NHTSA Complaint #10273319 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE GEAR SHIFTER IN MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER STARTED GETTING HARDER TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK ESPECIALLY ON INCLINES. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG BUT THAT IT DID STICK A LITTLE. GRADUALLY OVER SEVERAL MONTHS IT GOT WORSE. EVENTUALLY, IT GOT STUCK IN PARK AND I ACTUALLY BROKE OFF THE GEAR SHIFTER TRYING TO GO FROM PARK TO REVERSE. WE HAD TO PAY ALMOST $1,200 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AND SHIFTER. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT WE MIGHT PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BREAK BEFORE SHIFTING INTO PARK ON HILLS. I TOLD THEM THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU WERE ON A HILL OR NOT, IT STILL WOULD GET STUCK. AFTER FIRST REPLACING THE COLUMN, IT WAS EASIER TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THEN, OVER A FEW MONTHS IT BECAME INCREASINGLY HARDER TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK AGAIN, UNLESS I PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I DID USE THE BRAKE ON HILLS AND INCLINES MOSTLY BUT THEN SOMETIMES IT WOULD GET HARD TO SHIFT ON JUST FLAT SURFACES. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN. THEY SAID THAT I WOULD ALWAYS JUST HAVE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE SHIFTING INTO PARK. I ASKED THEM WHY - IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. THEY SAID, "THAT IS JUST NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURE". I, OF COURSE, ARGUED THAT WAS NOT NORMAL AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. I ASKED THE FORD COMPANY WEBSITE AND THEY SAID THEY CONSULTED WITH OUR DEALER AND THAT THEY CONCUR WITH THEM. *TR