2008 Ford Explorer

4/1- A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE 4/1, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON 4/1, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A SIDE STREET AND IT SHUT OFF ON ME, WITHOUT WARNING. I GOT IT TOWED TO A DEALER NEAR BY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR. DEALER CHANGED IT... 4/10 - THE WRENCH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THE DEALER WAS VERY PASSIVE OF THE SITUATION - BUT ULTIMATELY, HE SAID THEY WERE OLD CODES THAT NEEDED TO BE CLEARED FROM THE COMPUTER. HE CLEARED THEM AND ALL WAS SUPPOSE TO BE WELL. 4/17 - MY HUSBAND AND I WERE OUT RUNNING ERRANDS, WHEN AGAIN THE WRENCH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. MOMENTS LATER, THE CAR SHUT OFF ON US WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE ON THE STREET. LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WE CALLED THE DEALER AND ARRANGED TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. WE MANAGED TO GET THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. 4/24 - THE DEALER TOLD US THAT THE PCM WAS BUSTED - AND THAT ALOT OF 2008 EXPLORERS WERE HAVING THIS ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY, FORD DID NOT HAVE THE PART AVAILABLE ANYWHERE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST 2014 IN ORDER TO GET THE PART FIXED. RIGHT NOW, OUR CAR IS SITTING AT THE DEALER - NOT WORKING. FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO COMPENSATE OR TO ALLEVIATE THE MENTAL AND FINANCIAL STRESS OF NOT HAVING CAR HAS DONE. *TR

THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. FIRST FEW INCIDENTS WERE SPREAD APART HOWEVER THE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSED NOW TO ALMOST EVERY OTHER MINUTE WHILE DRIVING. DRIVING OVER BUMPS, DIPS IN ROAD, ETC. TRIGGERS THE EVENT. I HAVE NARROWED IT DOWN TO ANY "JIGGLE" OF THE KEY CAUSES THE LIGHTS TO GO ON AND OFF. FORD WANTS $250-$500 TO FIX. GOOGLE THE PROBLEM AND YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, IGNITION SWITCH IS FAULTY. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE ESPECIALLY WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON AT NIGHT,IT CAN BE STARTLING AND PREVENTS ME FROM SEEING OUT OF MY MIRRORS BECAUSE THE LIGHT REFLECTS OFF OF IT. ALSO I HAVE SEEN CARS SWERVE ON OCCASION WHEN THEY ARE BESIDE MY CAR AS THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS UNDER THE MIRRORS TURN ON AND I ASSUME CATCHING THEM OFF GUARD. I AM ALWAYS AFRAID I MIGHT GET PULLED OVER AS IT LOOKS LIKE I AM SENDING OUT AN S.O.S. DISTRESS CALL WITH MY LIGHTS FLASHING ON AN OFF CONSTANTLY. I HAVE NEVER HAD MORE THAN JUST THE KEY AND FOB ON THE KEY RING SAME AS IT WAS THE DAY I BOUGHT IT NEW, I CANNOT STAND A RING FULL OF KEYS SO TO SAY THAT EXCESSIVE WEIGHT CAUSED THE PROBLEM IS NOT TRUE IN MY CASE AND OF COURSE THIS PROBLEM SURFACED ONLY A COUPLE THOUSAND MILES OUT OF THE WARRANTY. FORD ALSO HAS A TSB OUT ON THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. *TR

WHEN IN DRIVE AND MOVING AND GOING OVER A BUMP, THE POWER SEAT GOES INTO THE POSITION IT WOULD BE AS IF NO KEY IN IGNITION (GOES ALL THE WAY BACK) AND THE OVERHEAD LIGHT GOES ON. SITUATION IS EXACERBATED IF THERE ARE ITEMS ON THE IGNITION KEY CHAIN. SITUATION CAN BE INITIATED BY SIMPLY JIGGLING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. MY WIFE CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE IF OCCURS, MOVES HER SO THAT SHE DOES NOT REACH GAS OR BRAKE PEDAL WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION. INFORMED TASCA FORD IN CRANSTON, RI OF SITUATION AND THEY SAID NO RECALL OR TSB. MANY REPORTS OF EXACTLY THE SAME ON THE INTERNET, AND PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER POWER SEAT STARTS TO MOVE BACKWARDS AND FORWARD ,DOME LIGHTS CAME ON LIKE IF WHEN I TURN OFF THE CAR . BUT THE CAR IS ON AND MOVING . AND THEN TWO OCCASIONS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF. PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT TURNED ON LIKE IF NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THEY HAVE RUN DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY THING WRONG.DONE SOME RESEARCH ON LINE AND FOUND MORE PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!! DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC. ITS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE A WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND THEN RESUMED NORMALLY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V453000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,500.PDATED 06/10/14 *BF UPDATED 06/17/2014 *JS

