RoadVitals

2000 Ford Explorer Sport Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Apr 3, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 71 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
5
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 3, 2012

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 DOWNSHIFTING, THE PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT CHANGE SPEED WHEN I PULLED IT UP WITH MY HAND OR TOE OF MY SHOE... *TR

NHTSA ID
10453903
Incident
Apr 2, 2012
Mileage
136,998 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 1, 2009
Fire reported

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

NHTSA ID
10290513
Incident
Oct 18, 2009
Mileage
125,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 26, 2007

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

NHTSA ID
10212845
Incident
Dec 24, 2007
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 15, 2007
Fire reported

EL PASADO DOMINGO 10 DE JUNIO DEL 2007, SIENDO LAS 4 P.M. ESTACION Y APAGU UN VEHCULO FORD EXPLORER 2000 ELITE, PLACAS LAH-530, SERIAL DE CARROCERA: [XXX], DE MI PROPIEDAD SIN NINGUNA SEAL QUE INDICARA QUE ALGO NO ESTABA FUNCIONANDO BIEN. A LAS 6 P.M. ME DAN EL AVISO QUE LA CAMIONETA SE ESTABA INCENDIANDO. EFECTIVAMENTE CUANDO FUI OBSERV GRAN CANTIDAD DE FUEGO BAJO EL CAP QUE CONSUMI TODAS LAS PARTES ADYACENTES AL MOTOR. FUNCIONAROS DEL CUERPO DE BOMBEROS SE HICIERON PRESENTES EN EL SITIO Y LOGRARON APAGAR EL FUEGO ANTES QUE SE EXTENDIERA AN MAS. UN PROBLEMA SIMILAR SE HA PRESENTADO EN VEHCULOS FORD Y QUE HAN SIDO LLAMADOS A REVISIN POR FALLAS EN UN SWITCH DE CONTROL DE VELOCIDAD AUTOMTICO. AUNQUE MI VEHCULO NO APARECE DENTRO DE LOS RECLAMADOS SI APARECE DENTRO DE LOS QUE TIENEN UN SWITCH IGUAL O SIMILAR POR LO QUE TODO INDICA QUE ESTA FUE LA CAUSA DEL INCENDIO Y LA COMPAA FORD DEBERA RESPONSABILIZARSE POR ELLO. SPANISH, NOT UNDERSTOOD. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
10193431
Incident
Jun 10, 2007
Mileage
56,250 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 22, 2006
Fire reported

MY CAR BREAK LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. I JUST SO HAPPENNED TO TELL MY UNCLE AND HE GOT WORRIED SINCE I HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD. WE WENT TO A CAR SHOP TO GO FIX IT. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SIMPLY THE BREAK FUSE. WHEN THEY WENT TO REPLACE THE FUSE, THE CAR STARTED SMOKING TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT EVEN SEE. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO EXPLODE SO I TOOK MY SON AND STARTED RUNNING. EVERYONE IN THE PARKING LOT STARTED RUNNING ALSO. THEY LIFTED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE CUT OFF SWITCH FOR CRUISE CONTROL WAS BURNING AND HE PUT IT OUT. THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE RECALL FOR MANY OTHER YEARS FOR FORD, BUT NOT FOR MINE. NOW FORD WANTS TO CHARGE ME BECAUSE MY VEHICLES YEAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER ERROR AND IT IS WRONG FOR ME TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS MYSELF. IF MY SON AND I WOULD HAVE DIED, FORD WOULD BE LOOKING AT A MAJOR LAWSUIT. I AM WILLING TO TAKE THIS AS FAR AS I HAVE TO BECAUSE I HONESTLY BELIEVE FORD IS TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS. THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING INCIDENCE. *NM

NHTSA ID
10176811
Incident
Dec 20, 2006
Mileage
83,237 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 28, 2005
Fire reported1 injury reported

ON EASTER SUNDAY MARCH 27 2005, MY FAMILY (3 YOUNG BOYS AND MY WIFE) LEFT MY MOMS HOUSE AT ABOUT 10:20 AM TO HEAD TO CHURCH, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, AND AS WE GOT OUT ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY ROAD ROUTE 360 HULL ST. MY WIFE SET ON THE CRUISE CONTROL AND ABOUT 60. SPEED LIMIT IS 55 AFTER ABOUT 20 SECONDS SHE NEEDED TO TAKE OFF THE CRUISE DUE TO ANOTHER CAR UPCOMING, WHEN SHE WENT TO GET OFF THE CRUISE IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND THE SPEED WENT BACK UP TO LIKE 80...AT THIS POINT MY WIFE AND I TRIED TO PRESS ON BRAKES, AND PRESS THE OFF BUTTONS, AND NOTHING.... WE COULD NOT STOP!!!! I FINALLY TOLD MY WIFE TO PUT BOTH OFF HER FEET AS HARD AS THEY COULD ON THE BRAKES.... THE CAR FINALLY GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 30 AND WE GOT OVER ON THE SHOULDER, AND I QUICKLY JERKED IT INTO NEUTRAL, AND WE STOPPED....AS I GOT OUT, THE FREAKIN TIRES WERE ON FIRE!!!!! SERIOUSLY FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF THE BRAKES AND TIRES....OH DID I MENTION WE HAD 3 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE..... COME TO FIND OUT THE CRUISE SWITCH GOT STUCK....THANK THE GOOD LORD JESUS WE WERE ON A STRETCH OF ROAD WITH NO STOP LIGHTS OR HEAVY TRAFFIC.... 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT FORD SUCKS!!!! COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF AND MY WHOLE FAMILY. *JB

NHTSA ID
10115940
Incident
Mar 27, 2005
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 8, 2005
Fire reported

ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO MY GARAGE BURNED TO THE GROUND.A POLICE INVESTIGATION FOUND A HOT SPOT WHERE MY 2000 EXPLORER WAS PARKED BUT HAD NO REASONABLE CAUSE FOR THE FIRE.THE SAME CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH ON ON OTHER MODELS HAS BEEN RECALLED BUT FOR SOME REASON I DIDN`T GET ONE FOR THIS VEHICLE.I CAN FIND OUT THE EXACT DATES BUT AT THIS TIME THE DATES ARE ESTIMATED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10112736
Incident
Sep 12, 2002
Driver assistanceSuspension
Filed Oct 25, 2001

VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN, THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES, TWICE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED. CONSUMER THINKS IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE RECALL ON POWERTRAIN CALIBRATION THAT WAS DONE IN APRIL. PRIOR TO RECALL REPAIRS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.*AK CUSTOMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SURGING, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *TT

NHTSA ID
898256
Incident
Apr 26, 2001
Body & structureDriver assistanceElectrical+5 more
Filed Nov 13, 2000

THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE STUCK AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. *MJS

NHTSA ID
557468
Incident
Apr 11, 2000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .