1991 Ford Explorer Electrical Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1991 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. SHE MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER AND LEFT TO CALL FOR HELP. UPON RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE, IT WAS CONSUMED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE OVER 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10241375

Incident

Sep 3, 2008

Mileage

100,000 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER SMELL SMOKE, AND THEN SOME SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. ALL OF THE GAUGES LOOKED OKAY AND THE CONSUMER THOUGHT IT WAS OVERHEATING. THEN THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE FAST WITH SMOKE ON THE LEFT AND FIRE ON THE RIGHT OF THE HOOD AND BURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF MY CAR, AND THE TWO CARS ON EITHER SIDE. THIS HAPPENED IN A DENNY'S PARKING LOT IN FAIRBANKS ON 6/30/05. FIRE DEPARTMENT CASE NUMBER: 051947. TOWED VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC. *NM *NM

NHTSA ID

10128368

Incident

Jun 30, 2005

Mileage

138,000 mi

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS

NHTSA ID

10130174

Incident

Jun 10, 2005

Mileage

43,000 mi

AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. *AK

NHTSA ID

10046613

Mileage

100,000 mi

GENERATOR FAILED PREMATURELY, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10042162

Incident

Sep 22, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME UNDER THE HOOD. THE DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10040417

Incident

Sep 23, 2003

AIR CONDITIONER CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE STARTED INSIDE THE AIR CONDITIONER PROBABLY THE FAN SPEED RESISTORS. MELTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOUSING WHERE THE RESISTORS AND FAN ARE HOUSED LETTING SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE CAR. IN FEELING AROUND INSIDE THE BLOWER HOLE YOU CAN REACH UP AND FEEL THE SHEET METAL WHERE THE WIPER ARMS ARE AND I THINK PROBABLY LEAVES GOT IN AND WERE BLOWN ON TO THE RESISTORS WHEN THEY WERE HOT STARTING THE FIRE. DAMAGE INCLUDED AIR CONDITIONER HOUSING, BLOWER AND MOTOR, BLOWER RESISTORS, EVAPORATOR, SHEET METAL ABOVE THE AIR CONDITIONER HOUSING AND ALSO MELTED THE INNER FENDER WELL. NOT TO MENTION THE SMOKE AND FUMES THAT WERE BLOWN INTO THE CAR. TO ME THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FAULT AND IT SURPRISING THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS REPORTED IT. LUCKILY I WAS SITTING STILL WHEN IT HAPPENED OR IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH DUE TO THE SMOKE AND FUMES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016702

Incident

Apr 27, 2003

Mileage

133,302 mi

ERRORS WERE MADE IN THE INSTALLATION OF THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. MR. *AK. THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10012376

A FIRE HAS STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHAY SPEED OF 60 MPH. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8012481

Incident

May 28, 2002

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND DIES. MECHANIC HAS REPLACED CFI MODULE TWICE, AND THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

898864

Incident

Mar 1, 2001

WHILE WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT AFTER DRIVING ONLY 2 MILES CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, SHE PULLED OVER AND SAW FLAMES FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON LEFT SIDE. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT OUT FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. ALSO DASH BURNED. *AK THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MADE CONTACT WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK MAKING A SPARK IGNITE. *YD

NHTSA ID

898759

Incident

Oct 18, 2001

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE STEERING COLUMN NEAR PEDALS. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND FIRE PUT OUT. DEALER REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND WIRING.*AK

NHTSA ID

894893

Incident

Aug 18, 2001

THE THERMOSTAT FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. NLM

NHTSA ID

560209

STARTER FAILED. *SLC RADIUS ARM NEEDED REPLACED. AIR CONDITIONER NEEDED REPLACED. HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT NEEDED REPLACED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

559986

I CALLED THE FORD DEALER, AND HE JUST LEFT ME ON HOLD, I CALLED BACK, SOME KIND OF WAY WE WERE DISCONNECTED, I CALLED BACK AND WAS LEFT ON HOLD AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

733830

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *AK THE BRAKES AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. MAF SENSOR FAILED. THROTTLE BODY AND GASKET FAILED. RADIATOR IS LEAKING. THERMOSTAT FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

