Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUMP COMING FROM THE REAR HATCH WINDOW. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE REAR HATCH WINDOW WAS LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. ....UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF UPDATED 07/13/16.*JB
I WAS DRIVING AND I SAW AND SMELT SMOKE. I IMMEDIATELY COULD TELL WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM BECAUSE I SAW THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HAZARD LIGHT ON TOP OF MY STEERING WHEEL, IT THEN TURNED INTO A FLAME,IT WAS INSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE FORTUNATELY I HAD WATER WITH ME AND I POURED A LITTLE BIT OF WATER ON THE FLAMES THAT WERE COMING OUT OF WHERE THE HAZARD LIGHT IS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES,WITH THE FINAL RESULT BEING 2 FIRES. IT HAPPENED A 3RD TIME WITH JUST SMOKE. I NO LONGER HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND SOME OF MY INTERIOR LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS CAUSED OTHER PROBLEMS IE...MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON AS WELL AS MY CRUISE CONTROL WORKING WHEN IT WANTS TO AND OTHER TIMES NOT WORKING AT ALL PLUS THE BUTTONS ON THE INNER SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL BEING HOT TO THE TOUCH! I'M TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY OWN CAR! *TR
FORD EXPLORER 2001 BLEND DOOR NEEDS REPLACED. CAR IS IN GREAT CONDITION EXCEPT FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE I FOUND OUT EARLY ONE MORNING ON A COLD DAY WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT DEFROST AND I COULD NOT SEE THREW IT WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I KEPT PULLING OVER TO WIPE THE WINDOWS AND HEADED BACK HOME. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FORD SERVICE AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO COST ALOT. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE WEB I LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE IT IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS SO COMMON OF A PROBLEM. THANK YOU, CHRISTINE *TR
MOUNTING BOLT FROM REAR HATCH WINDOW PULLED LOOSE, BECAME STRIPPED. HATCH WINDOW FALLING OF VEHICLE. *JB
THERE WAS A WARNING INDICATOR THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ILLUMINATED GREEN. WHEN THE INDICATOR TURNED BLUE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE INDICATOR WAS FOR THE LIGHTING SYSTEM, AND THE DEALER MADE SOME REPAIRS, BUT DID NOT INFORM THE CONSUMER OF WHAT WAS DONE. CURRENTLY, THE INDICATOR IS NOT ON AT ALL, AND THE DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE WHY IT IS NOT WORKING. ALSO, THE REAR WINDOW WINDSHIELD WIPER WAS NOT OPERATING. DEALER STATED MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK *PH *NLM
NAR 05/21/2003 *MR LOUD POPPING IN FRONT END,PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW DEFECTIVE, BACK DOORS BREAKING FROM IN SIDE HANDLES. *CB
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DIM AND DO NOT PUT OUT ADEQUATE LIGHTING, THE CONSUMER FEELS THERE IS NOT ENOUGH VOLTAGE FROM THE HEADLIGHT TO THE BULB, THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE BULBS TWICE WITH WHITE HIGHER WATT BULBS BUT THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IT WAS WORSE, THE THIRD SET OF BULBS WERE THE BLUE HALOGEN BULBS BUT WHEN THEY WERE INSTALLED THEY WERE DARK BLUE AND THE CONSUMER COULD SEE NOTHING. *MR *NLM
WINDSHIELD GLASS HAS A TWELVE INCH BROKEN LINE IN MIDDLE OF THE GLASS. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
MFG INSTALLATION OR DESIGN DEFECT--- UPPER RADIATOR HOSE LAYS ON THE UPPER PART OF ENGINE. IT LAYS AGAINST THE HEATER CORE INLET HOSE. THE HEATER CORE INLET HOSE HAS A CLAMP THAT CUTS INTO THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE., NORMAL ENGINE VIBRATIONS ARE ENOUGH TO CUT THROUGH THE HOSE. NOTE: THE HOSE HAS A NYLON NETTING WHICH IS ABRAIDED. THIS RESULTS IN A LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. THE OFFENDING CLAMP IS OF POOR DESIGN AND PLACEMENT. IT IS MADE FROM STAMPED SHEET METAL AND HAS OBVIOUS SHARP EDGES, HENCE CUTTING INTO THE RADIATOR HOSE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED AT DESIGN WITH A DIFFERENT HOSE CLAMP OR AT ASSEMBLY BY TURNING THE OFFENDING CLAMP APROX 90 DEGREES.*AK
UPON CLOSING REAR DOOR WITHOUT EXCESSIVE FORCE, THE WINDOW ON HATCHBACK SHATTERED. *AK THERE WAS ONE INJURY. *YD
MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE INABILITY TO STEER THIS VEHICLE. IT WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD . IF YOU HAPPEN TO HIT A BUMP ( LIKE A LANE REFLECTOR) IT SEEMS TO BE OUT OF CONTROL MOMENTARILY. THE VEHICLE HAS A DISTINCT SHIMMY/SHAKE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES(LEAVING IT NUMEROUS DAYS/WEEKS) THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO CORRECT THIS. THEIR LAST SUGGESTION WAS TO FILE THE LEMON LAW. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT-BUT I GUESS ONLY IF FORCED TO BY SOME LAW. THE REASON I WANTED TO FILE THIS WAS TO SEE IF OTHER PERSONS WERE EXPERIENCING THESE SAME STEERING ISSUES. I HAVE NEVER FELT SO UNSAFE DRIVING A CAR BEFORE THIS ONE.*AK
FRONT DEFOGGER IS OPERABLE, BUT HEAT DOESN'T HEAT. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE THE BACK WINDOW WAS ROLLING UP IT WOULD GET 2 OR 3 INCHES FROM THE TOP AND AUTOMATICALLY GO BACK DOWN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS IT WOULD CLOSE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND SAID THEY HAD TO REPROGRAM THE MEMORY. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED. CONSUMER NOTICED BACK WINDOW HAD SHATTERED.*AK *SLC
DEEP SCRATCHES HAVE APPERED ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT SIDE WINDOWS. ON THE PASSANGER SIDE THE SCRATCHES ARE SO BAD THAT IT INPAIRS THE VIEW OF THE SIDE MIRROR, IT IS SO BAD ON SUNNY DAYS THAT I CAN NOT RELY ON THE USE OF THAT MIRROR. THERE ARE ALSO DEEP SCRATCHES ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW BUT THEY ARE ON THE REAR OF THE WINDOW.*AK
REAR WINDOW AUTO UP DOES NOT HAVE AN OBSTRUCTION STOP SAFETY FEATURE. OWNERS PET WAS NEARLY STRANGLED AFTER BEING CAUGT IN THE WINDOW WHILE IT WAS CLOSING. THERE IS A HIGH POSSIBILITY THAT A PET OR SMALL CHILD COULD BE KILLED IN THIS WINDOW WHEN IT IS CLOSED.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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