I HAVE A 2008 FORD EXPLORER, CALLED U-HAUL TODAY TO RENT A SMALL TRAILER TO TOW BEHIND IT TO MOVE SOME BOXES. U-HAUL DOES NOT RENT TRAILERS TO TOW BEHIND FORD EXPLORERS! I WAS SHOCKED AS I WOULD THINK THAT THE MINIMAL REQUIREMENT OF ANY SUV IS THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TOW A SMALL U-HAUL TRAILER. CHECKING ONLINE I FIND I AM FAR FROM THE FIRST WITH THIS ISSUE. CALLING U-HAUL THEY SITE SAFETY CONCERNS. CALLING FORD THEY ASSURE ME THAT THEIR IS NO ISSUE IN USING A SMALL TRAILER BEHIND MY FORD EXPLORER. PER CONSUMER REPORTS, ?THE REAL LESSON HERE IS IF YOU OCCASIONALLY NEED TO RENT TRAILERS, THINK TWICE ABOUT THE NEW FORD EXPLORER. IF YOU FAVOR A FORD, THE EDGE OR A FLEX ARE EXCELLENT CHOICES. BUT THE EXPLORER, WITH ALL THE PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, AND VERSATILITY OFFERED BY ITS MODERN, UNIBODY DESIGN, WON?T BE WELCOMED AT THE LOCAL U-HAUL FRANCHISE.? MY QUESTION? AM I AT RISK TOWING A TRAILER BEHIND MY EXPLORER?? OR IS U-HAUL CREATING CONCERNS OVER NOTHING? *TR

THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 30 MPH FROM STORE TO SCHOOL IN MIDDAY TWO MILES, STARTED TICKING AND GOT LOUDER AS TRAVELING BACK HOME(2 MILE). AT HOME POPPED HOOD, LISTENED FOR NOISE ,ENGINE IDLING SMOOTHLY ,BUT TICKING OR RATHER HITTING NOISE FROM TOP OF VALVE COVER,DRIVERS SIDE FRONT,WAS VERY PREVALENT. TURNED OFF CAR AND PULLED CHAIN TENSIONER OUT AND LOOKED INSIDE WITH SNAKE CAMERA AND SAW BROKEN PLASTIC PARTS ALL AROUND TIMING CHAIN AREA.I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FROM 1997 TO CURRENT. PLASTIC, VINYL PARTS IN THE MOTOR REPEATEDLY SHATTERING FOR YEARS, COSTING CONSUMERS THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS.THESE V-6 AND V-8 FORD MOTORS ARE FLAWED BECAUSE OF THESE WEAK PARTS. THIS IS A ENGINEERING BOMB, AND WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, THE TIMING CHAIN GOES BAD AT 72931.5K. THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE MOTOR HAS TO BE PULLED TO CHANGE THE FOUR CHAIN CASSETTES, OR SINGLE CASSETTE,BECAUSE VINYL PARTS ARE IN THE PAN AND IN THE OIL GALLEYS. 18-19 HOURS ON BOOK THE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE, UNREASONABLE,AND A COVER-UP. FORD COULD CHANGE THE PART, BUT CHOOSES NOT TO. AN ADDITION 3000$ TO THE COST OF OWNERSHIP IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS. THAT'S WHAT THE N.H.T.S.A. IS TO BE OBSERVING. THE CAR IS INOPERABLE, FOR FEAR OF HAVING THE VALVES CONTACT THE PISTON, AND END UP WITH METAL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN. SOMEONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DECISION TO MAKE THESE PARTS OUT THE INFERIOR MEDIA. P.S. REGULAR OIL CHANGES ARE DOCUMENTED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN, A WRENCH ICON APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. I THEN PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND STARTED IT WITHOUT A PROBLEM, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT A PROBLEM NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER, WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH THIS TIME A WRENCH DID NOT APPEAR WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER, I AGAIN WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I AM BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL AS 40 MPH AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE FURTHER. RPM WILL MAX OUT UNTIL VEHICLE IS SLOWED TO LOWER GEAR. UNACCEPTABLE ON FREEWAYS AT HIGH SPEEDS. DEALER CLAIMS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT AT 44,000 MILES AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ACCORDING TO SERVICE REPS AT THE DEALER BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR