1997 Ford Explorer problems

“ON 7/29/2013 WE PURCHASED A SET OF 4 KUMHO SOLUS KR21 TIRES. THE CAR IS USED PRIMARILY FOR HIGHWAY TRAVEL ? ONCE WEEKLY WORK COMMUTE AND FOR VACATION ROAD TRIPS. WE HAD NOT YET DRIVEN IT OFF PAVEMENT WITH THE NEW TIRES. ON 4/16/2014 I STARTED THE CAR TO GO TO WORK. I HEARD AN ODD NOISE FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE, ALMOST LIKE A RHYTHMIC POPPING SOUND, BUT IT STOPPED, AND SINCE IT WASN'T IDENTIFIABLE I PROCEEDED TO LEAVE MY DRIVEWAY. ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY, I HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN, BUT AGAIN IT STOPPED. AT THIS POINT THE CAR WAS HANDLING FINE. AS SOON AS I GOT ON THE FREEWAY (APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM MY HOUSE), I NOTICED I WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING TO SPEED (65MPH). I ALSO BEGAN TO HEAR A RHYTHMIC BUMPING NOISE, SO BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. BY THE TIME I GOT OVER, I COULD FEEL THE BUMPING AND KNEW I HAD A FLAT. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL HAD SUFFERED A COMPLETE SIDEWALL SEPARATION (SEE PHOTO). THE TIRES ONLY HAD 6,624 MILES ON THEM ? ALL PAVED ROAD, NO DIRT. THEY WERE SUPPOSEDLY WARRANTIED TO 85,000 MILES. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE SOUNDS I HEARD IN MY DRIVEWAY WERE THE INITIAL SIDEWALL SEPARATION. THE SEPARATION DID NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE LOSS…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,000.”

“SINCE THE EXPLORER WAS 5 YEARS OLD THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE TRUCK WAS STARTING TO SETTLE/ BE LOWER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. UNTIL IT WAS SO BAD THE SHOP STATED WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE REAR SPRINGS, SHOCKS AND STABILIZER AND *** THE REAR WAS ALSO LOWER THAN THE FRONT. SO WE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT SHOCKS AND SEVERAL SUSPENSION PARTS TO TRY TO LEVEL THE VEHICLE BACK TO NORMAL. NOW WITH THE ENGINE BLOWN THE TRUCK AGAIN WAS SETTLING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND TOWARD THE REAR!!!!! *TR”

“THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS INEFFECTIVE SERVICE BY AAMCO THAT LED TO FAILURE OF A TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE. AS YOU SEE BY THE ATTACHED LETTER, I VOICED CONCERN ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR AND ALL AAMCO SUGGESTED WAS TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE INEFFECTIVE SERVICE. I REQUESTED THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER AAMCO CENTER, BUT YOUR RESPONSE WAS TO TAKE IT TO THE CENTER THAT I ALREADY HAD DOUBTS ABOUT. LET ME SET THE SCENARIO AGAIN. ?WITH INITIAL GRINDING SOUNDS AND LACK OF REVERSE, I TOOK TO CLINTON TRANSMISSIONS IN 2011 AND THEY INFORMED ME THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED UNTIL 2012. ?IN 2012, I CALLED THE WALDORF AAMCO CENTER AND THEY INFORMED ME IT MAY NOT BE THE TRANSMISSION AND TO LET THEM LOOK AT IT. IT WAS TOWED IN AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE BUT THE TRANSFER CASE WAS BAD. ?ALL TOTALED, I PAID $1534.76 FOR TRANSFER CASE, $430.03 FOR PARTS, AND $600 FOR LABOR. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OTHER SERVICES THAT THE CENTER SAID I NEEDED. ?THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TWICE FOR AN OD LIGHT THAT CAME ON AS SOON AS I LEFT THE CENTER. THEY SEEMED UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ?I FELT…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE ABNORMALLY, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK GAUGE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT, THE CONTROL ARMS, THE FRONT OXYGEN SENSOR, AND THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 147,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DEFROSTER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AND THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT CLEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE DASHBOARD WOULD HAVE TO BE REMOVED AND THE BLENDING CHAMBER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000. UPDATED 07/10/13*LJ UPDATED 07/12/13 *JS”