2000 Ford Explorer Other / unspecified Problems

I WAS DRIVING SLIGHTLY UPHILL IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, OFF EXIT 16 ON THE PALISADES PARKWAY, DUE TO A CONTROLLED STOP SET UP BY POLICE TO CHECK INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION. I SAW SMOKE AROUND MY VEHICLE, SO I LOOKED AT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL TO SEE IF MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING. MY INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. WHEN I LOOKED UP, AN OFFICER WAS MOTIONING FOR ME TO PULL OVER SAYING MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, GOT IN THE BACK SEAT TO GET MY 1 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD TO GET FAR AWAY. TWO POLICE OFFICERS TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH EXTINGUISHERS, BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET THE HOOD OPEN. WE WERE OUT OF THE CAR NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES WHEN IT WAS ENTIRELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER, BY THEN THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

NHTSA ID

10749616

Incident

Aug 16, 2015

MY RADIO LOST ALL THE LIGHTS TO IT..THE DISPLAY LIGHTS FOR THE RADIO NO LONGER WORKS. APPARENTLY FORD KNEW OF THIS DEFECT AS HUNDREDS OF OWNERS COMPLAINED AS EARLY AS 2001 (ONE YEAR AFTER THE CAR WAS SOLD). I COMPLAINED AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW RADIO. SEEMS THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE RADIO BACK WHEN THEY SAW THE PROBLEM IN 2001 WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA ID

10240863

Incident

Aug 2, 2001

Mileage

32,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER THE SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE SIDE AIRBAG PROBLEM. THE TESTING CODE WAS 1998. THEY CHARGED ME $903.45 TO FIX IT ON AUGUST 30, 2007. ON AUGUST 23, 2008 THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED FLASHING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND TOOK IT RIGHT IN. WAS TOLD THE PART THEY REPLACED HAD GONE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. OF COURSE THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART AND THAT TOOK THREE DAYS. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS DON?T WORK. THIS HAPPENED SIX DAYS BEFORE THE ONE YEAR WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN 4,100 MILES SINCE THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE PART WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME ON AUGUST 27, 2008 UNDER THE ONE YEAR WARRANT PERIOD. THE WORK WAS PERFORMED SO POORLY THAT I HAVE NO FAITH THE AIRBAGS WILL WORK IF I EVER NEED THEM. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE FORD DEALER AND SHOWED THEM THAT THE WIRING FOR THE SIDE AIRBAG WAS POKING OUT THE BACK OF THE SEAT AND THE AIR BAG REALLY WASN'T ON THE SIDE IT WAS MORE OF A BACKSEAT AIRBAG NOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE TO LEAVE IT WITH THE DEALER AGAIN TO FIX IT. I HAVE SEEN THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE AIRBAGS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN FORD IS GOING TO STEP UP AND ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10240355

Incident

Aug 30, 2007

Mileage

78,136 mi

BEARING BROKE ON FORD EXPLORER. WHEEL WAS ALMOST OFF THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY GOING SLOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10222680

Incident

Mar 26, 2008

Mileage

157,900 mi

1.SHIFT LEVER WOULD STICK ON OCCASIONS HAD TO JIGGLE SHIFTER TO PUT IT IN GEAR. 2.WHILE PUTTING VEHICLE IN DRIVE, SHIFT HANDLE BROKE OFF, LOCKING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. 3. DEALER REPLACED STEERING COLUMN WAS TOLD BY DEALER MAINTENANCE THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD ONE THIS YEAR FOR THAT PARTICULAR DEALERSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10208991

Incident

Jun 29, 2007

Mileage

88,000 mi

2000 FORD EXPLORER FRONT RIGHT TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. *TS THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER PANEL WAS DAMAGED. THE RIGHT FRONT HUB COVER WAS MISSING. THE LUG SCREWS SHEARED OFF. THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR BUCKLED AND THE LUG NUTS WERE MISSING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10148640

Incident

Jul 31, 2005

DT: 2000, FORD EXPLORER XLS, LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. THE WHEEL PASSED THE CONSUMER AS THE VEHICLE WAS SWERVING TO THE LEFT. CONSUMER TOOK OUT 4 OR 5 CABLE BARRIERS, AND THEN BOUNCED BACK OUT TO THE INTERSTATE, THEN THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND HIT MORE CABLE BARRIERS, THEN, HIT ONE HEAD ONE AND THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE THIS. *AK THE LEFT REAR WHEEL (FACTORY ALLOY WHEEL) CAME APART AS CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL. THE CENTER OF THE FACTORY ALLOY WHEEL WAS STILL BOLTED WITH ALL 5 LUG NUTS. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED . *TT *NM

