1997 FORD EXPLORER Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

I HEARD A NOISE WHILE LEAVING PARKING LOT. IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A RATTLING SOUND IN THE MOTOR, THEN THE TRUCK STALLED.. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE THAT JUMPED LOOSE AND KNOCKED A HOLE IN THE LEFT VALVE COVER. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OR OCCURENCE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN VEHICLE JUST DIED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THIS WAS DUE TO A BROKEN TIME CHAIN TENSIONER. ENTIRE ENGINE WAS BEING REPLACED. FORD REFUSED TO HELP CONSUMER WITH THIS MATTER. *AK MANUFACTURER CHANGED THE DESIGN DUE TO TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF VEHICLES. *YH

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARMENT. VEHICLE CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTED THAT ENGINE HAD A HOLE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE TIMING BELT THAT CAME OFF. ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ENGINE CRANKSHAFT BROKE. WHILE SITTING IN VEHICLE HEARD A FUNNY NOISE. THEN, VEHICLE DIED, AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE CRANKSHAFT FELL OFF.

TIMING CHAIN ACCESORIES ARE MADE OF A POOR MATERIAL CAUSING IT TO BREAK . WHATS WORRY ALL THE COSTUMER IS THAT THE PEOPLE THE HAVE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION IN TIME(WARRATY TIME) MAKING THIS PROBLEM PROLONG SO MUCH THAT THE COSTUMERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AND IT COST HAVING THE SITUATION DURING THE WARRANTY TIME.

ENGINE CRANKSHAFT FAILED. *ET

4.0LITER SOHC HAS DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF TIMMING CHAIN IDLER . THIS CAUSED ENGINE TO STALL AND SEVERE VALVE DAMAGE . FORD IS RECOMENDING COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT ( $4,800 ) WITH 2000 MODEL. FORD IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. *AK

TIMING CHAIN NEEDS REPLACEMENT? $1,700 AND TRUCK ISN'T EVEN 3 YEARS OLD.*AK

STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTOFF AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD BELT, CAME OFF, AND NOTICED THE PULLEY WAS LAYING AGAINST THE RADIATOR. TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALER. *AK DEALER NOTICE CRANKSHAFT BROKE OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE. *YH

1-21-00 TOOK CAR INTO MAGIC FORD IN SANTA CLARITA, CA. FOR WARRANTY WORK, REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I WAS INFORMED BY TIM HEMING THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS WERE BAD. ABOUT $1500.00 TO FIX. I ASKED IF IT WAS A WARRANTY ITEM. HE SAID NO, BUT I CAN CALL THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE GUIDE TO SEE IF I CAN GET FINACIAL HELP. I DID AND THEY SAID NO. 1-27-00 I HAD MY OWN SERVICE TECH. PICK UP CAR AND START THE REPAIRS. 2-1-00 MY SERVICE TECH., KEN WAGNER LIC.#0706-121676 INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS WERE BROKEN AND SUCKED UP IN THE ENGINE AND DESSTROYED THE ENGINE. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED FROM SOME KIND OF PLASTIC MATERIAL TO METAL. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALER HE ORDERED THE PARTS FROM HAS ORDERED 104 OF THEM. THE DEALER IS ANTELOPE VALLEY FORD...

MECHANIC STATED METAL USED IN MAKING CRANKCASE TOO SOFT. THIS PROBLEM SHOULDNT OCCUR WITH THE MILEAGE AND YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. *AK

THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE OFF AND KNOCKED A HOLE IN THE VALVE COVER TENSIONER. COULD SMELL OIL BURNING PRIOR TO PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS OF TIMING CHAIN. *AK

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS DO NOT SUPPORT THE GUIDES AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO CAUSING LOUD RATTLING. NLM

THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER FAILED DUE TO DESIGN PROBLEMS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE UPON STARTUP AND WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. NLM

TENSIONER PLASTIC PIECE WICH SUPPORTS THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW UP. DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE. PROBLEM WITH TIMING CHAIN HAS OCCURRED AGAIN. *AK

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....

CAM CHAIN TENSIONNERS REPLACED AT 19004 MILES DEC. 1998 BUT STILL MAKING RATTLING NOISE WHEN STARTING

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LOOSE AND RESULTED IN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. DEALER NOTED THAT THE GASKET ALLOWED DIRT TO ENTER THE ENGINE.

OIL PUMP FAILED. *YC

ROCKER ARM COVER OUT OF ORDER.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO RUN AT ALL. DEALER SAID ITWAS DEFECTIVE, AND THE MANUFACTURER DOESN'T MAKE PART ANYMORE. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, DUE TO ENGINE SENSOR FAILURE. *YC

THERE IS A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN WITH THE FORD EXPLORERS. FORD HAS ADMITTED THAT THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY ALSO SAID THERE IS NO FIX RIGHT NOW. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT THEY ARE REPLACING THE ENGINE. THEY CAN NOT GUARENTEE ME THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPEN AGAIN. *AK

CONSUMER WAS AT STOP SIGN WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. TIMING CHAIN BROKE. CONSUMER WAS HEARING POPPING NOISE FOR YEARS, TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY NEVER WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE NOISE. *AK

WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED DEFECTIVE ENGINE & NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAD NO ANTI-FREEZE. RECEIVED ANOTHER ENGINE OFF MANUFACTURING LINE. ENGINE LASTED 2 WEEKS. HAD PAID HALF. THE 3RD ENGINE REPLACED FREE. THERE IS SOME STALLING IN THIS ENGINE AS WELL. *AK

PINION SEAL LEAKING.