NHTSA Complaint #10056275 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

I HAVE A 2000 EXPLORER WITH THE SOHV V6. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHILE ON VACATION WE HAD A PROBLEMS STARTING THE TRUCK. I FOUND THAT IF I FULLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE TRUCK WOULD START BUT WOULD STALL RIGHT AFTER. IF I HELD THE GAS DOWN A LITTLE AFTER STARTING, THE TRUCK WOULD RUN BUT STALL IF I LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL FULLY. THIS PROBLEM HAS PLAGUED US FOR 2 YEARS AND THE DEALER HAS LOOKED AT IT SEVERAL TIMES BUT FOUND NOTHING. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON A FORD TRUCK OWNER WEB SITE. THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY IAC VALVE. I KNOW THIS FOR SURE BECAUSE THE TRUCK REPEATED THE PROBLEM AND WOULDN'T IDLE UNTIL I REPLACED THIS VALVE. AFTER THAT THE TRUCK STARTED RIGHT UP. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND REPORTED THE RESULTS. THEY CLAIMED THEY CAN'T REIMBURSE ME FOR THAT PART COST (~ $80) BECAUSE THEY NEVER COULD GET AN ERROR CODE FROM THE DIAGNOSTICS THEY RAN. IF THEY REFUNDED MY COST, FORD WOULD CHARGE THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PART (FORD'S POLICY ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP). MY ISSUE IS WHEN I BOUGHT THE PART, THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER SAID THEY STOCK AT LEAST 6 OF THESE DEVICES BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH THEM LIKE WATER. IF THAT'S THE CASE, MY DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE REPLACED OURS TO START WITH AND MY REPAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD TWO YEARS OF WORRY-FREE OWNERSHIP. FORD SHOULD STEP UP AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A PROBLEMATIC PART. *JB