1996 FORD EXPLORER Structurebodydoor Problems

APPROXIMATELY ONE DAY AFTER TRUCK WAS PURCHASED, IT WAS NOTICED PASSENGERS SITTING IN THE BACK SEATS OF THE CAR COULD NOT OPEN THEIR DOORS. CHILD SAFETY LOCKS WERE LOOKED AT AND RESET, BUT DOORS STILL WOULD NOT OPEN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS PASSENGERS IN THE BACK WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUR SAFELY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DOOR BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT HAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE HANDLE. CONSUMER CAN'T OPEN DOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

WHEN SHUTTING OFF ENGINE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ENGAGED. DRIVER'S REAR DOOR LOCK WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2001, PASSENGER REAR DOOR LOCK WAS REPLACED DECEMBER 19, 2001.

POWER DOOR LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING, THEREFORE THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF TRAPPED INSIDE. SHOULDN'T THEY ALWAYS OPEN MANUALLY? ISN'T THERE A LAW PROVIDING SAFETY FOR DOOR LOCKS?

POWER DOOR LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING, THEREFORE THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF TRAPPED INSIDE. SHOULDN'T THEY ALWAYS OPEN MANUALLY? ISN'T THERE A LAW PROVIDING SAFETY FOR DOOR LOCKS?

INSIDE HANDLES ON LEFT AND RIGHT REAR DOORS ARE BROKEN. DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

DOOR LOCKS WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK FOR NO REASON, DEALER STATED THERE IS NO WAY OF TESTING THE LOCKS, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT, THE LOCKS MIGHT LOCK. *SLC

THIS FIRESTONE WILDERNESS/AT TIRE, P23575R15 WAS LOOKED AT BY A GARAGE WHEN TREAD SEPRATION WAS NOTICED.*AK CONSUMER STATES FIRST FAULTY TIRE RESULTED IN A BLOWOUT, 2 OTHERS WERE NOTICED AT A GARAGE WITH TREAD SEPARATION. CONSUMER STATES INSIDE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLES ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT DO NOT WORK. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING INTERIOR LIGHTS COMES ON AND OFF WITHOUT MANUAL OPERATION. PROBLEM OCCURS WITHIN ELECTRIAL SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES DOOR LOCKS TO MALFUNCTION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WAS DRIVING AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON & STAYED. BEEN TO DEALER. HAD SENSORS REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM CAME BACK. TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD FAILED TO REGISTER. FUEL GUAGE WAS NOT WORKING, AND STABLIZER BAR HAD BROKEN AND WAS REPLACED. ALSO, POWER LOCKS FAILED TO RELEASE. *AK THE SENSORS WERE BEING REPLACED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. *YH

PASSENGER'S DOOR IN REAR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. *AK

I BOUGHT THIS SUV USED AND I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A GREAT VEHICLE, BOY WAS I WRONG. IT HAS BEEN ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER WITH THIS SUV. PLEASE CHECK ALL OF MY COMPLAINTS THIS IS AN INTERIOR PROBLEM, THESE THINGS CANNOT BE CAUSED BY EVEY DAY USE. THE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING ARE, BACK SEAT DOOR HANDLES ARE BROKE, THE SPARE TIRE RELEASE BROKE THE FIRST TIME IT WAS USED, THE AIR BAG LIGHT WENT OFF AND CAUSED AN INCONVIENCE TO MY FAMILY, THE TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND THE ALINGMENT HASEN'T BEEN RIGHT SENSE I'VE OWNED IT, THE BACK SEAT DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY, IT WILL NOT RELEASE TO FOLD FORWARD, AND THE MOTOR ON THE HATCH HASEN'T WORKED PROPERLY FROM DAY ONE OF MY OWNERSHIP. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. THANK FOR ALL YOU DO. MARGIE HULSEY. ML

FRONT AND REAR DOOR HANDLES FAIL - UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM INSIDE. *AK

RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT REAR DOOR HANDLES ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BROKE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

THE BROKEN INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN FOR A LONG TIME BUT, BECAUSE OF THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK FEATURE BEING ACTIVATED IT WASN'T NOTICED UNTIL THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK WAS DEACTIVETED ONLY TO FIND THAT THE DOOR HANDLE WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. UPON DISASSEMBLY, I FOUND THE PLASTIC CAM THAT UNLOCKS THE LATCH OF THE DOOR TO BE CRACKED OFF RENDERING THE HANDLE USELESS. AS FOR THE TRANSMISSION, THE PREMATURE AND EXPENSIVE FAILURE SHOULD BECOME A RECALL ITEM FOR FORD AS I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OWNERS OF THIS TYPE VEHICLE ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS OF GREAT FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCE AND POSSIBLE TRAGIC HEALTH CONSEQUENCE.. I'D SAY A DISPORPORTIONATE NUMBER OF EXPLORER OWNERS ARE ENCOUNTERING SIMILAR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. THE LIFE THREATENING CONDITION OF A BAD TRANSIMISSION COULD HAVE LED TO A LOCK-UP OR UNEXPECTED RAPID DECELERATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH COULD HAVE ROLLED THE TRUCK. INTERNAL COMPONENTS WERE BADLY...

THE DOOR HANDLE HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES. FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT FIX,RE-DESIGN THE HANDLE. FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALSO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE 1996 EXPLORER. I'M A SAFETY EXPERT FOR DOL-OSHA AND FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND FORD NEEDS TO FIX "ASAP" THE PLASTIC DESIGN OF THE HANDLE. IF YOU CAN NOT GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE DURING A POTENTIAL CRASH THIS COULD BE A SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK

THIS IS A LEASED VEHICLE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE DOOR LOCKS AND TAIL GATE LOCK HAVE A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSES THE LOCKS TO GO UP AND DOWN AND THE MOTOR TO STAY ON INSIDE THE DOORS CAUSING THEM TO OVERHEAT AND CREATE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS. THE FUSE HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO SHUT THE LOCK MECHANISHMS OFF, THE FORD COMPANY REFUSES TO FIX THIS DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE.

LEFT REAR DOOR HANDLE BROKE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

REAR DOOR HANDLES ON BOTH SIDES HAVE FAILED. PLEASE CONTACT IF A RECALL IS PENDING.

FREEZING RAIN CAUSES THE DOORS TO FREEZE TO THE SEAL MOULDINGS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER VEHICLE.

REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN . ONE HANDLE HAS BEEN SPRUNG AND THE OTHER BROKE OFF. OWNER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

AUTOMATIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED.

INSIDE HANDLES ARE BREAKING, CAUSING THE BACK DOORS TO BECOME STUCK. WILL NOT OPEN, RESULTING IN CONSUMER BEING TRAPPED IN VEHICLE. *AK *ML

INSIDE REAR DOOR HANDLE IS INOPERATIVE.

BOTH INSIDE REAR DOORS DO NOT OPEN WHEN HANDLES ARE USED. DEALER HAS REPLACED BOTH HANDLES AND CONDITION REOCCURS. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK

TACHOMETER/ DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR HANDLE FAILED.

THE REAR DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S DOOR HANDLE ON THE INSIDE HAS BROKEN 3TIMES WITHIN 2 YEARS, AND THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHEN THE HANDLE IS BROKEN. MILEAGE 18062, 19364, 29265. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAS WRITTEN FORD, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT REPLIED. *SLC

THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HAS BROKEN TWICE WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THE HANDLE WAS REPLACED IN FEB OF 97, AND ON 10/7/97 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK ACTUCTOR FAILED.

INTERIOR DOOR RELEASE LEVER FAILED TWICE.

REAR PASSENGER'S DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE.

DOOR ASSEMBLY RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS (96V-070). *AK