Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

While driving our 2002 ford explorer it stalled without any warning and would not start. car had to be pushed off to the side and towed to dealer. the mechanic said it probably broke a valve spring which caused massive internal engine damage. the truck has only 49,000 miles on it and ford basically told us it's our problem. they refuse to contribute anything to the estimated repair of $4,800.00. *tr

Engine ticking at idle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle continued to drive, but the noise did not stop. he pulled the vehicle over and shut off the engine because he began to smell fuel. the contact discovered that the number three spark plug on the passenger side of the engine failed. the vehicle had the original spark plugs. when he attempted to replace and rethread the spark plug, it would not grip and tighten. the vehicle was towed to a shop and the contact was informed that it was a common failure. the repair shop performed a quick repair by ford, but it did not correct the failure. ford stated that they were aware of the failure, but there were no recalls and could not assist. the vehicle is currently at the shop and has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 86,214.

I was driving my eddie bauer ford explorer 4.6l v8 when i heard a large explosion sound coming from the engine. i immediately pulled off the road and called for help. i had my car towed to a shop where they told me the spark plug shot out of the engine and this should never happen. apparently the coil where it threads into was manufactured incorrectly so it never sat all the way on like it should. over time this is the result. i now need a new cylinder head costing $1800, and maybe a 2nd one down the road. that's $4,000 for ford's mistake! ford said they can't help. there is no recall. i was stranded on the side of a busy road in traffic risking my safety for their defective product! this is highway robbery! (literally). *tr

Where to start... broken cruise control, headlight switch has a short, driver side passenger window doesn't roll down, trouble going into gear, car suddenly dies at interstate speeds, loud grinding sound from the engine bay (like an electric knife sharpener) that is getting increasingly more frequent, service engine soon light will not go off, brakes squeal and don't stop the vehicle properly, support for the hatch (which is cracked 8 inches or so in two places) doesn't lift hatch completely, and the fuel economy is down to 4-6 mpg in the city. i hate it! i don't feel like my girlfriend is safe driving it, and i think ford should be forced to make their wrongs into rights! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving 25 mph, the contact heard a howling sound coming from the engine compartment. he ignored the sound and did not take the vehicle to the dealer. the following day, while driving at low speeds, the vehicle would not shift into gear properly and hesitated. the day after that none of the gears would shift and the vehicle lost all torque power. the vehicle was towed to an auto shop and the mechanic stated that there was transmission failure. the failure and current mileages were 140,000.

I have 2002 ford xlt explorer. 102k miles now. i had issue with throttle cable sticking back in feb 2008. would not decelerate properly driving home in the evening, throttle stuck open. came close to rear ending another vehicle. traced the problem to what was that the inner liner of the throttle cable had backed out in the driver compartment apprx 2 inches and not allowing the cable to retract correctly. i removed that section of the liner. after research found that nhtsa action number : pe05037 matched my problem exactly. please note here that my issue occurred after a longer period of time than what as noted in pe05037, you may have to open new investigation using longer period. i contacted ford motor customer service about this and they offered no remedy for this issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a coolant leak in the intake manifold. there is an extended coverage program that was initiated in class action lawsuit number 05n04. the contact is currently experiencing the same failure mentioned within the lawsuit. ford stated that the vin was not included in the recall and the repair would cost $800. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 103,000. updated 03/05/08. *lj

Driving on highway at 63 mph and valve spring broke. valve dropped into piston causing engine failure. check engine code called for random engine misfire and code was triggered at around 2600 rpm. prior to engine failure i have been experiencing a shudder when transmission shifts into overdrive. there is also a problem with the clutch pack in the limited slip differential that is causing a shudder when turning right or left from a dead stop. (dealership called it the parking lot shudder) i have a 02 ford explorer xlt with 4.6 and 4x4 that has bad engine, transmission, and rear differential. (engine replaced). *tr

Sudden failure of the engine that resulted in sudden lockup of the engine, complete loss of power, and control. this happened on a residential street at low speed. however a very busy intersection with high speed traffic had just been navigated. if the failure had happened at that intersection, the failure would probably have resulted in severe injuries or loss of life. the engine failure was sudden without warning and the engine was running perfectly up until the time of failure. the car started smoking from the exhaust system immediately after failure. *tr

