NHTSA Complaint #10234331 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MY WIFE'S 2002 FORD EXPLORER HAD A WHINE IN THE REAR END SINCE IT WAS NEW AND IT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE WITH TIME. AT ABOUT 55K MILES IT WAS SO BAD THAT WE HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL REBUILT AT A COST OF OVER $1,000. AT 65K MILES THE ENGINE HAD BEGUN TO MAKE NOISE AND IT BECAME MUCH LOUDER RAPIDLY. THE ENTIRE CAM DRIVE (TIMING CHAIN, SPROCKETS, TENSIONERS) HAD BEEN GROUND UP. THE TENSIONER PADS HAD 3/8" DEEP GROOVES WORN INTO THEM AND THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS EVERYWHERE. THE BILL THIS TIME WAS ALMOST $1,300. IT IS INTERESTING THAT ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE A DIFFERENT DESIGN THAN THE ORIGINALS. IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN, WHY SPEND THE MONEY TO CHANGE THEM? OF COURSE FORD WOULD NOT ADMIT THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN FOR THE CAMS. AFTER THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FIXED THERE WAS STILL A NOISE SO WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP THAT DID THE WORK. WITH A STETHOSCOPE THE NOISE WAS ISOLATED TO THE BELLHOUSING/TORQUE CONVERTER AREA. WE TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WE TRUST AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS A CRACKED FLEX PLATE BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY ON THESE VEHICLES AND IT CAUSES THAT KIND OF NOISE. THE FLEX PLATE WAS FINE AS WAS THE FRONT PUMP ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THE STARTER DRIVE. THE ONLY THING LEFT IN THAT AREA WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER SO WE REPLACED THAT. THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. HE SAID THAT THE NOISE HAD TO BE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT WOULD BE A $2,000 REPAIR. I'VE HAD IT WITH FORD AND THEIR "QUALITY IS JOB ONE" OR WHATEVER THEIR CURRENT ADVERTISING LIE IS. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND THEY WON'T ADMIT TO A SINGLE THING BEING WRONG WITH IT. EVERY DRIVELINE COMPONENT HAS HAD TO BE FIXED AND IT ONLY HAS 67K MILES ON IT. FORD SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THE WAY THEY HANG THEIR CUSTOMERS OUT TO DRY. EVEN THOUGH I HAD TO IDENTIFY A PARTICULAR DATE BELOW, THIS CAR HAS HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS SINCE IT WAS NEW IN 2002. *TR