Problems with 2000 Ford Explorer VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The problem started with the drivers door it would not open , with the remote control , the actuator works but the door latch would not open after several weeks of having to open it with the keys i took the door panel open and spay some wd-40 and it started to open but as time when on the rear passenger doors have started to do the same , the child safety locks have got jam and now both doors are failing at one point the rear driver side door didn't open and i had to take it to a mechanic to get it to work but the problem still persists and now the front passenger door does not open it got stock and the handle to open the door has fallen off it has been such a frustrating problem and i went to find out how much it would cost for the parts and its going to cost about $87.00 per door not including the labor and it very frustrating i wish they do something about it also their was a recall for the cruise control i went to the dealer to get it fix , and they disconnected the cruise control i have call several times they say their is no openings and it has now been four years i have given up. *tr

Reported same issue to the nhtsa on feb 1, 2005...on january 12, 2007, my husband was driving our explorer to work. he accidentally bumped the cruise control and the car began accelerating rapidly. he was able to put the car in neutral and pull to the side of the road without incident and turn the vehicle off, but he was unable to start it up again, the battery was drained. a friend of ours came and gave him a jump start, the car turned on but the engine was revving and he couldn't get it to stop. they car was towed to a local mechanic and they found that the cruise control cable was stuck internally which was causing the cruise control to stick and made the car accelerate on it's own. they disconnected the cable from the throttle body to prevent this from happening again. i contacted ford and spoke to a rep named frankie and filed yet another complaint, but they don't want to help us out at all. they want us to take the car to a dealer and pay for them to inspect the car. *nm

Sudden intermittent acceleration and stuck throttle when trying to come to a stop. acceleration overpowers braking action. dealer has replaced idle control motor and problem continues. ford refuses to acknowledge. i've found a website safety forum documenting this problem and have also found 2 cases that ford has settled. you have to die first!!! if this happens to you, immediately shift the car into neutral or park and turn it off. car is back at the dealer again today. ford big wig engineer is suppose to check it within 2 days. *jb

Engine throttle does not release. applied brakes and vehicle keeps going. i had to turn off engine, lost steering. the first time was in april 05. there was a crash at this time. the second time was today and i was sure it was the car this time. *jb

Driver of 2000 ford explorer vin [xxx] was driving on i90 e in ma and set speed control. upon pressing set/accel button to increase by 1-2 mph, vehicle throttle position stuck in accelerating mode bringing the vehicle to approximately 85 mph before braking and downshifting was able to decelerate speed. only under excessive braking force on pedal was vehicle able to be brought to under 50 mph, at which time the vehicle transmission was put into park just to stop. driver then called 911 and had vehicle towed to local shop. i have been able to reproduce this issue in controlled conditions. the throttle is fixed in its speed control position (this can be set to maintain speed or fixed in accelerate mode). braking shuts off the speed control light but does not disengage the throttle. once vehicle is brought under control and stopped the throttle can be manually released by hand and it snaps back to idle position. investigation has revealed that this vehicle had been recalled by ford under 03s03 (nhtsa 03v280000) for a speed control cable replacement. it is apparent this this part failure has occurred again to this vehicle. further investigation will take place to determine whether the cable in the vehicle is original equipment or a replacement part. additionally, it is the replacement part we will request investigation why the replacement part failed as well. *nm updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: contact states 2000 ford explorer xlt fully loaded vehicle had been parked for 16 hours without being moved. at 5:00am. on 7-8-05 her car caught on fire. it was totally destroyed along with a laptop computer. the whole inside of the car was engulfed in flames. the fire department investigated the fire and said the fire seemed to originate from near the dash on the passenger side dash panel. she never received a recall notice. *ak

On july 8,2005 i was driving on the exit ramp to get on to 435 and i noticed that my car was speeding up without my foot being on it. i then tried to slam on my brakes and that would not work. i exited the highway at statline and my car then went through the red light and was struck by another car. my car is now a totaled out and i only had it for 7 months. *jb

Dt: 2000 ford explorer was parked in front of the house. the consumers daughter saw t he vehicle on fire. the fire department said it was most likely a faulty circuit breaker. *ak *jb

Dt: the cruise control switch shorted out. sometimes it would work and then other times it would not work, and finally quit working altogether. had it replaced by mechanic, had not contacted dealer or the manufacturer. cruise control failed on june 1, 2005. *ak the clockspring failed and caused the horn to activate intermittently. *nm

Our 2000 ford explorer was sitting in the drive way for at least 3 hours and around 10:30pm (central), our neighbor came knocking at our door and told us that our explorer was on fire. i am now with out a vehicle to go to work and the insurance did not pay off all of the vehicle. i now have to sacrafice to pay for something i do not have and save for another vehicle at the same time.

