NHTSA Complaint #10020728 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

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).