NHTSA Complaint #10165520 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY PROBLEM OR SAFETY ISSUE BUT IT SHOULD STILL BE INVESTIGATED. I OWN A 1998 FORD EXPLORER AND THE LIGHTS ON THE RADIO PANEL NO LONGER WORK. SO I CALLED TO HAVE THEM FIXED WELL THEY CANT BE FIXED YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW RADIO AT $500.00. WELL I WAS NOT GOING TO DO THAT JUST SO THE CLOCK AND RADIO STATION SETTING WOULD WORK. AS I WAS INVESTIGATING WEATHER THIS COULD BE FIXED OR NOT I MET 4 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EACH OF THEM ALSO HAVING TO PURCHASE A $500.00 RADIO SO THE LIGHTS WOULD WORK. THEN I STARTED CALLING FORD DEALERSHIPS AND FOUND THAT EVERYONE I HAVE CALLED HAS TAKEN DOZENS OF PHONE CALLS ON THE LIGHT PROBLEM WITH THE RADIOS. NOW I WOULD SAY AT $500.00 A RADIO TO HAVE THIS FIXED FORD WOULD BE MAKING QUITE A PROVITE OVER SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MINOR PROBLEM. TO ME IT ISN'T A MINOR PROBLEM IF EVERY VEHICHLE THAT HAS THESE RADIOS HAS A LIGHT PROBLEM. TO ME AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKE TO FEEL THIS SHOULD BE FORDS EXPENSE TO FIX THIS NOT THE CONSUMER. IF IT WAS JUST MY RADIO THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT BUT FOR DOZENS AND DOZENS OF RADIOS TO BE THIS WAY IS A BIG PROBLEM. *NM