871873

Incident

Aug 2, 2000

ENGINE HESITATES THEN FAILS PARTICULARLY AT 90 DEGREES PLUS OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE AND ENGINE UNDER LOAD. CONSEQUENT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, BRAKES ETC AND DANGER OF NEGOTIATING TRAFFIC WHILE ATTEMPTING CONTROLLED STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. DATE GIVEN ON PREVIOUS PAGE OF REPORT IS MOST RECENT INCIDENT. PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR IN COLDER CLIMATE. PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN OPERATING AIR CONDITIONING. ENGINE MUST BE OFF FOR 10 TO 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. DEPENDING UPON CONDITIONS, VEHICLE CAN THEN BE DRIVEN ANYWHERE FROM LESS THAN A MILE TO IDEFINITELY WITHOUT INCIDENT REPEATING. HAVE REPLACED EDIS AT A COST OF OVER $200 AND PROBLEM NOW APPEARS FIXED. SAW REFERENCE TO IGNITION FAILURE IN TSB LISTING BUT APPARENTLY DID NOT RESULT IN RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR BY FORD. NOW SEE ARTICLES IN NEWSPAPER REPORTING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF MILLIONS OF VEHICLES (INCLUDING EXPLORER) OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. WHAT RECOURSE, IF ANY, DO I HAVE AT THIS POINT? HAS DECISON BEEN MADE TO MANDATE RECALL? ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE VIGOROUSLY. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS AND REPETITIVE REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE (INCLUDING FRONT BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS THAT MUST BE REPLACED FREQUENTLY), I BELIEVE THERE WERE DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS MODEL THAT HAVE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS AND FOR WHICH FORD HAS NOT PROACTIVELY TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY. HOW WILL I KNOW IF/WHEN A RECALL IS INITIATED? *AK

NHTSA ID

731275

Incident

Aug 10, 2000

CONFIRMATION INFO...COLUMES DOESN'T MY INFO....BUT TO ADD TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACE, WAS INFORMED VEHICLE WAS REPAINTED BY AAA, BRAKES WENT OUT, REPLACED CABLE WIRES TO BATTRERY- WIRED COAT HANGER PIECES IN WITH CABLE WIRES...

NHTSA ID

724839

Incident

Jul 14, 1999

I HAVE GENTLY DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE NEVER WENT OFF ROAD WITH IT,CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 2500 MILES,LEASED ANOTHER CAR TO PRESERVE MY SUV,WHAT I HAVE NOW IS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT IS LITERRLY FALLING APART,EVERYTHING FROM THE PAINT TO THE FASTENERS THAT HOLD THE INTERIOR TRIM ON IS FAILING.I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY SUV AND THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY.DO I SOUND MAD WELL WOULDN'T YOU BE? *AK

NHTSA ID

715446

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

I OWN A 1991 FORD EXPLORER LTX 4WD WITH A 4.0L ENGINE. OVER THE PAST 6 YEARS I'VE HAD A REOCCURRING PROBLEM OF THE LIGHTS (HEADLIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTS, ETC.) TWINKLING ESPECIALLY WHEN IDLING. I'M IN THE MILITARY SO I'M CONSTANTLY MOVING THUS DEALING WITH DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THIS ORDEAL. I'VE HAD AT LEAST 6 NEW ALTERNATORS AND 3 NEW BATTERIES INSTALLED AND EACH TIME THE PROBLEM REOCCURS, USUALLY JUST WHEN THE DEALER'S 12,000 MILE WARRANTY RUNS OUT OR I MOVE. I THEN TAKE UP THE PROBLEM WITH THE NEXT DEALERSHIP AND SPEND ANOTHER $200 FOR THEM TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THEY IMMEDIATELY TELL ME IT'S A BAD ALTERNATOR AND $150 LATER THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THEY THEN SAY WELL IT MUST BE THE BATTERY. SURE ENOUGH $90 LATER THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. THIS WHOLE TIME THOUGH I'VE STATED THAT NEITHER COULD BE THE CAUSE AND THEY CERTAINLY DO NOT REFUND MY MONEY FOR NEEDLESSLY BUYING AN ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. TODAY WHILE I WAS IN AN AUTOPARTS STORE A GENTLEMAN INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS 91 EXPLORER AND THAT THE DEFECT WAS A RECALL ITEM BUT I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT ON YOUR WEB SIGHT.

NHTSA ID

715287

PUT KEY IN THE IGNITION AND IT WOULD NOT TURN. COULD NOT TURN THE OUTER RING WITHOUT A KEY.CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER WHO TOLD THEM TO CONTACT THE DEALER*AK.

NHTSA ID

848894

Incident

Sep 21, 1999

WHEN PLACING THE KEY IN THE INGITION AND UPON STARTING VEHICLE, CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE INGNITION DUE TO VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE WITHIN THE IGNITION SWITCH. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

846079

Incident

Aug 28, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH LOST ALL POWER. VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS. VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN SHUT DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THEN THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

842087

Incident

Jul 4, 1999

VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO FAILURE OF THE BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND WIRING. QCAW

NHTSA ID

540955

Incident

Dec 1, 1997

WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, STOPPED VEHICLE, FIRE UNDER DASH, FIRE EXTINGUISHED BY FIRE DEPARMENT. WHOLE INSTRUMENT PANEL/WIRING HARNESS/RADIO/DUCTS BURNED, RELACED BY AUTO REPAIR SHOP. *AK

NHTSA ID

817397

Incident

Apr 15, 1997