2001 Ford Explorer Powertrain (other) Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED ANTI-FREEZE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. THERE WAS ALSO RUST UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND A HOLE IN THE RUNNING BOARDS, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THEM TO DETACH. THE CONTACT CLAIMED THAT THE GROUND COULD BE SEEN THROUGH THE HOLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO PRODUCED THICK SMOKE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

NHTSA ID

11187507

Incident

Mar 16, 2019

Mileage

170,000 mi

DRIVING AROUND 30 MPH ON A FLAT STRAIGHT PAVED ROAD WHEN IT SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO 4 WHEEL LOW.

NHTSA ID

10908002

Incident

Sep 3, 2016

Mileage

147,000 mi

SWITCHED INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE LOW WITHOUT A COMMAND WHILE DRIVING AROUND 30 MPH ON A DRY LEVEL PAVED ROAD.

NHTSA ID

10905597

Incident

Sep 4, 2016

Mileage

146,500 mi

THE FORD EXPLORER 2001 XLS 4.0L REAR WHEEL DRIVE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE IN SLIP 4 TO 5 GEAR IN 75000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10648140

Incident

Oct 16, 2014

Mileage

87,372 mi

I TOOK MY CAR TO ASTORIA FORD LATE LAST YEAR, BECAUSE IT WAS STALLING AND LOSING POWER. THE CHARGED ME ALMOST $1,000.00 AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE O/D ON OFF LIGHT WILL STOP AND START. WHEN IT COMES ON WHICH JUST STARTED TODAY, THE CAR IN ANY GEAR WHILE ONLY GO FORWARD. IN REVERSE AND NEUTRAL, ONLY FORWARD. AS A POLICE OFFICER THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND I CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MANY HAVE SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TO FORD, THEY CALL IT A PHANTOM PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS PHANTOM PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR IN FRONT OF A DAY CARE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10605000

Incident

Jun 21, 2014

Mileage

187,000 mi

FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION FAILED, LEAVING THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY POWERLESS WHILE DRIVING. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES IN 2006, AGAIN WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. IN BOTH CASES, I, AS THE DRIVER, WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS WITH OTHER VEHICLES BECAUSE OF THE COMPLETE LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION POWER TRAIN. THE VEHICLE ALSO GAVE NO WARNING OF THE FAILURE PRIOR TO THESE EVENTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING DESIGN DEFECT WITH FORD EXPLORERS, WITH A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES FROM THE EARLY 2000S SUFFERING SIMILAR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. THIS IS BOTH DANGEROUS AND, I BELIEVE, A DEFECT THAT COULD CAUSE INJURY AND/OR DEATH.. I ALSO WISH TO ADD THAT THIS VEHICLE, WHICH IS 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND INCLUDES A FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING PACKAGE, HAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY BEEN USED FOR TOWING A BOAT (2X PER YEAR) AND IS SELDOM USED IN ITS 4 WHEEL DRIVE CAPACITY (ONLY ON SNOW COVERED ROADS 2-3 TIMES PER YEAR). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS IN EACH CASE WAS OVER $2,000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10584045

Incident

Apr 17, 2014

Mileage

143,000 mi

AS WITH SO MANY EXPLORERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, MY O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND FLASHES. I LOSE ALL POWER DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION AND THEN THE TRUCK SHOOTS OFF LIKE A ROCKET. IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF, THE LIGHT RESETS AND THE VEHICLE IS OK FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE LIGHT AS WITH SO MANY EXPLORERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, MY O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND FLASHES. I LOSE ALL POWER DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION AND THEN THE TRUCK SHOOTS OFF LIKE A ROCKET. IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF, THE LIGHT RESETS AND THE VEHICLE IS OK FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. I HAD THE CODES READ AND IT CAME UP A SOLENOID PROBLEM. I HAD THEM REPLACED AND TEN MILES FROM THE LOT, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM FORD, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE. COMES ON AGAIN. I HAD THE CODES READ AND IT CAME UP A SOLENOID PROBLEM. I HAD THEM REPLACED AND TEN MILES FROM THE LOT, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FROM FORD, BUT THEY HAVE YET TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE FIXED SEVERAL AND THEY GO RIGHT BACK OUT IT WAS A WASTE OF MY TIME.. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE U ALL FIX THIS IF U TRY TO TAKE OFF AND IT SLIPS AND WILL NOT GO U CAN AND WILL GET HIT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10565495

Incident

Feb 26, 2013

Mileage

99,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND WITH AN UNUSUAL WHINING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10483709

