NHTSA Complaint #10254308 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

HAD BOUGHT 2002 EXPLORER USED, NOTICED NOISE FROM REAR END. TOLD REAR DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, COST FOR USED $1500. BUT POSSIBILITY THAT USED COULD HAVE SAME ISSUES AS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 02-04 EXPLORERS. MY MECHANIC DOES SEVERAL A MONTH. AFTER VISITING NUMEROUS WEB SITES AND FORUMS ON THE SUBJECT, I HAVE SEEN THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS A VERY REAL SAFETY CONCERN AS THE REAR END COULD SEIZE WHILE DRIVING. I BELIEVE THE DEPT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY IS WRONG IN NOT CONSIDERING THIS PROBLEM TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND I THINK A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED BASED ON THE VERY LARGE NUMBERS OF VEHICLES THAT HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. AND FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE RELEASED SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE SUBJECT THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS, BUT THEY DO NOT ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE THEY WANT THE OWNERS TO PAY THE EXTRAVAGANT COSTS OF THE REPAIRS. *TR