NHTSA ID

10122514

Incident

May 27, 2005

Mileage

108,000 mi

2000 FORD EXPLORER XLT,4DR, 4X2, 112" WHEEL BASE, 4.0L SOHC V6 ENGINE, 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC O/D TRANSMISSION, VIN 1FMZU63E7YXXXXXXX; P235/75R15 105S DUNLOP ROVER AT OWL TIRES.*AK, *GEM

NHTSA ID

10058301

Incident

Feb 13, 2004

Mileage

62,500 mi

WHEN I BOUGHT MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4DR THE RADIO DISPLAY ON THE MACH RDS CD/TAPE RADIO DID NOT LIGHT UP. THE DEALER SAID HE FIXED IT AND INDEED IT WORKED FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AFTER I DROVE OFF HIS LOT. I DID SOME RESEARCH INTO THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF OEM RADIO. SUPPOSEDLY, FIXES ARE AVAILABLE FROM TECHNICIANS ADVERTISING ON EBAY OR AT THIS INTERNET SITE: HTTP://WWW.SHAREAMEMORY.COM/RADIO/ (THE RADIO PICTURED AT THIS SITE IS EXACTLY THE ONE I HAVE). I AM A QUALIFIED ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN AND DISCOVERED THE DETAILS OF THE SUGGESTED DO-IT-YOURSELF REPAIR FROM AN INTERNET NEWS GROUP. I FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURE TO REFLOW THE SOLDER JOINTS ON THE SMT RESISTORS AND COMMON GROUNDS ON THE DIPLAY DRIVER BOARD BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I QUESS I WILL BE SENDING MY RADIO OFF FOR "QUESTIONABLE" REPAIRS FROM ONE OF THOSE EBAY TECHNICIANS GETTTING RICH OFF OF FORD'S POOR QUALITY RADIO. THIS IS A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM, YET THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE IT AS SUCH AND MAKE THE NECEASSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE (OR EVEN AT A REASONABLE COST).

NHTSA ID

10020728

Incident

Mar 30, 2003

Mileage

50,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING, THE LEFT REAR TIRE SIDEWALL STARTED TO SEPARATE, CAUSING A TIRE BLOWOUT. DEALER NOTIFED. SIZE P235 175R15, DOT6#M6HLFNWR2801. *AK THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SWAY TO THE LEFT-2 TIMES. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND THEN STARTED TO DECELERATE, AND ON THE THIRD TIME THE LEFT REAR TIRE EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, AND DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE PANEL(VENT PEELINGS), AND THE TIRES/RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. (OTHER) PROBLEMS IN DETAIL ARE AS FOLLOWED: THE WHEEL/TIRES WERE OUT OF ROUND, THERE WAS A VIBRATION FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT, STEERING/EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, AND THE ENGINE THERMOSTAT IS STICKING. *SCC

NHTSA ID

8016753

Incident

Jul 16, 2002

FRONT END SHAKES AND THE VEHICLE FLOATS. VEHICLE WANDERS IN BETWEEN LANES. DEALER REPLACED FRONT SHOCKS, BUT THE LOOSE FEELING IS STILL THERE.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS VIBRATING DUE TO BENT RIM. THE BRAKE FAILED AT 6000 MILES. THERE WAS ENGINE NOISE AND THE CAUSE WAS NOT KNOWN. THE TIRES WERE ON RECALL AND WERE REPLACED BY FIRESTONE. THE SHCOCK ABSORBERS ALSO FAILED. *YH

NHTSA ID

897014

Incident

Aug 15, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH - AN UNKNOWN COMPONENT LOCATED BEHIND FRONT LEFT WHEEL SEAL SNAPPED. CONSUMER WAS ABLE CONTROL VEHICLE RESULTING IN NO INJURIES. *NOTE: CONSUMER MENTIONED THAT WORK WAS PERFORMED ON VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT OCCURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

893521

Incident

Jul 18, 2001

THERE IS NO JACK HANDLE TO CHANGE A TIRE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

559051

CONSUMER FEELS THE TRAILER HITCH IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR PULLING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WEIGHT. *SLC

NHTSA ID

556650

COMSUMER WAS PUTTING NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT BECAUSE ALL FOUR RIMS ARE NOT SYMETRICALLY ROUND, THIS IS A DEFECT FROM THE FACTORY WHERE THE TIRES WILL NOT BALANCE OR KEEP AN ALIGNMENT. NLM

NHTSA ID

555615

Incident

Aug 30, 2000

RIMS HAVE BENT OUT OF ROUND. DEALER WILL REPLACE THE TIRES.*AK

NHTSA ID

870643

RIMS ARE NOT SYMETERICALLY ROUND. *SLC

NHTSA ID

554659

Incident

Aug 30, 2000

A WHEEL CAME OFF VEHICLE WHEN BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. DEALER TESTED THE TIRES & WHEELS AND FOUND NO FAULT. CONSUMER WASN'T SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER. THEY REMOUNTED THE TIRE BACK ON VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

867184

Incident

Aug 6, 2000