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Problems with 1999 Ford Explorer EQUIPMENT

On average, the 1999 Ford Explorer starts to “feel” problems with the EQUIPMENT and its various aspects after 72 500 miles.

Components Affected by EQUIPMENT Issues

We have classified the 5 complaints from 1999 Ford Explorer about EQUIPMENT into the following categories.

ELECTRICAL 4 RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER 2

Recently reported EQUIPMENT problems on 1999 Ford Explorer

Noise on the driver's side of car was slight upon purchase. second day i returned to dealer. dealer refused to take the car back.. dealer told me to take the car to their repair shop. repair company stated it was air conditioner and to unhook air-conditioner. i refused. later the tire blew out and i replaced the tire. a few months later the shifting of the cat into park and reverse began to become difficult. i ended up stranded on the highway. the car had a gas tank problem as well; as if the car may have been in an accident. i am having the dmv check into this matter as the car had to be towed and the company still wants an unreasonable amount to be paid to them, while other dealers state it was only worth $1,000 and on "its last leg". i purchased the car last february for $5,000. *tr

I received a recall from ford in aug. "07 to replace the wiring in my cruise control. i took my vehicle in sept. '07. they disconnected my cruise control and stated they do not have the part (05s28) to repair it. i have been without my cruise control for 5 months. *tr

Dt: the contact has a 2005 chalet, when going on vacation yes the axle broke. the trailer was being towed at 55-60 mph. when the axle broke it caused damage to several parts of the travel trailer and tire. there was smoke damage from the tire and structural damage to the cabinets and under carriage. the rear axle that broke was the only axle on the trailer. there was no damage to the vehicle that was towing the trailer. the trailer was towed to the dealer, and there has not yet been a determination about the repairs. upon the vehicle owners inspection, they discovered that the axle was covered with rust and had many cracks. the police were called, but no police report was filed since there was no accident. *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

Two weeks ago i went to get out of my suv and the door would not open. i finally got it to work after pulling on the handle and pushing lock/unlock about 20 times. this happens daily. *jb

Air bag wiring harness on 1999 ford explorer replaced at a cost to me of $550. told by dealer it was defective per tsb 03-24-1.x4.5x. it was replaced before when under warranty for same defect. told by dealer not a safety issue so ford would not cover costs, but also told if not replaced air bag system could fail.

The radio display has gone out on my 1999 ford explorer mach stereo system. (it's been out for about a year.) the radio still plays but the display is unreadable. this is a known issue and very common problem that has been reported at the internet newsgroup rec.autos.makers.ford.explorer. ford claims the fix is replacing the radio at a cost of $600. the radio works fine except for the display therefore an entire radio replacement at $600 is needless and wasteful. as a known defect, shouldn't this be covered above and beyond the warranty period? *la

My vehicles' oem radio display has shorted out after only 4 years of light use. i know this has been an ongoing problem with the particular radios in 1997-2001 models of the explorer. the unit also heats cd's to high temperatures, making me think that it either will catch the vehicle on fire, or melt a cd. i have tried contacting my dealer for a solution, ford for a solution, and even pioneer electronics, the manufacturer of the unit for a solution. none of these entities were able to find an acceptable solution to the problem. they all stated it was the other's issue. i am actually considering a class-action lawsuit against ford regarding this issue. *la

I purchased my explorer about 1 year ago. i have had nothing but problems with it since i bought it. just in the last 3 months it has been in the shop at hometown motors at least 4 or 5 times. and everytime they get it in they charge me a hundred dollar deductable plus what the warranty won't cover. i had to pay 1300.oo for my warranty and i have had to pay almost 700.00 since then on the work for everything going wrong with the explorer. i have all of my receipts being gathered . who can i get ahold of to tell them about this lemon that i bought. i cannot afford for this to keep going on.i still owe the car company almost 300 dollars from last week when my explorer was in the shop for almost 2 weeks. please email me back and tell me everything i should do to get this problem fixed. i really appreciate it.

Service bulletin oom 12 from ford was for the replacement of the camshaft tensioner in my 1999 explorer. it was replaced on 11/27/01 and now needs to be replaced again. the ford service center refuses to see the same componet continues to fail again and again as their problem. *jb

Failure of rack and pinion and steering shaft on 4-3-03; same problem occurring on 12-12-2003.*ak

The biggest problem i have now is my transmission, on august 1st, my explorer lost its reverse, it is now august 25, and i still do not have my car, they fixed it on aug 20, it broke that night, took it back aug 22, broke again and then took it back that night and now they still have it and dont know what is wrong with it. i told them all i want is a car, but they say they cannot give me one. why? i dont have a car, i lease the one i have, cant drive it, still have to pay for it, and they wont give me a loaner.

On september 20, 2002, the air conditioning ceased working and froze the environmental controls on full heat. the controls had been set to heat in the morning but switched to air-conditioning in the afternoon. *ak

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

Air conditioner blew out hot air. consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they said it was not covered under warranty because of a rock chip. please provide any further information.*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

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

While signaling for a left lane change signal does not work. but, consumer can hear static coming from radio when signaling left. *ak

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

Pe00020, orginial equipment with 1999 ford explorer, tire size p23575r15. while driving the front end shakes very hard, and on all tires there are lumps forming and making a whistling noise. *ak there was a constant noise in the front of the vehicle, dealer has replaced the following to remedy the problem: drivesahft, lower control arms, left upper ball joint, lower steering shaft on two occasions, front shaft, lower ball joints, outer tie rod ends, power steering pump and rack, left upper ball joint and finally the arm bushing that was hitting the frame. brakes were pulsating, dealer machined the front rotors. there was a delay in starting the vehicle, dealer stated this was normal. radio had no display lights, dealer installed a new radio. the rear brake light burnt out, dealer replaced the bulb. the parking brake sometimes would not release, dealer could not duplicate the problem. the check engine light illuminated. the rear wiper was not cleaning, dealer replaced the wiper arm and blade. *slc

I own two fords; a 1999 ranger xlt ext. cab and a 1999 explorer - eddie bauer. both are equipped with a cd/cassette/am-fm radio combination. the display lights on both radios units do not work. the internet is full of other owners with the same complaint. my mechanic said it was a manufacturer defect. i called a ford dealer and was told that when these units were produced, the defect existed. it is in the way the wiring was soldered in. why has this not been recalled? ford will fix it for 400.00!! they should have never sold this item as an option and certainly should be held accountable. strict liability! they knew the problem existed yet continued to install these defective units. *jb

There are already 4-5 things wrong with this brand new vehicle. i had to have the cd replaced, the driver's side was making noise due to lack of lubrication, the cruise control was recalled, and the part has still not come in as promised, the window seal keep coming off, the heating system is too hot at low setting and too cold at low setting. ak

Brake lights do not stay on when brakes are applied. lights come on, but go back out while brakes are still being applied. dealer has seen vehicle, and said that it is normal. *ak brake switch has been replaced 6 times and power booster has been replaced with no remedies, brake pedal makes a popping noise when released. message center, miles per gallon, is inaccurate and has been replaced, however consumer states it still does not work. rear suspension squeaks and groans over bumps, consumer states there is too much roll stiffness built into suspension, alignment checked and toe set due to vehicle wandering. water leaks inside door frames. automatic transmission is reluctant to downshift unless the accelerator is pressed flat to the floor. inside rear view mirrow mounted too low. consumer states squeaks and rattles show up all the time in the interior of the vehicle, rattles in dash, drivers door area, and b pillar. cd changer jammed twice. limited emblem replaced twice. speedometer reads too fast. *slc

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