NHTSA Complaint #10128861 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

I BOUGHT A USED 2002 FORD EXPLORER (USED) ON 2/8/03, WITH @43,000 MILES, AND AT TIMES, I EXPERIENCED A LURCHING IN MY CAR, WITH BANGING BETWEEN SHIFTS MOST OFTEN WHEN SWITCHING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN STRICTLY IN DRIVE, EVEN AT COMPLETE STOPS, SUCH AS RED LIGHTS. AS IT WAS BECOMING REPETITIVE, I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE WITH THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM - LARSON FORD IN LAKEWOOD, NJ. THE FIRST SERVICE WAS ON 5/24/04, IN WHICH THEY SAID IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND REPLACED THE DRIVESHAFT AND YOLK, WITH A COST OF $879.75 TO ME. AS THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK ON 8/2/04, AT WHICH TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THE SOLENOID WAS NOT RESPONDING, THEY REPLACED IT, AND TRIED TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER $900.00, WHICH I REFUTED, BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THIS TO BE "FIXED". UNFORTUNATELY, THE LURCHING WHEN SWITCHING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE (WITH BRAKE ON)STILL OCCURS, ALTHOUGH NOT AS VIOLENTLY; HOWEVER, I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN RISES IN RPM FOR NO APPARENT REASON, EVEN AT COMPLETE STOPS WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, BUT SINCE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME I AM STOPPED, I AM HESITANT TO BRING IT FOR SERVICE, BECAUSE IT WILL PROBABLY NOT BE APPARENT DURING A TEST DRIVE SINCE IT IS A SPORADIC OCCURRENCE. THE CAR IS A 2002 FORD EXLPORER, 4.0 LITER, V6 ENGINE, AUTOMATIC WITH O/D.