2002 Ford EXPLORER SPORT: complaints, problems and recalls

WHILE DRIVING AT 60-65 MILES HOUR,I SAW THE BRAKE LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES ON MY CAR ( EXPLORER SPORT 2002 )FOR THE FIRST 15 FEET MY CAR PARTIALLY SLOWED DOWN THEN IT FELT LIKE IT LOST TRACTION AND THE BACK SWUNG TO THE RIGHT,I GOT IT GOING STRAIGHT AGAIN AND KEPT THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE CAR KEPT GOING AT THE SAME SPEED CRASHING ON THE OTHER VEHICLE. LATTER I SAW STREAKS MARKS OF FLUID COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000500 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT 60/65 MPH THE BACK RIGHT TIRE BLOW OUT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TIRE WITH THE SAME MAKE/MODEL TIRE AND THAT TIRE IS WEARING ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THE DEARLERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE TIRE LOOKED LIKE IT HAD LOST AIR PRESSURE, BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF PUNCTURE. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 19,116 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001374 at NHTSA ↗

2002 FORD EXPLORE BOUGHT NEW IT HAS A SHAKING IN PARK OR IN WHILE YOU ARE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STUCK IN TRAFFIC NOW IT CUTS OFF WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GO THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES THE CALL IT RUNS ROUGH ITS BEEN BACK TO THEM 4 TIMES THEY SAY ITS NORMAL FIRST TIME THE SAID THEY PUT FORDS FIX,TO THE PROBLEM BUT THAT DID NOT FIX ?!@#$% .I ONLY GET 156 MILES TO THE TANK FULL,THEY SAID WHEN IT GETS 10,000 MILES ON IT THEN IL GET BETTER MILEAGE LIKE I BELIEVE THIS BS, IT ONLY HAD 503 MILES ON IT WHEN THEY SAID THAT SEEMS THE MORE MILES I GO THINGS GET WO…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005036 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER WAS UNAWARE OF HOW TO CHECK TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL OR HOW TO ADD TRANSMISSION FLUID.*AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007193 at NHTSA ↗

CANNOT PUT GAS IN VEHICLE. GAS POURS ALL OVER VEHICLE, GROUND, AND PERSON IF STANDING CLOSE TO GAS INLET. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007552 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011110 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT SOME TREES, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011177 at NHTSA ↗

INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE MISFIRED, IDLED ROUGH AND THEN VIBRATED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 5,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015770 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2003-08-05 (August 5, 2003)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES AND DOES NOT JAM IN THE SEAT BACK FRAME, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION.

Consequence: THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT UPPER BOLT WITH A METAL SPACER AND BOLT. IN ADDITION, SEATS WITH TUBULAR BACK FRAMES WILL HAVE THE FULLY THREADED LOWER RECLINER BOLT REPLACED WITH A PARTIALLY THREADED BOLT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 29, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Reported: 2006-04-10 (April 10, 2006)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION.

Consequence: THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT UPPER BOLT WITH A METAL SPACER AND BOLT. IN ADDITION, SEATS WITH TUBULAR BACK FRAMES WILL HAVE THE FULLY THREADED LOWER RECLINER BOLT REPLACED WITH A PARTIALLY THREADED BOLT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 10, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. THIS IS A SUPPLEMENT TO A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN (03V281).

Reported: 2007-08-03 (August 3, 2007)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.