NHTSA Complaint #714846 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

ENGINE- VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING KNOCKING/TICKING NOISE FROM ENGINE AT 30000 MILES, TOOK INTO DEALER TO REPORT IT, AND THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS. NOISE WAS AT START UPS AND AFTER VEHICLE HAD SET FOR BRIEF TIME. NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND LONGER IN DURATION, TOOK BACK INTO DEALER AT 35000 MILES, AGAIN, THEY SAID NO PROBLEMS-NORMAL NOISE. AT 41900 MILES, VEHICLE BECAME UNDRIVEABLE, NOISE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD AND METALLIC IN NATURE. TOOK TO DIFFERENT DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH 1997/98 EXPLORERS WITH 4.0SOHC ENGINE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURES. MOST WERE UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SENT ENTIRE ENGINE BACK TO MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR. NOW MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE REAPAI COST ME $700.00. THE VEHICLE WENT BACK 3 DAYS LATER WITH SAME PROBLEM, ANOTHER $300.00. I FEEL THAT I REPORTED MY PROBLEM WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN WARRANTY AND THAT FORD SHOULD COVER THE REPAIRS. I ALSO THINK THATFORD IS FULLY AWARE OF A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE 4.0 SOHC ENGINES AND THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER DEFECTS. I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY DEALERS AND INDIVIDUAL OWNERS WHO HAVE STATED THE DEFECT IS NOT ISOLATED. HAD MY FAMILY AND I BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THIS THING WENT BAD AND THE ENGINE QUIT,THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, IT IS TOO WIDESPREAD AND FORD CERTAINLY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT UNWILLING TO ADDRESS IT AND COMPENSATE CONSUMERS WHO ARE SUFFERING WITH THIS. FUEL SYSTEM- THERE IS ALSO A HESITATION/STALLING THAT OCCURS ON SAME VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN INTO TEH DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO FIX, BUT CAN NOT BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO INTERSECTIONS OR TURNING AT TRAFFICE LIGHTS. MY WIFE HAS HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES DUE TO THIS. AGAIN, THIS APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD WITH THIS 4.0 SOHC ENGINE. PLEASE LET'S HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT. FORD'S ARMY OF ENGINEERS SURELY ARE AWARE THIS EXISTS. MARK DITTO