2007 Ford Explorer

THE IGNITION SWITCH IS ON THE STEERING COLUMN. MY KNEE TOUCHED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. ALL POWER,(STEERING, BRAKES, FORWARD MOTION), WERE IMMEDIATELY LOST. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE THEN. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES, WHICH ALL SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH. MY LOCAL DEALER SAID THERE ARE NO TECH BULLETINS OR RECALLS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

DRIVERS SEAT MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, INCLUDING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FIRST OCCURRENCE AT 40000MI. STARTED OUT HAPPENING ONLY OCCASIONALLY, THEN BEGAN MORE FREQUENTLY. NOTICED SOMETIMES OCCURRED WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. FINALLY ABLE TO RECREATE THE EVENT AT FORD WITH ENGINE RUNNING IN PARK BY TOUCHING THE KEYS. KEYS ARE A STANDARD KEY SET, NOT A HEAVY RING OF KEYS. FORD REPAIR NOTES: CONFIRMED COMPLAINT - RAN ELECTRICAL TEST - NO CODES STORED - CHECKED ALL GROUNDS AND CONNECTIONS - CONTACTED TECHLINE - RAN DIAGNOSTICS PER TECHLINE - FOUND INTERNAL FAILURE IN IGNITION SWITCH DUE TO WORN PUSH PIN - REMOVED AND REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND RETESTED PART REPLACED 1 AU5Z*11582*B CYLINDER IGNITION REPAIR SOLVED THE ISSUE. MADE AT 61000MI THE FIRST FORD I WENT TO FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS IN SEVIERVILLE, TN. I PAID FOR DIAGNOSTICS, BUT NO CODES. I EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE IGNITION SINCE I HAD SEEN A SIMILAR RECALL ON GM VEHICLES. FORD SAID WOULD CHARGE LABOR TIME TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN ABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM IN LOT BY TOUCHING KEYS. I ALERTED SERVICE DESK AND WAITED 20 MIN WITH ENGINE RUNNING FOR A TECHNICIAN TO COME AND WITNESS THE PROBLEM. THEY FINALLY SENT THE GIRL THAT WORKS THE SERVICE COUNTER WHO SAID TURN IT OFF AND WE WILL PULL IT INTO THE BAY AND HAVE A TECHNICIAN TRY TO RECREATE IT IN THE MORNING, CONFIRMING THEY WOULD CHARGE LABOR TIME TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. SHE WAS VERY RUDE AND TOLD ME NO TECHNICIAN WAS GOING TO COME OUT AND THAT I COULD LEAVE THE CAR OR NOT, THEN STORMED INSIDE. I LEFT WITHOUT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED AND MADE AN APPT. AT THE NEXT CLOSEST DEALERSHIP 40 MILES AWAY NEWPORT, TN. I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM FOR THE TECHNICIAN AT THE NEWPORT DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND PROFESSIONAL AND PERFORMED THE IGNITION REPAIR QUICKLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD INDEPENDENTLY MOVE BACKWARD AND FORWARD WITHOUT BEING ENGAGED. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE SEAT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD SEND FAULTY SIGNALS TO THE AUTOMATIC DRIVER'S SEAT, INDICATING THAT THE DOOR WAS BEING OPENED AND CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO MOVE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 8/11/14*CN UPDATED 08/25/2014 *JS

NOTICED WATER WHILE RAINING WAS COMING FROM THE LIGHTING/HEATING PANEL AT TOP-ROOF PANEL THAT CONTROLS HEATING, AIR AND LIGHTS AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE. WATER CONTINUED TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED, THEN LIGHTS INSIDE THE TRUCK CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH CAUSED DRIVER TO SWERVE FROM LIGHTS COMING ON WITHOUT WARNING. AS OF THIS DATE, TRUCK IS IN BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS OF WATER LEAK THROUGH THE LIGHTING/HEATING CONTROL SWITCHES. LIGHT SWITCH HAD TO BE SET TO OFF UNTIL CAN BE FIXED OR LIGHTS NOW CONTINUE TO COME ON RANDOMLY WHEN DRIVING AND CONTINUES TO LEAK WHENEVER IT RAINS. ALSO, NOTE THIS STARTED AFTER THE HEAVY RAINS OF HURRICANE SANDY. HAVE OWNED OTHER SUVS BY OTHER MAKERS AND NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN! *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT MOVED TO THE FULL BACK POSITION. THIS AS HAPPENED AT ANY SPEED MANY TIMES IN THE PASS FEW MONTHS. A SHORT OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CAN NOT APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED. YOU MUST REACH DOWN AND MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD WITH THE POWER SWITCH LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. THIS PROCEDURE TAKES TO LONG IF YOU NEED TO COME TO A QUICK STOP. THIS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AS NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

