NHTSA Complaint #10110310 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL VEHICLE! IT IS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC 4-WHEEL DRIVE AS WELL AS FULL 4-WHEEL DRIVE WITH HIGH & LOW TRANSFER CASE, 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC, 4.6L V8 WITH DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAMS, LIMITED SLIP REAR DIFFERENTIAL, TOWING PACKAGE, LEATHER SEATS, ETC. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING HARM OR EVEN DEATH TO ITS PASSENGERS AND/OR THOSE IN OTHER CARS AND ESPECIALLY PEDESTRIANS. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXTREMELY INTERMITTENT SUCH THAT THE TECHNICIANS CANNOT EXPERIENCE IT THEMSELVES. IT USUALLY HAPPENS ON A COLD DAY. THE FIRST TIME IT DID IT, I WAS PULLING A SMALL TRAILER AND I HAD DRIVEN A COUPLE OF MILES TO A PLANT NURSERY AND ON THE WAY BACK AS I NEARED MY HOUSE, I DROVE DOWN A LONG GRADE TOWARD A STOP SIGN. WHEN I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED SO THAT I HAD TO STAND ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET TO KEEP FROM RUNNING CLEAN ACROSS THE ROAD INTO A TREE. IT HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES THAT DAY. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IDLE VALVE. HOWEVER, THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SENSE. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING UP A HILL, DOWN A HILL, AND ON LEVEL GROUND. BUT IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT THREW ME OUT INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT. THE TIME BEFORE THAT IT TRIED TO RUN OVER THE LITTLE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO STOP IT. I'M THINKING ABOUT NAMING THIS SUV CHRISTINE. MY BROTHER HAS AN EARLY 2002 EXPLORER EQUIPPED THE SAME AS MINE AND HIS HAS DONE IT ONCE. MY MOTHER HAS A 1998 CROWN VICTORIA WITH THIS SAME ENGINE AND IT HAS DONE IT TWICE. THERE'S NO TELLING HOW MANY "CHRISTINES" OUT THERE WAITING TO KILL AND THERE POOR OWNERS MAY NOT BE TOTALLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB