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Ford Customer Service

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Michael Costello

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Sep 29, 1997, 3:00:00 AM9/29/97

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Mr. Trotman (Nancy Vert),

After what has been 9 months of frustration with Ford and their customer non-service, I have reached

that point where I am washing my hands of this company. While I can't speak to their overall
quality, I can speak to the quality of the '91 Explorer and '93 Taurus that I have had the
misfortune of owning. More importantly, I can speak to the absolute lack of concern and assistance
on the part of Ford Customer Service.
I hope that the following information will help others in dealing with Ford, and assist in forcing
some fairness when it involves the advantage Ford has taken of thousands who made the mistake of
purchasing the '91 and '92 Exploders.

I will post this information and its attachments into the Ford Newsgroups at least once a month for
as long as my anger with Ford remains, and send it to anyone who wants it. That could be for quite
awhile.

E-mail for Alex Trotman, Ford CEO is a atro...@ford.com
Ford Customer non-Service Rep was Nancy B. Vert

I sent the following letter after I was forced to pay to replace a good part on my Taurus, because
the part covered under my extended warranty was assembled at the factory to it. Despite agreement
from everyone that the customer should not have to pay to replace a good part to fix a covered
problem, all the letter warranted from Ford was a 'form-letter' saying there was nothing Ford would
do.
I will never recommend Ford to anyone I know again. They do not deserve anyone's loyalty - American
or not!

September 5, 1997
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Alex Trotman, Chairman
PO Box 1899 Dearborn, MI 48121
1(800)392-3673, (313)322-3000

Mr. Trotman,

I have had the misfortune to own two Ford vehicles that have been of considerable cost in
dollars, time and inconvenience. I have had ESP warranties for both, and while they have paid most
of the costs of repairs, they lulled me into a false sense of security until the warranty on my
Explorer was up, and I was forced to deal with poor engineering in the '91 Explorer, and
specifically its - now obsolete - A4LD transmission.
I have come to expect a sacrifice in quality with the purchase of an American car, but I had no
idea the sacrifices I was making in customer service. Two separate experiences with Ford Customer
Service have led me to believe that Ford's commitment to quality are only words, and have no backing
in reality.
The ultimate act of unfairness to a customer just occurred to me two weeks ago when I was forced
to replace a part, not covered under warranty, because the part that needed replacement, which was
covered, was assembled at the factory to the part not covered. I had to replace a rear hub assembly
because the covered bearing was not sold separately.
Despite agreement that I should not have been liable for the replacement of a covered part from
my local service manager, the mechanic, an ESP rep, and even the Ford Customer Service drone who I
dealt with in one of the most frustrating phone calls of my life, I was forced to pay to replace a
perfectly good hub. There were no further avenues offered to me to elevate my concerns - no
address, phone number, or e-mail address. The Customer Service rep, Richard of 'Team 6,' would not
give me his last name, let me speak to his supervisor, or offer any assistance beyond repeating
several times what his computer screen told him that "the hub assembly is not covered." After
four calls to Ford Customer Service relating to my '93 Taurus and '91 Explorer, I can only conclude
that Ford uses its customer service more as a shield, than as a service to address customer
concerns.
The attached document records my amateur investigation of the '91 A4LD transmission that Ford no
longer uses in their Exploders. Sensing that Ford will never voluntarily make good on its
commitment to quality, I am left with no further recourse but to distribute it throughout the
Internet Newsgroups, and to the media in the hopes that it will at least spare other potential Ford
customers the anger and frustrations these cars have brought me.
I don't believe Ford is an honorable company. I once did. I will never own another one, not
because of the poor quality I have seen in the two lemons I have owned, but because of the complete
lack of customer service, or concern for customer satisfaction.
All I wanted in the beginning was some recognition that my '91 transmission was poorly designed,
and some help in paying the $2200 it cost me to replace it. With nearly 20,000 miles left on the
extended warranty, full liability seemed to me a steep price for missing the 6 year warranty period
by 6 weeks. After learning of the extent of problems this poorly designed transmission was having
from my local transmission guys, I have little doubt that the treatment I and others like me have
received is intentional, and that Ford has known for a long time that these transmissions are
flawed.

Former Ford Customer,

Michael Costello
mjcos...@worldnet.att.net

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To: NBC Dateline From: Michael Costello
ABC Primetime Live =

CBS 48 Hours =

cc. Alex Trotman, Ford CEO
FORD MOTOR COMPANY Alex Trotman, Chairman PO Box 1899 Dearborn, MI 48121 =

1 800 392-3673; (313)322-3000
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du, TC...@dpcmail.dukepower.com, TC...@aol.com, 10305...@compuserve.co=
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ter.net, MarS...@aol.com, phi...@ntl.sympatico.ca, der...@mscfs.edu, ma=
d...@execpc.com, kace...@chubb.com, Car...@carneylaw.com, PSteiner1@compus=
erve.com =

For some background, see:
http://members.aol.com/MKBradley/index.html =

http://www.mindspring.com/~ics_mak/deadford.html =

To everyone this issue may concern,

I am a very disgruntled Ford owner. In fact, I own two Fords and lost b=
oth transmissions within two months of each other. In each case, I learn=
ed of a widespread failure of the transmissions in each of these vehicles=
and believe that these failures warrant the scrutiny of the media, and t=
he rebuff of the public.
I used to be a big promoter of Ford. I worked for an Aerospace company =
in the '80s when quality improvement initiatives were being implemented i=
n that industry and in the automobile industry. Ford was the first to im=
plement the changes and I believed they had earned my support. That loya=
lty has now been crushed and I think the public should be made aware of t=
he advantage Ford is taking of its customers.

"Jim York" <jy...@hughes.net>
My parents owned a transmission shop and I would be willing to bet that m=
ore than 50% of their work was on Fords.

My first Ford was a 1991 Explorer XLT 4WD. The owners' manual states qu=
ite simply that:

"AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID-Change each 30,000 miles-if your driving ha=
bits FREQUENTLY include one or more of the following conditions:
( Operating during hot weather (above 90(F) and carrying heavy loads and =
driving in hilly terrain.
( Towing a trailer or slide-in camper.
( Door-to-door delivery, police or taxi."

In the 6 years I owned the truck, these uses did not apply to my Explore=
r. It was my wife's car used for daily shopping and the sort, yet at 56,=
500 miles, my transmission failed. It was just six weeks after my 6 year=
, 75,000 mile warranty had expired. The manual states that the transmiss=
ion fluid level doesn't even need to be checked!
When I called Ford Customer service on their 800 number, it was clear th=
at Ford had a simple policy in place whenever someone called with a faile=
d transmission - "Sorry, there is nothing Ford will do." When I tried to=
get the name or number of someone to talk to about the policy, the custo=
mer service representative refused to give me a name, department, or phon=
e number. Three times, and three different representatives and I could g=
et no further. I've since learned that Ford seems to work quite hard to =
direct any complaints to their 800 number, where their representatives ar=
e well trained in the art of dodge, duck and frustrate.
I took my Explorer to a local and recommended transmission shop, where I=
then received an education into Ford's transmission problems. What I'm =
about to relate was repeated by a second transmission shop later.

1. The early Ford Explorers and Aerostars had transmissions that were to=
o weak for the 4.0 liter engines. The transmissions had plastic parts in=
them, and Ford itself had recognized the problem and improved the transm=
issions they subsequently installed in their future Explorers.
2. Being that a failing transmission is not a safety issue, Ford would n=
ever launch a 'recall' or even post a service bulletin, fearing huge cost=
s to replace transmissions in the most popular utility vehicle in America=
=2E Hundreds of thousands sold a year.
3. The Owners' Manual of these vehicles states that the normal gear of o=
peration is the overdrive gear. Both guys said that this overdrive gear,=
that engages at 45-47 miles per hour, should not be used except for use =
on the freeway at cruise speeds. One warned me that to use overdrive any=
where but on the freeway, would guarantee a transmission failure. The re=
petitive shifting in and out of the overdrive in non-freeway driving, wou=
ld kill it eventually. I lived on a hilly road with a 45 mph speed limit=
=2E =

4. I asked the mechanic in the shop where my Explorer was being repaired=
if he could tell me what percentage of his business could be associated =
to the transmissions in Aerostars and Explorers. He said that he had thr=
ee of them in his shop right then, and that they probably made up as much=
as 15-20% of his entire business. Remember, the only ones he sees are t=
he ones not in warranty.

Besides a form letter after my initial complaint in writing to Ford, the=
y seem to have taken the approach to ignore any further letters from me i=
n the hopes that I will become frustrated and go away. I am not going to=
go away! My auto transmission failed at 56000 miles, 19,000 miles under=
the warranty limit, and it cost $2,200 to replace.
The following is a list of Transmission failures in Ford Explorers dates=
only for 1997 to present. I found these on the Internet posted in sever=
al newsgroups. It is incredible that several of these posts even suggest=
that Ford is putting these flawed transmissions back into these trucks a=
s replacements even though there is a newer and improved version. It sug=
gests that they are working not to validate the problem by replacing a fa=
iled transmission with a different and upgraded one. Because I went to a=
n independent transmission shop to get mine replaced out of warranty, the=
y automatically replaced my flawed one, with the readily available improv=
ed one being put in new Explorers today.
It frankly, shocked me that so many people posted on the Internet in less=
than one year. For every one of these folks listed below, how many othe=
rs are out there. 100, 500, 1000? Have 5000 of these transmissions fail=
ed? 25,000? 100,000? In January of '97, my '91 was already 6 years old.=
How many of these '91 transmissions failed prior to Jan '97? How many =
earlier models were left, still un-replaced and failure potentials after =
Jan '97, where they could even still be reported on the Internet? My gue=
ss is that this problem was worse than it is today and that Ford has been=
very successful in keeping it under wraps.
My transmission guy said up to 20% of all his business is replacing and o=
verhauling these transmissions. One out of every 5 cars he works on? Th=
at's incredible!

Not that my situation couldn't get worse, but just two months later I lea=
rned that my '93 Ford Taurus' transmission was breaking up. The owners m=
anual for the Taurus doesn't recommend transmission fluid replacement unt=
il 120,000 miles. That car of mine has just 57,000 miles on it. =

I went looking on the web for information about the Taurus and found that=
if there is a car whose transmission failures can compete with the Explo=
rer, it is the Taurus and Sable. In all cases there is talk of class-act=
ion lawsuits, but there aren't many lawyers out there willing to take on =
one of the 'big three."

mi...@slic.cts.com_ (Mike Shirley)
> The overdrive does not engage until about 45 MPH at light throttles, an=
d much higher speeds at heavier =

> throttles. It makes no difference if the overdrive is on or not at lowe=
r speeds.
> It is not harder on the transmission to use overdrive. It was designed =
for you to use it.