This is to add information to a previous complaint. odi number 10207581. there was a sudden failure of the engine that resulted in sudden lockup of the engine, resulting in complete loss of power and control. this happened on a residential street at low speed. however a very busy intersection with high speed traffic had just been navigated. if the failure had happened at that intersection, the failure would have probably resulted in severe injuries or loss of life. the engine failure was sudden and without warning. by sudden, my wife described the noise as rattle, crunch, bang with everything locking up in less than 5 seconds. the engine was running perfectly up to the time of failure. the car began smoking from the exhaust immediately after the failure and my wife feared the vehicle was catching on fire. when the vehicle was towed, a large quantity (1 to 2 quarts)of engine coolant drained from the muffler. this indicates to me that a sudden failure of an internal engine seal, gasket, manifold, etc. if a part fails this suddenly, the part was either defective, improperly designed, or improperly assembled. *tr

Car fire - 2002 ford explorer limited

My 2002 ford explorer had a failed tube mounted "differential pressue feedback from egr" (dpfe) sensor after 30k miles. ford created a technical service bulletin (tsb) regarding this know issue affecting several 2000-2003 ford models including the 2002 explorer (see ford tsb 04-11-1 may 25, 2004 ). however, when ford turned this issue of the faulty dpfe sensor into a recall, or "field service action" (fsa) as they call it, they did not include the 2002 ford explorer in the dpfe recall. all vehicles included in fsa 02m01 were given an extended 2yr/24k mile warranty on the dpfe sensor. the 2002 explorer was not included in this extended warranty despite the fact that the 2002 explorer was included in the original tsb on this issue and the fact that the 2002 explorer was know to use the same tube mounted differential pressure sensor as all the vehicles included in the recall. see fsa 02m01 *tr

2002 explorer first rear end went and was replace only to find its gone again after 20,000 miles, then 4.6 v8 engine has a knock in it, ford is aware of it but wont replace or fix it, now both rear springs are broke which ford also knows and wont replace. *tr

I own a 2002 ford explorer and have had a ongoing problem with check lights coming on. first it was a check engine light which read that vehicle needed new catalytic converter .then couple yrs later came on again this time for a sensor. now i have a airbag light on it seems like one sensor after another. after reading very simmiler complaints on your site and others i think this should be looked at further. no exact events lead to the problem. all problems have been fixed except airbag light which just happend this week. *ak

April 2007 1. just bringing the car up to freeway speed. 2. a popping noise emitted from the engine, passenger side. unable to determine the problem as it was dark, the vehicle was towed to the repair shop. 3. it was determined that the 3rd plug had blown out of the engine and also destroyed the coil attached to it. a new threaded insert was installed in the spark plug hole. a new spark plug and new coil were installed. *tr

Egr sensor failure obd2 code p0401. *jb

Events leading up to the failure: backing out of a parking space failure and consequences: ford acknowledges issues internally with the timing cartridges on the 2002 e code 4.0l v6 sohc engine through several tsb's, however does not notify the public that this issue exists. i found out about the issue after apparently blowing the entire engine on my 2006 ford explorer. now, instead of having a repair done at the dealership that could cost a little, i have to spend a lot of money to have it fixed. i am greatly thankful that this happened as i was backing out of a parking space and not at highway speeds. apparently, ford used several plastic guide way parts to tension the chain, and these parts fail easily because they are oil starved at engine startup. because they are plastic, they can fatigue and break at any time, causing severe valve and piston damage, and leaving the operator of the car with no control of the automobile because of loss of vacuum for breaks, and automatic steering. correction of failure: ford refuses to pay anything to help repair or replace parts even with known issues. *jb

I have two or three issues; the first one is my timing chain tensioner broke and came up through the head gasket cover. it was brought to my attention that ford has had this problem with many of it's 2002 ford explorers. i am just returning from iraq (air force) i have just had it towed to the repair shop it has not be fixed. i have transmission problems for about 2 years were it jumps into gear and i have a whining noise coming from the rear end. i spoke with ganley ford in barbeton and they tell me that there are no recalls however, a lot of customers complain. *jb

I was only about 1 mile from home, the vehicle had no previous problems, i heard a strange sound then the vehicle was not running properly, i could smell fuel or some sort of odor, as i attempted to pull the vehicle over, there was no brakes or steering, i also could see smoke coming from the engine, i managed to get the vehicle over to the side of the road. the vehicle was also starting to fill with smoke inside very quickly. i was able to get out of the car. it would not engage in park, and rolled while i was trying to exit. i called 911, but the vehicle was already entirely engulfed in flames. *jb

