1996 Ford Explorer

I OWN A 1996 FORD EXPLORER SPORT 4X4, 4.0 LITER V6 WITH 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A MOTOR MADE IN GERMANY AND THE TRUCK, IN THE LOUISVILLE, KY. FORD PLANT. RODENTS TOOK UP RESIDENCE IN THE HEATING SYSTEM, AND FILLED THE HEATER BLOWER ASSEMBLY AND DUCTING WITH SCAVENGED MATERIALS, WHICH TOOK UP APPROX. 1 CUBIC FOOT OF SPACE, ONCE EXTRACTED. MUCH TO MY BENEFIT, THE MATERIAL JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE FIRE RESISTANT STUFFING FROM MY ARCHERY TARGET, STORED IN THE SAME BUILDING. I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY UPON TURNING ON THE HEATER, I HEARD A TERRIBLE NOISE WHICH ENDED ABRUPTLY. MY HEATER STOPPED WHEN THE NOISE STOPPED. IN AN EFFORT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM I INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I THEN NOTICED A BURNT SMELL, BUT SAW NO SMOKE. UPON REPLACING MY BLOWER MOTOR I INSPECTED THE OLD ONE, WHICH HAS CHARRED REMNANTS OF THE FOREIGN MATERIAL INSIDE AND WRAPPED AROUND THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE ONLY OPENING TO THE INNER COMPONENTS OF THE BLOWER MOTOR IS ABOUT 1" IN DIAMETER AND HAS A RUBBER TUBE PLUGGED INTO IT. IT APPEARED UNDISTURBED AND WAS CONNECTED WHEN I FIRST SERVICED IT. I ALSO DISCOVERED AN OPENING ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE BLOWER FAN HOUSING, NEAR THE FIREWALL. THIS UNOBSTRUCTED OPENING FACILITATED THE RODENTS' ENTRY TO THE HEATING SYSTEM. IT IS OF MY OPINION THIS IS UNSAFE, AND HAD THE FOREIGN MATERIAL NOT BEEN FLAME RESISTANT, I'M CONVINCED MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNED. I ENTERED MY VIN NUMBER INTO FORD'S OFFICIAL WEB SITE, AND WAS RETURNED ZERO RESULTS FOR RECALLS OF ANY SORT. I DID NOT FIND ANY RECALLS RELATED TO HEATER BLOWERS FOR SIMILAR MODELS EITHER. I HAVE REPAIRED THE HEATING SYSTEM BUT AM AT A LOSS FOR HOW TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE, AS THIS OPENING STILL EXISTS AND I'M UNAWARE OF ANY SANCTIONED REMEDIES. *TR

APPROXIMATELY ONE DAY AFTER TRUCK WAS PURCHASED FROM DEALER, IT WAS NOTED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRIVER'S WINDOW, NONE OF THE WINDOWS IN THE TRUCK WOULD OPEN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN WINDOWS IF NEEDED FOR ESCAPE (DOORS IN PASSENGER SECTION OF TRUCK DID NOT WORK EITHER. SEE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT). *TR

MY FORD EXPLORER '96 SUV CABIN CLIMATE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING 2 YRS AGO AT 70K MILES. IT ONLY BLOWS BURNING HOT AIR OR FREEZING COLD AIR. DEALER WANTS $900 TO REPLACE THE BLEND DOOR. FORD WILL NOT FIX THIS. THE VEHICLE WAS EXPENSIVE & THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT RUINS THE UTILITY OF THE VEHICLE. IN WINTER, WINDOWS FROST IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. THIS IS THE TOP-OF-THE-LINE EDDIE BAUER EDITION...FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. *JB

FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO OPERATE DURING WET/RAINING WEATHER. THE CONDITION IS INTERMITTENT, IE MOST WET CONDITIONS CAUSE THIS 'LOCK-UP' CONDITION. TURNING IGNITION OFF-AND-ON AGAIN IN ATTEMPT TO RESET FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK. IN ADDITION THE INTERIOR LIGHTS, REAR WIPER, ALL POWER WINDOWS, AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE FUNCTIONS FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP ENDED UP REPLACING THE, YOU GUESSED IT, GEM MODULE - THE SAME ONE CITED IN THE RECALL FOR OTHER YEAR VEHICLES. THERE IS A RECALL (NUMBER 00V072000) FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON THE SAME VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL BUT FOR YEARS 1999 AND 2000. THIS IS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER 4X4 AND HAS EXHIBITED THIS PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, ONLY RECENTLY WAS THE DEALERSHIP ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE GEM MODULE WAS THE APPARENT CULPRIT. *NM

THE AIR CONDITIONING BLEND DOOR ON MY CAR IS STUCK AND WILL NOT DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD EVEN ON COLD WINTER AND ICE DAYS, INCLUDING DURING ICE STORMS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE WE CANNOT GET THE ICE OFF THE WINDSHIELD. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED AND FIXED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY FOR A LONG TIME NOW WITH NO RESULTS. NOW THAT ITS SUMMER, THE BLEND DOOR IS STUCK ON HOT AND ITS ONLY BLOWING COMPLETELY HOT AIR - THIS IS DUE TO A KNOWN DESIGN AND MATERIAL DEFECT WITH THE BLEND DOOR AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THOUSANDS OF OWNERS FOR ALL 1995 - 1999 FORD EXPLORERS AND STILL FORD REFUSES TO FIX IT AND TO PROVIDE COVERAGE TO ITS CONSUMERS TO FIX IT. IN THE WINTERS THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE CAR'S INABILITY TO DEFROST/DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD. *JB

FORD EXPLORER REAR WINDOW: ON 4/19/2006, TEMP. NEVER REACHED OVER 80 DEGREES AND THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. SUMMER OF 2005, I HAVE 5 CO-WORKERS STATED THEIR REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AS WELL. THE COMPANY WHO REPLACED THE REAR WINDOW, STATED THEY (FORD EXP.) ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THIS. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL FOR THIS OR FORD BE MADE TO PUT A HIGHER QUALITY WINDOW IN? *JB