NHTSA Complaint #10100402 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

APPX. 2 WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND I HEARD THIS LOUD NOISE SOMEPLACE AROUND THE PASSENGER FRONT UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE, MY BRAND NEW 2004 FORD EXPLORER XLT IS HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WHEN PUTTING INTO REVERSE, IT DOES NOT GO INTO GEAR UNTIL YOU PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS AND THEN IT JERKS VERY HARD AND THE TIRES SKIP ON THE PAVEMENT. THE VEHICLE ALSO DOES THIS WHEN PUTTING INTO DRIVE, AND WHEN DRIVING WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR UNLESS YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND THEN RE-APPLY THE GAS. WE LEASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW LATE JULY 2004 AND HAVE JUST REACHED THE 4 MONTH MARK YESTERDAY. THE DEALERSHIP DENIED ANY SERVICE PROBLEMS OR RECALLS FOR THIS BUT ON YOUR WEBSITE I FOUND AT LEAST 2 SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR WHICH I FIND ABSURD! THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR AND OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. WE HAVE ONE VEHICLE AND HAVE TO CAR POOL THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR THE BOTH OF US TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUR JOBS. THE DEALERSHIPS INDICATED THAT THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO SIT FOR AT LEAST THREE TO FOUR BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN LOOK AT IT! IF I WERE TO TAKE THE CAR IN, WE WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AS WE JUST MOVED TO A NEW STATE AND CITY AUGUST OF THIS YEAR AND KNOW NOBODY. *JB