In january, 2006, my car stopped dead on the highway. after it was towed to the dealership, we were told that a valve had broken and had been sucked into the engine, causing engine failure. our only alternative was to have the engine replaced - which we did for over $5000.00. the following january, (2007), after the first measurable snow fall of the year (since our engine had been replaced), the car went into a huge fishtail skid on a snowy road and after the first skid, was caught by the cable guard rail on the side of the road - causing another $5000.00+ repair. when brought to the dealership after the accident, we were told that the 4 wheel drive electronic monitor had failed and we had no 4 wheel drive. my concern - besides the cost and inconvenience and scare of the accident is that there were no warning lights to let me know that the car's 4 wheel drive had failed. i had gotten into the car assuming that the 4 wheel drive was working (as the car goes into 4 wheel drive automatically and there are no indicator lights normally to let you know that the 4 wheel drive is working). with no indicator lights that the 4 wheel drive is working and no indicator lights that it is not working, ford put me in a very unsafe situation. had the cable guard rail not been there to catch the car, we would have gone over the embankment and been more seriously injured. *nm

There is ford tsb 02m01 and ntsb 10007207 for replacement of the egr sensor on 2002 ford explorers. the explorer needed that sensor replaced, but the warranty claim was denied although my vehicle fell within age and mileage guidlines. i would like ford to compensate me for the cost of the repair.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated while accelerating, the vehicle vibrated and a noise was heard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer four times where the transmission converter was replaced twice, however the problem recurred. also, while the contact was changing the oil it was noticed a wire from the battery was bare. the consumer stated the transmission is still not shifting properly and during acceleration, the vehicle still vibrates. upon inspection the 02 sensor was found damaged. the sensor was covered in glue and wrapped around to the transmission mount. updated 12/01/06. *jb

Ongoing shifting and slipping within the transmission. also a loud shrill at the end of the acceleration. the transmission converter has been replaced multiple times and the transmission leaked out fluid at highway speed. after the repair of a stripped transmission line connector and a pile of glue to fix a broken electrical connector the vehicle was returned to service by the dealership and the warranty company. the converters are "remanufactured" which have been known to fail. the glob of glue on the electrical connector will be reviewed by the state as to the proper repair procedure. a law suit may follow due to separate repairs including a tire with a nail, where a new tire was purchased and a used on was installed (bf goodrich). the tire was also not balanced and was off by 1.5 oz. there was also a gasket removed from the cooling system that caused antifreeze to spill out onto the engine. the cooling system had been serviced two months prior and was never leaking until the day the vehicle was returned. there was also the discovery of the positive electrical harness to the starter having exposed wires due to the oil filter drain housing made of plastic rubbing against the wires. there are three wires exposed and there may be the potential for fire. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph, a burning odor was smelled coming from the a/c vents in the rear of the vehicle. when the vehicle was stopped, the rear vent was hot to the touch and a burning odor was evident. the service dealer and manufacturer had not been notified.*ak updated 10/30/2006 -*nm

Spark plug blew out of cylinder head while driving under normal conditions, could have caused fire had to replace the cylinder head instead of a tap kit to avoid metal shavings ruining the engine. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph, there was a sensation of running over something. the vehicle then stalled completely. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer determined that due to the engine locking up, the entire engine needed to be replaced.

Persistent quality problems: engine, transmission, power steering, air compressor, and related safety hazards such as defective rear hinge. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving the vehicle 25-35 mph, there was a sound like an explosion coming from the engine. the vehicle was towed to a garage where the garage determined a spark plug had blown out. the dealership determined this was a very common problem with these vehicles. the dealership also informed the contact that once this happens, it keeps happening and eventually the engine will need to be replaced. the coil was damaged when the spar plug failed. updated 08/08/06. *jb

Engine develop rough idle. sudden explosion sound revealed that number three spark plug was discharged from threads. dealer claimed zero responsibility yet admitted that it is a common problem with 4.6 and 5.4 liter engines. self repair with insert to repair damaged threads caused by exploding spark plug. *jb