Maybe rather than calling it OD, it should be called a lock-up torque-con=
verter. That is what you don't want cycling constantly. This would separ=
ate from a discrete gear ratio position in the transmission. The use of =
an overdrive gear, 5th gear, top gear, etc. is not the area of concern as=
Mark pointed out. =

Some manufacturers will program the LU Torque-Converter to allow lock-ups=
in lower gears, contributing to premature failures of the Torque Convert=
er. I don't use the LU TC or OD or whatever it's called until I reach a =
speed that doesn't require the engine to work hard. =

It's very simple, if it cycles in and out, then turn it off. Most driver=
s are not tuned in to any of this stuff. They are operators of the vehic=
le only. So it ends up harder on the vehicles. Those who are interested=
in their vehicles and maintain them out of love or financial necessity c=
an appreciate knowing this and adjust the shift lever accordingly. The r=
est will not be concerned until the repair is forced on them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----------------------------------------------------

1. "Michael W. VanDenburgh" <1032...@compuserve.com>
As most postings I have seen here, a lot of people have had automatic tra=
nsmission failures that have occurred much sooner than expected. My '91 h=
ad a failure where it wouldn't up shift unless the gas pedal was complete=
ly released. I took it to Aamco where the mechanic exclaimed "you have an=
Exploder". He
was a former technician for Ford. He told me Ford knew that the '91 & '92=
transmissions had a design flaw and that Ford was not going to do anythi=
ng about it.
My many letters to Ford proved to be in vain, they weren't about to shoul=
der any of the cost.
My transmission couldn't be rebuilt because the case had been worn out. P=
oor lubrication or some such thing. The new transmission cost me $2,000.0=
0 and I was told to expect this one to have the same problem since they c=
ouldn't redesign it.
I think that if everyone would write to Ford and the National Transportat=
ion Safety Board and complain about how we were taken by Ford, maybe some=
justice can be served.
The cost of replacing the bad brakes, rotors, radio, paint, radius arm bu=
shings, shocks, a/c hoses, master cylinder, power steering pump, rear hat=
ch pistons and a complete engine removal and re-seal was hard enough to s=
wallow. The transmission fiasco was the straw that broke the camels back!=

2. lern...@aol.com =

My experience with '92 explorer used for minimal towing, is that the vehi=
cle will not stand up! Be careful, your transmission will likely need a =
costly rebuild, mine did! I am looking to replace my Explorer. Haven't =
decided on replacement yet, however, new explorers '97 models are much im=
proved with better engines and new Chassis!

3. "winter" <win...@MCI2000.com>
Anyone else have their 93 Explorer (mine was standard) suddenly lose seco=
nd gear? I made all the scheduled oil changes and tune-ups. As my Explore=
r was 400 miles beyond the 40,000 warranty, Ford would only cover 60% of =
the estimated $2000 bill. I got rid of mine. =

Similar stories?

4. "Henrik Rasmussen" <r...@vnet.net>
my '93 Explorer lost it's transmission at 68,000.
My transmission quit in my 93 Explorer the evening of December 3, 1996. T=
his was at about 66k miles. It is now February 5, 1997 and my transmissio=
n still is not fixed. I am not faulting the Ford dealer. The problem now =
seems to be that they have decided the "valve body" needs to be replaced.=
Problem is: Ford is out of them. My guess is, so many are failing, Ford=
can't keep up with the demand. I don't understand how Ford can get away =
with having so many bad transmissions out here and not being held account=
able. For sure, my next vehicles will not be Fords.
Rik Rasmussen =

5. Martha Cunningham <mcun...@cyberhighway.net>
We have a 1993 5-speed that has blown the transmission twice, once in Jul=
y 96 and once in Oct 96. The vehicle has less than 100,000 miles, anybod=
y else with this problem? We have written numerous letters to various Fo=
rd representatives and receive only form letters. Any advice?

6. j...@ix.netcom.com =

Join the club. Refer to your Explorer as the Exploder. Get in contact w=
ith Brian Cass, who is organizing a class action suit. Buy a Japanese Sp=
ort Ute ..
Joe The Exploder =

Owner of a 1992 with a blown 5 speed and wasted Hubs ...

7. jge...@aol.com
Are there any known automatic transmission problems on the 95' XLT's? I h=
ave one with 26,000 miles and as I currently have no problems. But I'am c=
urious as I was in the dealer for other service and he said I should get =
it checked at 30,000 for anything in the pan, before warrenty is off and =
be safe.
Is he just trying to sell me more service or does he have my best interes=
t at heart??

8. pu...@ptdprolog.net
I would recommend changing tranny fluid at about 25k. These trannies gene=
rate more heat and have many more plastic and lower grade parts. Mine was=
rebuilt under warrenty, good for that.

9. Sandra Strauss <sst...@ctp.com>
Our 94 ford explorer transmission has to be replaced at 48k miles. I hav=
e heard this is a large problem with explorers. anyone else?

10. puls...@ix.netcom.com(Owen Treloar)
Lost mine at 60k, $2000+ ouch!
I have 94 XLT 4D 4WD. Seems ok so far, But I can't afford $2k every 2 ye=
ars. The tranny shop said they do a lot of explorers around 50-80k.

11. dmm...@aol.com =

I just had my transmission replaced in my 92 Explorer. The mechanic told =
me the old ones ( 91 to 95 ) have a problem in the design. The main shaft=
is supported by inferior bushings on the ends and as they disintegrate t=
hey make metal and destroy your tranny. Mine lasted 65,000 tough miles.. =
Boy, am I glad I got the 5 yr/75000mile optional warranty!!

12. gjrey...@ccgate.hac.com =

I just had major transmission work done on my 94 Explorer at 41K miles. =
$1600 repair and Ford picked up all but $500.

13. cndi...@pacbell.net =

Our 93 auto xlt transmission failed dramaticaly at 24,600 miles. After t=
he approx. 1 month overhaul it has been working ok. Now have 46k miles. =
I believe the problem is heat related.

14. "Bryan Cass" <ca...@idx.com>
Hi. I have had contact with a lawyer, Brian Hufford, who has said that h=
e will investigate whether a class-action suit is feasible or not. You c=
an write to him at DBH...@aol.com if you are interested. The problem th=
at prompted me seeking a class-action suit is one that seems to appear mo=
stly on 1992 and earlier Explorers, manufactured before Dec. 1991. The p=
roblem manifests itself by the 5-speed transmission hanging up in 4th gea=
r. I have outlined the problem and why I think it's a manufacturing defe=
ct in a web page: =

http://www.he.net/~paulc/cass/complaint.htm.

15. rfi...@qualcomm.com
Get the Ford extended warranty From Ford. How much is it worth? Well, a=
decent transmission rebuild is very hard to avoid after 80K miles and th=
at alone will set you back about $1,100.

16. jdu...@blkbox.com =

Well, it's finally happening. The 75,000 mile warranty expires and thing=
s start falling apart......just this past Saturday. I have a '92 4 door =
XLT that has performed flawlessly up until now. It currently has 77,000 =
miles on it. Transmission (auto). Right before the warranty expired (74=
500 mi) I had brought the Explorer in to a certain Baton Rouge dealership=
with a complaint about the transmission shifting rough and sometimes hes=
itating when going into gear from park. When I went back the next day to=
pick my car up, it had 70 more miles on it when I brought it in, and the=
dealership told me that "they couldn't reproduce the problem". Well, no=
w I am at 77,000 mi and the transmission seems to be near death. Last ni=
ght I was driving back to Houston from New Orleans I noticed several prob=
lems that just started. One is that the tranny slips from a dead stop. =
It does this for about 75-100 feet or so. It feels like in a standard wh=
en you ride the clutch taking off, but worse. Sometimes it jerks slightl=
y once it catches, but sometimes it smoothly winds up, eventually catches=
, and takes off. Secondly, it is shifting differently. Under normal ac=
celeration I go from 2nd to 3rd at 2500rpm, my Explorer now waits until a=
bout 3500rpm to shift from 2nd to 3rd under normal accel. Thirdly, I was=
going over a rather steep bridge at about 50mph and decided to get out o=
f OD- when I did this, the tach started bouncing around between 2300-2600=
rpm. Needless to say I am not happy right now. =

17. mich...@xl.ca (Michael Carman)
I can't believe it! Just two days after responding to someone and comment=
ing that the automatic transmission in my '94 Explorer is going strong at=
70,000 kilometres, I started to hear some racket and feel some slippage =
when it shifts from second to third. I especially noticed this when I tri=
ed passing someone and put my pedal down.
The last transmission service was done only a month ago with new filter a=
nd fluid. Am I looking at big bucks here with a possible tranny meltdown?=
Is there something I could/should be doing now to possibly prevent this?=
Are there any TSB's about this? I'm really choked that this is happening=
with a vehicle only a couple of years old.

18. dubd...@aol.com
My tranny went at 43,000 miles on my 92. Lucky for me the extended warra=
nty covered it. Just one of the MANY problems I've had with the vehicle =
and Ford's service. Will replace it soon with either a 4Runner or a Path=
finder.

19. joiz...@aol.com (JoiZ John)
You are lucky. My trans went about 65K. What I heard from my trans guy =
was that the trans has had some revisions but I don't know of any bulleti=
ns. Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd .

20. "Ricahrd M. Cornelius" <ric...@ix.netcom.com>
I have a '91 Explorer that HAD the same vibration problem that many of yo=
u describe. Also for Explorer owners who tow. Throw an extra tranny cool=
er on or replace the pitiful OEM cooler with a larger. The car will run c=
ooler but you most likely won't have to rebuild your tranny. Mine failed =
at 19k and 39k before I installed an extra cooler. It has 119k on it now =
with no tranny problems.

21. mhsr...@bellsouth.net (J.S. Murphy)
94 2WD, failed at 63,000. I'll let you know how long the new one lasts, =
it DID NOT come from a Ford dealer.

22. cynd...@loop.com (Mike & Cyndi)
My 93 4x4 auto trans was rebuilt at 15,000 miles. I requested a replaceme=
nt but they wouldn't do it. It is still going (strong?) at 42,000. Ford=
of course doesn't admit to any problems but as this newsgroup has descri=
bed in the past, the automatic has problems with hot temperatures at high=
speeds.
In August of 95 the automatic in my 93 XLT 4X4 with 24,615 miles while cr=
uising about 70 mph in the California desert, ~108=B0 F, on a mild down h=
ill section, made some kkzzz zzz zzzz noises and then a load bang before=
becoming permanently stuck in neutral. The impact through the floor of =
the Explorer felt like I had run over something it was so great. I looke=
d in the rear view mirror fully expecting to see transmission parts flyin=
g out from under the car like in that old AMCO commercial. =

After rolling to a stop on the side of the road, visual inspection reveal=
ed no holes or even any oil leakage from the tranny or transfer case. No=
trans or transfer case gear selection would provide any car movement, al=
though some would cause lots of noise.
After an unbelievable 29 day hassle with Desert Motors of Ridgecrest Ca. =
(if any one is interested I can post it and bet nobody can top it!) I fi=
nally got the vehicle back and after more repairs elsewhere it has been w=
orking. I now have 40,000 miles.
My reason for posting this is that I got a call from an old friend who mo=
ved to Texas. When he heard I had an Explorer and made desert trips he a=
sked if the tranny had blown up yet! He said several people he new in Te=
xas had had auto transmission problems. They thought it was related to t=
he Texas heat and typical 75 mph cruising speeds there. Ford, as usual, =
claims there is no problem with the trans.

