1998 Ford Explorer Sport Driver assistance Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS FAILED AND THE FUSES WOULD CONTINUOUSLY BLOW OUT. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSTALLED NEW FUSES IN THE VEHICLE AND MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS, BUT THE FUSES BLEW OUT AGAIN THE SAME DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC. WHILE AT THE REPAIR SHOP, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS PARTIALLY DESTROYED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE THREE OPEN RECALLS, ONE OF WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 06V286000, 03V281000, AND 98V060000 WERE REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 132,000.

NHTSA ID

10277486

Incident

Jul 17, 2009

Mileage

132,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CAUSED THE FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 00V422000, 06V286000, 99V062001) HOWEVER THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,577. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10228943

Incident

May 25, 2008

Mileage

127,577 mi

DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON 4 LANE ROAD AT 35 MPH THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WIDE OPEN. IMMEDIATELY JAMMED MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO NOT HIT OTHER CARS WHILE TRYING TO USE RIGHT FOOT TO GET BEHIND THE GAS PEDAL AND UNSTICK IT. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET PEDAL UNSTUCK. CHECKED TO ENSURE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PROCEEDING DRIVING WITH HAZARDS AT LESS THAN 25 MPH. WITHIN 10 MINUTES SAME THING HAPPEN EXCEPT THAT THIS TIME I WAS INITIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE PEDAL TO UNSTICK. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES, THE PEDAL POPPED OUT OF PLACE. GARAGE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10179213

Incident

Jan 11, 2007

Mileage

132,200 mi

I ARRIVED BACK FROM TAKING MY SON TO THE PARK AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00PM, WATCHED TV AND THEN FIRED UP THE GRILL AROUND 7:45PM. I CAME BACK IN THE HOUSE AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE. I YELLED UPSTAIRS TO MY HUSBAND AND ASKED IF HE HAD HEARD THE NOISE, HE YELLED BACK AND SAID, CALL 911 YOUR TRUCK IS ON FIRE. HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO FIGHT THE FIRE WITH TWO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND THE WATER HOSE. WE WERE SCARED AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD NOT YET ARRIVED AND WE WERE WORRIED IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP AS IT WAS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET FROM THE HOUSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED US THE AREA IN WHICH THE FIRE STARTED WHICH WAS UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, HOWEVER, DEEMED IT INDETERMINABLE. I WAS IN SHOCK THAT THIS OCCURRED AS I ONLY HAD ONE PAYMENT LEFT TO PAYOFF THE LOAN. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OUT THAT THE SAME VEHICLES THAT WERE BEING RECALLED BY FORD FOR A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS ALSO USED ON MY 1998, HOWEVER, HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SAME YEAR AS MINE WERE CATCHING ON FIRE FOR NO APPARENT REASON WITHOUT WARNING. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS, HOWEVER, NOT ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. FORD SENT ME A FORM LETTER THAT WAS ADDRESSED TO MY HUSBAND WITH OUR ADDRESS, HOWEVER, THE LETTER STATES DEAR MS. X. (A TRUE INDICATION OF THEIR CONCERN FOR MY ISSUE) I AM ANGERED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY VEHICLES THAT HAVE BURST INTO FLAMES WITHOUT WARNING, BURNED DOWN CARS AND HOMES AND LIVES LOST AND FORD BELIEVES THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY. COULD THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A CONSUMER ALERT FOR ALL VEHICLES AND AT LEAST AFFORDED THE CONSUMER THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION TO PAY $20 TO REPLACE THIS PART? I WILL BE PAYING TO HAVE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION DONE TO PROVE TO FORD THAT THEY ARE IN FACT RESPONSIBLE AND WILL TAKE THIS AS FAR AS I HAVE TO. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND DO SOMETHING TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THIS HAZARD AND POTENTIALLY SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10153477

Incident

Mar 11, 2006

Mileage

138,000 mi

AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR SIX HOURS THE OWNER WAS AWAKENED BY SOME NEIGHBORS AND INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. WHICH WAS COMING OUT OF THE FENDER WELL AND CONSUMED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENEAND DETERMINED THAT CRUISE CONTROL WAS CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10119128

