2008 Ford Explorer

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED 30 MILES LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

BRAKES FAILED ! I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ( ABOUT 80 ANGLE ) INTO A STORE PLAZA THAT HAS A SLIGHT HILL . WHILE MAKING THE TURN THERE WAS A SINGLE THUMP. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED INTO TURNING POSITION THEN RELEASED , DEPRESSED THE BREAKS AS I HIT THE BREAKS THE BREAK PEDDLE WENT TO THE FLOOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED MADE SEVERAL QUICK ATTEMPTS THEN BRAKES WENT TO NORMAL OPERATION.

IN MY 2008 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER, WHILE DRIVING, STOPPED OR BACKING AT ANY TIME IF THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION GET JIGGLED, IF BY BUMP IN ROAD OR BY KNEE, THE POWER DRIVER SEAT MOVES BACKWARDS. THERE IS A FEATURE CALLED EASY ENTRY WHERE THE SEAT MOVES COMPLETELY BACK TO ALLOW YOU TO EXIT THE VEHICLE EASIER, THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE IGNITION AREA THE AREA WHERE THE KEY IS INSERTED TO START THE VEHICLE IT BECOMES LOOSE OVER TIME AND AS A RESULT THE SENSOR IN THERE FOR THE EASY ENTRY IS COMPROMISED. WHEN THE KEYS GET JIGGLED, ON ACCIDENT OR ON PURPOSE THE SEATS MOVE, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR IT TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. THE SEAT MOVES BACK SO FAR THAT NO ONE CAN REACH THE PETALS TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE ON RECALL IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR SHORT OR TALL PEOPLE. IT COULD CAUSE MANY MANY ACCIDENTS AND MANY MANY INJURIES. IF NEEDED I CAN PROVIDE VIDEO OF THIS HAPPENING.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING I FELT THE SEAT MOVE AND NOTICED THAT IF I WOULD HIT THE KEY WHILE IT WAS IN THE IGNITION THE DRIVERS SEAT WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH SPORADICALLY. ALSO THE DOME LIGHTS FROM FRONT TO BACK WOULD GO OFF AND ON SPORADICALLY WHILE THE SEAT MOVED. THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT ON THE KEY RING DOES NOT MATTER IT HAPPENS WHETHER YOU HAVE JUST THE KEY OR A WHOLE BUNCH OF KEYS HANGING FROM IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AND THE RADIATOR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING FAILING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE STATIONARY, WHEN THE KEY IS PUT IN THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE, SOMETIMES THE POWER SEAT WILL GO BACKWARDS AND THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS GO ON. LAST NIGHT, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30 TO 50 MPH, THE SEAT MOVED BACKWARDS AND THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS CAME ON. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS I COULDN'T REACH THE PEDALS. I HAD TO MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD WITH THE SEAT ADJUSTER BUTTONS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THIS CONTINUED ON AND OFF FOUR TIMES IN A SPAN OF 2 MILES. FINALLY, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT THE SEAT MOVING AGAIN, BUT I KEPT MY HAND DOWN BY THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT BUTTON THE WHOLE WAY HOME. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS A LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST YEAR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. TWICE THIS VEHICLE WAS IN FOR REPAIR, BUT THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE SEAT MOTOR ONCE.

I SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF COOLANT WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE DURING MY WORK DAY. SUDDENLY, STEAM CAME POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND I STOPPED AND LET THE VEHICLE COOL OFF. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE SEAM ON THE PLASTIC THERMOSTAT HOUSING HAD SPLIT, POURING COOLANT ALL OVER THE CENTER OF THE ENGINE. PARTS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED WERE THE THERMOSTAT, RUBBER GASKETS AND THE ENTIRE THERMOSTAT HOUSING, UPPER AND LOWER. I REPLACED THIS PART MYSELF, AS I USED TO BE A FORD MECHANIC. I DID THIS REPAIR MYSELF, AND IT COST APPROXIMATELY 200.00 WITH THE COOLANT REPLACEMENT COST. AGAIN, THIS CAN CREATE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION, AND SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON A CAR WITH 80K AND ONLY 7 YEARS OLD.

WHILE IN OPERATION, VEHICLE SEAT GOES BACK AND FORTH, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AND GO OFF AND PEDAL HEIGHTS MOVE. UPON SOME TRIAL AND ERROR INVESTIGATION, TRYING TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT IT WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO KEY CHAIN MOVEMENT. ANY BUMPS, MODERATE BRAKING OR HARD BRAKING RESULTED IN THE SEAT BEING THROWN BACK AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COMING ON. ( THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD, AND COULD EASILY CAUSE A CRASH, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT ) THE IGNITION TUMBLER IS FAULTY. ONCE THE IGNITION TUMBLER WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALER, THE PROBLEMS HAVE NOT REOCCURRED. I WAITED A NUMBER OF MONTHS TO REPORT THIS SO THAT I WOULD BE SURE THE SOLUTION WORKED AND DID NOT RE-OCUR. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY, WHO REFUSED TO ASSIST. THIS REPAIR COST APPROXIMATELY 300.00