2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac power train problems

“MY 2004 FORD EXPLORER HAS RECENTLY AND QUICKLY BEGAN SHIFTING VERY BADLY. I ALWAYS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL BEFORE SHIFTING INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE BECAUSE WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE FROM P OR D, IT ALWAYS TAKES A WHILE, THEN CLUNKS AGGRESSIVELY INTO PLACE. WHILE DRIVING SOMETIMES DOWNSHIFTING WILL ALSO CLUNK INTO PLACE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY COUNTLESS OTHER DRIVERS AND HAS CAUSED MANY POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. FROM ACCELERATING SLOWLY THEN BANGING GEARS AND TAKING OFF, TO STUTTERING WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE, OR EVEN SWITCHING INTO REVERSE WHILE PARKING, AND HAVING THE CAR TRY TO JUMP BACK A FEW INCHES IS ONLY A FEW ISSUES THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED MYSELF AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. PEOPLE ARE REPLACING TRANSMISSIONS LEFT AND RIGHT TO NO AVAIL, ONLY A FEW 10 THOUSAND MILES AFTER INSTALLING NEW TRANSMISSIONS, THEIR CAR STARTS TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME ISSUES AS BEFORE. AT LOW SPEEDS AND IN PARKING LOTS THIS BECOMES A GAME OF LUCK AS YOU ACCELERATE MORE THAN NECESSARY TO TRY TO GET GOING, THEN STOPPING AND WAITING A FEW SECONDS WHILE YOU SHIFT TO NEUTRAL BEFORE SHIFTING TO REVERSE AS FEAR OF IT BANGING INTO GEAR AS YOU TRY TO MANEUVER…”

“MY STEERING COLUMN BROKE RIGHT OFF! TRYING TO PUT IT IN DRIVE @99,735 MI. HAD TO TOW IT TO SHOP, AND REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN. I SEE OTHER PEOPLE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS!!! I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION @ 103,000 MILES IT WOULD SKIP 3RD GEAR. SEEMS EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO BACK BEARINGS!! WHAT A DISGRACE. RECALL THIS DISGRACEFUL WORKMANSHIP! NO HONOR!”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE CONTACT'S SON PULLED TOO HARD AND FRACTURED THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS CURRENTLY TOO LOOSE AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.”

“WELL WE JUST BOUGHT THIS EXPLORER AND JUST AS I HAVE READ FROM OTHERS ON THIS WEBSITE OUR EXPLORER IS DOING SIMILAR THINGS. SUCH AS SHIFTING IN REVERSE TAKES 3-7 SECONDS TO TAKE HOLD, GOING UP THE MOUNTAINS THE SUV HAD MAJOR KICKBACKS AND JERKS. I HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AS OF NOW. WILL MAKE AN APT. AND PUT RESULTS LATER.”

“ALL FOUR SEALS WHERE LEAKING INCLUDING PINION SEALS. CLUNKING NOISE 40 TO 50MPH WHEN YOU LET GO OF THE GAS ,HOLDS BACK,HEATER GAUGE+MPH GAUGE DON'T WORK MOST.OF THE TIME.PAINT CHIPPING AWAY ALL OVER.REPLACED ALL SEALS 5 TIMES +YOKE CVHALF SHAFT. REPLACED FRONT DIFFERENTIAL STILL MAKING THE NOISE.POOR LIGHTING AT NIGHT.IT HAS A MISS FIRE GAVE IT A TUNEUP AND STILL IS DOING IT. RADIO VOLUME WON'T TURN DOWN IT GOES LOUDER WHEN TURNING DOWN.”

“TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARDER AND SHAKES THE ENTIRE SUV. WHEN I PRESS THE GAS AND GET TO ABOUT 35-40 IT WILL START KNOCKING REALLY BAD AND FEELS LIKE IT'S LOSING POWER. WHEN I STOP THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENS WITH THE KNOCKING. I WAS GOING 35 AROUND A SLIGHT CURVE ON I-45 FREEWAY BY LITTLE YORK SHEPARD GULF BANK AREA TO BE EXACT AND THE SUV WAS DRIVING FINE. I WAS JUST GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY AT THIS TIME. HINTS THE REASON I'M NOT GOING SO FACE. WHEN I STARTED PICKING UP SPEED THE TRANSMISSION JERKED SO HARD I FLEW INTO THE NEXT LANE. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS AROUND ME BUT IMAGE IF I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THIS HAPPEN.”