2000 FORD EXPLORER Suspension Problems

DURING AN UP-HILL LEFT HAND TURN AT SPEED LESS THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR THE DRIVER'S SIDE SWAY BAR LINK FAILED AND BROKE WITH A LOUD BANG. A SWAY BAR LINK KIT WAS PURCHASED FROM NAPA AND REPLACED BY THE OWNER. *TR

BEARING BROKE ON FORD EXPLORER. WHEEL WAS ALMOST OFF THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY GOING SLOW. *TR

IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, MY TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE ON A TRIP WITH MY FAMILY. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS UNDER 85,000 MILES. IT COST ME OVER $1500 TO HAVE A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED. APPARENTLY, OTHER FORD EXPLORER XLT OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, BOTH WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY'S HAVE GONE BAD TO THE TUNE OF OVER $800. THE MILEAGE IS STILL UNDER 90,000. I HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN AGAIN TODAY AND FOUND OUT THAT A BALL JOINT HAS GONE BAD NEAR THE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY AND IT'S GOING TO COST AROUND $250 TO REPLACE THAT. IT'S UNFATHOMABLE THAT FORD WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT OUT SUCH A SHODDY VEHICLE THAT FALLS APART ONCE YOU GET OVER 80,000 MILES USAGE. *TR

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHILE TURNING INTO HER DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH A GARDEN HOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. ON THE NEXT INCIDENT, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE THE FRONT END ALIGNED, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED THE BALL JOINT FELL OFF INTO THE MECHANIC'S HAND JULY 8, 2004. *LA ALL OF THE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THERE WERE ALSO PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. *SC *JB

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 1/03 WITH 39,000 MILES ON IT. 3/03 THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WENT BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN 7/03 THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE SLIPPING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THIS COST $1,800 TO FIX. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 43,000 MILES ON AT THAT TIME. NOW IT IS 1/04 AND THE TRUCK IS BACK IN THE SHOP FOR AN IDLE PROBLEM ONCE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE JERKS AND BUCKS WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT 35-40 MPH. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION AND FORD SHOULD BE REPLACING ALL THE IAC VALVES UNDER A RECALL BECAUSE THERE ARE AN ABUNDANCE OF EXPLORER OWNERS WHO THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AROUND THE 39,000 -43,000 MILES MARK! *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT END. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT COULD NO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE AND JERK. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL HEAVILY JERK, AND THEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL ON THE SUSPENSION. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED. *NLM

WHILE TRAVELING AND PULLING A 21' TRAILER AT 55 MPH AND PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, BACK OF TRAILER FISHTAILED AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER AND CRASH WITH DRIVER AND FOUR PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER WERE INJURED. *AK CONSUMER STATED PRIOR TO TOWING WITH THE EXPLORER, THEY TOWED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT NEVER GAVE ANY PROBLEMS, THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE TRAILER WAS PACKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS, THE TRAILER BEGAN TO SWAY SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY, THE SWAYING OF THE TRAILER CAUSED THE EXPLORER TO START ROCKING OUT OF CONTROL BACK AND FORTH, CONSUMER STATES HE ACTIVATED THE MANUAL OVER RIDE BRAKE CONTROL ON THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL BOX, AND THEN TRIED TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER, THIS IS WHEN CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND IT JACK KNIFED TO THE LEFT AND OVERTURNED, POLICE REPORT STATES THAT CONSUMER RAN OFF ROADWAY, LOST CONTROL AND VEHICLE...

THE SINGLE VEHICLE ROLLOVER CRASH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1:38 P.M. ON SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2001, ON U.S. HIGHWAY 67, EASTBOUND, ABOUT TEN [10] MILES NORTHEAST OF BIG LAKE, REAGAN COUNTY, TEXAS. THE EXPLORER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY JOSHUA HENRY HELBERT W. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHL1PY218 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

OWNER'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 25MPH, GOING ONTO AN ENTRANCE RAMP, VEHICLE SUDDENLY FLIPPED OVER SEVERAL TIMES FOR NO REASON. THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT. *AK

I HAVE HAD ATLEAST 5 INSTANCES IN THE YEAR THAT I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE. THE EXPLORER LITERALLY LEAVES THE ROAD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IF YOU ENCOUNTER ROADBUMPS. CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS LOST IN THIS FRIGHTENING INSTANCE AS THE VEHICLE CAN "BOUNCE" AND LOSE ITS TRACTION ON THE ROADWAY. THE FIRST EPISODE I REMEMBER WAS SOON AFTER LEASING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK

CONSUMER WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC GOING 30-35MPH AND HIT A MANHOLE COVERING IT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SWERVE LEFT AND RIGHT, ALMOST HITTING A VEHICLE. ROAD WAS DRY, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIDING. A FEW DAYS AGO, CONSUMER WAS GOING OVER A SPEED BUMP, AND VEHICLE TOOK A SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER NEVER CONTACTED DEALER BELIEVING IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT WAS HAPPENING.*AK

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE, TIRES REPLACED HOWEVER SUSPENSION STABILITY PROBLEMS CONTINUE, WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH, APPLYING THE BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE VEHICLE FISHTAILED FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS. *CJ

CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF THE SUSPENSION CAUSING STEERING AND RIDING PROBLEMS. *SLC

CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WAS ROLLED 3 TIMES POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES(P235 75 R15), AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, CONSUMER WAS NOT AWARE OF FIRESTONE RECALL AND NOW FEELS THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE TIRES, CONSUMER WAS INJURED AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT, POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. *SLC

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE SWAYS AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT, VEHICLE ALSO VIBRATES OR LOSES IT'S INTEGRITY CAUSING THE MIRRORS TO VIBRATE, POSSIBLE STEERING OR SUSPENSION RELATED PROBLEMS. *SLC

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE SWAYS AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT, VEHICLE ALSO VIBRATES OR LOSES IT'S INTEGRITY CAUSING THE MIRRORS TO VIBRATE, POSSIBLE STEERING OR SUSPENSION RELATED PROBLEMS. *SLC

CAR ROLLED OVER, DO TO UNEVEN WEAR OF THE TIRES IN FRONT AND IN REAR AND POSSIABLE DEFECT IN SUSPENSION SYSTEM (TIRESIZE: 255/70R/16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255/70R/16 )

QUESTION THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE - VEHICLE TURNED OVER DURING A RIGHT-HAND TURN.

UNSAFE REAR SUSPENSION, IT DOES NOT HAVE SPRINGS ONLY A ONE LEAVE BAR, THE TRUCK BOUNCE UP AND DOWN THEN SWAY SIDE TO SIDE WHEN TOWING THE BOAT

CONSUMER HAS GONE THROUGH THE BOARD FROM THE LEMON LAW TO TRY & CONFIRM THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. BOARD DISAGREED WITH THE CONSUMER. WHEN TRAVELING 65-70MPH, CONSUMER STATED THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. SERVICEMAN FROM DEALERSHIP TEST DROVE VEHICLE & FOUND THAT THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM, BUT DIDN'T CONFIRM IT. THEY WERE REFUSING TO GIVE MONEY BACK FOR THE UNWANTED VEHICLE. CONSUMER SAID IT WAS SWAYING & WONDERED WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES. *AK PROBLEM COULD ALSO BE RELATED TO FAULTY FIRESTONE WILDERNESS 16" TIRES. *SLC

HEARD LOUD POP AROUND TIRE, CAR STEERED UNCONTROLLABLY, CAUSING IT TO ROLLOVER. HAD SEAT BELT ON BUT CAME LOSE IT CRASH AND ENDED UP IN BACK SEAT. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255/70R16 )