Incident

Nov 2, 2012

VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN DRIVEWAY WITH THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN. TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK. TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO REVERSE, ROLLED BACKWARDS IN DRIVEWAY, CRASHING THROUGH TWO CHAINLINK GATES, THE DOOR WAS TORN BACK AGAINST THE FENDER, I TRIED TO REACH INTO THE TRUCK TO TURN IT OFF, AND WAS PINNED BETWEEN THE TRUCK, AND THE CHAIN LINK FENCE. EXPLORER CURRENTLY IN THE COLLISION SHOP, AND TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPAIRED WHEN THE BODYWORK IS DONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10438898

Incident

Nov 29, 2011

Mileage

135,750 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WOULD NOT CATCH 3RD GEAR AND THEN SOUNDED LIKE A TOOLBOX WAS SCATTERED UNDER THE CAR. CAR SUCCESSIVELY LOST ALL GEARS EXCEPT 1ST. REPAIR COST OVER $2800.00. *TR

NHTSA ID

10437941

Incident

Nov 22, 2011

Mileage

126,000 mi

'O/D OFF' LIGHT IF BLINKING, ON AND OFF. WHILE LIGHT IS BLINKING THE CAR SEEMS TO BE SLUGGISH AND DOES NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE PROPERLY. ROUGH SHIFTS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10318169

Incident

Mar 9, 2010

Mileage

118,000 mi

FORD PART # 1L24-7H473-AG VENDOR # M799G MOTOROLA MODEL # 01MU152B06 DATE CODE 01211 SERIAL # 21396939

NHTSA ID

10245340

Incident

Sep 10, 2008

Mileage

100,000 mi

I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON OCTOBER 8,2003. THREE DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK FOUR TIMES BACK TO BACK. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE SECOND AND THIRD TIME THE SAME THING. ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT, THEY HAD ME TAKE IT TO ONE OF "THEIR" MECHANICS. HE SAID IT WAS A BAD SWITCH IN THE SYSTEM. NOT EVEN A WHOLE WEEK LATER, THE CHECK GUAGE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR LOT WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM SAID THEY WERE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT MY CAR BECAUSE OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF THEIR HEART THEY'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT IT. SO I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY FIXED IT AND SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION, AND THE STEERING WHEEL. THEY CAR LOT SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKET FOR SOME PROBLEMS THAT ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEN THE FIRST TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I LATER FOUND OUT THAT A SALES PERSON WHO WAS NOT CERTIFIED MECHANIC, TRIED TO FIX THE CAR WHEN THEY SAID THEY WERE SENDING IT TO A MECHANIC. I'M STILL HAVING PROBLEMS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE JUST GETTING WORSE!

NHTSA ID

10071226

Incident

Oct 15, 2003

Mileage

76,500 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILURE- NO WARNING-

NHTSA ID

10069359

Incident

Jun 15, 2003

Mileage

48,500 mi

PROBLEMS INVOLVING 2001 FORD EXPLORER. *MR (THE LETTER WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH) THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10044788

Incident

Oct 1, 2003

FRONT LEFT STEERING KNUCKLE BROKE, AXLE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE, VEHICLE WENT LEFT AND CRASHED. FILED BY RICHARD RUMPLIK.*AK

NHTSA ID

883078

Incident

Mar 6, 2001

CONSUMER STATES A STRANGE NOISE IS MADE WHEN PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR, DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS THE FRONT AXLE AND THAT THERE WERE SCRAPS OF METAL BREAKING OFF THE AXLE, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A NEW VEHICLE AND STATES THAT THE SCRAPS OF METAL COULD BE DAMAGING OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. *SLC

NHTSA ID

560050

Incident

Jan 16, 2001

WHILE DRIVING 75MPH A LOUD BOOM NOISE WAS SUDDENLY HEARD. VEHICLE WAS THUMPING AND VIBRATING. STEERING WAS VERY SHAKY. MANAGED TO GET OFF HIGHWAY, AND STOPPED VEHICLE TO CHECK. THERE WASN'T ANY PROBLEM WITH TIRES BLOWING OUT. LIMPED INTO ROAD SERVICE. MECHANIC INFORMED OWNER THE C V JOINTS ATTACHED TO TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE HAD BLOWN. FRONT DRIVELINE WAS REMOVED & REPLACED, BUT VIBRATIONS STILL APPEARED. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND INFORMED VEHICLE WAS A LEMON.*AK

NHTSA ID

878977

Incident

Nov 22, 2000

VIBRATION FELT THROUGH STEERING WHEEL, POWER STEERING UNIT AND FRONT END SUSPENSION EXPERIENCING VIBRATION AND NOISE. *CJ

NHTSA ID

557393

Incident

Sep 1, 2000