4/15/2011 2:00 P.M. TRIED KEY IN IGNITION DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN IGNITION AT FIRST, THEN IT WENT IN BUT WOULD NOT TURN. CANNOT GET THE KEY TO TURN IN THE IGNITION. WIGGLED THE STEERING WHEEL, THEN IT "LOCKED". TRIED TO MOVE THE SHIFTING GEAR FROM PARK, CANNOT MOVE IT. VEHICLE WAS IN FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF SHIFTING GEAR ON/AROUND 3/17/2011. AT THAT TIME WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY "EXTENDED WARRANTY" THAT WAS PURCHASED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. CALLED LOCAL DEALER WHO AGREE TO CALL ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR ME SINCE I NEEDED TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A RIDE (AND A RIDE FOR 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RIDING WITH ME). LOCAL DEALER TOOK MY CELL PHONE NUMBER AND LET ME KNOW I WOULD GET A CALL BACK. THIS WAS ON 4/15/2011 APPROXIMATELY 2 P.M. HAD TO LEAVE FOR APPOINTMENT, DIDN'T RETURN UNTIL AROUND 9:00 P.M. NO CALL FROM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HAD BEEN RECEIVED. HAD CELL PHONE SERVICE THE ENTIRE TIME. CALLED THEM MYSELF AROUND 9:30 P.M. THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THE CALL FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY WHICH REFERENCED MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. IF THE TOW HAD BEEN ARRANGED EARLIER, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER BEFORE THEY CLOSED ON FRIDAY. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN (THE TOW), I WOULD HAVE CALLED MY OWN TOWING COMPANY TO DO IT. HORRIBLE SERVICE! :) SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE FOR VACATION ON MONDAY, BUT NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW WITH ONLY A SMALL VEHICLE TO USE FOR 4 PEOPLE AND 4 SUITCASES! NOT SURE IT WILL BE FEASIBLE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAYS THE VEHICLE WILL BE DELIVERED TO DEALER TOMORROW. WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THE DEALER HAS TO SAY, BUT BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE AM NOT VERY OPTIMISTIC. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR SHIFTER (WHICH I DON'T THINK NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE). ALSO JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE CONSOLE AROUND THE RADIO AND THE HEAT DUCT WAS LOOSE.

I WAS SHOVELING THE DRIVEWAY AND WANTED TO SHOVEL UNDER MY VEHICLE SO I STARTED IT TO PULL IT INTO THE GARAGE. THE ICE WAS THICK ON THE WINDSHIELD SO I PUT THE DEFROST ON AND LET IT RUN TO WARM UP. I SHOVELED THE DRIVEWAY A BIT MORE THEN AFTER ABOUT 90 SECONDS DECIDED I WOULD JUST SCRAPE THE ICE SO I COULD GET IT IN THE GARAGE. I OPENED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO GRAB MY ICE SCRAPER AND SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I GRABBED THE CAR KEYS AND RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND SAW LIQUID FLAMES DRIPPING TO THE FLOOR BUT NOT CATCHING IT ON FIRE YET. I CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY AT 8:56AM AND RAN ACROSS THE STREET TO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. AT 9:06AM THE VEHICLE (FIRST VIDEO) IS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASE 10/12/2010 WITH JUST OVER 52,000 MILES. THE FIRE OCCURRED ON 1/10/2011 WITH JUST UNDER 55,000 MILES. *TR

2007 FORD EXPLORER MAKING A LOUD ROARING SOUND UPON ACCELERATION. I FINALLY GOT IT TO DO IT AT THE DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER, LEAD TECH AND MYSELF WENT FOR A RIDE. THEY AGREED THAT THE FAN CLUTCH WAS LOCKING UP AND FELT THAT A SIMPLE R&R WOULD FIX IT. HOWEVER AT THE LAST MINUTE THE SERVICE MANAGER DECIDED TO CALL FORD ENGINEERING AND HE TALKED TO AN ENGINEER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE FAN CLUTCH IS CONTROLLED BY THE PCM (MODULE) AND THAT REPLACING THE FAN WOULD NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. HE EXPLAINED THAT FOR SOME REASON THE PCM THINKS THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING AND IT IS TRYING TO INCREASE AIR FLOW THROUGH THE RADIATOR. MAKES SENSE. HOWEVER THERE ARE NO CODES SHOWING AN OVERHEATING PROBLEM. HMMMM'' UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TRANS WAS THROWING OF AN OVERHEAT CODE! I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT WAS NOT APPARENT FROM THE BEGINNING. THE LAPTOP SHOWED THE TRANS TEMP AT 270!. NO WAY! SO UP ON THE LIFT, AND PHYSICALLY CHECK THE TRANS TEMP AND FLUID TEMP. WELL, 160 ALL DAY LONG! TURNS OUT THAT THE THERMO BYPASS WAS FAULTY AND WAS MISINFORMING THE PCM THAT THE TRANS WAS OVERHEATING AND THE PCM WAS LOCKING UP THE FAN CLUTCH TO PULL MORE AIR TO COMPENSATE. REPLACED THE THERMO BYPASS AND SO FAR PROBLEM SOLVED. TO DO THIS YOU MUST DROP THE TRANS PAN AND REMOVE THE VALVE BODY AS THE THERMO BYPASS IS LOCATED IN THE VALVE BODY. *TR