2007 Ford Explorer

MY HUSBAND NOTICED A SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING. IT GOT WORSE AFTER A ROAD TRIP AND WE ISOLATED THE NOISE AS COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. WE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AND DISCOVERED ONLY ONE LUG NUT WAS HOLDING THE TIRE ON, AND 2 OF THE PINS HAD SHEARED COMPLETELY OFF. WE IMMEDIATELY HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AXLE. AFTER CHATTING ABOUT THE ISSUE AT WORK I DISCOVERED A COWORKER HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN WITH HIS 2005 EXPLORER BUT HIS WHEEL ACTUALLY FELL OFF CAUSING $5,000 IN DAMAGE TO HIS VEHICLE (NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENT). IS IT POSSIBLE THERE IS SOME DEFECT?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC, WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE WHEEL LUG NUTS WERE SHEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN LOW PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON. CHECK TIRE IN ONE THE PRESSURE WAS 25 PSI. THIS HAS HAPPEN OVER 7 TIMES ON THE TIRES . IT HAS COST ME OER $250 TO FIX ALL TIRES. NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHY. I BOUGHT THE FORTERA TRIPLETHREAD TIRE SEEMING THERE WERE THE BEST. NOW I HAVE 30000 MILES ON TIRES AND THE TIRE PLACE SAUS I HAVE ABOUT A YEAR ON THEM . TO THIS DAY I AM STILL HAVING LOW PRESSURE WARNINGS COME UP MONTHLY. THE TIRE PLACE WHERE I WENT SAID TO PUT EXTRA AIR IN TIRES AN KEEP DOING THAT TILL I GET NEW TIRES.DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO? ..... [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING AND CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. THE CONTACT STOPPED ON THE EMERGENCY LANE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL FELL OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE LUG NUTS CAME OFF, AND WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO SOMEONE NOT ADJUSTING THEM APPROPRIATELY. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL MOVED UNSTEADILY, AND ALMOST CAME OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LUG NUTS CAME OFF AGAIN. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOR THE RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TIRE VALVE STEMS FAILED EVENTUALLY ON ALL 5 TIRES. GRADUALLY ON EACH TIRE OVER TIME AND SOMETIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. 1 TIRE WAS RUINED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH HALF IT'S TREAD LIFE LEFT. I DID REPLACED ALL VALVE STEMS AT MY EXPENSE. TOTAL $140.00 1 NEW TIRE 5 STEMS. I FEEL FORD SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME OF THE DEFECT FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND ME. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY FORD OF THE STEM VALVE FAILURE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT A FORD DEALER USED IN 2009. *TR

THIS VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY HAD ISSUES WITH AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES. IT HAD A AUTO DETECT SYSTEM, BUT ON A REGULAR BASIS THE WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR LOW AIR. THIS HAPPENED EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD EXTREME TIRE WEAR. TIRES WERE ROTATED EVERY 6,000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED AND REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED FAR TOO OFTEN DUE TO UNEVEN WEAR. *TR

ON APRIL 25, 2011 AT A APPROXIMATELY 10 AM, MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING IN OUR 2007 EXPLORER GOING SOUTHBOUND ON RT 5 PASSING STOCKTON CA. I WAS DRIVING; MY WIFE WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THIS 3 LANE HIGHWAY IN MODERATE 75 MPH TRAFFIC AND ABOUT MILE NORTH OF EXIT #473 WHEN SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING (SUCH AS THE WAY A VEHICLE HANDLES WHEN A TIRE IS GOING FLAT OR A WHEEL IS COMING LOOSE), THERE WAS A LOUD BANG ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH VIBRATION AND A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE LIKE A TIRE BLOWOUT. THE NOISE AND VIBRATION LASTED A SECOND OR SO, THEN STOPPED FOR A SECOND OR SO, THEN RESUMED AGAIN FOR ANOTHER SECOND OR SO AFTER WHICH THE VIBRATION STOPPED AND THE LOUD RUMBLING NOISE WAS REPLACED BY A LOUD STEADY SCRAPING/GRINDING NOISE. I GOT ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY IN ABOUT 15 SECONDS. DURING THIS I HAD NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTY IN STEERING OR CONTROLLING THE EXPLORER. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL HAD COME OFF. ALL 5 LUG BOLTS WERE FRACTURED THROUGH AND ALL BUT THEIR SHORT PORTIONS THAT ARE THREADED INTO THE HUB, WERE MISSING. A LONG SKID MARK FROM THE #2 LANE OVER TO THE SHOULDER WAS DONE BY THE REAR WHEEL'S STABILIZER FRAME AND ASSOCIATED LINKAGES HAVING BEEN SCRAPED OVER THE PAVEMENT. THE LAST TIME THE LUG BOLTS AND LUG NUTS ON THIS WHEEL WERE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED WAS OVER 8,000 MILES AGO WHEN THE BRAKES WERE INSPECTED. THE TORQUES ON THE LUG NUTS ON THE REMAINING 3 WHEELS WERE NOW MEASURED AND FOUND TO BE PER EXPLORER SHOP MANUAL SPECIFICATIONS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE LUG BOLTS IN OTHER VEHICLES THAT HAVE SIMILAR LUG BOLTS FROM THE SAME BATCH AS IN MINE. I HAVE THE HUB WITH THE PORTIONS OF THE FRACTURED LUG BOLTS STILL THREADED INTO IT, AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR EXAMINATION BY NHTSA IF THAT WILL HELP IN DETERMINING IF A MORE WIDESPREAD LUG BOLT SAFETY ISSUE EXISTS. *TR

