NHTSA Complaint #10080467 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, THE BRAKES SEEM TO STICK AND SMELL LIKE THEY ARE BURNING. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, SO 2 OF THE 3 DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. MY BRAKE PADS ARE NOW PRE-MATURELY WORN AND THE LATEST DEALERSHIP HAS CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED A SENSOR ON THE DIFFERENTIAL THAT WILL "FIX" THE PROBLEM. AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T A PROBLEM, NEXT THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE WORN OUT, AND THEN THAT THE SENSOR WAS BAD. MY VEHICLE HAS 25,000 MILES ON IT AND ABOUT 30% LEFT ON THE REAR BRAKES AND 40% ON THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. I HAVE MADE 4 ROUND TRIPS FROM CHICAGO TO NEW ORLEANS, AND 1 ROUND TRIP FROM CHICAGO TO LAS ANGELES TOTALING ABOUT 13,000 OF THE 25,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE THAT NEEDED BRAKE PADS REPLACED AFTER 25,000 LET ALONE A VEHICLE WITH OVER HALF OF ITS MILES FROM INTERSTATE DRIVING. FORD REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PRE-MATURE WEAR OF MY BRAKES. AFTER READING SEVERAL OF THE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, I DOUBT THAT FORD DEALERS HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS AND HOW TO FIX IT. *JB