle would lose power. problem was intermittent. took vehicle to dealership & mechanic indicated it was pcm related. problem may be solved*ak. the dealer could not solve the problem. *yh

While driving vehicle would vibrate. took to dealership & was informed tires were feathered, irregular tread, on left rear /right front. last year right front tire was dry rotted and went flat. vehicle was towed to dealer. tires still on vehicle. firestone wilderness at, p235/75r15. *ak *slc

Consumer was traveling about 75mph on highway and cruise control was set on 75. mph. was climbing up a hill, and cruise control continued to speed up.consumer applied brakes and vehicle continued to speed up. dealership was aware of problem. there were no injuries reported. *ak

Heard news on tv & checked tires. noticed cracks 1/2 inch from tread on casing. took vehicle to firestone retailer & ford to have tires replaced. tires on recall & could not get replaced due to a 4 month wait.*ak

Consumer was driving in dark and headlights went out, bright and dim. consumer had to hold turn signal towards him to keep lights on. *ak

Consumer was having front end alignment checked due to vehicle vibration, service technician noticed 2 front firestone wilderness at tires were beginning tread separation and should not be driven on, consumer replaced tires and is requesting a reimbursement, tire size p235/75r15, dot w2hl1py337. *slc

While traveling at a 30% grade or more with a 1/4 tank of gas or less engine shut off. dealer has checked twice, and said that it happened due to design flaw. *ak

Pe00 020;consumer was traveling about 70mph on highway and all of sudden heard a banging noise. then, he swerved and was able to pull over to shoulder. right rear tire tread had separated. he was able to change tire. firestone attendant told him that his tire wasn't on recall. tire was firestone wilderness#at, p23575r15. *ak

Pe00020, orignial tire on 1998, explorer, p235/75r15, dot made in canada,.on all four tires there was a crack on the end of the tread which seemed that tread was separating. firestone was not willing to help because it was not part of the recall. *ak

Original equipment on a 1998 , ford, explorer, p255/70r16 size. tread on all four tires had started to crack all the way around.*ak the entire circumference of all four tires has cracks. *yh

Pe00020; tire tread separation. all fours tire have cracks all the way around the sidewall. tire size p23575r15, dot # w2hlipy228. original tire equipment with 38,000 miles. owner replaced all four tires with michelin tires. *ak

Wilderness/at, tire size p23575r15, standard equipment on this vehicle blewout when backing into a curb. it was a slight bump. dealer was contacted.*ak

Rack and pinion steering replaced at 16000mph. six months later, had to get it replaced again. therefore, mechanic put in a temporary rack and pinion, and there was alot of wandering and sloppyness. *ak

Driving 35mph & heard on news about firestone tires. pulled over & checked tires. noticed tires had cracks/splits around the tires near the tread which was meeting the sidewall. took vehicle to firestone retailer & informed it was bad but not on recall & was not replacing. the right front tire looked the same as the right front. firestone wilderness p235/75r15 with 24,000 miles. *ak

All 4 firestone wilderness at tires p235/75r15 dot w2hl experienced hairline cracks along the treadline, consumer replaced tires and is requesting reimbursement. *slc

All 4 firestone wilderness at tires p255/70r16 have cracks completely around the perimeter of the sidewall where sidewall meets the tread, firestone agrees there is a problem with these tires, consumer is requesting full reimbursement. *slc

At 2700 miles motor blewout. vehicle sounded like it was rattling in a tin can. consumer has contacted the dealership.*ak

Pe00020; original equipment on a ford, explorer 1998, tire size p235/75r15 , dot w2hl. hairline cracks are visible on all four tires. tires not included in recall. *ak the firestone dealer offered to replace the tires on a prorate basis but the customer declined the offer since the customer was to be charged $180. *yh

Original equipment on a 1998, explorer, p235/75r15 size, dot#: vnhl. tread on the front tires have started to separate. owner has replaced the tires.*ak *slc

Vehicle was parked. was checking the tires & noticed right front tires had cracks around the entire tire. there were cracks were all around the other tires near & in the tread & casing met, like the right front. the cracks were very visible. been in touch with firestone who will replaced the 4 tires. do not know about spare. firestone, wilderness at, p235/75r15 with 5,000 miles on them.*ak

Was exiting onto a ramp at 40mph when steering wheel started shaking. had heard a loud noise previously. another driver was honking at explorer . started to slow down & then stopped. checked the tires. vehicle was lopsided on t