NHTSA Complaint #731275 — 1991 FORD EXPLORER

ENGINE HESITATES THEN FAILS PARTICULARLY AT 90 DEGREES PLUS OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE AND ENGINE UNDER LOAD. CONSEQUENT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, BRAKES ETC AND DANGER OF NEGOTIATING TRAFFIC WHILE ATTEMPTING CONTROLLED STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. DATE GIVEN ON PREVIOUS PAGE OF REPORT IS MOST RECENT INCIDENT. PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR IN COLDER CLIMATE. PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN OPERATING AIR CONDITIONING. ENGINE MUST BE OFF FOR 10 TO 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART. DEPENDING UPON CONDITIONS, VEHICLE CAN THEN BE DRIVEN ANYWHERE FROM LESS THAN A MILE TO IDEFINITELY WITHOUT INCIDENT REPEATING. HAVE REPLACED EDIS AT A COST OF OVER $200 AND PROBLEM NOW APPEARS FIXED. SAW REFERENCE TO IGNITION FAILURE IN TSB LISTING BUT APPARENTLY DID NOT RESULT IN RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR BY FORD. NOW SEE ARTICLES IN NEWSPAPER REPORTING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF MILLIONS OF VEHICLES (INCLUDING EXPLORER) OVER SEVERAL MODEL YEARS. WHAT RECOURSE, IF ANY, DO I HAVE AT THIS POINT? HAS DECISON BEEN MADE TO MANDATE RECALL? ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE VIGOROUSLY. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS AND REPETITIVE REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE (INCLUDING FRONT BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS THAT MUST BE REPLACED FREQUENTLY), I BELIEVE THERE WERE DESIGN FLAWS IN THIS MODEL THAT HAVE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS AND FOR WHICH FORD HAS NOT PROACTIVELY TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY. HOW WILL I KNOW IF/WHEN A RECALL IS INITIATED? *AK