1996 Ford Explorer

THE SWAY BAR LINKAGE WAS ENTIRELY MISSING. AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CAR STARTED SWAYING BACK AND FORTH PROGRESSIVELY HARDER, UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE APPRLIED. I INSTALLED THE NEW PARTS TO REPLACE THOSE MISSING AND THE CAR NOW DRIVE PREFECTLY NORMALLY. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WOULD ROLL OVER IF ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THE SIDE-TO-SIDE OSCILLATION. *AK

I PURCHASED MY 96 FORD EXPLORER IN NOV. 95 AND HAVE HAD A VEHICLE SHUDDER PROBLEM THAT BECOMES A SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN TIRES ARE INFLATED BEYOND THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE OF 26PSI. FORD HAVE NOW RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURES OF 30PSI, WHICH I CANNOT DO WITHOUT RISKING A VEHICLE LOSS OF CONTROL SITUATION. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, IT ABSOLUTELY SCARED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME, TO PUT IT POLITELY! I HAD JUST PICKED UP THE TRUCK FROM THE MISSION VALLEY FORD AFTER SOME BRAKE WORK. I TOOK THE TRUCK UP TO FREEWAY SPEED AND WHILE TRAVELING OVER SOME ROUGH FREEWAY SURFACE THE TRUCK ALMOST WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHERE FAILURE ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. THE ONLY ISSUE THE SERVICE ENGINEER IDENTIFIED AS ABNORMAL WAS THEY HAD SET THE TIRE PRESSURE TO 30PSI(ALL TIRES). RESETTING THE TIRES BACK TO 26PSI ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM.THIS PROBLEM RESURFACED TWICE MORE SINCE AND RESETTING THE TIRES TO 26PSI CORRECTED THE LACK OF CONTROL PROBLEM. THE SHUDDER I NORMALLY FEEL APPEARED TO EXTEND INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CONTROL THE TRUCK WHEN I TRAVELED OVER A ROUGH PATCH IN THE SURFACE OF A FREEWAY. EMERGENCY BRAKING BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK UNDER CONTROL. I NO LONGER ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE EXPLORER. IM FAMILIAR WITH STEERING WHEEL SHUDDER AS A RESULT OF POOR WHEELING BALANCING, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. THE WHOLE VEHICLE SHUDDERS, NOT THE STEERING WHEEL, AT CRUISING SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AND ABOVE, AND IS PARTICULARLY OBVIOUS ON LONG JOURNEYS. THIS WAS IDENTIFIED TO THE FORD SERVICE DEPT., WHO SUGGESTED THAT THE TRACKING AND/OR THE TIRES MAY BE AT FAULT. TRACKING HAS BEEN CHECKED AND NEW TIRES PURCHASED, BUT NEITHER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE SHUDDER PROBLEM HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY THE SERVICE DEPT OF THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY EXPLORER. SEE ATTACHED SERVICE RECORDS DATED 6/12/97 AND 12/1/98 FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

PE-00-020; ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES WERE WRANGLERS.. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH FOUR OTHER SETS OF TIRES EVERY 15 THOUSAND MILES DUE TO THE CUPPING ON THE FRONTAL TIRES, AROUND THE OUTTER EDGE, WHICH WAS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR AND VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE HAVE BEEN ALIGNED. EXCESSIVE WEAR CONTROL TO OCCUR ..*AK *JB

TIRE DELAMINATED WHILE DRIVING ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY IN MODERATE TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWED AND MY WIFE REACTED BY FURTHER SLOWING THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT FURTHER VEHICLE JARRING/SWAYING. SHE WAS ABLE TO FIGHT THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AND CROSS SEVERAL LANES OF TRAFFIC TO STOP THE VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER. THE TIRE FLAP TORE THE WHEEL WELL AND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING OVER$2000 DAMAGE. THIS FAILURE PUT THE LIVES OF MY WIFE, TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, TWO OTHER PASSENGERS, AND OTHER DRIVERS IN GRAVE DANGER. I AM OFFENDED THAT FIRESTONE AND FORD HAVE NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY AND PUT CONTAINMENT PLANS INTO ACTION. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRANCE OF A TIRE ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE (WITH THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRES). WHEN THE FIRST OCCURRED, WE NOTICED A THUMPING SOUND AND UPON INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE TREAD WAS MISSING (DOWN TO HE STEEL BELT) IN ONE LOCALIZED AREA OF THE INNER EDGE OF THE TREAD (ABOUT 4" DIAMETER FAILURE). I FOUND THIS AN ODD FAILURE AND APPROACHED THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHO ATTRIBUTED IT TO WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THEY CLAIMED NO RESPONSIBILITY AND OFFERED NO SUGGESTION. THE SERVICE MANAGER EVEN RESORTED TO VULGER LANGUAGE DIRECTED AT ME. I SPOKE TO A CUSTOMER MEDIATOR AND BERGE FORD EVENTUALLY PERFORMED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT FREE, BUT I PAID FOR THE TIRE REPLACEMENT (2 TIRES). I DID NOT REPORT THIS TO FIRESTONE AT THE TIME. THE FLUID HAS LEAKED OUT OF BOTH FRONT SHOCK ABSORBERS. I CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES WITH ENGINE PING AND GAVE UP AFTER BERGEFORD ATTEMPTED 3 TIMES TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/75R15 )