2000 Ford Explorer Sport

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH STEEL HOODS AND CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SHEET MOLDING COMPOUND HOODS. A WIRE FORMED HOOD STRIKER COULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FATIGUE FRACTURES. IF THE HOOD STRIKER FRACTURES, THE HOOD COULD FLY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN.

Risk. A HOOD FLY-UP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED COULD RESULT IN REDUCED DRIVER VISIBILITY.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HOOD STRIKER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE FOUR 02 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE PERSISTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER SERVICED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.

I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO TO LUNCH FROM MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WITH MY CEO. WHEN I SAT DOWN THE SEAT FELL BACK AND THE SEAT BACK WOULD NOT CATCH AGAIN. I TOOK MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS DRIVING HOME THAT EVENING. CONTACTED OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, THEY SAID THE PART WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. THEY NEVER INFORMED US OF A RECALL. UNTIL EXPLORING THE INTERNET TODAY 10-25-2013 WE DID NOT REALIZE THERE WAS A RECALL AT ALL. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 03V281000/NHTSA ACTION #PE03020 OF AUGUST 5-2013. NOW WE CAN NOT LOCATE THE PART. *TR

THIS WAS A TERRIBLE EVENT... MY CAR WAS AIMED DOWN MY 300 FT DRIVEWAY. I DON'T BELIEVE AT THAT POINT OR IF IT WAS STUCK I DIDN'T KNOW THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK BUT I SOON REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AS I HEADED TO NEW ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL FOR WATER CLASS THE EXPLORER WENT FASTER AND FASTER ON RT 161... THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ALLOW A DOWN SHIFT AT ALL AFTER THE FIRST TIME OR TWO... I MAY HAVE BLOWN IT OUT... THE SUV WENT FASTER AND FASTER AND IN 3RD GEAR IT WAS REVVING SO HARD... WHEN I COULD I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF... I LET IT COOL AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE EXPLORER BUT IT WOULD HAVE RED WARNING LIGHTS WHEN I STARTED IT IN NEUTRAL AS IT REVVED SO HIGH... I PUSHED IT INTO GEAR AND WHEN I GOT TO THE TWO RED LIGHTS I TURNED THE KEY OFF... ONCE I STOPPED IN THE INTERSECTION AND ABOUT 8 CARS WERE HONKING AT ME. I HAD TO DEAL WITH FIVE TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS. WHEN I GOT HOME I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND FOUGHT THE WHEEL TO GET TURNED INTO THE DOWNSWING OF MY DRIVEWAY... I RACED AROUND MY HOUSE TO FACE OUT AND TURNED OFF THE KEY... THE EXPLORER WAS SMOKING AND "LAID RUBBER" AND TORE OUT GRASS IN MY HOUSE... IT ALMOST SKIDDED INTO MY POND. I THINK THE CLUTCH IS BURNED OUT AND THE BRAKE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AS I HAD TO BRAKE ALL THE WAY HOME... I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL IF THAT WAS IT DURING MY TERROR RIDE BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT... THE BRAKES COULD NOT STOP THE SPEEDING VEHICLE, THE GEARS WERE LOCKED WHILE THE SPEED ACCELERATED SO THERE WAS NO DOWNSHIFT

2000 FORD EXPLORER, O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, CAR SPUTTERED, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, CAR WOULD NOT GO AT ALL AS THOUGH IT WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. WILL NOT GO IN GEAR. NO DRIVE, NO REVERSE, NOTHING. TOWED TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP, $1800. TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. *TR

LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINT MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE, I DID GREASE BUT STILL HAVE NOISE. *TR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING,POWER WINDOWS NOT WORKING, DOME LIGHT NOT WORKING, FOG LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND AUTO NOT WORKING. *TR

SMOKE COMING OUT OF STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURN SIGNAL ENGAGED. TOOK TO DEALER AND TOLD IGNITION SWITCH HAD SIGNS OF A HOT POINT AND WAS MELTING. HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED AT A SERVICE STATION, HOWEVER, THEY SAID THEY SAW NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF DAMAGE. *TR

