2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Tires & wheels Problems

ON OCTOBER 10TH, FOLLOWING A COLD START, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE WITH THE 4X4 MODE SELECTION SWITCH SET TO 2WD MODE. INSTEAD OF 2WD MODE, THE VEHICLE WAS IN 4X4 LOW MODE. THERE WAS NO SHIFT COMMAND TO GO INTO 4X4 LOW MODE AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SWITCH OUT OF 4X4 LOW MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALERSHIP IN 4X4 LOW MODE. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE TRANSFER CASE SHIFT MOTOR HAD SHORTED FORCING THE UNCOMMANDED SHIFT TO 4X4 LOW MODE. THE SHIFT MOTOR WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. ON NOVEMBER 2ND, FOLLOWING A COLD START, THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE WITH THE 4X4 MODE SELECTION SWITCH SET TO 2WD MODE. AFTER DRIVING A DISTANCE LESS THAN 1 MILE AT A VEHICLE SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20MPH, A REPETITIVE CLICKING NOISE WAS OBSERVED FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DASH. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AN UNCOMMANDED SHIFT TO 4X4 LOW MODE OCCURRED. AFTER COMING TO A STOP IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SWITCH OUT OF 4X4 LOW MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 4X4 LOW MODE. THE MOST RECENT REPAIR PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE WAS RELATED TO A FORD RECALL INVOLVING THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10207751

Incident

Oct 10, 2007

Mileage

91,800 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS OR DEBRIS. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIRE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED ALONG THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL AREA. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 01T016000, REGARDING THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED. THE TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS A/T P235/75R15.

NHTSA ID

10167942

Incident

Sep 8, 2006

Mileage

102,000 mi

DT: SPLITTING OF THE SIDEWALL ABOUT AN INCH UP FROM THE BEAD. TIRES HAVE NOT HAD A BLOW OUT. CALLER WAS LOOKING AT VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT ALL 4 TIRES HAD THIS PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK

NHTSA ID

10130778

Incident

Aug 1, 2005

Mileage

39,400 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 50-60 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VIBRATION WAS CAUSED BUT TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID

10051665

Incident

Nov 1, 2003

Mileage

25 mi

WHEN GOING 50 TO 55 MPH WHEN PUT FOOT ON BRAKE STEERING WHEEL AND TIRES VIBRATED. - I HAVE HAD BACK TO DEALER 4 TIMES LAST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS TIRES SO HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE TIRES SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG BECAUSE IT IS STILL HAPPENING MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 38000 MILES ON IT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I NOW KNOW IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES BUT THERE IS A DEFECT SOMEWHERE IN THE VEHICLE ITSELF. *AK

NHTSA ID

10052816

Incident

Feb 2, 2002

TIRE RECALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10047175

Incident

Nov 18, 2003

I HAVE THE GOOD YEAR WRANGLER TIRES, AND I JUST WANT TO STATE THESE ARE BY FAR THE WORST TIRES THAT I HAVE EVER DRIVEN ON. I FELT LIKE I'M ON ICE WHEN THE ROAD IS A DAMPED. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A WRECK BECAUSE OF THEM BUT I ALMOST DID. I OWN A FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND FOR SUV THEY NEED BETTER TIRES. *LA

NHTSA ID

10041475

Incident

Oct 7, 2003

AFTER 15,000 MILES AND MORE THAN 50% TREAD REMAINING, THERE IS ZERO WET TRACTION ON THESE TIRES. IT SEEMS THAT THE TRACTION GRADE ON THIS TIRE IS EITHER WRONG, OR THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM TO EVALUATE AND PUBLISH HOW THE TIRES WILL GRADE AFTER SOME WEAR AND NOT BRAND NEW. *LA

NHTSA ID

10041473

Incident

Sep 18, 2002

Mileage

14,000 mi

WHEN THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES WERE RECALLED AND FORD SPONSORED THEIR VOLUNTARY RECALL PROGRAM, WE TRIED TO HAVE OUR TIRES REPLACED. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS BACKLOG AND WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT; THAT THE PROBLEM WOULDN'T AFFECT US UNTIL THE TIRES WERE 3 OR MORE YEARS OLD. AFTER WAITING FOR 2 YEARS, WE TRIED AGAIN TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED, BUT WERE INFORMED THAT FORD WOULD NOT HELP US IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER--WE HAD MISSED THEIR DEADLINE (WHICH WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL MATERIALS AND WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN ANY WEB-SITE OR NHTSA ANNOUNCEMENT WE COULD FIND). DURING A RECENT TRIP FROM ATLANTA TO FLORIDA, WE WERE FLAGGED TO PULL OVER BY ANOTHER MOTORIST WHO NOTICED THAT OUR LEFT-REAR TIRE WAS SMOKING. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF IN TIME TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE WITHOUT ROLLING THE VEHICLE OR OTHERWISE ENDING UP DEAD. NOW WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET THE REMAINING TIRES REPLACED. PLEASE HELP. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018798

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

30,000 mi

I AM HAVING A TIRE CUPPING PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ALIGNED AND ROTATED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THE DEALER WANTS ME TO SPEND APPROXIMATEY $500 FOR A NEW SET OF TIRES. I AM CURIOUS IF OTHER FORD SPORT TRAC OWNERS HAVE NOTIFIED YOU OF A SIMILAR PROBLEM. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME WITH THIS SITUATION? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

NHTSA ID

10005187

Incident

Apr 19, 2002

WHILE TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS THE FRONT FIRESTONE TIRES SET UP A VIBRATION THAT PASSES TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING RODS AND JOINTS SEEM TO MOVE AND MAKE NOISE, THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TREAD, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE TIRES ARE TOO HEAVY FOR THE STEERING SET OR THE STEERING LINKAGE IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE TIRES. NLM

NHTSA ID

561349

SEVERE TREAD SEPARATION (DOT NUMBER: 8XCU TIRESIZE: P255/70R16)

NHTSA ID

736547

Incident

Nov 12, 2000