23. evan.r...@xerox.com
Had to replace mine at 42,000 miles. Problem was when it down shifted at =
around 55 mph like when you were passing someone. Sometimes you would alm=
ost get wiplash. =

24. puls...@ix.netcom.com(Owen Treloar)
You must be one of the 'chosen few' if you made it to 100k. My 94 XLT 4x4=
had a "hard" part rebuild at 60k for $2,000. The trans pump failed, the =
clutches siezed and the gears were mashed. The tranny guy said he sees a =
lot of exlorers in for rebuilds at 50-80k. Seems ok so far, But I can't =
afford $2k every 2 years. The tranny shop said they do a lot of explorers=
around 50-80k.

25. bidl...@mizar.usc.edu (Paul Biddlecomb)
Well, how about a 1991 Explorer? Mine went out at about 50,000 miles. Fo=
rtunately was covered under the extended warranty, so the $2100 repair on=
ly cost me $50. The one time an extended warranty pays for itself!

26. to...@erols.com (Tom Zakrzewski)
I too have joined the ranks of Explorer owners that need the auto transmi=
ssion rebuilt. Mine's at 93k mi and costs $1800. Transmission guy has sev=
eral in a week. I've run across about 15 people so far this week that kno=
w someone who had their Explorer transmissions rebuilt, usually around 80=
-100k mi. =

Since this is such a common problem, does anyone know if Ford has a hidde=
n warranty on these transmissions? My transmission specialist maintains t=
hat the poor design of this transmission is at fault and that Ford is wel=
l aware of the problem.

27. l...@cts.com (Lewis Wise)
I just took my '93 Explorer EB 4x4 into the dealer as the auto. trans. ha=
s slipped a few times at slow speeds. They tell me that I need a rebuild=
of all "soft" parts. This is to the tune of $1,200. I have 102k miles.=
Does this correspond with anyone's experience in reference both miles t=
o rebuild, and cost? This seems awfully expensive, expecially since I ha=
d a transmission service performed at the dealer about 10k miles ago.

28. "Rhonda N. Bethe" <rbe...@midusa.net>
My 91 made it 120k before I had to have a new tranny. My "transmission s=
pecialist" (I think he just wanted me to feel better about the bill) said=
that I was extremely lucky--that very few Explorers make that far. The =
total bill was about $2300. But I am now at about 174k and going strong!=
!!

29. 92 XLT Auto 4X4, 54K miles.
$1500 to rebuild. Needed new torque converter and some new gears. Not co=
vered under warranty
Bill Holstein

30. david....@boeing.com (David L Pyles)
My 95 XLT had a complete tranny rebuild at 6K miles, under warranty, no =
problems since. My 93 XLT had problems relating to manually downshifting=
on steep hills. After insisting nothing was wrong several times, I offe=
red to pay to open it for a fluid R&R. When opened, they said ooops and =
replaced it with a rebuild under warranty.

31. sro...@hsmpk12a-53.Eng.Sun.COM (Steven Rogers)
If you haven't already, get your complaints to this person's office below=
; asap. Thomas J. Wagner is the VP of customer communications and Satisfa=
ction at ford. He can be reached thru his laiison office, David Wright is=
the contact. the more complaints filed with this office the better chanc=
e we have at them looking at the problem.
Steve Rogers

32. Stuart Bobb <s...@babylon5.fc.hp.com>
My '91 (with 85,000 miles, bought used) has given me some fits, including=
most recently, some automatic transmission work. It had begun to be qu=
ite late or sticky in shifting from 1st to 2nd gear.
An independent transmission shop put me back in service for about $1300. =
(I wouldn't take a rock into my local Ford dealer for any serious work).=
I think any transmission failure (abuse excepted) before 100,000 miles =
is absurd and I was pretty ticked. Even my pathetic 1980 Chevy Citation'=
s auto tranny was still going happy at 90,000+ miles.
The guy at the transmission shop expects to see quite a lot of failures i=
n these and other types of transmissions. :-( He discussed how AT fluid =
does (or doesn't!) go to the cooler under various throttle conditions. =
Bottom line from him: This entire drive train was designed and engineere=
d for 55 mph -- yet lots of folks are tearing down the road at 80+. (Muc=
h of Colorado has 75 mph speed limits).
So, the combination of higher speed limits, lower air pressure and steep =
grades means lots of wide open throttle around here. Under those conditi=
ons the A4LD tranny in these trucks will cook itself, even if you have a =
AT cooler, which I do.
Those were his opinions. Mine are: This truck has been pretty costly to=
own -- the only used vehicle I've ever had where I might have come out a=
head by purchasing some kind of warranty. (assuming I could have found o=
ne, I bought it from a private party with 70,000 miles already on the clo=
ck).
: The dealership would not tell me exactly what was wrong, nor : would th=
ey even tell me if a transmission failure at 48,000 miles is : within the=
normal distribution of failures for this vehicle. Despite my numerous l=
etters to Ford, And their executives, : no one will answer the question.
This is absurd! They should be able to give you detailed explanations of=
what failed and why an entire replacement was required instead of just r=
epairing what you had! I'm wondering if other explorer owners have had s=
imilar bad experiences.
There doesn't seem to be a common theme/trend in the news group, but almo=
st all of the owners of earlier model years I know have had leaking valve=
cover gaskets. Did yours (or do yours) leak?
Seems brake problems of various sorts are often talked about as well, I h=
aven't had that. The fuel pump begun constantly making a horrible buzzin=
g, so I replaced that as well, rather than risk being stranded.
Ford has sold over 2 million of these beasts, so its hard to get a clear =
statistical picture of what the common failures are with these vehicles w=
ithout falling victim to sample errors. I think one of the car web sites=
has a TSB list and there are _lots_ of problems on that list ...

33. mi...@nccn.net
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 13:43:37 +0000
To: kathleen davis <k-da...@tamu.edu>
The NHTSA site is just what I needed to get further in my search, but now=
for the fourth time I freeze when having gone through the first steps of=
the Consumer Complaints query. I did check out the Technical Service Bul=
letins, but nothing in there. (I do not feel ready yet to fill out the Ve=
hicle Owners' Questionnaire.)
Vehicle Owners' Questionnaire at http://WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/cars/problems/

34. "J. Gronosky" <JGro...@harris.com>
Organization: Harris Corporation
I have a 91 Ford Explorer and I am experiencing transmission problems as =
well. My explorer had 49.8K Miles on it when I had the transmission pum=
p replaced and other transmission work completed prior to the 50K mile w=
arranty expiration. Now 26K miles later (76K total) I am unable to pull =
my 3200 lb. boat over 55 MPH in drive (not Overdrive) with out the Trans=
mission fluid boiling to the point it drips rapidly from the transmission=
and splatters on the exhaust system to create a very nice plume of blue =
smoke. =

According to independent transmission places here in town they cannot fix=
the problem and warranty the work because they cannot determine the prob=
lem.
I hope this helps. If you need dates for work please let me know and I w=
ill dig through the paper work and find them.

35. Tony Abeyta <to...@hpfiaja.fc.hp.com>
I received the estimate this morning on our 1994 Explorer. The service ma=
nager said it needed a rebuild kit ($1476.49) before taxes. He told me fo=
r ~$425.00 more dollars I can have a new transmission put in, which has a=
12 month 12,000 mile warranty ($1902.06). He said that if it was his veh=
icle he would put the new transmission in, not only because of the warran=
ty, but because Ford has added upgrades also. He told me he would call me=
on Monday when the factory rep comes in, so I can talk with him in perso=
n. I have 58k miles on the vehicle. Ford has long been known for thier qu=
ality drive trains. Something has gone wrong down the road, and we the co=
nsumer is now having to foot the bill.

36. Stuart Bobb <s...@babylon5.fc.hp.com>
Interesting effort, good luck with it. Here's my story:
1991 XLT 4x4 Explorer with ~85,000 miles required ~$1300 in transmission =
work. This vehicle has the towing package, including transmission oil co=
oler, but even so the transmission damage was assessed as most likely hea=
t induced.
I knew I had a problem when the automatic transmission started being "slo=
w" or "late" in upshifting from 1st to 2nd.
My vehicle was long out of warranty, and I wouldn't trust my local Ford d=
ealer to polish a rock, much less fix a transmission.
The guy who repaired mine had some interesting statements about the desig=
n of these A4LD transmissions and indicated GM's are similar.
Apparently under heavy throttle, a check valve shuts off oil circulation =
through the torque converter and the cooler, to protect the torque conver=
ter from "ballooning" due to excessive torque from the engine. The side =
effect is that the tranny oil isn't circulating and cooling -- even if yo=
u have an automatic transmission oil cooler, as included in the towing pa=
ckage!
He indicated that with the higher speed limits he expects to see a lot of=
this problem -- the drive train was engineered for 55 mph and when peopl=
e drive 80 ... well its only a matter of time. =

Colorado's high altitude and steep mountain grades aggravate it in two wa=
ys. One, we have less hp (figure 4% power drop per 1000 ft of altitude) =
so you need to stick your foot in it more than "flatlanders" to get the s=
ame acceleration. Two, a 6% highway grade in some parts of the mountains=
requires that you basically floor it if you want to go more than 50 mph.=

The net result, lots of wide-open throttle driving, lots of heat damage t=
o the transmission. =

This is all his opinion. He's considered about the best independent auto=
matic transmission repair shop in the area, so he hopefully knows what he=
's talking about. (Been at 30+ years and his reputation is sterling).
I also know that my problem was quite pronounced after a drive from Omaha=
NE to Fort Collins, CO which is all uphill (gaining over 4000 feet), all=
into a headwind-- and I did around 80 mph most of the way, with the peda=
l pretty well down.
I think this is a terrible design and I'm plenty ticked about it, but you=
can be sure I'll be gentle on the throttle from here on out.

37. "Eric N. Pedersen AIA" <er...@west.net>
Here if the record of my transmission service:
Year of Explorer: 1991
Type: Eddie Bauer w/ towing package
Date of Service: 10/26/92
Mileage: 42,080
Problem: Would not shift
Type of Service: Rebuilt transmission - found broken O/D planet
Cost: $1578.46
Cost to Owner $50 (Under 100,000 mile warranty)

Back in '91 I bought my '91 XLT 4X4. Now after @ 90K miles it is time for=
a replacement. The question is what to replace it with. Since I purchase=
d the '91 I've had the transmission repaired twice, eight (8) sets of fro=
nt pads, three sets of rotors, a master cylinder, the electronic control =
valve for the brakes, a failure of the rear electric window drive train (=
broken cable), three windshields (they like to crack on hot days), two br=
eakdowns of the AC system, a radiator fan blade that detonated while tool=
ing down the freeway, two sets of front wheel bearings, a bad thermostat,=
a frozen belt idler/ tensioner, a radio possessed by the spirit of somet=
hing from outer space, a bad steering humptyhump spacer, a set of bad sho=
cks, and two sets of driveshaft universals. I'm impressed by the poor en=
gineering in this Ford product. I'm also impressed by Ford's singular lac=
k of interest in the problems particularly since the brake problem starte=
d back when there was still a warranty on the thing. Don't get me wrong, =
I love driving the car. It does everything I ask If it even though I neve=
r asked it to tow anything, I seldom ask it to drive in dirt (and then on=
ly on dirt roads for a few miles), I only drive on freeways and country r=
oads and I always take care of the Periodics on time....... So.... A new =
Explorer or a new Chevy Blazer..... or something else. Does anyone have =
any info on the new Chevy i.e. dependability, quality of vehicle etc? Any=
other ideas. I'm about sick of the way I was treated by Ford on the Brak=
e problem with this vehicle so I'm really hesitant to buy another overpri=
ced and under engineered Ford product. I've had too many friends who bou=
ght Cherokees when they saw my problems with the Ford only to discover th=
at those cars were even worse. Hmmmmmm what to do.

38. (Andrew%20Rozek)">war...@is.nyu.edu (Andrew Rozek)
I have a 95 XLT. The tranny would no longer engage into forward or revers=
e at 13,500 mi. The dealer rebuilt the transmission. I found out that s=
ome of the things that failed were the planetary gears along with burnt f=
orward clutches, damaged forward drum and piston servos.
Anyway, the final verdict was that the forward planetary caused the trann=
y to self-destruct. Not something you expect to happen this soon on any =
car. The only good thing about it all was that the tranny failed right b=
y the house and not in the middle of nowhere.

39. Steve Rupp <steve...@sac.rmiinc.com>
mi...@slic.cts.com (Mike Shirley) wrote:
I've a 92 XLT w/ 75K miles. I bought it about a month ago. The previous=
(and original) owner told me that he had to have the automatic transmiss=
ion rebuilt at about 45K-miles. He described a problem with a late shift=
out of first gear when the engine was cold.
I have noticed that the truck definately seems to be late shifting out of=
first. It takes up to 30-45 seconds at >2500 RPM before it will shift.
I don't understand why the transmission needs to be rebuilt to fix this k=
ind of problem. I think of a "rebuild" as being required whn all the sea=
ls, valves and bands go to crap and the transmission stops working or sou=
nds like a bucket of chains rattling about. Perhaps someone more knowled=
geable can explain 'WHY' a rebuild is required?

40. lym...@aol.com (LymLady)
My son asked me to ask about 1992 XLT Ford Explorer Transmission failure.=
The truck has about 50,000 miles. The dealer wants $3000 to repair it. =
It doesn't sound right! I have read the previous messages and ,they soun=
d like similar problems. We are in So. Calif. Can anyone help with info=
rmation?

41. mhu...@fcs.uga.edu (Martin G. Hulsey)
I have a 95 XLT 4X4 with 3.55 axles, auto and 21,000 miles. Last week, my=
tranny suddenly started shifting unusually. It didn't want to shift out=
of first gear, but I could coax it to shift by going to 2500-3000 RPM in=
first then letting off of the accelerator. The 2-3 and 3-4 shifts were =
normal. Shortly after the shifting problem appeared (~20 miles), the "O/=
D Off" light began flashing. =

My brother, a service manager at a competing dealer, says that the flashi=
ng O/D light is a
symptom of a defective speed sensor in some Toyotas. The dealer has had =
my vehicle for 2 head-scratching days, and now says that the tranny may h=
ave to come out.

42. 71573...@compuserve.com (Mayer Balser)
I have a 1992 Explorer EB and I too am in need of a transmission. The dea=
ler quoted me $2600 plus tax to rebuild it or I could get a trade out uni=
t from Ford for $2100 plus tax installed. I have not yet decided what I a=
m going to do. I think I will take it to another place and get an estima=
te.

43. jjoa...@aimnet.com (Jonathan O. Joaquin)
Over the weekend, a Friend who has a 95 Eddie Bauer, had to be towed to t=
he dealer. His overdrive light started blinking and the transmission star=
ted to slip. He got off the freeway, then parked it. He put it into rever=
se to straigten the parking jon, and it stayed in neutral. =

The owners manual says when this condition exists, bring it to the dealer=
at your earliest opportunity. They towed it in and found the transmissi=
on was trashed. They are now ordering a new one for him. He has 28k miles=
on it. He asked for a rental car, and they said that since he had purcha=
sed the extended warrenty, it covered this. I started to laugh and told h=
im that they owed this to him, since it was a factory defect. 24 hours la=
ter, my 95 XLT did the same thing, and now its in the shop. The dealer sa=
ys that the transmission needs to be replaced. He called the ford rep and=
they say they no longer make this transmission, and he authorized a rent=
al car for me. They are now ordering parts to rebuild the transmission t=
hat i have. I'm wondering, since they don't make that one, won't the rebu=
ilt one have the same defects, and if so, will this be warrantied for lif=
e?
I made sure since I have 32k on it, I 'm having them do the 30k service. =
Normally $600, since I don't need plugs or tranny service, it comes to $3=
50. I recommend having this done, because they have discovered that my sh=
ocks are leaking, and will replace them under the warranty. =

Still all in all, I love my explorer, but I'm sure i'd be feeling differe=
nt if it had broke down on the road with me in it....

44. bur...@brooktree.com (Dennis Burnham)
I have a 1992 EB 4X4 with 66,000 miles, and I just had to have my automat=
ic transmission rebuilt at a cost of $1860.00. The car was never used to =
tow anything and the transmission fluid and filter were changed at the re=
commended factory intervals. I know four other people that have had their=
Explorer Automatic transmission rebuilt or replaced. One had 31,000 mil=
es, one 53,000, one 60,000 miles, and the other 80,000 miles. =

If anyone else, on this conference, has had their automatic transmission =
rebuilt or replaced, whether covered by warranty or not, please private e=
mail me with your story. Please provide your name (optional), the year of=
the vehicle, the amount of miles when the
failure occurred, and what Ford did in the way of compensation. =

45. Ger...@cbacc.bus.utexas.edu (Linda Gerber)
Our Explorer AC just blew at 3 years/ 63K miles. Only $700 to fix ON TOP=
of the $2000 we'd just spent having the transmission (STANDARD even!) re=
placed the month before. I've written Ford. Can I expect help?

46. tlan...@ingr.com (Tim Landers)
I own a '92 Ford Explorer with 59,000 miles. It has had all of the follow=
ing problems:
-- Complete transmission overhaul due to defective torque converter ($2=
100)
-- Front brake overhaul due to defective calipers ($250)
-- Poor exterior paint quality
-- Radial arm failures
-- Steady decrease in fuel economy despite good maintenance (unknown caus=
e)
This is Explorer is a piece of junk! Get a bumper to bumper, life time wa=
rranty for yours, you will need it.
AMEN! Flame on:
My wife and I made the mistake of buying a '91(new). Brake problems, tran=
ny leaks, dealer workers getting greasy handprints all over the seats, in=
process of trying to repair the deluxe inflatable seat they scratched th=
e door and left the wires exposed to where the thing almost caught on fir=
e (I should of let it burn...)! I Don't have time to cover the whole come=
dy routine here...
The last straw with her was one evening she was leaving and the brakes co=
mpletely failed, lucky at 10 MPH. Turns out the cheap plastic connector t=
o the brake vacuum boost housing had broken off.
After getting the usual circle-jerk from Ford headquarters, I sold the da=
mn thing. What got me hot was that they did the usual " we're so sorry" s=
talling routine, but DID NOT stay in contact. I had to call them to see w=
hat was going on. I finally demanded they replace the whole thing because=
it was a lemon. (After the brake failure, my wife refused to drive it ev=
er again.) They "just didn't get it" when I told them she was afraid of i=
t, BECAUSE IF THE BRAKES HAD FAILED 2 MINUTES LATER SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN =
ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND POSSIBLY _KILLED. I'll bet Ford has lost $500,000=
in sales due to us telling everyone we know about it!
Moral of story:
Don't try to be nice and give domestic manufacturers another chance. They=
still don't understand quality or customer service. To top it off, I rea=
d that Ford is handing out multi-million dollar bonuses at the top while =
others are getting cuts. I can't support these weasels who lay-off hard =
working people and then slurp up the profits, lie about how much they car=
e about you, and jack up the prices of car where now most people HAVE to =
lease them. What a rip-off! =

47. william....@jpl.nasa.gov
I just bought a 1991 Explorer used. A week after I bought it, I it on a=
weekend trip. On the way back, the transmission failed (all of the flui=
d had leaked out). It got towed to the local Ford dealer. I was told F=
ord had extended the warranty to 5 yrs/60,000 miles for the drive train.=
=

The factory covered $3,500 worth of repairs, except for a $100 deductible=
=2E They basically told me I had leaks from most of the major seals on =
the engine and transmission. They pulled the motor and tranny to replace=
everything. Took them over a week to tear it all down and put it back =
together. They also paid the tow fee. Before the trip, I had a complete =
fluid service at a local shop. I thought they had forgot to tighten some=
thing, but Ford stood behind the repairs instead of taking the easy out =
and blaming the other shop. The 1991 models are known to have bad seals a=
nd gaskets, and this must be why Ford extended the warranty. They also=
replaced the water pump and the front radial arm bushings. You might wan=
t to try and see if it is a warranty item, if you are under the 5 year/60=
,000 mile limit. I am just hitting 34,000 miles now. It's nice to know =
all that has been replaced...
Good luck! ** Gary **
Gary Manning
San Diego, CA

Dave & Gary:
I had a '91 Explorer that had to have the valve cover gaskets changed twi=
ce! The second time they used a new improved gasket and I didn't have any=
more problems.
Watch out for leaks at the main bearing rear seal too; they had to replac=
e that with an improved gasket also. While we're on the subject of gasket=
s, they replaced the intake manifold gasket too.
Had the radial arm bushing done also!

48. jp...@connix.com (Jamie C. Pole)
They sure as hell burned me... Like an idiot, I bought a 1993 Explorer. =
We had it for less than 2,500 miles. In that time period, the dealer re=
placed the front differential, the starter, the automatic transmission, a=
nd the driver's side front power leather seat. Quality is job one? Cour=
se it was lots of fun beating the shit out of it at the beach (Piece of c=
rap almost ended up stuck several times running in the sand - hands down =
the worst offroad vehicle I have ever driven) when we stopped on the way =
to give it back to the dealer (Actually, the leather seats are very comfo=
rtable while off-roading - I was VERY surprised).
Got our money back and walked across the street and bought a Blazer. Best=
car (truck) purchase I've ever made... Now you look at how many times t=
he 95/96 Explorers were recalled BEFORE they got to the dealers. What is=
Ford thinking?

49. Jim Miller jbmi...@rsoc.rockwell.com
I've got a '92 Explorer with a bad oil leak. It's bad because the oil is=
coming into contact with something hot, probably the exhaust pipe, and s=
o it can smell pretty strong in the cab at times. I had a mechanic look =
at the problem when he did a tune up and he said the leak was probably co=
ming from the rear main seal. Right after that, I had the automatic tra=
nsmission rebuild and that mechanic said the rear main seal was OK. Anyo=
ne have a similar problem? I wouldn't mind if the oil was just leaking =
on the driveway but I figure it's not too good for my health to keep bre=
athing the fumes.

50. dur...@tempest.ait5580 (Jim Durbin)
I have a '95 Explorer. I just had the transmission replaced at 10k. The =
dealer claimed it was a syncro gear problem that had damaged just about e=
verything in the transmission, including all of the planetary gears.
I am still not happy with the "new" transmission. It feels to me that th=
e "new" transmission shifts into/out of drive and reverse slower, sometim=
es with an associated "bump" (audible and physical). Also, occasionally =
the transmission will shift between forward gears hard, again producing a=
"bump". I also had the 4wd system fail. I was driving at low speeds (<3=
0 mph) in 4wd auto in deep/heavy snow/slush for approximately 2 1/2 hours=
=2E The 4wd light suddenly went out and my back end started sliding aroun=
d; it definitely felt like the front wheels were not getting power. The =
only way I could get the 4wd system to re-engage was to completely shut t=
he car down and restart. I have not had further 4wd problems since then =
(three days of driving in various snow/ice/slush conditions).

