NHTSA Complaint #10256522 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

IN 2007, MY 1998 FORD EXPLORER DRIVER DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING. IT REALLY DIDN'T BOTHER ME ALL THAT MUCH UNTIL ONE DAY BY ACCIDENT THE DOOR LOCKED AND WOULD NOT COME OPEN. I HAD TO PUSH WITH ALL MY FORCE AND PULL UP ON THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE AT THE SAME TIME. FINALLY IT CAME OPEN BUT THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. NOW IT WAS TO THE POINT OF DISGUST. DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT SO WE WAITED UNTIL WE DID. IN 2008, I TOOK MY EXPLORER TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I WAS QUOTED $197 FOR EVERYTHING, INSTALLATION, PARTS, AND LABOR. BUT WHEN I CAME TO PAY THE BILL I WAS INFORMED IT WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT $100 IF NOT MORE WHEN COMPLETED. SO MY AUNTS BOYFRIEND, WHO DOES AUTO BODY WORK, FIXED IT. IT WAS WORKING FINE, WE STILL HAD TO JIGGLE TO LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE TO GET THE LOCKS TO UNLOCK. AND THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I WAS GETTING OUT AND THE DOOR HANDLE BROKE AGAIN. THIS TIME THE HANDLE IS STUCK. I NOW HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE OR CRAWL ACROSS THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHICH WE HAVE HAD TO DO THAT IN THE PAST AND IT IS EMBARRASSING. SO NOW I'VE E-MAILED FORD ABOUT MY COMPLAINT AND THAT IS WHERE I WAS INFORMED YOU DONE THE RECALLS. I REALLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME COMPLAINT, WWW.CARCOMPLAINT.COM. I REALLY HOPE YOU CAN HELP RESOLVE THIS MATTER. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT? I GUESS JUST BE OUT $200 MORE WHEN I HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP....HOPE YOU CAN HELP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR