1997 Ford Explorer electrical system problems

“MY LIGHTS DON'T WORK STABILIZING BAR IS BAD,SPEED CONTROL DOSE NOT WORK SECURITY KEY CODE NOT WORKING,DOOR CONTROLS DO NOT WORK.WIPER WORK SOMETIMES.BALL JOINT ARE BAD, TIRES WEARING BAD,,BUSHINGS ARE VERY BAD.TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SLIP,ALL WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT WORK, IT GRINDING SOUND.HEAF LIGHT ONLY BRIGHTS WORK.”

“I RECENTLY FOUND OUT MY VEHICLE HAS AN OPEN RECALL REGARDING THE POSSIBLE LEAKAGE OF THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING OR NOT. THE FORD MANUFACTURER'S RECALL #09S09 AND THE NHTSA RECALL #09V399000. THIS IS STILL AN OPEN RECALL.I CONTACTED FORD RECALL CENTER TODAY AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO REMEDY THIS HAZARDOUS RECALL DUE TO THE AGE OF THE RECALL AND THE AGE AND MILES OF MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD SHOULD FIX IT AS BODILY INJURY OR EVEN POSSIBLE DEATH COULD OCCUR IF THIS RECALL IS NOT REMEDIED. MY VEHICLE IS RUNNING PROPERLY FOR THE MOMENT BUT SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, FORD MOTOR CO. SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX IT NO MATTER THE AGE OF MY VEHICLE.”

“ON DECEMBER 23RD, 2016 I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK AROUND 6:00 PM. MY CAR WAS A 1997 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED ONTO MY ROAD WHEN I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE, SO, I PULLED OFF INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT BESIDE A WALKING TRAIL. I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, BUT, IT TOOK ME QUITE A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD - BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG THERE. THEN, I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND THE SMOKE KEPT GETTING HEAVIER. I BEGAN FEELING AROUND FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS HOT. I CHECKED THE DASH, THE VENTS, THE STEERING WHEEL, THE SEATS - ALMOST EVERYTHING BEFORE I CHECKED THE CENTER COMPUTER CONSOLE. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAR - DIRECTLY UNDER THE RADIO - THERE IS A COMPUTER MODULE THAT DISPLAYS THE GAS MILEAGE, OIL STATUS, AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR. THE MODULE HAD RECENTLY STARTED DISPLAYING A "CHECK HEADLAMPS" MESSAGE. WELL - I HAD DONE SO AND THEY WERE WORKING FINE - SO I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF IT. TURNS OUT THAT THE FIRE HAD STARTED UNDER THE CENTER COMPUTER MODULE. I GUESS THAT THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BLOWN A FUSE BUT INSTEAD - STARTED A…”

“THE 1997 FORD EXPLORER 4D EDDIE BAUER EDITION HAS A COMPUTER CONTROLLED MESSAGE CENTER. THE MESSAGE CENTER CONTROLS AMONG OTHER THINGS THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LAMPS. THE LIGHT OUT MODULE (LOM) ALSO KNOWN AS THE INDICATOR WARNING SYSTEM CONTROL IS LOCATED INSIDE THE MESSAGE CENTER CONSOLE AND RUNS "HOT" IN TEMPERATURE BECAUSE OF A FLAWED DESIGN. THE CURRENT DESIGN LEADS TO INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES THAT RESULT IN A LOSS OF THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO NOTIFY THE DRIVER OF A HEADLIGHT OR LAMP FAILURE, ETC, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE OF THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM CAUSES THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS (AND FOG LAMPS AS THEY ARE ON THE SAME CIRCUIT) TO FAIL. ON JUNE 25, 2014, THE SECOND FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM OCCURRED (WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE INDICATOR WARNING SYSTEM CONTROL OR LIGHT OUT MODULE (LOM) AT GREAT EXPENSE). FORD MOTOR COMPANY MUST RECALL THE 1997 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION AND ANY OTHER LIKE DESIGNED FORD PRODUCT WITH A LIGHT OUT MODULE (LOM) THAT FAILS LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT LOW BEAMS AND NO MEANS OF FIXING THE SAID DEFECT WITHOUT AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER'S REPAIR (AT GREAT EXPENSE)…”

“I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THE FIRE, THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT A BLOCK FROM MY HOME AND THEN IT WAS RETURNED TO THE DRIVEWAY. MY UNCLE SON SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM WHEN THEY HEARD THE CAR ALARM AND LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW TO SEE CLOUDS OF BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRUCK. MY SON ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BUT IT WAS TO INTENSE, MY SON CALLED 911. THIS WOULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE IF THEY HAD BEEN IN THE CAR. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT SAY WHAT CAUSED THIS FIRE. THE TIRES EVEN MELTED. ALL SEVERE DAMAGE WAS TO THE FRONT END. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT, THERE IS NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS FIRE. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR PHOTOS. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO BUT I NEED TO MAKE SURE NO FAMILIES. *TR”

“WHILE DRIVING MY 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD DROP TO ZERO AND I WOULD NOT KNOW HOW FAST I AM ACTUALLY DRIVING. THE TACHOMETER IS ALSO AFFECTED AND, PROBABLY, THE ODOMETER. MY MECHANIC HAS CHANGED THE SPEED SENSOR BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS TURNED UP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE RESULT BEING A FAULTY PROGRAMMABLE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER MODULE (PSOM), WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE DASH. THIS IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE JUST PURCHASING GPS UNITS TO DETERMINE HOW FAST THEY ARE DRIVING. IT IS MY OPINION THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE PSOM. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM OF NOT KNOWING HOW FAST I AM DRIVING, THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES THE ODOMETER TO READ INCORRECTLY. *TR”