51. Brad Achille <bach...@nortel.ca> =

First off, I think this newsgroup is great. I have picked up some very va=
luable tidbits about Explorers. I want to thank Dr. Bob for very informat=
ive replies and very unbiased, level headed, and coherent posts. I think=
he should have his own radio show!
I own a '91 4dr 2wd XL with 95,000+ miles on it. I work in a facility whe=
re there are at least 10 Explorer owners. The models years range from 91 =
to 97. The happiest folks seem to be the ones with the 94s - 97s. I know =
of 3 people who have had their manual transmissions replaced with relativ=
ely low miles, in 2 cases it was because the oil had leaked out over a pe=
riod of time and seized the works. Everyone has the vibration problem exc=
ept for the models with the suspension redesign. One guy with a '94 had =
the Ford mod done (this was new beefier motor mounts, a lateral shock bet=
ween the frame and the rear differential and other minor mounting hardwar=
e) he has reported a noticable difference but the mod DID NOT eliminate t=
he vibration completely and if he had to pay the 800 some odd dollars out=
of his own pocket he never would have done it. Everyone I know with 91-9=
4 has the leaking A/C unit, the leaking rear main oil seal, the leaking m=
anual transmission(I have removed the rear housing on the tranny and rese=
aled the mating surfaces with liquid gasket and it was not until I popped=
out the 3 rubber access plugs on the top of the tranny and sealed those =
up that the leak stopped) and the leaking radiator. Ford should have cons=
idered the name Excretor considering all the fluid leaks. Also the 91-94 =
group has excessive pulling to the right and unusual tire wear. I replace=
d the original high mileage Firestones with a another set but I wish I ha=
d bought Michelin LTXs because of recommendations from friends. .Ford un=
der warranty replaced the leaking valve cover gaskets and the boiled radi=
us arm bushings and I just had to do it again ($150 independent shop) =

When my '91 had about 30,000 miles I replaced the stock sway bars with be=
efier ones and used poly bushings. I purchased these from Whitney catalo=
g (despite the recommendation to avoid sway bars from Whitney which I thi=
nk is ridiculous unless you just have to have the name recognition that B=
aker products afford) I replaced the stock shocks with KYBs purchased loc=
ally. Man what a difference!
Otherwise I have a broken interior door handle, have reglued the rear vie=
w mirror about 5 times, replaced the battery twice, front brake pads 3 ti=
mes rear shoes 1 time , recharged A/C twice and pretty much did the norma=
l reasonable maintenance. It ain't no Mercedes... but then nobody ever cl=
aimed it was.... It is a big, roomy, clunky truck disguised as a cushy fa=
mily wagon, and despite its faults...it is still pretty dang cool.

52. gri...@mindspring.com (Steve Griffin) =

I had the Ford ESP warranty. They did something to the AC once. $50. The=
transmission started not going into gear when cold. They rebuilt it. $50=
=2E

53. bbad...@aol.com (BBadeaux)
I purchased my 1992 Ford Explorer in December of 1991. I have owned two F=
ords previous to this one. With the history of repairs in both my 1986 Ae=
rostar and my 1992 Explorer I WILL NOT buy another Ford product again. B=
oth had expensive air-conditioning problems. Plus 2 transmission rebuilds=
in the Explorer.

54. dubd...@aol.com (DubDub001)
I will not buy another Ford either, based upon my experience with my 92 E=
xploder. Even sent FoMoCo a letter about it. All they said was "We're s=
orry." Nissan here i come.

55. jlan...@aol.com (JLANECHS)
The reason it takes 6 days to get a transmission is probably that they ha=
d to wait for one. There seems to be such a demand for replacement transm=
issions, they can't rebuild them fast enough. I have had four Explorers, =
two have had transmissions replaced. The first one went at 61,000 miles. =
The second one was on my present vehicle at approximately 42,000 miles,(r=
ight out of warranty of course). After raising hell and having a good dea=
ler to back me up, Ford paid 80% of a new one. I like the Explorer but th=
e transmissions are a joke. But if you ask Ford, of course they are not a=
ware of any problems. If you really want to have some fun, ask everyone =
you meet driving one and you will find out how many have really gone out.=
Checking the local transmission repair centers, they just love the Explo=
rer.

56. jsie...@earthlink.net
I am part of a group of Ford Explorer owners that have experienced transm=
ission failure at less than 50,000 miles. I would be interested in hearin=
g from other owners that have had similar problems. This seems to be
a major problem around the country and as near as we can tell it occurs m=
ost frequently among owners that used their Explorer to tow. My personal =
towing was a trailer with a wave runner(about 6 times)!! Failure at 37,00=
0 and this is supposed to be a TRUCK.

57. asm...@ccnet.com (asmith)
The trans in my '91 went at 22k. The second one went at 68k (effectively=
at 46k!). I don't tow anything. I wrote a letter to Ford, they essenti=
ally told me to go pack sand.

58. moo...@vetmed.auburn.edu (Larry Moore) =

This Aerostar has the same transmission as the '91 Explorer:
I am in the market for a vehicle to replace my '88 Aerostar. It's been a=
great vehicle (130K) except for replacing the transmission 4 times!! I =
have sworn never to buy a Ford product again after each episode with the =
transmission. But each time I go looking to buy a new vehicle, I keep ad=
miring the Explorer. I need something to haul large dogs and a kid or 2.=
Plus, the occassional camping or fishing trip. Another minivan just doe=
sn't appeal to me.
Anyway, my wife thinks I'm crazy to want another Ford, especially since I=
keep hearing that the Explorer has tranny problems too. We looked at a =
Tahoe and the 4-runner, but they cost too much. =

I really don't want to replace transmissions every few years again. Can =
you owners of newer Explorers give me some feedback on your impressions o=
f the Explorer, and what you like or don't like about it.

59. cndi...@pacbell.net (Mike )
My 93 4.0L failed at 18,000 with the 3.73, trans cooler ect. Wasn't towi=
ng trailer but was in Mojave desert area with mountains and 110=B0F + tem=
peratures.

60. Steve Moore <ste...@integrityqa.com>
Our 92 transmission just failed (87k miles). It had a hard time shifting=
out of first, RPM went up... ended up shifting manually. The Ford servi=
ce guy said there was metal and stuff all over the place.

61. joiz...@aol.com (JoiZ John)
I had to rebuild my @ appx 70K. Same problem. I haven't changed the flu=
id for appx 50k miles and there was metal fragments and burning in the fl=
uid. If you can avoid it, don't go to the dealership. Go to an
independent (sp) shop. I did and it cost less than the dealer. More imp=
ortantly, They replace ALL the parts that are worn as well as recalibrate=
it according to the latest bulletins.
-Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd

62. dmm...@aol.com (DMM811)
Tranny problem??? You bet.. I had mine explode at 70,000. I had the exten=
ded warranty and the dealership was great. I got the upgraded tranny from=
the newer Explorer...all for $50. The new tranny has better support for =
the main shaft, or so I am told.

63. samps...@aol.com (SAMPSON4WD)
Sounds about right. My 91 went at 90K and I figured it was about time as=
many peoples went out much sooner. Mine cost $2000.00 as it takes a lot=
to remove all the 4X4 stuff too. Good luck. I went to an independent A=
TRA transmission shop so I could get a warranty that was good at any ATRA=
shop so if I was out on the road and it failed again (and it did), I wou=
ldn't have to go back to the original shop. The system worked great for =
me as the original shop paid the second shop to rebuild it again. I kept=
loosing torque converters so get the best one you can.
After my tranny went out at 90K, I was told by the tranny shop that, yes,=
it is a good idea to keep in in drive only and only use it on the fast, =
flat freeways. Third gear or D is a straight 1 to 1 ratio and is the eas=
iest on the tranny. The Explorer doesn't really use a very heavy duty tr=
anny and the OD gear is very small and not very heavy duty. I only put i=
t in OD after I get past 55 and know I'll be staying up there. It also k=
eeps the poor thing from shifting up and down all day long in town. That=
's just not needed and it really does help I think. You can't hurt it an=
d it will only help it.

64. "John Sweet" <sw...@internetaddress.com>
My 92 Explorer experienced transmission failure at 40k miles. Fortunately=
the local Ford Dealer honored the repair for a $250 deductible. I believ=
e there may have been a factory notice about this issue.
The original estimate was over $2,000. What was discovered to be broken w=
as a plastic part used in the transmission! Of course this faulty plastic=
part was replaced with a brand new plastic part from Ford. The first sig=
n we noticed in hindsight was acceleration and gear engaging hesitation.=

65. pro...@aol.com (PROD39)
I have a 92 Explorer 4wd, just passing 72,000 miles and the extended war=
ranty expired last month. Well, the trans is having difficulty with first=
and major trouble with reverse, tonight. I called my local dealer
who advised that sometimes Ford would bear the cost, depending their mood=
at the time. I'll see them on 4-7-97, for a possible warranty considera=
tion ? Do you think I'll have any luck ?
I'll keep you posted, as the service rep said that there had been some tr=
ouble with these transmissions.
Wish me luck ?
This is an appropriate question as, I'm just P----ss--d off enough to giv=
e you some answers. I have a 92 Explorer 4wd XLT with all of the options =
except the sunroof and leather. We purchased it brand new and paid for t=
he extended warranty. (5yr-100k) Ironically, the warranty expired on Mar.=
13. ( Current mileage is 71,972 )
The transmission died last Friday. No warning ! first reverse took a li=
ttle too long to engage. Later the same day it shuttered as it went backw=
ards. Next day, on the way to the dealer, third and fourth began
slipping and then quit altogether. The dealer sent a message to FORD requ=
esting assistance, due to timeframe and ?? =

Ford denied the claim.......I went to an independent transmission shop, w=
ith referrals, who advised they had this a number of times. The dealer ha=
d advised that the repairs would be about $ 2000.-2200.00 =

and they didn't even open the transmission ! I have a very good friend wh=
o has access to ALL of the service bulletins that Ford put out about thes=
e transmissions. Seems that 91 & 92 were the skunks !
Well, all of the service was performed to specs. I'm more than a little=
disappointed with this ! The truck had it's fair share of " small probl=
ems " that were covered by warranty and minor inconveniences.
If this is the way we, the consumer, is to be treated it's no great wonde=
r that the foreign auto makers do so well.
So Very SAD.
I sent a msg. out last week regarding the demise of my transmission. The =
ford dealer was going to attempt to get Ford to do repairs under the " ju=
st expired " warranty. (three weeks )
Well, this is another day, and Ford said NO ! I have a very close frien=
d sending me all of the Ford service bulletins on these transmissions. =
I'd like everyone who reads this and has had their transmission fail, Pl=
ease send me the specifics ? I'm certain we can't get a great distance B=
UT, I'd like to see their customer service dept. earn their money for onc=
e ! I believe the culprits are the 91 and 92 transmissions....and... FOR=
D KNEW IT !
just trying to get a little justice.

