2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

The dash cluster don't work cant see your rpms,speed,the fuel gauge gos up and down can't see milage or trip meter if you hit the dash it will work but go out going down the road and I researched it and its a common issue and I cant aford a new dash cluster I got a speeding ticket yesterday because I couldn't see my speed and there was no one in front of me to go off of i was going 15 over

As I was driving to work one morning suddenly my headlights and all interior lights, such as the dashboard, suddenly went out without any warning and nothing electrical would work such as the radio and the windows and all the gauges in the dash dropped to zero or the needle fell all the way to the left. This has become an ongoing problem and I never know when it's going to go out or come back on for that matter and sometimes when it's acting crazy My speedometer will just jump all over the place. I believe this is a safety issue not only for myself but for other drivers on the road as my lights may suddenly go out as I am driving to work at 4:00 a.m. when it is dark. It is also a safety issue because when this happens I have no idea what speed I am driving or how much gas I have left or if my vehicle is starting to get hot. I have not taken the vehicle to the dealer or anywhere else for fear of it costing an arm and a leg to fix the problem, as every single Ford that I have ever owned seems to have had some type of electrical issue. I do have video of my gauges going crazy as I am driving on the highway; however looking ahead in this form it looks as if I can only submit photos and not a video.

MY TRUCK'S STEERING COLUMN IS TIGHT. IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD LOCK UP OR BREAK OFF. THE KEY IS HARD TO TURN IN THE IGNITION; THE GEAR SHIFTER IS TIGHT TO SWITCH FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THIS IS OCCURRING WHEN I START THE TRUCK, THEN IT SEEMS TO BE FINE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW FORD HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE MECHANISMS TO ENABLE A SMOOTH START. MY TRUCK HAS ONLY 49,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. I WORRY THAT IT COULD LEAVE ME STRANDED OR THE STEERING WHEEL COULD LOCK UP. HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE?

FORD INERTIA SWITCH. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND PROPULSION, CAUSING MY POWER STEERING TO GO OFF AS WELL AS ALL INSTRUMENTATION TO TURN OFF, WHILE MOVING AT 65 MPH. THE ONLY THING I COULD DO IS TURN MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON FIND AN EXIT AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS CAUSED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION, AND ONE THAT VERY WELL COULD HAVE ENDED IN DEATH. THE ONLY ISSUE IS THAT IT OCCURS VERY SPORADIC AND IT'S VERY HARD TO TROUBLESHOOT OR RECREATE THE FAULT.

THE FRONT, DRIVER'S SIDE, TIRE CAME APART AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE'S BODY AND POSSIBLY OTHER DAMAGES NOT SEEN. I NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC FOR AN INSPECTION TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER DAMAGES. THE TIRE IS A GOOD YEAR EAGLE RS-A. THE DOT # IS 4B08 DLWR 3701. TIRE SIZE P235/70R16. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE I-75 WHEN THE TIRE CAME APART. IT WAS TERRIBLY SCARY. I DID NOT REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS FALLING APART. I PULLED ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND REALIZED THE TIRE HAD COME APART. THE RUBBER COMING OFF THE TIRE CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF BODY DAMAGE. THE VISIBLE DAMAGES INCLUDE DAMAGES TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD LIGHT, RUBBER RIPPED OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE BLINKER, MOLDING UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR WAS RIPPED OUT, PAINT DAMAGE, TIRE WELL DAMAGE AND LOOSENING OF OTHER MOLDING ON DRIVER'S SIDE. A MECHANIC WILL HAVE TO INSPECT FOR UNSEEN DAMAGES.

I WAS DRIVING FRIDAY AFTERNOON AFTER WORK WAS OVER GOT HOME AN PARKED IT WENT TO LEAVE TO GO TO THE STORE AN IT WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME WAS THE OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR I REPLACED IT AN IT DROVE PERFECTLY FINE I HAD IT SERVICED FOR OIL AN TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH AFTER THAT IT DROVE FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AN AS I DESCRIBED IN THE BEGINNING IT HAPPENED AGAIN SAME SYMPTOMS O/D FLASHING WOULDN'T GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE SO I REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN THIS TIME IT STILL DID NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP AN THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT IT HAS 212000 ON IT AN FORD KNOWS THESE GO OUT AN THE TRANSMISSION SHOP I GO TO SAID THEY REPLACE 12 EVERY MOTH CAUSE THIS IS COMMON WITH FORD VEHICLES SO WHY DOE FORD NOT COVER THIS AN WHY ARE THERE NO RECALLS ON THIS IN MY OPINION THIS IS A COMPLETE JOKE ON FORD NOW I HAVE TO SPEND 2400 ON REPLACING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WHICH I THINK FORD SHOULD BE REPLACING IT FOR FREE KNOWING [XXX] WELL THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS GO OUT IN THEM FORCING THE OWNER TO PAY THE PRICE FOR NEW ONE IT'S ABSOLUTELY ABSURD FORD NEEDS TO GET THERE HEAD OUT OF THERE ASS AN REPLACE THESE FOR FREE FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SPEND ON FIXING THERE CARS OIL CHANGES TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHES AND TIRES THAT WE HAVE TO BUY EVERY YEAR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

MY 2005 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND WHEN IT DOES, MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STOPS WORKING. MY TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, TEMP, AND FUEL GAUGES STOP WORKING. HERE LATELY, MY RADIO AND POWER WINDOWS HAVE STOPPED WORKING. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AND REPORTED TO ME THAT THE VEHICLE STARTS SHAKING AND SHUTS OFF AS WELL. NOT REALLY SURE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT, BUT WHEN EVERYTHING STOPS WORKING, I SIT THERE AND HIT THE DASH TO GET THE LIGHTS AND WINDOWS TO START WORKING AGAIN. I USED TO BE ABLE TO HIT THE DASH WITH MY HAND AND GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO OFF AND THE GAUGES START WORKING. WHEN I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD STORE AND TALKED TO THEM IN SERVICE, THEY QUOTED ME LIKE $400 FOR A PART AND JUST AS MUCH FOR LABOR, LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE PROBLEMS AND THEY KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO FIX. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING, BUT WITH THE ODOMETER NOT REGISTERING MILES FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS, I NOW HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS CONSIDERED SALVAGE TITLE BECAUSE IT IS UNKNOWN MILES.