Problems with 1999 Ford Explorer VISIBILITY

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. the contact stated that the windshield wipers would sporadically operate without activation and when activated, would not operate at all. the failure progressed until the wipers were completely inoperable. the contact's personal mechanic inspected vehicle and advised that the clock spring had failed and was causing the problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage and current mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph the windshield wipers began to operate involuntarily two or three times. during the failures, smoke would begin to rise from the top of the steering column. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the dealer would only diagnose the failure at the owner's expense. the failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. when the contact opened the rear hatch, the glass suddenly exploded everywhere. there were pieces of glass that were eight inches in diameter. the glass shattered with such great force that some of the pieces struck and cracked the front windshield. the contact sustained powder burns to the face and shoulders, as well as small cuts. she has not taken the vehicle to a dealer or a mechanic, but the insurance company stated that they were familiar with this type of failure. the contact believes that a recall should be issued. the current and failure mileages were 143,077.

Windshield wipers could not be turned on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 1999 ford explorer. his rear windshield wiper stopped working and his front windshield wipers work intermittently. a local mechanic stated that there was a problem with the gem module and they could not repair it. the contact noticed that there was a recall on the windshield wipers; however, it has not been diagnosed by a ford dealer. the contact does not know when he will have the vehicle repaired. the failure mileage was 86,000 and the current mileage was not available.

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked, the rear glass suddenly shattered into pieces. there were no injuries. the dealer has not been notified. the failure mileage was 111,726. updated 06/02/08 *bf updated 06/02/08 *tr updated 06/03/08

The windshield wipers will start on their own. when it happens, they will continue intermittently until i turn the wipers on high then turn them back off. it is extremely intermittent, sometimes going months before it will do it. has been doing this for about a year. *tr

The rear window wiper on my 1999 ford explorer fails to work. i've replaced the motor, and there is power to the motor itself. if i turn the wiper on and get out and force the wiper up, it will begin to work. unfortunately, this is not an option when driving down the highway and it begins to rain. with the wiper not working, it is very difficult to see out the back. *jb

dt: contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. the plastic vent inside the heater control assembly broke. this plastic vent regulates where the air will circulate through out the vehicle. also, it controls the defroster/defogger system. during the winter months it would be difficult to see without the windshield being defrosted. the service dealer stated the entire assembly will need to be replaced, but it has not been determined why the component broke. the manufacturer said that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and not do anything. the manufacturer said that the contact would have to repair the vehicle at his own expense. *ak

Normal, light usage (11,000mi/y); scheduled maintenances performed. 1. rear axle seal(s) leaking. 2. front pinion gear seal leaking. 3. parking brake flooded with fluid from 1 or 2, not sure. 4. evaporative unit for ac defective, needs replacement. 5. lcd for clock/audio system defective. 6. rear window wiper motor failed twice. ------- manufacturer admits not usual wear/tear, but won't cover any portion of approx. $2000.00+ repair cost, nor even provide "loaner". *nm

dt: contact states the inside lights, windshield wipers, and the power windows would not work. also, the outside light would not go off when the vehicle was shut off, causing the battery to run down. there was a recall on this vehicle regarding the generic electric module, but this specific vehicle does not fall under this recall campaign.*ak

Blend door on the heat and ac broken, cannot warm up interior of vehicle to defrost windows, it just blows cold air(maybe outside air). has not been fixed yet.

The rear windshield wiper does not clear the entire window, the left turn signal did not wait until the turn was made before going off. the consumer believes something may have come loose which caused a gas leak while driving. the dealer refused to repair the wiper and turn signal under warranty. *jb *nm

This is an intermittent problem where the windshield wipers engage without being prompted to do so and for no apparent reason. *ak

While driving in inclement weather windshield wipers failed. this caused poor visibility to the driver. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle ,and drove it to a private mechanic, who determined that a gem module needed to be replaced. *ak the vehicle's power windows, 4 wheel drive and dome light have also stopped working. *nm

The windshield in my 1999 ford explorer came loose. although it did not come completely out, it would not have remained intact in a minor accident. i hads to have it replaced. *ak

While driving at various speeds windshield wipers work intermittently, making it hard for the consumer to see during rainy weather. *ak

Rear windshield wiper switch/motor failed from time to time.*ak

Rear windshield wiper motor failed. caused loss of visibility through back window. rear power window motor failed. accelerator pedal vibrates on acceleration. (usually while merging on to highways) parking brake indicator light does not always light when parking brake is active. rattle and vibration from catalytic converter cover. *jb

The rear windshield wiper motor failed twice within the last year. the motor started working intermittently and then completely failed.*jb

While driving in the rain the windshield wiper went out causing low visability. ph

Consumer states while driving at highway speed in the rain the windsield wiper motor went out causing low visability. ph

Dt: noticed problems with vehicle on september 1, 2002. there was an electrical problem because the light for the air bags was always on. the windshield wipers turned on and off by themselves. this happened so often that it could cause an accident. took vehicle to the mechanic for the brakes because they were making noise, and had to pump the brakes in order to get the vehicle to stop. *ak the driver's side power door lock does not lock. the rear passenger side door cannot be opened from the inside. *nm

The rear wiper motor failed on this vehicle at 46,000 miles. the dealer replaced the defective motor for a nominal charge even though the vehicle was out of warranty. the reason for this consideration was the high frequency of failure of this component. the date of this replacement was july 26, 2001. the replacement motor failed today, june 30, 2002, at 64,000 miles. i was in a heavy thunderstorm at the time and was unable to view traffic to the rear of my vehicle. i consider this a serious safety defect and request that the problem be investigated and that ford inititate a recall to repair all affected vehicles.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. while driving at speeds of 60 mph in intense rainy weather conditions, the windshield wipers failed. the contact stated that when the failure occurred, the interior lights, power locks and 4-wheel drive system failed intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the windshield motor was replaced. the failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was 11,000.

The windshield wipers (front) intermittently have not been working for 2 years. we have taken the explorer in 5 times to hav this problem fixed, but they still aren't working periodically. this is a dangerous safety issue, especially when on the highway and a sudden rainstorm occurs. someone can be fatally injured with wipers that only work when they feel like it!*ak

While driving windshield wipers would come on intermittently while switch is still off. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Gem module replaced twice! wipers only work on high speed. dealer wants to replace wiper motor at my expense! my wipers worked when i took them in for this recall. they did come on when i didn't need them to but i would rather have them come on when i don't need them than to not come on when i do need them! i asked for the original switch to be put back on but they said they had already sent it back to ford motor company. in my research on this problem, i can see that several other people are having the same problem i am having.

The plastic trim around the head liner was loose.*jb

Windshield wipers involuntarily come on. windshield wipers are a distraction to driver when they come on unexpectedly. *ak

Car parked in driveway, in shade for 4 hours. air temp about 80 degrees. rear window completely shattered for no apparent reason. approx. 3/4 of glass fell in a 180 degree arch outside of vehicle out to a distance of about 8 feet. 1/4 of glass fell into the rear of the vehicle. took vehicle to the dealer specified above. service tech said there is a problem with explorer rear windows. said there were two new explorers on their back lot with shattered rear windows. later got a call back from the service dept. saying that they would not repair under warranty, since there is only a recall on 2002 explorers, not on 1999 explorers. sounds like exactly the same problem to me. it cost me $819 to repair at an auto glass shop.*ak

I have let the dealership know. and they are going to check the wipers and cruise control when i go in for my new tires through the tire recall for firestones wildnerness at. *ak

Consumer has complained to dealer that steering wheel shakes out of control. steering makes dashboard rumble like front end has hydraulics. turning vehicle right or left, steering shutters hard. consumer would have to add a quart of power steering once a week. dealer found power steering leaking, and replaced rack and pinion and realigned vehicle. on 6-29-01, vehicle was taken back to dealer for still having the problem. dealer found nothing wrong with vehicle. problem has not been remedied. *ak the brake light switch was inoperative causing the brake lights to be inoperative, the brakes squeak and the dealer treated the pads with an anti squeak solution, the a/c blows out warm air due to a leaky compressor and o-ring, the torque converter failed causing the transmission to lock up, passenger side goodyear tire blewout while driving, the window on the right side shakes when going up or down. nlm

Vehicle was parked when consumer noticed back window had completly shattered overnight.*ak *jb