I just bought a 2002 ford explorer with 74,000 miles on it. i have had it for just long enough to discover a few problems with it, and have done enough research to know that i am not the only one by far with the same problems. i am not sure what causes the problems that i am experiencing, i just know that lots of other people are also having these problems. first of all, there is a leak in my rear differential. my truck is currently in the shop for that now - however, the shop mgr refuses to fix the leak until the rear end breaks.... which will cost more and cause more repairs than necessary at the current time. my second problem - which the service mgr again refuses to fix until it breaks is with the timing chain tensioner - which leads to transmission problems which are also very costly. i have done my homework on this situation, since i have been forced to, and i am seeing over and over and over again, replaced the rear end on my 2002 explorer (multiple times on the same vehicle), and i am seeing over and over and over again, new transmission on my 2002 explorer (again, multiple times on the same vehicle). i don't know if anyone else knows about this site, or i'm sure that hundreds of the same kind of complaints would be filed with you.... someone really needs to look in to this problem, because ford is awful proud of their vehicles and i am paying a hefty chunk of money for mine, as are the tons of other people out there with the same problems who just may not know how to go about getting something done regarding this problem... i'm speaking not only for myself, but, for loads of other people with the same problems. please look into this problem, i beg you!! i don't want to be on the side of the road with my babies (4 & 5 yrs old) praying that the right person stops to help me and not the one with bad intentions!! something needs to be done about this - ford has got obvious drive train problems!!! thank you for your attention in this matter! *jb

2002 explorer has problems picking up speed and over use of gas. *ts the consumer also had problems with the transmission, gear adjustment, difficult high altitude driving even after gear change, air suction into the engine and transmission, accelerator and ses light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they refused to provide any assistance. *nm updated 07/06/06. *jb

On or about november 3, 2005, i purchased a break model used ford explorer xlt 2002 from norm reeves honda car dealer in cerritos, ca. the car had 78,000 miles on it at the time of purchase. i signed the papers and took the possession of the car. it has not been more than 2 months that the car started giving me trouble on the pick up of the speed, transmission, gear adjustment, over use of the gas, difficult high altitude driving even after change of gears, air suction into the engine and transmission, accelerator and signs like service engine soon on the front panel, although i have been getting regular lube and tune on the car after every 3000 miles. while driving the, occasionally, the car gives a thundering noise on the tires as if it is dragging itself and running on the road. this makes me fear that my car is not safe for me to drive! the norm reeves honda super store car dealer knew that the car is defective and they simply wanted to get rid of a used 2002 ford explorer xlt vehicle from the fleet as they primarily sell honda cars and similar vehicles. despite repeated requests, the norm reeves honda super store and their sister company ford of cerritos refused to provide service on the car since i stopped payments on the car loan. other ford car dealers have test driven this car and observed the same defects as i have mentioned. my purpose of writing this complaint with the nhtsa is to request the intervention of nhtsa immediately as the questioned vehicle is likely to endanger my life on the local roads and/or on highway/freeways. due to major defects in the car, i can meet with a serious accident and can be crippled or suffer such pecuniary losses that are irreplaceable and/or i can die also with out any fault of mine. please recall firestone tires v. ford motor company case law. criminal charges against norm reeves honda, ford of cerritos and their ceos to follow. please contact me and the dealers asap. respectfully submitted, amardeep singh gill. *nm

Brought in my 2002 ford explorer for routine maintenance - 60k service. in the process of doing service, tech found a bad injector, replaced injector but found there was a bad cylinder. advised me of this . i gave go ahead to fix. when they went to pull head to send valves off for fix, discovered that the timing chain guides on both sides had holes worn in them all the way through the top and bottom of them. this should not have happened on a 5 year old vehicle w/ 60,000 miles on it. *nm

2002 ford explorer with a v6 engine, purchased new, maintained, has 77,000 miles. while driving vehicle it became erratic, as if water in tank, drove about 1/2 mile when it died. now the engine needs to be replaced: according to warranty inspector the "cassette failed due to the hydraulic tensioner and it is clogged with sludge, sludge is getting thicker and it has clogged a pin hole in the tensioner and caused a loss of pressure". geico will not cover the engine replacement because they claim it was caused by lack of maintenance; however, i provided them with records of the mileage and date of oil changes at intervals between 3k and 5k miles, problem i have receipts for only 75% of those changes. the highest gap between a receipt backed change and non receipt change is 7000 miles. this problem seems awfully similar to the 1996 - 2002 toyota camry engines. i think ford has a lot of explaining to do. previously, this suv had to have a transmission replaced at 50k miles and a rear differential at 65k miles, thank goodness they were covered by the warranty. *nm

