2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

SPARK PLUGS MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO A SKIP UNDER LOAD. HOWEVER, FORD HAS USED SOME UNUSUAL SPARK PLUG THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR END USERS TO EITHER CHANGE THEMSELVES OR EXTRAORDINARILY EXPENSIVE FOR THE CONSUMER TO HAVE CHANGED BY FORD. FORD SERVICE QUOTE IS $300.00 TO HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS A TERRIBLE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SCREW UP THAT IS RIDICULOUS. FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND ADMIT THEY HAVE A POOR DESIGN AND NOT KEEP CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR THEIR MISTAKE. *TR

I HAD MISFIRES ON CYLINDER 7, TRIED TO REPLACE PLUGS HAD FOUR BREAK IN MANIFOLD, FOUND THAT SPECIALITY TOOL HAD TO BE BOUGHT TO REPLACE PLUGS THAT BREAK, ALSO FOUND THAT FORD SERVICE WAS WELL AWARE OF PROBLEMS WITH PLUGS AND THEY CHARGE EXTRA TO REMOVE AND REPLACE BROKEN PLUGS. FORD ENGINEERED A FAULTY PRODUCT AND BECAUSE THE NTSB HAS NOT SLAPPED THEIR HANDS THEY WILL NOT MAKE ANY AMENDS TO THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR REPLACEMENT OF PLUGS. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE THEM REPLACE THE PLUGS FOR A NON DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THE THERMOSTAT THAT CONTROLS THE TEMPERATURE IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE THERMOSTAT AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NO RELATED RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR CONDITIONER ALSO FUNCTIONED SPORADICALLY AT TIMES DURING HOT WEATHER. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

RADIATOR IS LEAKING COOLANT. COOLANT LEAKS THE FROM ALUMINUM CORE, POOLS UP AT THE BOTTOM IN THE PLASTIC AND DRIPS OUT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PLASTIC ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. TALKED TO FORD ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED FOR THIS (WHICH I REALIZE DOES NOT EXTEND THE WARRANTY) AND THAT WHEN THE TRUCK WAS MADE, THE FAN THAT COOLS THE RADIATOR WAS NOT PROGRAMMED CORRECTLY. IT WOULDN'T RUN WHEN IT NECESSARILY NEEDED TO OR FOR AS LONG AS IT NEEDED TO WHICH IS CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO OVERHEAT AND THE ALUMINUM TO SEPARATE AT THE SEAM...THUS CAUSING A COOLANT LEAK AND LEADING TO THE VEHICLE OVERHEATING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY FIX WAS JUST TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR WITH AN "UPDATED" RADIATOR AND HAVE THE PROGRAMMING UPDATED FOR THE FAN TO FUNCTION LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. (NOT SURE I AGREE WITH PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE WORKED PROPERLY IN THE FIRST PLACE.)

ON 8/10/10 I NOTICED WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE TRANSMISSION, BECAUSE WHEN ACCELERATED IT WOULD BECOME SLUGGISH AND MAKE A LOUD ROARING NOISE. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND ASKED FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY TRUCK IN. THEY SUGGESTED I BRING IT ON THE MORNING OF 8/11/10 FOR THEM TO CHECK IT OUT. AROUND NOON ON 8/11/10 THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT MY TRANSMISSION, BUT THAT I HAD A LEAK IN THE RADIATOR. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAS HAD SEVERAL OF THE SAME TYPE VEHICLES COME IN TO HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR RADIATORS. HE SUGGESTED THAT THEY REMOVE THE RADIATOR AND TAKE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP TO SEE IF IT COULD BE REPAIRED. ON 8/12/10 THE SERVICE MANAGER PHONED ME TO TELL ME THAT THE RADIATOR COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO MORE THAN ONE LEAK IN THE RADIATOR. HE ADVISED ME NOT TO PURCHASE A NON FACTORY MADE RADIATOR AND SUGGESTED THAT I ALLOW HIM TO ORDER ONE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND REPLACE MY DEFECTED ONE. ON 8/13/10 I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP MY TRUCK AFTER PAYING $583.05 FOR A NEW RADIATOR $15.52 FOR A NEW CAP AND $14 FOR ANTI FREEZE, NOT TO MENTION THE $75 FOR THE COST OF LABOR. ON 8/17/10, I PHONED NHTSA TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE RADIATOR THAT I NEVER RECEIVED. NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM THIS SAME MODEL VEHICLE WITH RADIATOR ISSUES. I WAS TOLD TO CALL FORD AND ISSUE A FORMAL COMPLAINT BY PHONE. I DID THIS AND WAS GIVEN A REF # [XXX]. I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE AN INVESTIGATION AND IF POSSIBLE A RECALL ISSUED FOR OWNERS OF THIS SAME TYPE VEHICLE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE SOME REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EXPENSE I WAS OUT GETTING A NEW RADIATOR FOR MY VEHICLE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THESE RADIATORS COULD HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE AT THE TIME OF ASSEMBLY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 40000 MILES I NOTICE A LEAK IN THE RADIATOR ON THE LOWER LEFT SIDE. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE AND THAT IT WAS LEAKING ON A SEAM AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $500. I HAD THEM ORDER A REPLACEMENT AND IT IS DUE TO BE REPLACED 03/29/2010. IF THIS IS KNOWN TO HAPPEN WHY IS THERE NO PARTLY TO FULL COVERAGE FOR A DEFECTIVE ITEM?

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. SHE STATED THAT SHE NOTICED RUST INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND THE DRIVE SHAFT MECHANISM. SHE ALSO NOTICED RUST UNDER ALL THE SEATS OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS SURFACE RUST DUE TO THE CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT. THEY ALSO STATED THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE FOR NEW VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD. THE DEALER INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT SHE COULD WIPE THE RUST OFF USING A TOWEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 360 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 700.

ENGINE SHUTS OFF DURING SLOWING FOR TURN OR STOP CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER SAYS THEY CAN NOT REPAIR AND CAN NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. DEALER DOES NOT TAKE THE PROBLEM SERIOUSLY. I BELONG TO A SPORT TRAC CLUB AND OTHER 2007 SPORT TRACS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM