Cruise control "fire" problem

[jayhawkexplorer]

ROE,
Glad you're happy with yours.
I am inclined to rant, but I'll just say this should anyone from Ford read these threads and care;
I am EXACTLY the demographic Ford should care most about. For all the problems I have had with the vehicle, the single most frustrating thing has been Ford's unwillingness to so much as acknowledge much less address my correspondence to them. And I am not referring to ranting letters and screaming phone calls. I mean well written, to-the-point concerns posed by a first time customer. And yet, even though they have not acknowledged me personally even once, I continue to get their marketing brochures on a routine basis. I mean, come on, wake up Ford! They had many opportunities to make me feel like I matter, and for a maybe a hundred bucks (their cost) they could have really made me feel like an important customer. But instead of stopping at nothing, they decline to acknowledge me and then insult me by telling me to head to my local dealer to check out the new models. Well, as is often the case, my woes have lost them not only me, but any number of other people I have discussed this with. And so goes the US automotive industry. Hello out there!! I want to "buy American", but if you so much as tell me I don't exist in your world, why would I buy your product just to deal with the poorer quality and higher repair costs??

YOLT

What problems have you had? Have you gone through all the appropriate channels with your purchasing dealer?

 

[youonlylivetwic]

Hi Jayhawk,
Geez, I doubt I can remember them all. I bought it in Texas shortly before moving, and so didn't have contact with the original dealer for long.
let's see...
about one month in the center console broke, I was just leaning to reach back to get the seatbelt. I thought it had to be something wrong, it had almost no use and there was nothing unusual about leaning on it to get your seatbelt, or so I thought. They refused to fix it.
Then the tire thing we are all aware of, first insisting the tires were safe and then ultimately recalling them.
When I took the vehcile in there were two other recalls I was unaware of that they happily fixed for me as well.
I also had some recall about something in the steering column??? Never did understand it.
At that point I started getting a little concerned about the kind of $ I had spent on a new vehicle and the problems it was having, but Ford refused to so much as acknowldege any of my correspondence. The local dealers sent me to Ford HQ, and HQ refused to reply.
Then, the ball joints go at about 50k miles. I don't know much about vehicles, but it sure seemed expensive for what was relatively common driving. They also wanted to repair some other problem that I don't recall what it was.
I have had smoke coming from the steering column, per another thread I started.
It has eaten 4 batteries in 6 years. I know it isn't me because none of my other vehicles have done that and I don't treat the Explorer any differently.
Oh, and early on the stereo lights would go in an out. Sometimes at night it was completely dark. then that stopped, and has recently started again. The cd player also doesn't work right now, I have to push the cd in part way, then push the cd button to get it to (sometimes) pull the cd in before the unit pushes it out, and it doesn't go to play right away, I need to push CD again to get it to change to the cd function.
Now this cruise control issue, which I don't believe for a moment couldn't affect the Explorer too.
I also had the thermostat go, which is probably more routine, but when you compound everything and don't have similar problems with my wife's Honda, it gets old.
They have almost identical miles. So far the Honda has needed a new battery.

I am certain there were other things I can't recall, this has gone on so long. If I remember them I will post it...


oh geez, how could I forget, I also had ongoign problems with the driver door lock. It got so bad I had to go through the rider side for awhile. Neither the key nor the automatic door lock thing could get it to budge.

And I had some weird electrical problems with the rear lights. That went on for a long time, too, because it was so inconsistent I couldn't figure out the problem...

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Wow, YOLT, you've certainly had your share of the well documented Explorer troubles. But everything is now fixed, and you can look forward to many more trouble-free miles with it.....

Yeah right.....

My 2000 Sport was a low-mileage used vehicle when bought, and I too have had my share of troubles. First was the shift flare that took an aftermarket kit and numerous new parts to fix. Then there was the creaking front end, driver's seat bolt recall, seized brake caliper slides, stuck thermostat, high idle, etc, etc,. I now have a small coolant leak that I'm trying to nail down.

Granted, these are relatively minor defects, but shouldn't be on a vehicle with less than 60K miles on it, in my opinion. Oh well, maybe we're fixing everything on the front end, and these Sports will indeed be trouble free for years to come. I hope so, because the wife loves to drive it now, and the size is perfect for us.

My sister has a Toyota that she's had nothing but trouble with, so I guess everythings relative, and no vehicle is truly perfect.....?

ROE

 

[youonlylivetwic]

you're not kidding ROE no vehicle is perfect. As I said much earlier though, my greatest frustration is that Ford thinks it makes sense to completely ignore my (attempts at) correspondence, but spends all sorts of money on glossy flyers and postage telling me to check out their new models.
I consider myself almost the ideal demographic, and yet they have done everything they can to convince me to never buy another Ford. Actions speak, and no promises at this point would get me back. Treated well, it might have opened doors for who knows how many people I deal with to hear about a positive experience with Ford. Instead, for any number of people I now serve as either a warning about setting foot on a Ford lot, or validation that Ford isn't worth it if they have already had similar problems.
It is too bad but between the unrealistic labor unions and poor management decisions our domestic auto industry has more rough days ahead.