Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The consumer experienced a problem with the cruise control. the consumer would set the cruise control and then it will shut down by itself. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer who as of today, was unable to find a defect. *jb the failure resulted in a life threatening situation when the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph on it's own while hitting the resume button in cruise control. the vehicle had been in to the dealer for the repair of the braking and tire pressure gauges, throttle control, transmission slippage, cruise control, traction control default, general computer defaults and the rear trim piece at the liftgate opening was distorted. *sc

I have had many, many problems with my 2004 ford explorer. probably the most dangerous one is the recurring failure of the transmission. this last time that this occurred i was on interstate-85, in morning rush-hour traffic, and all of a sudden my rpm's are flying to the red danger area and i have no acceleration power and am losing speed. there is an 18-wheeler on my rear and i can't pick up speed! luckily, i was approaching an exit and managed to get the vehicle off of the interstate and onto a less traveled road. this is the second time that i have endured this scenario. once again the solenoid is gone, with repairs estimated at $1255.00. i have had this problem repaired less than a year after purchase. i have had this problem repaired at 32,567 miles, and i now have this problem again at 76,725 miles. i have had the clutch pack replaced at 24,940 miles as well as the ring gear, pinion, and all bearings replaced at 24,940 miles. at 35,558 miles the lower ball joint had to be replaced. at 64,335 i had to have the pats transponder(security system) replaced. in short i have had the transmission repaired three times the front end rebuilt , the back end redone. i honestly can say i do not feel very safe in this vehicle, especially since i have to use this to transport my children. these problems seem to be the norm for this particular vehicle, as i have done research on this. i don't understand why ford is not made to resolve these issues. i have also had to have my heating and air replaced. this occurred in the winter of 2007 and was a safety issue, as i could not defrost my windows. *tr

While driving at approximately 20 mph other vehicles were pointing at consumer's vehicle, indicating that the vehicle was on fire. smoke was coming from the hood, the base of the chassis, the vents, and from the tire hub. the hub caps melted. the fire also disinterested the brakes. vehicle had to be stopped by the use of the emergency brake. consumer took the vehicle to a ford dealership, who advised the consumer to take it to the dealership where it was purchased. this dealership provided no assistance. consumer refused to drive the vehicle to the other dealership because of the condition of the vehicle, which was currently under warranty. dealer stated that the cause of the fire was undetermined. *ak

When driving on cruise control and decreasing speed to around 25 mph using the cruise control features, the vehicle will stall while in drive, locking up the steering wheel and making it difficult to control the vehicle. remedies used were placing the vehicle in park after coasting to a stop and applying the brakes and turning the ignition to the off position and restarting the vehicle. we are able to replicate this issue.*ak

Problems with the starter and wheels not returning to center position after making a turn. (nar) *ph *cb there was a possibility that the wrong type of sway bar had been installed on the vehicle at the factory. the power steering unit was the problem. the problem still existed. the steering wheel did not return to the center after turning, especially when turned to the right. the consumer would have to physically bring the vehicle back to the center, or it would continue running of the road. *sc *jb