2002 Ford Ford Truck

MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER, AT APPROX. 62,000 MILES WAS MAKING A LOUD HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR WHEELS WHEN YOU HIT THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO A GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER & WAS TOLD THEY'VE SERVICED AT LEAST 6-7 OF THE 2002 EXPLORERS FOR THE SAME ISSUE- SOME WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS POOR DESIGN ON FORD'S PART OF THE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY? IT COST ME OVER $300 TO FIX THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY- THEY HAD TO REPLACE A ROTOR IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE WATER GOT IN WHERE THE SEAL BROKE AND RUSTED TO THE ROTOR AND HAD TO BE CUT OFF. THEY SAID THE SEAL IS BAD ON THE ASSEMBLY AND THE WHOLE WHEEL ASSEMBLY COMES APART. THEY SAVED PARTS TO SHOW ME & SAID IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE (REAR WHEEL COULD COME OFF). I'M VERY ANGRY- I'M NOW HEARING THE SAME HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THE SAME ISSUE, YET FORD HAS NOT HAD A RECALL?!? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY CAR WITH MY DAUGHTER INSIDE, FORD WILL HAVE A HUGE LAWSUIT ON THEIR HANDS. I HAVE BEEN VERY DISSATISFIED WITH MY FORD EXPLORER. THE CAR HAS ALSO FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY SINCE IT WAS NEW. EACH OF THE 4-5 TIMES I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, I AM TOLD THEY CAN'T RECREATE THE ISSUE AND THAT FORD HAS SERVICE GUIDELINES AND THEY CANNOT TEAR MY CAR APART TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I HAD ANOTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUE WHERE FOR OVER A YEAR I'D BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE "DOOR AJAR" LIGHT WOULD SUDDENLY GO ON & THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND BUZZERS WOULD SOUND. NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NEVER RECREATE. FINALLY IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS SO BAD THAT THEY FINALLY HEARD WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT & REPLACED SOME REAR HATCH LOCK. IT SEEMED OK....UNTIL A WEEK LATER WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT STILL DOES IT INTERMITTENTLY, BUT I AM SO SICK OF TAKING IT IN FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THEN I THINK THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN GOING AS WELL- IT STICKS WHEN YOU TRY TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. *NM

I AM THE OWNER 2002 FORD EXPLORER THAT I PURCHASED FROM METRO MOTORS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN AUGUST 2002. ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2004, WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL DETACHED COMPLETELY FROM THE AXIS OF THE VEHICLE. I DROVE OFF FROM THE STOP LIGHT. WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL TURN SHARPLY TO LEFT AND THE WHEEL BUCKLE. A FEW MINUTES LATER, I FELT A TUG ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AND THEN I FELT THE WHEEL BUCKLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED TO SUDDEN STOP. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE FRONT DRIVER''S SIDE WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED AND NOTICED THE WHEEL WAS ROLLING DOWN FROM THE POINT OF WHERE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE WHEEL STOPPED ABOUT TEN FEET TO FIFTEEN FEET (10 FT. TO 15 FT.) AWAY WITH THE ENTIRE DRUM ASSEMBLY AND WHEEL STILL ATTACHED. I HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTIFIED BY SEVERAL OTHER FORD EXPLORER OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR DEFECT. THE LATEST OCCURRED IN MIAMI, FLORIDA ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 WITH THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL DETACHING FROM THE AXIAL AND FLIPPING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY INJURING THREE (3) AND ONE (1) OTHER DIED. THEY WERE DRIVING IN A FORD EXPLORER. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED DECEMBER 2002 IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA WHEN A FAMILY OF FIVE FLIPPED IN A FORD EXPLORER KILLING THREE KIDS AND HER HUSBAND LOST AN EYE. ANOTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST FOURTEEN (14) DAYS AFTER WITH A FORD ESCAPE WITH THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL DATACHING FROM THE VEHICLE. SINCE WRITING MY COMPLAINT TO ALL FORD OFFICES, SEVERAL OTHER AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES HAVE RECALLED SUVS FOR DETACH OF FRONT LEFT WHEEL (DODGE, HUMMERS, GMC, ETC.) LICSENCING AND CONSUMER OFFICE HAS ALSO PROVIDED INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO'S INSPECTION REPORTS STATE THAT THE VEHICLE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINT DETACHED WHICH CAUSED THE ENTIRE WHEEL TO DETACH. I SUBMITTED A POLICE REPORT STATING THE DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE WAS NOT CAUSED BY COLLISION TO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PROPERTIES.

I HAD BOUGHT A USED 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND NOTICED A LOT OF HORIZANTAL CUTS ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE MICHELAN TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER LOOKING ON THIS WEB SITE AND NOTICED A RECALL FOR THE FORD THAT I OWNED ( NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 01V171000 ) AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP NEAR ME. THEY SAID THEY HAD NO RECALL IN THEIR SYSTEM FOR MY VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH MY FORD WAS MADE AT THIS LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY PLANT AT THE TIME SPECIFIED ON THIS RECALL. I EVEN CALLED THE FORD COMPLAINT LINE AND THEY AS WELL SAID NOTHING WAS IN THEIR SYSTEM? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, IT IS DEFINITELY A TIRE DEFECT AND THE FORD STILL HAS PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT; JUST KIND OF WORRIED FOR MY SAFETY? THEY WOULDN'T EVEN INSPECT IT FOR POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES.*AK

ACCORDING TO DETROIT'S WXYZ NEWS REPORTER, STEVE WILSON, MY 2002 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC HAS THE SAME FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH THAT THE RECALLED FORD'S HAVE AND THE ONES YOU ARE NOW EXAMINING. I'M NOT HAPPY TO KNOW THAT I HAVE THAT SWITCH AND WANT IT REPLACED, TOO. I HAVE DISCONNECTED IT AND FEEL CHEATED THAT I CAN NOT USE AN EXPENSIVE AND CONVENIENT ITEM LIKE THAT. I FELT AS IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN A FIRE TRAP IF I DIDN'T HAVE IT DISCONNECTED. PLEASE HELP ME OUT HERE! THANK YOU, BJBAUER