Automatic transmission is slipping in any gear. it doesn't shift gears correctly when accelerating. transmission only shifts correctly into 1st gear, and double shifts into 2nd and 3rd gears after letting off gas. transmission shifts sometimes from high to low, causing vehicle to pull. overdrive light intermittently would go on and off. was repaired at dealer. on 1-18-2001. dealer replaced multiple parts in transmission 02-15-2001, transmission locked up and wouldn't move.torque converter and pump with housing were replaced. on 6-29-2001, transmission was still pulling. dealer replaced a stuck evr valve and replaced it. *ak front and rear rotors warped, dealer replaced, abs light illumianted, dealer replaced rear speed sensor, brakes are noisy. passenger window shakes, dealer lubed tracks. motor makes rattling noise when being driven steadily. steering gets stiff and makes a whining noise. air conidtioner was repaired. goodyear tire blewout, this tire was a replacement for firestone recall 00t005. *slc

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Driving on highway at normal speed when there was a loud explosion. after the explosion we realized the rear window had blown out. the dealer was contacted and the replacement was completed and covered by the dealer with no questions asked.

Vehicile started on with ignition switch. his grandson was inside of vehicle, and rear back window came up, and grandson stuck his head outside of the window and the window came up. owner came out just in time to release the window.*ak the dealer replaced the electric start system. the main problem was the automatic start system which starts spontaneously without using the key pad. the vehicle started several times without notice. *yh

Heard tire recall aug. 9. had checked at firestone store aug.11 and told i had "the" tires. they had none to replace. was 176 on a list of "no" tires. filled tires to recommended 30. drove slowly, one old person and purse (sometimes groceries)in car. was extremely lucky in circumstances. tire blew and did not have to stop quickly and was on outside lane of freeway in traffic which had thined out. rolled into service lane and stopped gradually. ford's roadside assistance came and changed the tire. ford replaced all 5 with goodyears next day. cost only a days work as ford not go for rent car.could have easily been worse..a grandmother with 6 little grandchildren and new "safe" car for them.i really resent that they sold me a "safe" car and knew about the tires. ford said that "tires" were not part of my warranty but they would replace anyway. good of them. they told me that they only had 30 tires to replace on their cars and i told them that 5 of them were mine!!!( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )

After seeing information about recalls, inspected the tires and found out that left rear tire had three cuts on it. consumer was concerned. firestone, wilderness, p235/75 r15, dot vd. *ak cruise control malfunctioned. hood latch was loose. windshield wiper malfunctioned. *yh

After using window washer, wipers come on when using signals. happens all the time. *ak

The front windshield cracked from the roof section down while the vehicle was stationary. the only object that came into contact with the windshield was water from a garden hose while washing the vehicle. the dealer was contacted and shown the damage but responded "there is nothing we can do" it must be defective glass.

Windshield wipers operate intermittently while driving. windshield wipers turned on and off at will. *ak

Intermittently windshield wipers did not work or started working on their own. also, while driving at any speed vehicle stalled on the road. air bag and check engine light intermittently came on and off.*ak

Rim cracked, rear winshield wipers failed for the 2nd time. *ak( dot number: 274 )

Manufacturer recall 00b40; parts were not available. consumer has been in constant contact with dealer and manufacturer since receipt of recall.*ak

We have had a hood latch recall, cruise control recall, questions about a tire recall (firestone), power steering fluid leak, cv boot rip, wipers turning on with the turn signal, 1 engine replaced due to 0 psi oil at idle (did they really replace it or just say they did?) several independent re-evaluations after the "new" engine had even more noises, fuel injectors replaced, a mysterious clunking sound on the right side during left turns, ~5000mi after 1st engine "replacement" another ford repair center is now saying that the engine has 0psi at and we need another engine. we feel like this 99 explorer (with currently <35,000mi)is a lemon and we are tired of recalls, repairs, waiting for engines. we want a dependable car! we have taken immaculate care of the car, have had professionals do the work on it (usually ford dealerships) and yet we are afraid that the warrentee will run out and we will have an expensive problem or, worse, the car will fail and someone will get hurt! does this car qualify as a "lemon." if not what does? if so, what are our options? p.s. all of the mentioned problems are documented by ford dealership records that are in our possession.

The air bag (srs) light illumminates while driving, the dealer has attempted to remedy the problem on several occasions yet the problem still exists. nlm

Passenger side rearview mirror switch got stuck, caused mirror to crack under tension.*ak