1998 Ford Explorer complaints

NO SUMMARY.

I WAS DRIVING EXPLORER ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH WITH A FULL TANK OF 21 GALLONS FULI SAW AT THE LAST MOMENT A TYPE OF HAND TOOL IN MY LANE. IT LOOKED LIKE A WRENCH OR SOMETHING. BECAUSE OF THE SIZE I COULDN'T SEE IT UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. I DID NOT SWERVE TO MISS IT BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHECK FOR A CLEAR LANE TO SWERVE INTO, AND DID NOT WANT TO JUST MOVE OVER QUICKLY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH A CAR NEXT TO ME. ALSO I DID NOT THINK THAT RUNNING OVER THIS SMALL TOOL WOULD HAVE SUCH A SERIOUS OUT COME. I ONLY HEARD A SMALL THUMP AS THE TOOL WENT UNDER MY TIRE. THEN LESS THAN A MILE LATER WHEN I GOT OFF AT MY EXIT AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, A MAN THAT WAS AT THE LIGHT NEXT TO ME RAN OVER TO MY WINDOW AND BEGAN POUNDING ON IT AND YELLING A T ME TO GET OUT OF MY CAR BECAUSE IT WAS DUMPING GASOLINE ALL OVER. I GOT OUT AND EVEN WITH THE FAST RESPONSE OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL MY CAR HAD DUMPED GAS ALL OVER THE ROAD. IT IS A WONDER THAT EVEN WITH THE CAR (FROM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY) THE GASOLINE DID NOT CATCH FIRE. IF IT HAD CAUGHT FIRE NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT ALL THOSE STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. WHEN FORD WAS MAKING THE REPAIRS THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY EXPLORER DOES NOT COME WITH SKID PLATES THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENT, THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE STANDARD ON THE 4X4 (WHICH MINE IS NOT) AND AN OPTION ON MY 2WD. THEY THEN STATED THAT THIS KIND OF PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN VERY EASILY AND THE BEST P

WHEN DRIVING AND TRYING TO SWITCH LANES CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO RUN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ROLLOVER. *AK

ACCELERATION PROBLEM EXPERIENCED WITH 1998 FORD EXPLORER LTD WITH SOHC V6 ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM,AND THEY SAID THEY IDENTIFIED IT TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. FORD REPLIED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM AND WERE WORKING ON IT. KOKOMO AUTO WORD ADVISED ME TO MAINTAIN A HISTORY OF EVENTS WHILE AWAITING FURTHER INFORMATION FROM FMC. THIS HISTORY WAS STARTED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER WORKED ON THE VEHICLE, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, EVEN AFTER OBTAINING TWO "RED BOX" RECORDINGS. ONE RECORDING WAS "CAPTURED" BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AFTER THEY HAD KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK. THE OTHER WAS WHEN THEY PUT THE "RED BOX" IN THE VEHICLE FOR ME TO TRY AND "CAPTURE" AN EVENT, WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DO. AFTER THEY READ THE "CAPTURE" I HAD MADE, THE SERVICE MANAGER INSINUATED THAT IT WAS MY DRIVING STYLE THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, I.E STEPPING ONTHE BRAKE AFTER OR DURING ACCELERATION. WHEN I REMINDED THEM THEY HAD ALSO MANAGED TO RECORD AN EVENT, NO MORE WAS SAID ABOUT MY DRIVING STYLE. THE DEALER REQUESTED I USE A SPECIFIC BRAND OF GASOLINE, WHICH I DID, TO DETERMIN IF THAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED EIGHTEEN TIMES SINCE DEC. 23, 1998. *AK

3 PROBLEMS; #1. GAS PEDAL STICKS. DEALER SAYS NO PROBLEM, BUT KEEPS PUTTING LUBE ON LINKAGE. #2 LEFT FRONT BEARING REPLACED TWICE DUE TO SQEALING AT LOW SPEED, OTHER TIMES THEY LUBED RUBBER BOOT. #3 REAR HATCH WHEN COLD,LIFTS FAIL, HIT HEAD AND UPPER BACK.