When coming to a stop, the vehicle accelerated into a pole. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak the consumer experienced sudden acceleration. *sc *jb

While releasing the accelerator pedal the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. the driver noticed that the accelerator pedal was stuck. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the accelerator cable needed to be lubricated. *ak while accelerating, the first 1 inch of the gas pedal would bind resulting in fast acceleration, when the binding stopped, normal acceleration would take place. the cable underneath the dashboard was loose from attaching parts. dirt build up was in the cable along with a lack of lubrication. *sc *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in front of the residence, a noise was heard, then fire was noticed coming from under the hood. the contact called the fire department who extinguished the fire and reported the fire as electrical failure from the speed control system. the contact took pictures of the charred vehicle. the insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. the dealership was contacted but never returned the call. the manufacturer was also contacted who informed her the vehicle was not included in any recall pertaining to the speed control system due to the vin. the fire department had not determined what caused the fire, however, the consumer had read about reports where vehicle were catching on fire due to faulty cruise control switches. updated 12/13/06. *jb updated 04/03/07. *jb

Throttle stuck at full speed resulting in shutting off engine at high speed. both conditions were at zero degree days. dealer said they would change cable at my expense. *jb

Consumer was driving on the freeway and set the cruise control at 75 mph. however, the vehicle kept accelerating, although consumer had applied the brakes and the emergency brakes. vehicle would not slow down. had to circle the gas station 3 times before the vehicle would stop. *ak the consumer stated that she ran 3 red lights before she could get the vehicle to come to a stop. the consumer slammed the vehicle into park going 50mph. significant damage was done to the braking system. the consumer was injured. the mechanic told the consumer that the brakes caught fire and she was lucky the fire put itself out. *tc

The consumer stated the cruise control became stuck. *jb consumer was driving on the freeway and set the cruise control at 75 mph. however, the vehicle kept accelerating although consumer had applied the brakes and the emergency brakes. vehicle would not slow down. had to circle the gas station 3 times before the vehicle would stop. significant damage was done to the braking system. the consumer was injured. the mechanic told the consumer that the brakes caught fire but the fire went out soon after. *nm

While driving approximately 55 mph with cruise control enabled, consumer applied the accelerator pedal to pass the vehicle in front. after passing the vehicle consumer applied the brakes and cruise control did not disengage. there was no accident, but the cause could not be determined.*ak

Purchased ford explorer 2000 in sept of 04. first the cruise went out. front tires looses air about once a week have to fill. starts hard and will not idol in mornings specially when cold out side. check engine light has been on twice, purchased at seelye wright kia in kalamazoo mi. cannot get dealer to fix vehicle. *nm

Cruise control sticks and continues to increase in speed. application of brake, pressing coast or off switch does not release or stop car from accelerating. only wat to stop runaway acceleration is to shut off ignition. this problem occurrd three times october 3rd, 16th and 25th. the defective cable was part of a ford program and was replaced september 5, 2003 and failed after thirteen months.*ak

Consumer's 2000 ford explorer caught fire. consumer stated he would like reimbursement for personal items which were in the vehicle at the time of the fire. *kb prior to the fire, the engine would not start. the consumer received a recall notice regarding a potential fire concerning the speed control deactivation switch. the transmission had been replaced a month earlier. *jb

While driving 65 mph cruise control engaged without warning, and vehicle accelerated to a high rate. consumer shifted to neutral to decelerate the vehicle. *ak

Ford recalls (03s03 / 03s04).*mr the driver seat back may recline while driving posing a safety hazard. also, the speed control on the vehicle may not disengage due to a binding condition between the speed control strand cover and the cable conduit. the consumer received a safety recall pertaining to the above mentioned, however she was unable to get the work performed in a timely manner as a result of the dealer not having the recalled parts. *ph *jb *sc

While the consumer's wife pulled into the driveway, the gas pedal became stuck and caused her to run into the side of the house. the collision caused $18,000 worth of damage to their home. since the vehicle had been in the repair shop 8 times. every once in a while the rpms revved up causing the engine to race. there were problems with the tail lights. the dealer/mechanic stated that they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle, so they could not repair it. after almost having an accident, the vehicle was taken to the chevrolet dealership and an electrical problem was found and the dealership repaired the vehicle. *ak *scc *jb

Consumer stated while driving at any speed and with no warning the vehicle stalled. the dealer stated it was a common problem with the idle air control. *ak. the consumer stated everytime he took his foot off the gas the vehicle stalled. the dealer found the idle air control valve stuck. *jb

The tachometer cable failed at 40,378 miles. *ak consumer stated that the vehicle cruise control failed at 40,578 miles and the abs failed at 47,900 miles. in addition, the company where the vehicle was bought is already out of business. *la *jb

Critical defect in the throttle linkage/cruise controls 2000 explorer. in two incidents involving the same conditions: 1) truck , when cruise control engaged, suddenly accellerated to speeds in excess of 90 mph, on icy and snowy interstate (january 2003), between nashiville and cincinnati, ohio. 2) truck , when cruise control engaged, suddenly accellerated to exces of 90 mph, on dry interstate (71) between cincinnati, ohio and columbus ohio. in both occurrences, truck totally non-responsive to braking attempts, to the extent that drivers stood on the brakes to attempt disengagement of cruise control. all other attempts at turning off also ineffective (switches non-responsive as well). brakes have been substantially damaged. drivers both maintain that accelleration happened without warning and only disengagement of the transmission (neutral) ceased accelleration. the rpm of the engine continued to maintain 4,000+ rpm and only could the engine be disengaged when vehicle was steered into soft ground to be slowed. this problem is repetitive and extremely dangerous as is, but egregious when mixed with icy/snowy conditions. ford delaership non-responsive to greater issue; attempting to shif liability on drivers and expecting repairs to be shouldered by drivers/owners. drivers maintain good driving records and now believe this problem to be life-threatening. drivers have also noted multiple other consumers with same exact problem and are aware of recalls involving this same type of problem in other ford products.

