1999 Ford Explorer Visibility

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN THE RAIN THE WINDSIELD WIPER MOTOR WENT OUT CAUSING LOW VISABILITY. PH

THE REAR WIPER MOTOR FAILED ON THIS VEHICLE AT 46,000 MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MOTOR FOR A NOMINAL CHARGE EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE REASON FOR THIS CONSIDERATION WAS THE HIGH FREQUENCY OF FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT. THE DATE OF THIS REPLACEMENT WAS JULY 26, 2001. THE REPLACEMENT MOTOR FAILED TODAY, JUNE 30, 2002, AT 64,000 MILES. I WAS IN A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM AT THE TIME AND WAS UNABLE TO VIEW TRAFFIC TO THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT AND REQUEST THAT THE PROBLEM BE INVESTIGATED AND THAT FORD INITITATE A RECALL TO REPAIR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS (FRONT) INTERMITTENTLY HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING FOR 2 YEARS. WE HAVE TAKEN THE EXPLORER IN 5 TIMES TO HAV THIS PROBLEM FIXED, BUT THEY STILL AREN'T WORKING PERIODICALLY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND A SUDDEN RAINSTORM OCCURS. SOMEONE CAN BE FATALLY INJURED WITH WIPERS THAT ONLY WORK WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT!*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON, ENGAGING WITHOUT OWNER TOUCHING CONTROLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE SWITCH IS STILL OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS INVOLUNTARILY COME ON. WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE A DISTRACTION TO DRIVER WHEN THEY COME ON UNEXPECTEDLY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL TURN ON WITHOUT SWITCHING WIPERS ON. *AK

REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER IS NOT MAKING CONTACT WITH WINDSHIELD. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR REPLACED 3 TIMES. MR

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN CONSUMER NOTICED BACK WINDOW HAD COMPLETLY SHATTERED OVERNIGHT.*AK *JB

WHEN YOU TURNING VEHICLE TO RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPERS COMES ON WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

CAR PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, IN SHADE FOR 4 HOURS. AIR TEMP ABOUT 80 DEGREES. REAR WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. APPROX. 3/4 OF GLASS FELL IN A 180 DEGREE ARCH OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE OUT TO A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 8 FEET. 1/4 OF GLASS FELL INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SPECIFIED ABOVE. SERVICE TECH SAID THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH EXPLORER REAR WINDOWS. SAID THERE WERE TWO NEW EXPLORERS ON THEIR BACK LOT WITH SHATTERED REAR WINDOWS. LATER GOT A CALL BACK FROM THE SERVICE DEPT. SAYING THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY, SINCE THERE IS ONLY A RECALL ON 2002 EXPLORERS, NOT ON 1999 EXPLORERS. SOUNDS LIKE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM TO ME. IT COST ME $819 TO REPAIR AT AN AUTO GLASS SHOP.*AK

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (65-70MPH) THE INTERIOR ELECTROCHROMIC REARVIEW MIRROR BEGINS TO VIBRATE. THE VIBRATATION CAUSES REDUCED VISIBILTY AS THE IMAGES ARE BLURRED. THIS PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT AS A RESULT OF REAR TRAFFIC HEADLIGHTS. THE RESULTING DECREASED REAR VISIBILITY CREATES A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN CONTACTED DIRECTLY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TIGHTENING THE MIRROR, REPLACING THE MIRROR, BALANCING THE TIRES, AND CHANGING THE TIRES. THE FINAL CONCLUSION AS DETERMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD ENGINEERS IS THAT THE AGRESSIVE TREAD ON THE TIRES IS CAUSING THE VIBRATION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REPLACE THE TIRES WITH A TIRE HAVING A HIGHWAY TREAD. I FIND THIS EXPLANATION DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT BECAUSE THE TIRES THAT ARE ON THE VEHICLE ARE BRAND NEW AS A RESULT OF THE FIRESTONE RECALL.*AK

