NHTSA Complaint #10100420 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

FIRST EVIDENCE OF NOISE REPORTED TO DEALER ON 7/22/98. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. NOISE BECAME UNBEARABLE AND ENGINE BEGAN LOSSING POWER. TOOK IT TO DEALER ON1/2/01 AND FOUND OUT THE FRONT CAM TENSIONER DISINTEGRATED CAUSING SEVERE METALIC NOISES FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. BANKSTON FORD SUPPOSIDLY DID THE WELL KNOWN RECALL. MY PAPERWORK SHOWS THEY REPLACED THE TENSIONER CASSETTE AND CHANGED THE OIL. I OBTAINED THEIR OWN PROCEEDURES FOR THIS ISSUE BECAUSE MANY ENGINES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACE DUE TO THE PIECES OF THE BROKEN TENSIONER CLOGGING OIL PASSAGES AND DESTROYING THE ENGINES. THE INSTRUCTIONS THEY SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED INCLUDED INSPECTING THE HEADS FOR CLOGGED PASSAGES AND OTHER THINGS. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE THEN, BUT THEY MADE ME TAKE IT. AS SOON AS I LEFT DEALER, THE NOISE WAS BACK. CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID TO GIVE IT A WEEK AND SEE IF IT GOES AWAY. IT GOT WORSE AND I BROUGHT IT BACK IN TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE REAR TENSIONER (THE ONE NOT COVERERED BY THEIR RECALL SINCE IT REQUIRES REMOVING THE ENGINE. SAME PART- SAME DEFECT, BUT NOT COVERED DUE TO COST). SINCE FORD WAS LOSING TOO MUCH MONEY ON THEIR DEFECT REPLACING ENGINES, THEY STOPPED HELPING THEIR CUSTOMERS. THE DEALER OFFERED A $500 AND 75,000 MILE WARRANTEE DEALER CONCESSION, BUT I EXPECTED IT TO BE TAKEN CARE OF LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. THE DEFECTIVE PART RUINED THE ENGINE AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED, OR AT LEAST REPAIRED PROPERLY. HAVE BEEN AT A STAND-STILL FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW WITH A NON-FUNCIONING VEHICLE. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL NOT DO ANYTHING AND THE DEALER NOW WANTS $5000 FOR A NEW ENGINE.*AK