Incident

Apr 21, 2005

Mileage

94,000 mi

SPEED CONTROL SWITCH FAILED ON MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER, RESULTING IN CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE, MAJOR ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT, BLOWN 20A FUSE, NO TAIL LIGHTS, LEAKING BRAKE FLUID FROM MASTER CYLINDER THRU FAULTY SWITCH, AND WIRES, SWITCH AND CONNECTOR BURNED APPROXIMATLY SIX INCHES BACK FROM SWITCH. SWITCH WAS BURNED, ALSO. A NEW SWITCH WAS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, ALONG WITH A PIGTAIL (WIRES & CONNECTOR), THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE BLED AND A NEW FUSE INSTALLED. AT THAT TIME, I KNEW NOTHING OF A DEFECT. FORD SAID NOTHING OF THE PROBLEM. THE REPAIR WAS MADE 1/14/05. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEGE, THE DEFECT IS NOT CORRECTED, BUT ONLY REPAIRED AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALL, IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY 1998, EXPLORER, SPORT. I HAVE SAVED THE OLD SWITCH. THE NEW SWITCH NUMBER IS SW-5945, F3TZ-9F924-BB. *AK

NHTSA ID

10114708

Incident

Jan 14, 2005

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER FELT VIBRATION IN THE GAS PEDAL. THE GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO NEAR 100 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO VEER OFF THE ROAD, AND PUT THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10081696

Incident

Jul 11, 2004

Mileage

114,000 mi

OVER THE LAST YEAR MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER 2 DOOR SPORT HAS BEEN LOOSING SOME INTERIOR ELECTRICAL FEATURES. THE FIRST WAS THE DISPLAY LIGHTS ON THE RADIO. THEY WOULD COME AND GO..... NOW THE DISPLAY IS TOTALLY GONE. HOWEVER THE RADIO, CD PLAYER AND TAPE DECK STILL WORK. I JUST CAN'T SEE WHAT TRACK, STATION, OR THE TIME. THEN THE NEXT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WAS THE DRIVER SIDE POWER UNLOCK SWITCH. I CAN LOCK ALL THE DOORS BUT I CANNOT UNLOCK THE DOORS, NEXT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY DASH..... I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THIS WAS THE SAME TIME THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS (CRUISE CONTROL SETTINGS) OR IF THAT WENT OUT SEPARATELY. NOW........ I CANNOT UNLOCK THE DRIVER DOOR WITH A KEY. I CAN MOVE THE KEY AROUND AND UNLOCK THE OTHER DOORS BUT NOT THE DRIVER DOOR. I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE AND YANK ON THE DRIVER HANDLE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE DOOR WILL OPEN. THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT. I PLAN ON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS..... BUT I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL OTHER EXPLORER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS...... SHOULD FORD REPAIR THIS AT THEIR COST? IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A FORD ISSUE AND NOT SOMETHING I HAVE DONE TO THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY IF OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE IN THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047615

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD MOTOR CORP AND TELEPHONED THEM ABOUT ANOTHER MATTER. NAMELY WHEN BREAKING MY 1998 FORD SPORT EXPLORER, IT SUDDENLY STARTED TO ACCELERATE. IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND CONTINUED TO BREAK THE CAR. THE MOTOR RACED,BUT THE VEHICLE STOPPED. BECAUSE I APPLIED THE BRAKE WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE. FORD MOTOR PERSONNEL TOLD ME TO BRING THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. COMPLIED, BUT ADVISED IF THE PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR DURING A ROAD TEST NOTHING CAN BE DONE. THIS IS A COP OUT . WHO KNOWS WHEN IT WILL APPEAR AGAIN AND SOME ONE PERISHES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10039319

Incident

Aug 18, 2003

Mileage

62,000 mi

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHEN IT WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. *DT *JB

NHTSA ID

10006551

Incident

Sep 9, 2002

WHILE DRIVING GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK AND VEHICLE SPED UP TO ABOUT 80MPH BEFORE SLOWING DOWN, IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8016011

Incident

Jul 2, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATE TO VERY HIGH RPMS WITHOUT WARNING. PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE STOPS AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND ALSO WHEN IN REVERSE. VEHICLE IS NOISY AND LOCKED IN 4X4 WITH O/D LIGHT BLINKING, DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *TT

NHTSA ID

898927

Incident

Jan 21, 2000