NHTSA Complaint #11160924 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

OVER THE SUMMER, I BEGAN SMELLING FUMES IN MY VEHICLE CABIN. THE LOCAL DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS DUE TO THE RECALL, AND I HAD NO REASON TO BE WORRIED. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO HOUSING ISSUES, THE RECALL GOT PUSHED TO THE BACK BURNER. SO, I HAD AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED FOR YESTERDAY, 12/11 TO HAVE THE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FIXED. THEN LAST WEDNESDAY, 12/5 MY CAR KEPT SEIZING WHEN I WAS BRAKING OR ACCELERATING, AND I ALMOST WRECKED MY VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES. AFTER RULING OUT THE U JOINT OR DRIVE SHAFT, WE THEN FOUND THE GLISTENING LEAK ON THE PTU, AND WERE ABLE TO DEDUCE THE SMELL AS BEING DIFF FLUID DRIPPING DOWN ONTO THE EXHAUST AND COMING THROUGH THE CABIN. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEABLE, THE NEXT MORNING, I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER, WHO PUT ME INTO A RENTAL, AND WE GINGERLY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THAT AFTERNOON. YESTERDAY, I GET A PHONE CALL CONFIRMING WHAT WE SUSPECTED THE PROBLEM TO BE. WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER, HE CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MULTIPLE FORD MODELS, AND HE IS COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM. 24 HOURS INTO THIS, FORD IS SAYING IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM, AND THAT THERE'S NO "PROMOTIONS" THAT I'M ELIGIBLE FOR. I'M ABOUT AT MY WITS END. I HAVE ONE CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, AND I'M A SINGLE MOM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO TO GET THIS RESOLVED AND GET FORD TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM THAT IS NOW COSTING ME CLOSE TO $2,000. TO FURTHER DESCRIBE THE ISSUE, WHEN IT FINALLY GOT TO ITS WORST, WHEN COMPRESSING THE BRAKE, YOU WOULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE AND THE CAR WOULD JUMP AS THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO STALL. THE SAME WOULD OCCUR AS YOU WERE ACCELERATING, AND CONTINUE UNTIL YOU GOT TO ABOUT 2000 RPM AND STEADILY COASTING. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE GEARS WERE SO DAMAGED THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX IT. I WILL UPDATE THIS THREAD LATER WITH PICTURES OF THE TRANSFER CASE THAT THEY TOOK OFF MY VEHICLE.