2008 Ford Explorer

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,333.

SEAT BELT TIGHTENS UP OVER CHEST AND WON'T RELEASE THIS WAS PROBLEM WITH ALL 4 EXPLORERS I BOUGHT 1991,1996,2003 AND NOW MY 2008 WHY CANT YOU GUYS GET A DIFFERENT COMPANY FOR YOUR SET BELTS THE ONE YOU USE SUCKS I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY MORE DEFECTS BUT I GUESS THE OTHER PEOPLE AS LONG AS THE CAR RUNS THEY SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE BELT IF YOU NEED TO SEE CAR LET ME KNOW WHERE TO BRING IT AND YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE LEFT ME STRANDED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. WON'T STAY IN REVERSE AND SLIPS SEVERELY IN LOW GEAR FORWARD. REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THE FIX WAS NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $3000 OR REBUILD CURRENT TRANSMISSION FOR $2000. I WAS TOLD THE BANDS WERE WORN WHICH HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR EXPLORERS FOR MANY YEARS. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF VEHICLE AND DO NOT DRIVE IT HARD. ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD AND FEWER THAN 90,000 MILES POINTS TO A DESIGN/MANUFACTURING FLAW. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD EXPLORER SOUTH ON I-55 TOWARD CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING VERY VIOLENTLY. LUCKILY, I WAS BY AN EXIT RAMP WHEN THIS HAPPENED. SO I TOOK THE EXIT AND AT THE TOP OF THE EXIT RAMP THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL/TIRE CAME COMPLETELY OFF (ACCIDENT OCCURRED WEDNESDAY MARCH 14TH AROUND 11:00AM). I GATHERED WHATEVER DAMAGED PARTS I COULD FIND. THE EXPLORER WAS TOWED FROM PERRYVILLE, MO TO CAPE GIRARDEAU. A FORD SHOP DOWN THERE WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT ENOUGH FOR ME TO DRIVE IT HOME TO KANSAS CITY, MO ON FRIDAY MARCH 16TH. MY PARENTS AND I DROPPED IT OFF AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED (THOROUGHBRED FORD: VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2010 & HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICED AT THOROUGHBRED) ON SATURDAY MARCH 17TH AT 11:00AM. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. HE CALLED AT 6:00PM THAT EVENING AND SAID HE WANTED TO KEEP IT SO THEY COULD CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION ON MONDAY. HE CALLED MONDAY MARCH 19TH AND SAID THE LABOR AND PARTS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACCIDENT (THAT SAME HUB ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED IN LATE AUGUST OF 2011 & THE TIRES WERE ROTATED IN LATE JANUARY OF 2012). HE ALSO SAID HE WASN'T HAVING ANY LUCK CONTACTING FORD TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION/SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. ON TUESDAY MARCH 20TH MY FATHER AND I WENT UP TO THOROUGHBRED TO TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE SAID THOROUGHBRED FORD & FORD ITSELF WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. HE SAID IT WAS NOW AN ISSUE FOR MYSELF AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO HANDLE. WE THEN SPOKE WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THOROUGHBRED. HE PRETTY MUCH SAID THE SAME THING: FORD IS NOT RESPONSIBLE; IT'S AN INSURANCE ISSUE FOR YOU DO DEAL WITH. WE WENT STRAIGHT TO OUR INSURANCE COMPANY AFTER TALKING TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON FRIDAY MARCH 23RD. AN AGENT SAID SHE THOUGHT INSURANCE MIGHT NOT COVER IT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COLLISION/NO ONE INJURED. SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT DO I NEED TO DO NEXT? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BEGAN TO SLIDE BACKWARD ABNORMALLY, IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO REACH THE PEDALS WITH HER FEET. THE SEAT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTED WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED IN THE IGNITION SO THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

FRONT BRAKES HAS A RUBBING, SCREAMING SOUND, LOUDER WHEN TURNING OR APPLYING BRAKES, SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING, NOT FOR SURE IF THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE FRONT, MIDDLE OR THE BACK IT IS SO LOUD, WE HAVE 4 YEARS OF THE SOUND ON TAPES. THOUGHT THE TAPPING WOULD HELP FORD MOTOR COMPANY AT BLUEBONNET FIND THE PROBLEM, INSTEAD WE WERE LAUGHED AT AND TREATED RUDELY.THE GEAR SHIFT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BY FORD AND STILL HAS STICKING PROBLEM, WE EVEN HAD THE FORD CORP INVOLVED, NO SOLUTION OF THE MATTER HAS BEEN RESOLVED AS OF TODAY, FORD CORP OFFICE OFFERED US A EMPLOYEE RATE, BUT WHEN SPEAKING WITH A SALESPERSON FROM BLUE BONNETT FORD, WE WOULD LOOSE THE $10,000.00 WE PUT DOWN, I HAVE A VEHICLE WE REFUSE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCE, IN FACT WE RENT A VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF TOWN, BECAUSE FORD COULD NOT TELL ME IF IT IS SAFE OR UNSAFE, WE HAS OWNER FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC ADJUSTER FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WOULD MOVE BACKWARD AND FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHT FAILED AND CONSTANTLY REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE FROM PARK, OR ANY OTHER GEARS, THE SHIFT IS EXTREMELY DELAYED. IT APPEARS TO BE "HITTING HARD." IT EVEN LURCHES BACKWARDS ABOUT 2 FEET WHILE THIS HAPPENS. WHICH, IF PARKED AROUND OTHER PEOPLE THIS POSES AS AN EXTREME DANGER, AS I COULD ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE OTHER CAR (AND HAVE TO PAY) OR I COULD HIT SOMEONE THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE STANDING FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM; WHILE I DON'T INTEND TO PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE WHEN SOMEONE IS BEHIND IT EVER IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT SOMEONE COULD BE RUNNING BEHIND IT... REGARDLESS... IT'S A DANGER. I'VE HEARD ABOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITH CARS SHOWING THESE SYMPTOMS AS WELL.. LIKE SHIFTING OUT OF PARK INTO A GEAR AND ROLLING BACKWARDS?! HOW DOES FORD NOT SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM? *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME LOOSE AND AS I DROVE IT GOT WORSE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ROCKING SIDE TO SIDE AND UP AND DOWN NO LESS THAN 2-3 INCHES. THIS WAS SCARY! I CALLED , AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN, WHICH I DID ASAP. THEY LOOKED AT IT THE NEXT DAY, AND TOLD ME THE BOLT/NUT THAT HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL ON WAS COMING LOOSE. IT WAS REPAIRED AND TREADWELL FORD CHARGED ME $99.98 FOR TIGHTENING UP THE BOLT/NUT. IF THIS HAD COME LOOSE ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BIG TROUBLE, AND I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR THIS REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS DEFINATELY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I COMPLAINED TO THEM, BUT AT TREADWELL FORD, THE DOLLAR IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PERSON. I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE, AND I HOPE NO ONE IS INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT