NHTSA Complaint #763807 — 1999 FORD EXPLORER

THIS IS THE SECOND DESCRIBED COMPONENT THAT HAS FAILED. THE FIRST FAILED AROUND 12000 MILES. THE COMPONENT FAILURE RESULTS IN THE ENGINE FAILING TO IDLE. IN ORDER TO KEEP VEHICLE RUNNING AT SPEEDS BELOW 30MPH IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE OTHER ON THE BRAKE WHEN COMING TO A STOP. FAILING TO KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND MAINTAINING AT LEAST 500RPM WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE GEARING ARRANGEMENT OF MY EXPLORER CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL AT SPEEDS BELOW 30MPH WITHOUT USING BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A STOP. WHICH MEANS THAT I MUST KEEP MY FOOT ON THE ACELERATOR AND BRAKE AT INTERSECTIONS WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP. MY INITAL FAILURE OF THE FIRST OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON AN OPEN STRETCH OF HIGHWAY WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR APPROACHING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO STILL CONTROL THE STEERING AFTER LOSS OF THE POWER-STEERING AS A RESULT OF THE STALLED ENGINE. I ASKED MY DEALER IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN DEFECT OF THIS COMPONENT OR WAS FORD GETTING PARTS FROM A BAD SUPPLIER. ESPECIALLY, SINCE MY VEHICLE NOW HAS THE THIRD SUCH UNIT INSTALLED. HE DIDN'T KNOW BUT THEY HAD REPLACED SEVERAL UNITS. I ASK THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL THE SAME QUESTIONS BUT THEY STATED THAT AS FAR WERE CONCERNED THE NUMBER OF FAILURES FOR THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT HAD NOT REACHED A POINT TO BE A "CONCERN". WELL UNFORTUNATELY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SAFETY, I THINK WHEN THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF A VEHICLE ENGINE STALLING WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT OR AROUND 30MPH AND YOU CAN LOSE OR GREATLY REDUCE YOUR ABILITY TO STEER YOUR VEHICLE. MY REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT FORD HAS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPONENT ESPECIALLY WHEN I NOW HAVE THE THIRD SUCH UNIT INSTALLED AFTER TWO PREVIOUS FAILURES WITHIN A TOTAL OF 58,549 MILES. ALSO, WHEN THE MECHANICS WHO SERVICE THE VEHICLE STATE THAT THEY THINK THE FAILURE IS THE RESULT OF EXCESSIVE HEAT NEAR THE LOCATION.