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THREE YEARS AGO IT HAD JUST A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IN IT. LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED IT I HAD TO HAVE A 2ND REBUILT TRANSMISSION PUT IN IT WHEN MY O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. JUST YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY(I-5 IN SEATTLE, WA) WHEN MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AND I HAD TO COAST ACROSS 3 LANES OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC TO COME TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER BUT THE SITUATION COULD HAVE ENDED VERY DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ONLINE AND AM FINDING THAT HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUES THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE! IT MAKES ME SICK THAT FORD HAD YET TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER COMPLETELY BURNT , ENTIRELY GUTTED. I HAVE PICTURES. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT SEAT, WITHOUT WARNING, RECLINED COMPLETELY. MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT THE BOLT HOLDING THE RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT FRAME IS BROKEN. CURRENTLY USING THE REAR SEAT TO PROP UP THE DRIVER'S SEAT UNTIL A REPLACEMENT SEAT CAN BE FOUND. *TR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AT STEERING COLUMN: SMELL OF WIRES GETTING HOT AND SMOKE. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE REAR BOTTOM FRAME FAILED IN A NON MOVING AREA. THIS CAUSE THE BACK OF THE SEAT TO FALL BACK AS THE HINGE FOR SEAT TILT CAME OUT OF THE TOP DUE TO THIS FAILURE. THANK GOD I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY OR WE WOULD HAVE HAD A WRECK. STRUCTURAL STEEL IN A SEAT FRAME SHOULD NOT FAIL IN AN 8 YEAR OLD CAR. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN A WRECK ON THE SEAT ABUSED. THE DRIVER WEIGH 200 LBS OR LESS. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER STATES A "SHORT" IN WIRING LOOM, NEEDS TO REPLACE WITH A BETTER CONNECTOR FOR $1100. DEALER WARNS ME THAT WHILE LIGHT IS "ON" AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT OPERATE IN A CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT ONCE THE SWITCH FAILS, IT COULD CATCH FIRE. THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL THE SWITCH IS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. SHE STATED THAT SHE HEARD A CONSTANT BEEPING NOISE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTROL PANEL CAUSED THE FAILURE AND THIS COULD RESULT IN THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE AIRBAGS. THE BEEPING NOISE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. AS OF MAY 19, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

TRANSMISSION IN THIS EXPLORER (VIN 'X') STARTED SLIPPING AT 55K MILES BETWEEN 2-3 SHIFT. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT BY FELLOW MECHANICS FOR $1200 TOTAL BEFORE TOTAL FAILURE. *TR

THE FRONT DRIVERS' SEAT FRAME NEAR THE SEAT-BACK ADJUSTMENT LEVER BROKE WHILE DRIVING, FORCING THE DRIVERS SEAT-BACK TO PLUMMET BACKWARDS ALARMING THE DRIVER AND ALL PASSENGERS. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS SITTING ON THE DRIVERS SEAT IN THE REAR. THEY COULD'VE BEEN CRUSHED. THE ONLY EVENT LEADING UP TO THE SEAT FRAME BREAKING WAS PUTTING ALL MY WEIGHT INTO THE SEAT, AS IT IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT. *TR

GEAR SHIFT FELL OFF WHEN TRYING TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY. THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANK HEAVENS WE WERE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE ROAD.*CN

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE ON 2000 FORD EXPLORER FOR DEFECTIVE SPEED CONTROL UNIT THAT CAN CAUSE FIRES IN AUG.'07 AND SEP'07. CALLED LOCAL DEALER OCT.07, NO PART AVAIL WAS TOLD AVAIL IN DEC.'07 WHEN TO DEALER IN DEC.'07 IN PERSON WAS NOW TOLD PART NOT AVAIL. UNTIL "MAYBE" MARCH 2008. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! *TR

2000 FORD EXPLORER TURNED OVER FOUR TIMES. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE SOME HELP IN THIS MATTER. HE STATED THAT NO ONE HAS HELPED HIM WITH TRYING TO HAVE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST FORD. *KB INFORMATION TAKEN FROM PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. THE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. *JB