NHTSA Complaint #10060649 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I'VE FOUND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE HAD. I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION. THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED IN 1998 AND I TOOK IT TO LES PINKAM LINCOLN MERCURY IN ELIZABETHTOWN, KY FOR REPAIR. WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THE BLEND AIR DOOR HAD BROKEN AND IT WOULD COSTS $800 TO REPAIR IT. THINKING HE WAS LYING, I TOOK IT TO BILL COLLINS FORD IN LOUISVILLE, KY. AGAIN, THE SAME RESULTS AND REPAIR ESTIMATE. TECHNICIANS AT BOTH PLACES, TOLD ME IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM. I EVENTUALLY HAD LES PINKAM REPAIR IT. IT SEEMS THAT FORD WOULD DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT WOULDN'T REQUIRE THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE DASH TO REPAIR IT, MUCH CONTINUE WITH A DESIGN WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS. YEARS LATER AND THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. IN ADDITION I CAME ACROSS TSB ARTICLE NUMBER 98-23-20 IN MY SEARCHES, BUT COULDN'T FIND THE ARTICLE AT YOUR WEB-SITE. I ALSO HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT TWICE AND FINALLY REPLACED IT WITH ONE FROM A SALVAGE YARD. I COULDN'T SEE REPAIRING IT A THIRD TIME WHEN A FORD TECHNICIAN AND PRIVATE YARD COULDN'T FIX IT. BOTH TIMES WITHIN 13 MONTHS AFTER REPAIR, THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY COMPLETELY FAIL AND TACH OUT AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. I COULD GET IT TO DO IT WITH A FORD TECHNICIAN AND HIS CODE SENSOR PLUGGED IN. THIS HAS COME CLOSE TO HAVING ME GET REAR ENDED ON THE INTERSTATE 65, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS IN CRUISE CONTROL. FOR NO REASON AT ALL THE TRANSMISSION WOULD COMPLETELY DISENGAGE AND THE ENGINE WOULD ALMOST COMPLETELY TACK OUT BEFORE I COULD HIT THE BRAKE PEDALS TO DIS-ENGAGE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I'VE SPENT ALMOST $6000 IN REPAIRS SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, I'VE HAD IT IN FOR MANY RECALLS. ALL I'VE EVER GOT OUT OF FORD OR THE DEALERS IS, SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK. SURELY THERE IS SOMETHING YOUR AGENCY CAN DO ABOUT THIS. MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, WERE PRETTY SCARY. *JB