WINDSHIELD WIPER COMES ON WITHOUT WARNING. ACTIVATOR ASY WAS REPLACED AT 11990, THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS TO THIS DAY. REAR WIPER WOULD NOT WORK AND THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED AT 23493 MILES, OPPROX. 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS TO THIS DAY. THE REASON THE VEHICLE HAS NOT RETURNED FOR REPAIRS IS THE GREAT INCONVENIENCE THAT TAKES PLACE ANYTIME A FORD REPAIR SHOP IS INVOLVED. CAN YOU BRING IT BACK TOMORROW, CAN YOU LEAVE IT WITH US ALL DAY, WE ARE WAITING FOR THE PART, WE ARE NOT FINISHED CAN YOU LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT OR BRING IT BACK, SORRY WE DO NOT PROVIDE LONERS BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU A RIDE. I TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN ALMOST EVERYDAY AND SOMEONE GIVING ME A RIDE JUST DOESN'T WORK. THESE REPAIRS ARE ON TOP OF 5 RECALLS THAT I CAN THINK OF. I HAVE PAST THE POINT OF FEELING SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE WITH ALL THE REPAIRS AND RECALLS, BUT WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE COST OF BUYING A NEW VEHICLE, AND WHEN WILL THE DEALER STOP PAYING FOR THE SAME REPAIRS. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HOLD ALL THE CARDS IN DETERMING HOW LONG A PART SHOULD LAST AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST.*AK

I HAVE LET THE DEALERSHIP KNOW. AND THEY ARE GOING TO CHECK THE WIPERS AND CRUISE CONTROL WHEN I GO IN FOR MY NEW TIRES THROUGH THE TIRE RECALL FOR FIRESTONES WILDNERNESS AT. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, CAUSING A DISTRACTION. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM YET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATED FROM VERY SLOW TO FAST WHEN THE SETTING WAS ON FAST. *AK

ERRATIC OPERATION OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY WHILE SWITCH IS IN OFF POSITION. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVER UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD TURN ON EVEN IN OFF POSITION OR WHEN TURN SIGNAL WAS BEING USED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. *AK

WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON AND OFF AT WILL. *AK

GEM MODULE REPLACED TWICE! WIPERS ONLY WORK ON HIGH SPEED. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE WIPER MOTOR AT MY EXPENSE! MY WIPERS WORKED WHEN I TOOK THEM IN FOR THIS RECALL. THEY DID COME ON WHEN I DIDN'T NEED THEM TO BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE THEM COME ON WHEN I DON'T NEED THEM THAN TO NOT COME ON WHEN I DO NEED THEM! I ASKED FOR THE ORIGINAL SWITCH TO BE PUT BACK ON BUT THEY SAID THEY HAD ALREADY SENT IT BACK TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. IN MY RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM, I CAN SEE THAT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING.

THE REARVIEW MIRROR VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS REDUCING DRIVER VISIBILITY AND CAUSING VISUAL DISTRACTION POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE PERSONAL INJURY. AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE ELECTROCHROMIC INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR BEGINS TO VIBRATE RENDERING IMAGES UNCLEAR. THIS CONDITION MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DRIVER TO DISCERN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS BEHIND THE VEHICLE INCLUDING DISTANCE, RATE OF CLOSURE, ETC. IN ADDITION, THIS PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED DURING NIGHTTIME DRIVING WHEN THE REAR TRAFFIC HEADLIGHT IMAGE OSCILLATES, CREATING A VISUAL DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. BOTH THESE HAZARDOUS SAFETY CONDITIONS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE POTENTIAL PERSONAL INJURY. THIS CHRONIC SAFETY PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE PURCHASE DATE 05/31/99 AND HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY ESCALATED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD MOTOR CORPORATION FOR RESOLUTION. WHILE THE DEALERSHIP IN CONJUNCTION WITH FORD HAS TRIED TO IDENTIFY AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM, INCLUDING REPLACING THE MIRROR, ADJUSTING THE MIRROR, BALANCING TIRES, BALANCING THE DRIVE TRAIN, AND REPLACING 1 WHEEL, THEY HAVE YET TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND IDENTIFY THE VIBRATION SOURCE. *AK

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION. AFTER THE EXPLOSION WE REALIZED THE REAR WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE REPLACEMENT WAS COMPLETED AND COVERED BY THE DEALER WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED.