NHTSA Complaint #10067938 — 1992 FORD EXPLORER

WITHIN 24 HOURS OF BUYING MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, I EXPERIENCED MY FIRST PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2002, SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFTER BUYING IT AND ON SUNDAY (9/15) WITH MY WIFE IN THE CAR, THE VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING/JERKING AND FINALLY STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN A COUNTRY ROAD. IT SEEMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT GETTING ANY GAS. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO BE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE FIXED. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FUTURE FORD TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD ONLY FILL THE GAS TANK FULL TO AVOID PROBLEMS. I INFORMED THE FUTURE FORD REPRESENTATIVE THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION FOR A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE BACK TO FUTURE FORD 6+ TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND IN EACH CASE IT WAS NOT FIXED, OR IT CANNOT BE FIXED. ONE TIME THIS LAST SUMMER IN 100+ DEGREE HEAT, MY WIFE AND I STOPPED AT A SHOPPING MALL. WHEN WE STARTED TO LEAVE THE MALL, THE VEHICLES AIR-CONDITIONING WOULD NOT WORK, AS WE STARTED DRIVING IT STARTED HESITATING AND THEN BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT THE TAIL PIPE AND IT WAS JERKING VIOLENTLY. I WAS CLOSE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. FUTURE FORD DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT THEY HAVE REPLACED PARTS THEY THOUGHT WERE CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND OTHER ITEMS THEY FOUND WRONG. WHY OR HOW THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE IS BEYOND ME. THIS VEHICLE HAS STALLED OUT OR HESITATED NUMEROUS TIMES BESIDES THOSE I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO THIS POINT THAT WHEN IT HESITATES AND/OR STALLS OUT THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT OR HEAVY COMMUTER TRAFFIC. BECAUSE WHEN IT DIES THERE IS NOT ANY POWER STEERING. I WILL NOT TAKE IT ON ANY LONG TRIPS BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IT IS NOT SAFE OR DEPENDABLE. *AK