SOME 1998/1999 EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER 4X4 VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL/WHISTLE TYPE NOISE FROM THE FRONT END AT SPEEDS FROM 10MPH TO 40MPH. THIS NOISE MAY BE COMING FROM THE FRONT HALF AXLE SHAFT EXCLUDER(DUST) SEALS (3K070) AS THEY ROTATE AGAINST THE INNER FRONT HUBS. PERFORM PROCEDURES 205-04-9 THROUGH 205-04-8 OF THE 1999 EXPLORER/MOUNTANEER WORKSHOP MANUAL APPLYING A 1/8 THICK BEAD OF HIGH TEMPATURE WHEEL BEARING GREASE (PART# E8TZ-19590-A) ONTO THE SEAL LIPS AND THE SURFACES, THEY CONTACT. PERFORM PROCEDURE 205-04-8 OF THE 1999 EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER WORKSHOP MANUAL. THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX AND FORD ENGINEERS ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20-50 MPH THERE IS A WHISTLING AND GRINDING NOISE IN THE WHEELS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS PROLBEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY THE DEALER THREE TIMES, AND THE PROBLEM HAS STARTED UP AGAIN. ALSO, AROUND THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER 1998, WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT, A RUBBING AND A GRINDING NOISE CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER STATED THAT THIS PROLBEM WAS NOT DANGEROUS, AND THAT A PART WOULD BE ORDERED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE FRONT WHEELS MAKE AN HIGH PITCH NOISE THAT GETS LOUDER THE FASTER CONSUMER DRIVES THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

REAR WINDOW HINGE FAILED.

WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.

CATALITIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTIONED. *YC

REA WIPER MOTOR FAILED.

REAR VIEW CENTER MIRROR CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

DESIGN OF REAR VIEW MIRROR, CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

EXPERIENCING NOISE FROM AIR INTAKE MANIFOLD. *YC

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YC

TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE LEAK.

LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB FAILED.

GEAR SHIFT FAILED, COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK. *YC

REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED. NM

RADIO FAILED. MJS

REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. MJS

DRIVE BELT CONTINUALLY MAKES NOISE, REPLACEMENT NECESSARY TO STOP NOISE. MJS

TRANSMISSION MOUNT FAILED. NLM

HATCHBACK LATCH IS LOOSE, HATCHBACK DOOR DOES NOT OPEN STRAIGHT UP. MGM

RADIO LED INDICATORS FAILED. NLM

WINDOW FAILED. NLM

POWER WINDOWS FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. *YC

VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHEN PUT IN REVERSE GEAR. NLM

REAR SEAT BELT FAILED. *YC

ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING, DUE TO BATTERY FAILURE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO A SHORT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. *YC

TIRE SIDEWALL RIPPED RESULTING IN BLOW OUT (FIRESTONE / WILDERNESS AT) P235/75R 16 105 MP. *TT

WIRES IN STEERING COLUMN FAILED . YH

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SWAY BAR / BUSHING FAILURE. *YC

GAS CAP WOULD NOT LOCK IN CORRECTLY,DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND CLOSE PROPERLY. YH

POWER STEERING MAKES NOISE. YH

THROTTLE BODY FAILED. YH

ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AFTER FAILURE AT 8324 MILES. *YC

THE SIDEWALL OF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT (FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P 23575R15). *YC

AUDIO VOLUME CONTROL MOUNTED ON STEERING WHEEL IS OUT OF ORDER. YH

CONNECTOR FOR DASH BOARD LIGHTS MELTED. YH

POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED. YH

POWER STEERING FAILED. YH

FUEL PUMP FAILED. *YC

REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED. *YC

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED. *YC

CONSUMER FEELS VEHICLE DESIGN IS TO HEAVY AND NOT VERY STABLE WHEN TURNING CORNERS. YH

SPARE TIRE STOLEN BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOCK ON SPARE TIRE. YH

LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILED. YH

CENTER ARMREST FAILED. YH