NHTSA Complaint #748539 — 1998 FORD EXPLORER

REFERENCE THE "FUEL TANK SENDER ASSEMBLY" ON EXPLORERS AND MOUNTAINEERS MODEL YEARS 1997 THRU 2000 DOES NOT REACH FAR ENOUGH INTO THE TANK CAUSING THE SENSORS TO BELIEVE THE VEHICLS ARE OUT OF FUEL WHEN PARKED ON A DOWN HILL SLOPE, THIS COULD ALSO OCCUR WHEN DRIVING DOWNHILL WITH LESS THAN A QUATER TANK OF FUEL. THIS PROBLEM, SUPPOSELY, WAS CORRECTED WITH THE 2001 MODELS, BY EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE SENDER ASSEMBLY. SHOULD THIS , FOR SAFETY SAKE, BE DONE ON 97 THRU 00 MODELS. I AM AWARE OF ONLY ONE INCIDENT WHERE AN EXPLORER WITH A FEW GALLON S OF FUEL REMAINING THE THE FUEL TANK, WAS PARKED ON A DOWN SLOPE AND COULD NOT BE STARTED UNTIL VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON THE LEVEL.