66. heca...@aol.com (HE Carmen)
Same thing happened to me with a torque converter at 48,000 miles. If th=
e dealership doesn't help, try the 1-800 number. When it was all said an=
d done, I had paid $150. The warranty adjustment was called a PO5.

67. Tony Bordeaux <bord...@vt.edu>
My automatic transmission went out at 65K miles. My explorer is a 1993 4=
X4. I did all the service that was suggested. A ford dealership put a re=
build in it for $2100.

68. bbad...@aol.com (BBadeaux)
I purchased my 1992 Ford Explorer in December of 1991. I have owned two F=
ords previous to this one. With the history of repairs in both my 1986 Ae=
rostar and my 1992 Explorer I WILL NOT buy another Ford product again. Bo=
th had expensive air conditioning problems. 2 transmission rebuilds in th=
e Aerostar 1st at 74Kmiles and 2nd at 151kmiles. My explorer, which my me=
chanic informed me has the same transmission as the Aerostar, had 63kmile=
s when the trans went out, this cost me $1,600 to repair. If Ford canno=
t build or improve the same transmission after 6 or more years then forge=
t them. Quality number one, HA! I hope ,no pray that you read this story =
before you spend your money toward a Ford Product.

69. TADSEXY <dbca...@gulfsurf.infi.net
You guessed it. We purchased our truck from Donalds son-in-law and knew =
how well it had been maintained. Just a couple of months ago the tranny =
let go and "grenaded" as our mechanic described. He said that this was a=
typical problem on 91-93 Explorers. It took almost two weeks just to fi=
nd a replacement tranny because when it "let go", it cracked the cases.

70. guar...@netdoor.com (Jeffrey L. Jue)
Well, my '91 Explorer XLT just had its transmission go out. It only has =
59.5K miles, and it did get some off-road and towing. Whenever I get thi=
s truck back (Friday?), I am definitely going to check on all maintenance=
=2E Thing is, I never had a problem with shifting or slippage, but I hear=
d a pop & felt rear-end shake. I could not repeat the situation. The sh=
op told me that they found metal inside, and the job would cost $2000. I=
live in Jackson, MS.

71. "Jim Woodhead" <wood...@cts.com>
I have a '91 Explorer with 169,500 on it. I had to rebuild tranny at 90=
K and replace various pumps. It started leaking oil fairly badly and I ha=
d to replaced the rear main seal and oil pan gasket.

72. "Alfred L. Heymann" <big...@asis.com>
I have a 1991 XLT, delivered 8/90-one of the early ones. Smartest thing I=
did was buying an extended warranty, which probably saved me over $20,0=
00 in service repairs. Would like to hear from others as to what problems=
they are having. Many of mine are repeats, such as replacements of bushi=
ngs on the radius arm assembly(about 6), and front wheel rotors(about 8).=
I'm now on my 5th transmission, all installed by Ford, in less than 100,=
000 miles. I think that some of these problems are design, engineering, =
or quality problems of Ford, rather than normal wear and tear problems. I=
will collect this information and make it available to all. It might pro=
ve interesting and help us in the future.

73. "Jack Desmond" <desm...@ix.netcom.com>
I know all about the shitty transmissions in the 91-92 Explorers. Mine h=
as just gone too. It will not shift out of first gear. It has 103300 mi=
les on it. If I keep switching between the OD D 2 1 gears while driving =
it
will eventually start working or maybe it fust starts working as the engi=
ne warms up. I haven't been driving it lately. How much is this going t=
o cost? Is there any other transmissions I could use instead of the stoc=
k
one? I don't know anything about cars and I don't want to put the same s=
hitty transmission in there. FORD SUCKS.

74. samps...@aol.com (SAMPSON4WD)
Join the club. Hey, don't feel bad you went almost twice as long as some=
Explorers did. Mine went at 90K and then the torque converter went two =
more times after within 6 months under warranty. My only suggestion is t=
hat you use an independent tranny shop like an ATRA shop. They will give=
you a warranty good at any other ATRA shop so if you get stuck out of to=
wn, just get towed to the other ATRA shop and the first shop pays them to=
repair it you at no charge. Believe me, it's worth it as mine broke dow=
n far from home. My complete job cost $2000.00. I don't know if that was=
a good or bad price but it all depends how many "hard parts" need replac=
ing. The longer you wait to do it, the more expensive it will be. =

With a 4X4, there are lots of parts to take out and put back in like tran=
sfer case, drive lines etc. It just costs a lot. If you're the mechanic=
al type, you could take it out and re-install it yourself and save probab=
ly 20% or so. It would be worth asking them. =

75. jel...@interaccess.com
Same thing happened to me; lost compression in drivers side front cyl. =
both heads replaced under extended warrantee one month ago at 72k mi. th=
ey also replaced the transmission free because it wasn't going into OD, a=
nd the ball joints and radius arm bushings as well. I guess now I have a=
new truck, eh??

76. bou...@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Bob Bourman)
Well, I AM SURPRIZED! No Hassles! Nope...! They drove the truck, pulled t=
he pan and found "debris" and ordered me a new transmission! My extende=
d warranty PAID OFF! If you think the added $700 is too much for the exte=
nded warranty, THINK AGAIN! My regular 3/36 warranty ran out 8 weeks ago!=
It even covers the rental car I'm now driving. I plan on using (because =
I know Ford products!) this extended warranty plenty in the coming three =
years!
New Tranny @ 24K 94' 2D4WD 3.73LSD/AT =

77. drou...@aol.com (Droubay1)
I have a 92 XLT 63,000 miles, just out of warranty that needs a SECOND ne=
w transmission. The dealer tells me that Ford doesn't make that transmis=
sion anymore or the replacement parts... IMAGINE THAT! I have also repla=
ced the air conditioning and front end... I would never buy another Ford=
even though I really loved the car... when it wasn't in the shop! Anyon=
e with similar Explorer horror stories please email me so I
can keep a file of others complaints... Thanks

78. mark...@aol.com (MARK 79VET)
I recently had my transmission go out. As I started talking with others,=
they were shocked that my tranny lasted as long as it had 94,000 miles. =
Three separate shops (in Southern California) call it the 'Ford
Exploder'. The transmission originally came from the Pinto and was beefe=
d up by a team including Germany. The A4LD transmission is used in the 3=
=2E0 liter Mustang, the F150 and many others. It's apparently way too li=
ght for the Explorer. We had the heavy duty tow package installed from t=
he
factory (with the cooler package). This was probably the reason that the=
tranny lasted as long as it did, because we never had a reason to tow. =
What tends to go out is the overdrive system, the front portion of the tr=
ansmission. Typical repairs include new clutches, planetary, overdrive u=
nit, etc. at an approximate cost of $1200.
The book says to generally use overdrive. The technical answer is that t=
he 'Overdrive' exercises a different set of gears which wears out the uni=
t much quicker.

79. gerh...@llnl.gov (Michael Gerhard aka Elmo P. Suggins
Warning: Ford Explorer Quality is NOT "Job 1" !!!
I own a '92 Ford Explorer with 59,000 miles. It has had all of the follow=
ing problems:
-- Complete transmission overhaul due to defective torque converter ($210=
0)
-- Front brake overhaul due to defective calipers ($250)
--Poor exterior paint quality =

-- Radial arm failures
-- Steady decrease in fuel economy despite good maintenance (unknown caus=
e)
--This is Explorer is a piece of junk! Get a bumper to bumper, life time =
warranty for yours, you will need it.

80. laz...@execpc.com
Hi. It's been awhile since it happened to me, but I'd be interested to he=
ar if anyone else has had a similar problem. =

Almost 2 years ago I had to take my '91 Explorer back to a Ford dealer be=
cause intermittently it would not propel itself forward. The dealer repor=
ted to me that he didn't understand how it could move itself at all, that=
the first planetary gearset had/was in process of disintegrating. Very b=
ad news, couldn't afford the repair or a rebuild at $2200, so I got a bon=
eyard tranny from a newer Explorer (in the boneyard from an accident)
After that time, I'd read on Compuserve in an automotive forum, that Ford=
had a problem with lack of lubrication to that gearset and in fact has a=
n upgrade kit to help lube it better. Transmissions built after the '91 m=
odel year supposedly don't have the problem.
What I'm interested to know now, is how many other people out here in Cyb=
erspace have had that problem?
It was a 4 speed automatic. Had to shoot it to put out of it's misery.

81. John Spicer <jsp...@mci.newscorp.com>
I bought a '91 used, but reportedly both the automatic 4sp and the engine=
were replaced under warranty at about 25k miles.

82. jaba...@bnr.ca (Jeff Barnes)
I have a 91XLT that is on it's FOURTH!!! transmission. It has 75K
miles on it. Here is the story:
Trans # Mileage of Death Problem Who Paid
------- ---------------- ------- --------
1 12K Locked up in 3rd For=
d
2 50K Shredded itself (it F=
ord
even cracked the case!!)
3 63K All transmission fluid Me=
**
leaked out
4 Still working, but starting =

to make noise
**Ford offered me $1,000 towards the purchase of a new Explorer, I=
guess they think I am a major fool. Their comment was, "We don't want =
people driving cars longer than about 60K miles, it cuts down on our prof=
it."

83. michael...@smc.com
The transmission on my '92 Explorer is showing all the signs of impending=
failure. Does anyone have advice on how to get Ford to fix it (it's out =
of warranty) or how to get it fixed cheaply and reliably. Any help is app=
reciated.

84. "Guy B. Young II" <gby...@infi.net>
I think my time has come.....
I live in the Richmond, VA area and am looking for a competent transmissi=
on shop to rebuild the A4LD transmission on my '91 Explorer. It's startin=
g to do funky things including intermittently puking all its fluid out th=
ru the front seal. The vehicle has 98,000 miles on it.
Please respond direct to avoid the bandwidth clutter.
Thanks in advance.

85. "Kevin M. Kazmierski" <kazm...@uiuc.edu>
I cringe at the first mentioning of A4LD. A nice trans it is, but when i=
t gets old, it goes. Many people who work on these will tell you this. =
And, worse yet, they aren't cheap to fix. If it needs a complete rebuild=
, expect to pay close to 1000 bucks.
I had two of them die on me - the first time, I got a used one, but it la=
sted only 20,000 miles. I bit the bullet and had it rebuilt the second t=
ime. This was in a 1987 Mustang.
BTW, They use(d) this trans in several Ford vehicles, including the 4 cyl=
Mustang and Aerostar. It was the only thing I hated about my old '91 Ex=
plorer. Luckily, that one never died while I had it.

86. "Shawn Burns" <sbu...@mailexcite.com>
While reading the rec.autos.makers.ford.explorer newsgroup on DejaNews, I=
saw someone mention your name about a file of 75+ complaints about Explo=
rer transmissions.
I have a 1992 Ford Explorer whose tranny has had to be replaced once at 6=
2,000. We've also had a Bronco transmission that went at 70,000.
We're trying to get answers from Ford, but we haven't gotten anywhere. Fi=
rst, we'd like to know if we could be complaint #76, and second, if you c=
ould point us in the right direction to get those complaints to use in ou=
r war against Ford as well.