When placing the vehicle in reverse it will not move. consumer has to floor the accelerator all the way down before it will move.*ak

I read an ap article about the nhts investigating "stuck throttles" from 2002 and newer ford explorers. i have a 2000 xlt explorer, all wheel drive, automatic transmission and it has had this problem since i bought it used 3 years ago. i have had this happen about 4 or 5 times since purchase and have reported it to the dealer who says there is no info on this from ford and they do not know what to do. for me, the stuck throttle has only happened in reverse as i am backing up. the throttle will go to full throttle by itself causing the car to quickly accelerate. the only way to stop it is to firmly hit the brakes with all my might, shift the gear into park or shut off the car. my point in contacting you is to make you aware that this is a problem at least going back to 2000 with the ford explorer and to hopefully find a cure for this dangerous situation.

Speed control set at 67 mph. would not disengage when brake tapped. hit "off" button several times and applied heavy pressure to brake pedal. engine raced to 4000 rpm, abs engaged, vehicle slowed to 55 mph and speed control disengaged. serious safety concern. dt

Consumer states that the cruise control would not disengage and the cruise control switch would not turn off while driving 70 mph. vehicle at the dealer. feel free to provide any further information. nlm

While driving 60 mph took feet off accelerator pedal and car speeded up to about 95mph, causing loss of control.*ak consumer had to use both feet on the brakes to try and stop the vehicle. the engine kept running full throttle pulling the vehicle thru the braking effort. consumer dialed 911 for help. consumer was advised to place the vehicle in neutral to aid in the slowing of the vehicle. the engine continued to wind out at full force. the vehicles momentum pulled consumer through a red light to a smoking stop. consumer has requested the tape as evidence. *jg

Cruise control stuck - dealer treating as recall per ford recall #99s09 dealing with sticking cruise control. cruise control would not release throttle (brakes or off switch for cruise control) - vehicle had to be put into neutral, stopped and then engine stopped. this is a potentially fatal design error. the cruise control servo needs to relinquish control of the vehicle throttle once brakes or off switch engaged. it seems to be a re-occurence of the previous problem or an extension of the previous problem. vehicle build date was 12/06/00, per dealer.*ak

While traveling rpms went way up to number six. applied brakes and vehicle was still going. she could stop itby turning vehicle off. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

While drving at 10 mph, consumer accidently activated the resume cruise control which was previously on, and vehicle suddenly accelerated, hitting a concrete wall. minor injuries sustained. *tt

The vehicle would crank and then immediately die. in order to keep it running you would have to increase the rpms to above 1500. you would have to hold down the brake and accelerate at the same time to be able to drive. this happened twice. i took the vehicle to a local shop since ford claimed they did not know what the problem could be. after explaining the situation the mechanic informed me that he was 99% sure it was the electronic idle controller because he had replaced several of them on explorers which corrected the problem. this is a potential dangerous situation if you are not aware of how to over come the situation in a time of crisis. i believe that ford has a major problem here that needs to be investgated before someone is seriously injued or possible killed. the cost to repair was approximately $175.00, however i spent another $100.00 changing filters and cleaning injectors thinking it was a fuel problem.*ak

Idle speed control valve failures on ford explorers cause the vehicle to crank, start, then immediately shut off. the vehicle will not maintain idle. the only way to keep the engine running is to continue to apply throttle. this is potentially hazardous if performed while in drive or reverse, as unintended acceleration (i.e. audi 5000) can result. many explorer owners have experienced this problem. local ford dealer charges $200 to replace the valve.*ak

When traveling on the highway at 70 mph 4- wheel drive kicked in, causing transmission to downshift, resulting in sudden acceleration. consumer has contacted dealer. dealer has attempted to repair problem after each of the 4 incidents by replacing harness, computer, electronic controls, and transfer case. new problem has since developed--electrical malfunction when using auto door lock feature. *ak *ml

While driving on a dry straight road, accelerator left off and swerved terribly and unable to control. has happened repeatedly !!!

While son was driving, he put vehicle into overdrive before passing an intersection. when he took foot off the accelerator to step on the brakes, vehicle accelerated out of control, crashing into another vehicle. *ak

Vehicle has rough idle almost to the point of stalling. dealer says they cannot repair. ford customer assistance says they can do nothing. *ak

Accelerator pedal would stick when applying fuel. this problem only happens after stopping for a stop light or stop sign. will be taking vehicle to dealer to check. *ak

Consumer was traveling about 65mph on highwayand without prior notice vehicle started to speed up and danced across the highway. she took feet off the gas pedal and the brake pedal, and let it slow down on it's own. there were no injuries.*ak