NHTSA Complaint #10174294 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

WE HAVE A 2004 FORD EXPLORER WITH 41,000 MILES. IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED, UNIVERSAL BALL JOINT REPLACED, WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED, PARKING BRAKE REPLACED. ALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER. ON THE EVENING OF 11/21/06, WE WERE LEAVING MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL AND I GOT IN THE VEHICLE TO BACK THE CAR UP A FEW FEET SO THAT MY WIFE WOULD NOT HAVE TO STEP IN THE MUD. I STARTED THE CAR, PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE (FOOT ON BRAKE), AND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO MOVE THE CAR A FEW FEET, IT SURGED BACKWARDS, LIKE A CANNON BALL IN REVERSE; IT CRASHED INTO A NEON, WHICH WAS PARKED 6 FEET FROM OUR CAR, SENT THE NEON FLYING ABOUT 15 FEET INTO ANOTHER CAR; (THE NEON'S FRONT END WAS CRUSHED). I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THIS VEHICLE WHATSOEVER. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT IT HIT A PARKED CAR, RATHER THAN TRAFFIC COMING FROM BEHIND. WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS? THE POLICEMEN THAT RESPONDED TO OUR CALL SUGGESTED THAT WE NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, SO WE PUSHED IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER. THE OTHER CAR IN THE INCIDENT WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND ALSO HAD TO BE TOWED. ONE OF THE POLICEMEN THAT RESPONDED TO OUR CALL SAID THAT THEY HAD A SIMILAR ACCIDENT HAPPEN WITH ONE OF THEIR POLICE CRUISERS (ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT); WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT INTO REVERSE IT SHOT BACKWARDS AND HIT ANOTHER POLICE CAR, BUT THEY DID NOT SUSTAIN DAMAGE BECAUSE THE CARS WERE PARKED SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. PLEASE HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT. WE ARE AFRAID TO GET BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. AS OF THIS DATE, FORD HAS NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE VEHICLE. WE ALSO FOUND ON THIS WEBSITE SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THIS MODEL OF THE EXPLORER. WE ARE ALSO WAITING FOR OUR INSURANCE ADJUSTER'S REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT BEFORE THE COLLISION WORK TAKES PLACE. *NM