Engine knock in all 4.6 ford explorer engines-know by ford, due to faulty cylinder heads

Driving on i-65 nashville, tn. vehicle experienced a loud and abrupt sound in the engine with significant loss of power. narrowly missed having an accident due to the loss of power. we managed to drive the vehicle home where upon inspection, a spark plug had obviously blown out of the left side of the engine (left side of the engine from the perspective of sitting in the driver seat). *nm

Suv in service for 40 mths & 33k miles when ac evaporator went. no warranty coverage. then several months later with just over 36k miles a rear timing chain went. ford provided some after warranty assistance, but these failures cost consumer over $2k for a vehicle that was just out of warranty and has been babied its whole life. *nm

I have a 2002 ford explorer with 52,000 miles. i have an extended warranty through ford esp. in august, a spark plug blew out of the left head. the vehicle was towed back to the dealer for repair. the dealer authorized warranty work that would replace the head on the left side. i had the vehicle back for 2 weeks and the same thing happened on the right head. i took the vehicle in and the dealer said that they would not cover the fault. their reason is that there were autolite spark plugs in the vehicle instead of motorcraft spark plugs. i was told that they did the previous repair without realizing that. furthermore, they only replaced the one plug originally that blew out, re-using the other 3 plugs (autolites) that were in the vehicle. i have talked with ford in michigan and they are looking into it. first, the fact that they are not honoring the extended warranty because of spark plug brand is something i cannot find written anywhere. second, if those plugs are so bad, then are they negligent in putting those plugs back in. third, the fact that this happened and could have pierced a fuel line is very hazardous. my wife was driving the vehicle for half day trip in a desolate area. should something like this have happened while she was out there, it would have been horrible. does ford have the right to deny coverage with extended warranty for this reason? is it negligent on ford's part to simply tell me after the fact that the plugs that are in there are non-standard and that they would not cover the work?*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. whenever the contact started the vehicle, he noticed a clunking noise from the engine compartment. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the current mileage was approximately 135,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

I have a 2002 ford explorer with 60k miles on it. it recently blew a spark plug out of the cylinder head while on the highway resulting in loss of power and alarming noise. the failure occurred on the chesapeake bay bridge and could have resulted in an accident. this is a common problem that does affect safety of the vehicle with ford v-8 and v-10 engines that has not been properly addressed by ford. estimates to repair this defect in the cylinder head threads range from 2500 to 3500.

Driving and heard engine noise engine stalled wouldn't start in the middle of rush hour traffic...i was going downhill and able to roll to the side out of traffic and to safety. engine froze while driving with no warning, no signs...in the middle of traffic endangering myself and my daughter. my car sat 2 weeks at the ford dealer as they received 5 cars with engines frozen and couldn't get to my car until 7/8/05 cause they had to replace engines. when engine was torn down i was advised a valve spring broke and dropped into the cylinder tearing up the engine and now i need a new engine. ford motor will not back up their product.

At a complete stop vehicle surges (accelerates). have to place in neutral at standing stops to prevent an accident. driver's side power window switch failed, had replaced, also the window whines when rolling up. passenger's side power window regulator(cable) snapped?? when rear windows are down at a speed of 20 mph+ it sounds like a helicopter is in the back seat(actually physically hurts your ears!!!) <<<<no fix or repair?? anyone else have this problem? 55-65 mph steering wheel shakes. repair attempt balanced and rotated tires and suspension was inspected. still shakes. rear spare tire accessories cover handle broke. <<not abused. how do you change a flat with no jack or no tools?? (spare tire came down alright though). egr valve failure @ 40,000 miles. 4x4 intemittent shifting issues from low>auto and auto>high. can not pin point problem. that about wraps up my lovely experience with this vehicle. i am a married father of two and the only one working on a limited income. i bought this truck with very low miles thinking it would be dependable not unaffordable. *nm