87. "James D. Tuton" <jtu...@traffic.com>
I am posting the following letter out of frustration. My Ford Explorer n=
eeds a new transmission at 36K and Ford is unwilling to help. If anyone =
can offer advice, I am all ears.
Please feel free to Email me at jtu...@traffic.com

88. skma...@aol.com (SKMackey)
My 93 Limited went out early also. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the=
replacement. I lost mine at 37,500 miles. 1500 past the warranty and got=
absolutely no sympathy from Ford. They denied any
problems with the transmissions. I love this truck but I have to be serio=
usly concerned about the next one I consider.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
August 13, 1997
Open Letter to Ford Motor Company Executive
Dear Sir:
I have been a Ford Motor Company customer since 1990 and have purchased a=
number of vehicles for my private use and on behalf of our company. I a=
m writing this letter in and effort to get some executive attention to a =
problem.
I have a loaded 1992 Eddie Bauer Explorer with 36,000 original miles whic=
h was purchased new from Lou Grubb Ford in Scottsdale, Arizona in July 19=
92. It has been driven exclusively by my wife and even has the original =
factory tires. The vehicle was purchased with the 4x4 option, but has ne=
ver been off-road. It has never had a tow hitch installed and has never =
pulled anything. In fact, the 4-wheel-drive has never even been engaged.=

Last week my wife complained that the gears were "slipping" so I took the=
car to Lou Grubb Ford Service for an assessment. They couldn't get to i=
t immediately, so I took the vehicle to a local repair shop where they di=
agnosed the problem as a bad "modulator." The part was replaced and I le=
arned that the problem was not just a $150 part. The vehicle needed a ne=
w transmission! They advised me to take the car back to the dealership w=
here I would be "taken care of". =

The Service Director, Laura Zimbal told me that the car is too old for a =
post-warranty "free" repair. She offered a 10% discount on labor as an a=
ccommodation to repair the vehicle. This is unacceptable. This vehicle =
should last longer than 36,000 miles without requiring a major repair. T=
he transmission is obviously defective, and should be covered by the manu=
facturer or the dealer.
I am not trying to be unreasonable, but I really cannot accept that I sho=
uld pay for this repair. As you know, it is relatively simple to keep a =
happy customer simply by standing behind your product. I understand that=
products can be defective from time to time; and I can accept that. In =
fact, I am willing to remain a loyal Ford customer if this problem is res=
olved. If it is not, I cannot make that statement. I realize that you d=
o not need me to help you sell your vehicles, but it can make a differenc=
e. In lean times, word of mouth means a lot.
In summary, either my transmission was defective, or Ford builds a substa=
ndard product. Since Ford Motor Company advertises that "the quality goe=
s in before the name goes on" I ask that Ford stand behind this motto and=
its product. My wife needs her car back so that she can transport our t=
wo young children to school.
Sincerely,
James D. Tuton
President
American Traffic Systems, Inc. =

The following letter from Ms. Nancy Vert in Detroit was received in respo=
nse the copy of my complaint to the Washington State Attorney General tha=
t I copied to her personally.

Ford Customer Service Division P.O. Box 43360
Ford Motor Company Detroit, Michigan 48243
March 18, 1997

Mr. Michael J. Costello

Dear Mr. Costello,

The circumstances which you outlined concerning your 1991 Explorer have b=
een given careful consideration.

Ford Motor Company considers the satisfaction of its owners to be one of =
its most important objectives. We commit very substantial resources and =
effort in a sincere attempt to resolve the concerns of our owners. Howev=
er, limits must be placed on those efforts. Although we regret not being=
able to meet your expectations, our review indicates that the informatio=
n provided by our Company Representative is appropriate. Therefore, we a=
re unable to be of assistance in this matter.

We are sorry that our response could not be more favorable to you. Thank=
you for contacting us.

Sincerely,

N. B. Vert
Customer Assistance Center

March 24, 1997

Ms. N. B. Vert
Customer Service Center
Ford Motor Company
P.O. Box 43360
Detroit, Michigan 48243

Dear Ms. Vert,

The fact that Ford Motor Company 'considers' satisfaction means little w=
hen it is denying that satisfaction to a customer. And I am not surprise=
d that "limits" are placed on those efforts in obtaining customer satisfa=
ction, particularly when a badly designed and inadequate transmission is =
placed in hundreds of thousands of Explorers worldwide.
After I sent you the copy of my complaint to the Washington State Attorn=
ey General's Office, I did some research on my own using the Internet. T=
o say I was shocked by the results of those efforts is an understatement.=
I currently have compiled fifteen (15) pages of nearly 100 failed trans=
missions in Ford Explorers, posted in Internet Newsgroups since only Janu=
ary of 1996. The list is growing daily. Clearly this problem with Explo=
rer transmissions is not an isolated occurrence, and in fact, may involve=
tens of thousands of Ford vehicles. I ask myself, for every one of thes=
e failed Explorer transmissions posted on the Internet, how many other do=
they suggest are out there? 100? 500? 1000?
I have an owner's manual that recommends that the overdrive gear be used=
as the 'normal' gear position for normal driving. I have letters from t=
wo different transmission experts saying point blank that driving the Exp=
lorer, as recommended in the owner's manual, will virtually guarantee fai=
lure of the transmission. They add that the repairs and replacements of =
these transmissions, (with the upgraded unit) account for as much as 15 t=
o 20 percent of their shops' entire business. They believe that Ford kno=
ws of the problem, given that they have upgraded the transmissions in new=
er Explorers, but believe that Ford will not, and has not even considered=
a recall, because safety is not an issue in a failing transmission.
Lastly, I have my own mileage results - done since this transmission iss=
ue came to my attention - that show that in the three weeks since my tran=
smission was repaired, my gas mileage has dropped nearly 10 percent, simp=
ly by using the 'drive' gear position except on the Freeway. I now belie=
ve this is what this whole issue is about - gas mileage. By recommending=
the overdrive gear for normal use, Ford cars and trucks are being tested=
in overdrive, and as a result are receiving much improved mileage rating=
s. This raises 'fleet averages,' that subsequently meet government milea=
ge regulations. Ford simply erred by placing an inadequate and under-des=
igned transmission in these early year Explorers.
With just 56,000 miles on my Explorer, I was surprised to learn of the e=
xpiration of my ESP Service Contract that ended in January of this year, =
just six weeks before my transmission went kaput. With 20,000 unused mil=
es left on the 75,000 warranty, there is no excuse for the failure of an =
automatic transmission so early. But apparently, it is a far more common=
occurrence than Ford would like anyone to know.
Ford has decided to ignore the problem, and deal with this issue on a cas=
e by case issue. Well, I am not out bring down Ford, and in truth have b=
een an outspoken supporter of Ford cars until this matter, but here is wh=
at I am prepared to do. On or around May 1, I will package up everything=
I have accumulated, and I will send it to the TV networks. Included wil=
l be specifically, ABC's 20-20, NBC Dateline, CBS's 48 Hours, and ABC's P=
rimetime Live. We will see just how much a none-problem this is with the=
se transmissions, and whether anyone else is alarmed at the huge number o=
f these transmission failures.
A very telling point in this situation occurred when a customer service=
representative, literally refused to give me the name or number of someo=
ne in authority that I could talk to about Ford policy in this matter. I=
t was only at my persistence that your name was given to me. This is def=
initely not the way to instill confidence in Ford customers that Ford is =
concerned with their satisfaction, particularly when they are making larg=
e investments when purchasing Ford cars and trucks.
Sincerely,
Michael Costello
PS
The timing of this $2200 dollar repair has meant the cancellation of a va=
cation to Hawaii that my wife and I had planned for over a year. =

NOTE: There was no further response from Ms. Vert from Ford in Detroit.=

The following letter was the response to my complaint with the Washington=
State Attorney General, related to the actions of the AG Office's commun=
ication with Ford's Seattle Region office.

Ford Customer Service Division Seattle Region
Ford Motor Company 13555 Southeast 36th Street, Suite 200
Bellevue, Washington 98006
May 5, 1997

Michael J. Costello

Dear Mr. Costello,

This is in reference to your inquiry concerning the service problems you =
have experienced with you 1991 Explorer. We regret the circumstances whi=
ch prompted you to contact us.

You have indicated that your vehicle has been driven 57,000 miles. Since=
you vehicle is considerably beyond the mileage limitation of the warrant=
y provided by Ford Motor Company, we are unable to comply with your reque=
st for assistance with the cost of the repairs.

We believe that our warranty amply protects purchasers against defects wh=
ich may cause failures early in the life of the vehicle. In the interest=
s of maintaining customer goodwill, we occasionally contribute toward the=
cost of repairs on a vehicle beyond the warranty period. However, we tr=
ust that you can appreciate that some limitations must be placed on our e=
fforts in these instances. With increasing age and mileage on any vehicl=
e, many factors may arise which are beyond the control of the manufacture=
r and which could contribute to the type of problem you have experienced.=

We regret that our response could not be more favorable, but appreciate h=
aving had the opportunity to review this matter for you.

Sincerely,

Mayellen J. McClane
Customer Service Manager

cc. Desiree Gray
Consumer Representative
Wa. State Attorney General's Office

May 6, 1997

Ford Customer Service - Ford Motor Company
Seattle Region
13555 Southeast 36th Street, Suite 200
Bellevue, Washington 98006

Dear Ms. McLane,

Thank you for your response to my complaint regarding the transmission f=
ailure in my 1991 Ford Explorer XLT. This matter has been very upsetting=
to me, and I hope we can resolve it to both our satisfactions.
In your response letter to me, you state that "In the interests of maint=
aining customer goodwill, we occasionally contribute toward the cost of r=
epairs on the vehicle beyond the warranty period." However, you also sta=
te that at 57,000 miles, my Explorer was well beyond the mileage limitati=
on of the warranty.
I must apologize if that is what the Attorney General's Office told you,=
but in fact, the vehicle was well within its mileage limit. Under the t=
erms of the Ford Extended Service Contract that I purchased back in 1991,=
the warranty period for the vehicle was 6 years or 75,000 miles, whichev=
er came first.
You can imagine my frustration, first to learn that the warranty was not=
the 7 year, 75,000 mile warranty I have on my Taurus, but secondly, that=
if I had taken the vehicle into Ford at the first sign of transmission s=
lippage, I might have come in under the 6 year limit as well.
The simple fact is that I notified Ford of the problem just 6 weeks afte=
r the warranty had expired, and 18,000 miles under the mileage limit.
As stated in my complaint, I have come to learn through two different tr=
ansmission shops, as well as through nearly one hundred notices posted on=
the Internet, that the 1991 and 1992 Explorers had an inferior transmiss=
ion. So much so that Ford replaced it in its 1993 models with one that u=
pgraded the plastic inner workings with steel parts.
I have learned quite a bit through this escapade, such as issues related=
to the outdated maintenance recommendations in the owner's manual, as we=
ll as the dangers in following recommended use of the overdrive gear. I =
also am convinced that Ford knows of all these problems, but has consciou=
sly refused to recognize them and relate them to their customers.
The simple fact is that any customer whose use of a vehicle is such that=
large mileage numbers are not piled up, should not be penalized for it. =
With 18,000 miles left within Ford's warranty limit, no transmission sho=
uld fail under normal to moderate use. Particularly when maintenance rec=
ommendations are followed literally. Under normal driving conditions, th=
e Owner's Manual for the 1991 doesn't even recommend changing the transmi=
ssion fluid, unless you engage FREQUENTLY in certain types of driving tha=
t we did not.
I am enclosing copies of my ESP warranty and my ESP card, in the event t=
hat your records are incorrect. I am also including a copy of the invoic=
e from Kelly's Transmission in Redmond that replaced the transmission.
I hope mutual satisfaction can be obtained, and I can stay a supporter of=
Ford and its products. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Michael Costello

Ford Customer Service Division Seattle Region
Ford Motor Company 13555 Southeast 36th Street, Suite 200
Bellevue, Washington 98006

May 12, 1997

Michael J. Costello

Dear Mr. Costello,

This is in response to your inquiry concerning the service problems you h=
ave experienced with your 1991 Explorer.