CAR WAS PARKED AND UPON RETURNING TO VECHICLE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE. BRAKE WAS ENGAGED, BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON HAD DIFFICULTY SHIFTING, COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. AFTER ABOUT 3 ATTEMPTS, IT WORKED. CALLED DEALER ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY SINCE THIS WAS A SAT. NITE. SCHEDULED DIAGNOSTICS FOR 3/17/11. KEPT HAVING THIS ISSUE INTERMITTENTLY (MORE OFTEN THEN NOT) UNTIL DROP OFF. VEHICLE AROUND 8:00 A.M. WAS NOTIFIED AROUND 2 P.M. THAT ALL DIAGNOSTICS POINT TO THE SHIFTING LEVER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THIS REPAIR ($435) WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS PURCHASED AT THE TIME OF SALE. I WAS BASICALLY TOLD IT WAS "BUMPER TO BUMPER" COVERAGE. LEFT THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER AS I WAS LEAVING FOR A BUS. TRIP ON 3/19/11. CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE (CALLED AT LEAST THREE TIMES BETWEEN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY). FINALLY REACHED THE REP THAT MY ISSUE HAD BEEN ESCALATED TO ON 3/22/11. TOLD HIM THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR A "GOODWILL" REPAIR ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR CO. I FELT THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD PEOPLE BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IF THEY COULDN'T COUNT ON IT COVERING ANYTHING? FINAL RESOLUTION WAS THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE THE REPAIR, I WOULD PAY THE $50 DEDUCTIBLE THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY HAD THE WARRANTY COVERED THE SERVICE. I WAS BASICALLY TOLD "DON'T EXPECT THAT THE NEXT TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS THAT YOU CAN CALL FORD AND THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT." THE BOTTOM LINE IS I AM SATISFIED THAT IT IS BEING REPAIRED FOR THE $50 DEDUCT. HOWEVER, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT I NEEDED TO "JUMP THROUGH HOOPS" TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED. I BELIEVE THAT THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE WORKED WITH FORD ON MY BEHALF TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. ABOUT 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS THERE WERE FRONT END AND WHEEL ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE.

WAS DRIVING FROM WORK TO PICK UP DAUGHTER FROM SOCCER APPROX 2 MILES AWAY. STARTED HEARING A NOISE THAT SOUNDED MAYBE LIKE SOMETHING WAS STUCK IN HUBCAP..NOISE SEEMED TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN VEHICLE WAS BRAKING OR SLOWING DOWN. DROVE APPROX. ANOTHER 10 MILES BEFORE PARKING THE VEHICLE FOR THE NIGHT. NEXT MORNING(SAT) CALLED OUR LOCAL DEALER TO SEE IF THEY COULD GET IT IN TO LOOK AT IT. SERVICE STATES THAT THE SWAY BAR IS LOOSE AND THAT TWO OF THE 5 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE WHEEL IN PLACE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WERE SHEARED OFF. CAR IS AT THE GARAGE NOW AND THEY GAVE ME A LOANER TO USE WHILE IT IIS BEING REPAIRED. IT WAS IN FOR SERVICE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND THE U-JOINT WAS REPLACED AND A COUPLE OF OTHER ISSUES WERE FIXED ALL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS PURCHASED WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY OTHER TIME THAT I KNOW OF THAT THE DRIVER REAR TIRES WAS OFF WAS BACK IN MAY OF THIS YEAR WHEN IT HAD A COMPLETE BRAKE JOB AT ANOTHER LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDER. SO FAR THE SERVICE DEPT AT THE DEALER HAS BEEN GOOD AND THEY HAVE TREATED ME WELL AS FAR AS GETTING A LOANER VEHICLE ETC....BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR OTHERS. IF I HAD NOT BROUGHT THIS IN TO BE LOOKED AT, WE COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT HAD THE WHEEL SNAPPED OFF ON US. THAT IS SCARY TO THINK ABOUT. WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO NOT HAVE THAT HAPPEN TO US. *TR