2002 ford explorer experiencing problems with the 4wd, the over drive light illuminates on the dashboard and the vehicle is giving off a rotten egg smell. *mr there were front end problems. the 4wd module wasn't working. the driveshaft and both front wheel bearings were replaced. the rotors were out of round. the service engine light illuminated along with the over drive light. the transmission experienced the same problem on two occasions and possibly a third time. a large puddle of transmission was found under the vehicle. the torque converter was noisy. the acceleration pedal would pull back. when the vehicle was accelerated, it would whine. the left rear wheel bearing was gone and caused damage to the axle, brakes and the tire was barely holding on. the error code for the service engine soon light was due to the solenoid which had been changed before. the a/c was inoperative. *sc *jb

I have a 2002 ford explorer 4.6l v8. within the last month 3 spark plugs have been blown out of the cylinder heads. each time its a different cylinder. ford motor company has denied our claim to repair the stripped out threads in the cylinders, with a 75,000 mile extended warranty.

1. rear end howling noise (3/18/2005) - hear noise when accelerating between 40 and 65 mph. when letting off of accelerator, noise goes away, comes back again when accelerator is pushed again. dealer service dept replaced rear carrier bearings, cup, seals, and spacer in rear differential. noise now occurs between 65 and 70 mph. was taken back to dealer service dept on 4/11/2005. was informed 4/20/2005 that rear differential was adjusted with new spacer, but noise is still there. service manager has another ford explorer on lot and test drove it. this explorer has same noise between 40 and 65 mph. one of the techs (who used to work at a ford dealership) told service manager that alot of 2002 ford explorer owners have been having this problem. ford has no solution or cure. 2. noise in timing chain area. ford has a tsb on this. i can hear this rattling noise coming from this area and told dealership to look into it. they could not duplicate the noise, although when test driving it with assist. service manager, i could still hear the noise, but he could not. i had my local mechanic check this out, and they can hear the noise that i'm talking about. this problem has yet to be fixed. 3. vibration coming from front end on interstate that starts at around 70+ mph. when climbing a steep hill on interstate and transmission downshifts, can feel a grinding noise in powertrain. dealer believes that the fluid in the transfer case might need to be changed,causing clutches inside to stick. will find out tomorrow (4/21/2005). *nm

Vehicle was parked in the garage when it caught on fire unexpectedly. the sounds of fire trucks at about 3:15 am before consumer knew their garage was the one on fire. the ford explorer was completely destroyed as well as the other 1992 gmc. the fire came from under the hood of the ford explorer. *bf

Just recently purchased 2002 ford explorer from a dealer. kept scheduled maint. has been off lot for six months. noticed a loud engine knock from front of the engine. took the car to the dealer!, they said i had blown a rod bearing. has to be something with the engine. engine doesn't even have 60,000 miles on it. no sign of an oil leak, sludge,etc. dealer said the engine was clean. *jb

April 04 purchased 2002 ford explorer; just over 60,000 miles. no longer under warranty;sold as is. day after purchase, noticed knocking sound. returned to dealer. stated sound coming from the rear ac. repaired, did not hear after repair. approximately one week after purchase, noticed delay in gears engaging when going from park to drive , park to reverse also gear shift seemed to be loose. returned to dealer; told it was normal for this model. advised to keep in overdrive. late july 2004, noticed delay seem to be getting longer and jerking suddenly when finally engaged. while driving ,od light flashed on and off erratically. problem with od light intermittent. spouse took the car to the dealer; told that it wasn't under warranty, but we could make a service appointment. spouse took the vehicle to a shop had done business in the past. thought that it could need transmission fluid. checked fluid levels not deficient. problems continued; had them look at it a couple of months later. could not determine problem, advised to take to a transmission specialist if continued. problem persisted. seemed to get worse as the weather turned colder. late december 04, delays in engaging gears worsened; now making a loud clunking noise and lunges when engages, od light flashed erratically on a frequent basis and engine service light on and gear shift seemed to be coming out. january 2005, spouse took the vehicle to a transmission shop for diagnostic. transmission shot. rebuilt at a cost of $2900. found out that the vehicle had been repaired twice before, while under warranty for the same problems described. its obvious from the number of complaints that this is a known design defect. when a company sells defective products they should be held liable, especially when they do so knowingly. i stopped making payments on this junk and will notify the lender so that they and ford can fight it out. any owner who wishes may contact me at 703-998-5510. *jb

Vehicle was running like it was out of gas. consumer took the vehicle to dealer for repairs where it was discovered that timing chain was defective.*ak