Your file, which includes a detailed report of the previous action taken =
on your behalf has been reviewed. In addition, the dealership has consul=
ted with our representative to ensure that all available information has =
been considered and appropriate action taken. Although the mutual effort=
s of your dealer and our office have not met with your expectations, we f=
eel that every consideration has been given to the matter and that the de=
cision reached is correct.

We are sorry that we must respond negatively, but appreciate having had t=
he opportunity to review the matter with you.

Sincerely,

Maryellen J. McClane
Customer Service Manager

May 19, 1997

cc. Alex Trotman, CEO Ford Motor Company

Ford Customer Service - Ford Motor Company
13555 Southeast 36th Street, Suite 200
Bellevue, Washington 98006

Dear Ms. McLane,

I need some help in understanding Ford's actions in the matter of my fai=
led transmission. In your first letter to me, you clearly were unaware o=
f my ESP coverage in refusing to assist me in the cost of my repairs. Th=
e fact is that my Explorer was 'well' under the mileage limit, and not "c=
onsiderably beyond the mileage limitation of the warranty provided by For=
d Motor Company" as you stated. The Explorer was in fact 18,000 miles, o=
r 24% 'under' the 75,000 mile limit covered under the ESP warranty, while=
just 6 weeks beyond the 6 year time limit, or just 2% over. You then cl=
aimed that "In the interests of maintaining customer goodwill, we occasio=
nally contribute toward the cost of repairs on the vehicle beyond the war=
ranty period." =

In response to my letter correcting your information, you have sent me w=
hat is as close to 'form letter' as anything I've ever seen. What dealer=
ship did you talk to? I never took the car to a Ford dealership for the =
transmission. I contacted Ford Customer Service directly, before having =
the transmission repaired at Kelley's Transmission. My local dealerships=
lost my loyalties a long time ago because of their poor service. What a=
ction has been taken on my behalf? My only contact with Ford Customer Se=
rvice, was with Nancy Vert in Detroit, and she didn't even give me the po=
lite consideration of responding to my second letter to her.
Is there some criteria you used to eliminate my request for assistance? =
Because at this point, I can only conclude that your claims made about p=
ursuing goodwill are nothing but empty words, and that you never had any =
intention of considering my situation. I think you made them only when y=
ou felt safe that you would not have to honor them. Seeing the hundreds =
of failed transmissions being posted on the Internet, I think I understan=
d why.
For that matter, why is Ford so defensive on this matter that no one will=
give out a their phone number so that these transmission matters can be =
discussed by phone? This whole matter has smelled bad from the beginning=
when Ford Customer Service 'refused' to give me a phone number of someon=
e in authority that I could further discuss this policy.
At this point, I can only conclude that Ford has no intention of assistin=
g anyone with these faulty transmissions, and never has. From a business=
sense, Ford's way of frustrating and aggravating its customers seems ver=
y counterproductive. Not because of the transmission, but because of the=
way I have been treated by Ford Customer Service, I will never buy a For=
d again, extended warranty or not. I can also assure you that the unsati=
sfactory result of this issue will be far more expensive to Ford than the=
$2200 cost of my faulty transmission, because I will be sure to do all I=
can to dissuade people from supporting Ford, American company or not, if=
this is the way they treat their customers. =

A Former Ford Customer,

Michael Costello
206-294-7541

Then on June 23, 1997: I received the following e-mail in response to the=
early copy of this document sent to one person with a recent transmissio=
n failure:

Michael,
I am glad I was able to find you. I wanted to thank you for the fil=
e about the Explorer transmissions. To remind you who I am I have a 92 E=
xplorer that just blew its 2nd transmission. My husband used the file wh=
en he met with the regional representative, dealer and head mechanic in a=
meeting. He also worked out some numbers using the spec drawings on the=
transmission and was able to show why it was an inferior product. The m=
echanic was very honest and admitted the transmission design was not good=
=2E Since the Explorer was out of warranty, Ford agreed to pay for half =
of the NEW, not rebuilt, 97 transmission and half the labor at their cost=
=2E The transmission is costing us less than $750 with $137 for the labo=
r. In return my husband agreed not to speak publicly against Ford... one=
of his threats, and he also had to agree not to go on the Internet abou=
t them. I was not in the meeting and did not agree to anything. Once I =
get my car back, in 4 to 6 weeks since the transmissions are on back orde=
r, I will get my husband to give me the information he used for his case =
and I will send it to you. Luckily they have given me a loaner car to dr=
ive during this period. I will ask that you don't use my name in any way=
since I am not sure if I am legally bound to his "GAG" agreement. I hop=
e this will help you in some way since I truly believe your work with com=
piling the files made a big difference in our case. =

Thank you for everything,
'Name withheld upon request.'

This provoked an immediate letter from me back to Ms. McLane with Ford Cu=
stomer Disservice.

June 23, 1997
Ford Customer Service - Ford Motor Company
13555 Southeast 36th Street, Suite 200
Bellevue, Washington 98006

Dear Ms. McLane,

It would seem that you are no longer interested in continuing a dialogue=
on the matter of my failed 1991 Explorer transmission, so I will give Fo=
rd one last chance to do what is right. =

As an experiment, I sent my nearly completed, failed transmission docume=
nt to a recent victim of a Ford Explorer transmission, who wanted to know=
what was up with them. I was interested in another opinion of my list, =
so I sent my document thinking that it would explain the situation very e=
fficiently. The recipient was very happy to receive it, and I didn't hea=
r any more on the matter until this last weekend, when I received the fol=
lowing e-mail, part of which is shown below:

"Michael,
I am glad I was able to find you. I wanted to thank you for the fil=
e about the Explorer transmissions. My husband used the file when he met=
with the [Ford] regional representative, dealer and head mechanic in a m=
eeting. He also worked out some numbers using the spec drawings on the t=
ransmission and was able to show why it was an inferior product. The mec=
hanic was very honest and admitted the transmission design was not good. =
... In return for our reimbursement, my husband agreed not to speak publ=
icly against Ford... one of his threats, and he also had to agree not to =
go on the Internet about them. I hope this will help you in some way sin=
ce I truly believe your work with compiling the files made a huge differe=
nce in our case."

It would seem clear, that when pressed, Ford is willing to admit to its =
mistakes. I don't want to make this my life's work, but it is obvious no=
w that my 20 page list of failed Explorer transmissions, would have a rat=
her costly affect on Ford if I spread it around on the Internet, and thro=
ughout the media. It already has cost Ford one transmission more than it=
had to.
I am not after Ford in this matter, I just want reimbursement for my tran=
smission replacement. I know, and Ford knows that these transmissions ar=
e bad, and this e-mail has clued me into some additional things I was not=
previously aware of. Ford doesn't want to pay for more of these bad tra=
nsmissions than it has to, and all I want is the cost of my repairs.
I am prepared to delete my entire file, after sending you a copy of it i=
f you want it, and drop my beef with Ford. I would even be willing to wr=
ite the State of Washington to commend Ford's commitment to customer sati=
sfaction. But, if Ford won't do what is right, then I have in excess of =
100 e-mail addresses on my list of people, that I am sure would love to s=
ee my record of transmission failures. It is nearly ready for wider publ=
ication, but I would rather drop all this and get on with my life.
I will expect your timely response.
Sincerely,
Michael Costello
=

PS - Since the request on the web for my address, so the above e-mail cou=
ld be delivered to me, there are requests appearing now for my list. I w=
on't send them until I here from you, or I become convinced you're not in=
terested. =

Her response was not worth the effort of putting here.

Just something I found that sheds some light on the kind of company Ford =
is.

Center for Auto Safety =

2001 S Street, NW suite 410 =

Washington, DC 20009-1160 =

202-328-7700 =

March 1994 =

Andre Gau =

905 Kimball Ave, =

Harbor lot 11, =

Seaside, Ca. 93955

Dear Andre Gau, Ford Truck/Van Owner,

Thank you for contacting the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) about your=
1981-94 Ford Ranger, F-series pickup, Bronco, Bronco II, Explorer, or Ec=
onoline/Club Wagon E-series van. =

CAS has received many complaints from consumers concerning fires, br=
ake failure, peeling paint, transmission troubles, front end shimmy/vibra=
tion, and faulty gauges.

The most common and expensive defect is paint peeling on 1985-92 mod=
els, particularly the F-series. CAS has received hundreds of complaints o=
n this problem. Ford attempts to cover it up by buying off aggressive co=
nsumers under a secret warranty and ignoring consumers who don't complain=
loudly. CAS has petitioned the Federal Trade Commission FTC to force Fo=
rd to notify owners about the secret warranty and pay for new paint jobs.=
CAS has also petitioned every state attorney general to force Ford to r=
eimburse owners for paint peel. =

Fires have historically plagued these vehicles. After CAS petitione=
d the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) inves=
tigated reports of fuel leaking and spurting from the filler necks on 198=
3-87 E250/350 Econoline vans and Club Wagons. In late 1987 Ford announce=
d recalls of 204,000 of these vehicles. CAS still receives reports of Fo=
rd trucks and vans catching on fire. =

Another serious defect is Bronco II rollover. Rear-wheel-drive Bron=
co II's are the most rollover prone compact utility vehicle on the road. =
Many consumers have complained about increased breaking distances or bre=
ak failure in F250/350 trucks. NHTSA opened an investigation in 1991, wh=
ich resulted in a recall of 517,600 of these vehicles built between 1988-=
91. For 1994, airbags have been installed on most light duty F-series pi=
ckups and Econoline/Club Wagon vans. This should help to improve perform=
ance in government crash tests which have been dismal. =

You'll find more information on these and other Ford truck and van p=
roblems on the enclosed fact sheet along with a survey we need you to fil=
l out as soon as possible. Your completed survey will help us build a st=
rong case against Ford on the defects we know about and help us spot new =
ones.

Sincerely, =

Clarence M. Ditlow
Executive Director

--------------0782934D8A4BC9D4A90EA913--

Barry Minnis

unread,

Oct 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM10/1/97

I have a '93 XLT that I bought second hand. I've only had it for a couple
months. The only problem I've had so far is that someone had jammed the
pin that goes into the front hub adjusting nut. The service people had to
break the adjusting nut to get it off, and then I was surprised that ford
would not sell that part separately - I had to purchase a whole hub
assembly.

My Explorer is at 102k km's. I'd be interested to hear from people who
have any good news about their Explorers.

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