2000 Ford Explorer Electrical System

NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH 2000 FORD EXPLORER XLS. WIPERS SOMETIMES DO NOT WORK, THE DSHBOARD GAUGES SOMETIMES DO NOT WORK (FUEL, OIL AND TEMP). IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERS NUMEROUS TIME BOTH IN AND OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS ACTUALLY STARTED WHEN THE VEHILCE WAS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OLD. NEVER HAS A DEALER BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. VERY FRUSTRATING. *AK

WHEN USING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, THE SIGNAL STOPS WORKING & SMOKE COMES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AROUND THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON AND FROM AROUND THE TURN SIGNAL ARM. THE SMOKE ALSO CAUSES VISABILITY PROBLEMS. THIS NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THERE IS A FIRE AND/OR DEATH AND FORD HAS MORE LAWSUITS ON THEIR HANDS!*AK

WHILE HAVING A REGULAR INSPECTION CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN NHTSA' RECALL 00V072000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS. WHEN CONTACTING MANUFACTURER CONSUMER WAS EXPLAINED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

CAR WAS PARKED WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY METRO RAIL SECURITY, STATING THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.*AK *NM

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR 20 MINUTES. THE LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND INSPECTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE ELECTRICAL. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED.*AK

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. THE DRIVER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE GOT INTO VEHICLE AND TURNED WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON, THEY DID NOT WORK AND MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE (GEM) MALFUNCTIONED. THIS CAUSED WINDSHIELD WIPERS/ REAR DEFROSTER/REAR LIGHTING/4-WHEEL DRIVE/ INTERIOR LIGHTING, AND POWER WINDOWS TO MALFUNCTION. RECALL 00V072000 WAS ISSUED; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK *SC

WHEN USING TURN SIGNAL SMOKE COMES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE SMOKE CAME FROM BEHIND THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH. CONSUMER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH TO STOP THE SMOKING. *AK NEITHER FORD NOR THE DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS A DEFECT AND NEITHER HAVE OFFERED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *PH *NM

THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS FAILED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *NM THE HARNESS WIRES ALL SHORTED AND THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DASH. THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED. THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAUGES FAILED. THE AIR CONDITIONER FAILED. THE RADIO BLINKERS AND LIGHTS FAILED. A BURNING SMELL CAME FROM THE DASH FREQUENTLY. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. *NM

LIGHTS FOR RADIO AND CLOCK HAVE GONE OUT- PERIODICALLY COME ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN DISAPPEAR. LIGHTS ARE OFF 99% OF TIME- FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR TWO YEARS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE RADIO AT MY EXPENSE, BUT I HAVE HEARD OF A NUMBER OF OTHER EXPLORER OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEM- I THINK IT IS A DEFECT OF AN EXPENSIVE RADIO. *JB

CONSUMER LOST POWER TO WINDSHIELD WIPERS, WINDOWS, AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. *LA THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT EVERY TWO WEEKS THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER TO THE WIPERS, POWER WINDOWS AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. WHILE DRIVING DURING A THUNDERSTORM, THE VEHICLES WIPERS DID NOT FUNCTION WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. . THE CONSUMER SEARCHED THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL (00V072000) CONCERNING AN IDENTICAL ISSUE WITH A MODULE (GEM) WHICH CONTROLS THE WIPERS, WINDOWS, ETC. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *NM

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, POWER WINDOWS, DOME LIGHTS, AND WARNING INDICATORS STOPPED OPERATING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN THE GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE. *NM THE DEALERSHIP WAS HELPFUL BUT WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE PARTS FOR ABOUT A WEEK. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 FORD EXPLORER IN THE LAST YEAR I HAD TO CHANGE MY SPARK PLUGS TWICE BECAUSE COIL KEEPS BURNING OUT, I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 5/03 AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON. *LA

THE EVP SENSOR MELTED AND DAMAGED THE IGNITION SWITCH, OTHER SENSORS AND COMPONENTS. *NLM

CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ENGAGED THE TURN SIGNAL WHEN SMOKE SUDDENLY BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN ELECTRICAL WIRING MALFUNCTION. *NLM

2000 FORD EXPLORER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SMOKE COMES FROM STEERING COLUMN WHEN USING LEFT TURN SIGNAL. TURN LIGHT WOULD FREEZE ON AND ACRID SMOKE COME FROM AROUND HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH AREA. THEN WILL BE OK FOR A WHILE AND COULD NOT RECREATE FOR MECH BUT STILL HAPPENS ON OCCASION UNEXPECTLY. WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE.*AK

I OWN A 2000 FORD EXPLORER WITH 36,000 MILES. FOR THE PAST WEEK THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITH NO WARNING. IT HAS DONE IT 7 TIMES NOW; IT AS IF SOMEONE THREW A SWITCH. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE A PATTERN OF OCCURRENCE. IT HAS DONE IT ON ACCELERATION COASTING AND BRAKING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM BECAUSE AT HIGH SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING SHUTS OFF AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET OFF THE ROAD. ONCE OFF THE ROAD, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN PARK, WILL NOT START IN NEUTRAL, AND IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP.*AK

OUR 2000 FORD EXPLORER, HAS FOR THE SECOND TIME BURNED THROUGH THE SPARK PLUG WIRES. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE DAMAGED WIRE, BUT DID NOT INDICATE THAT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS EXISTED THIS PAST WEEK IT OCCURRED AGAIN BUT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE SPARK PLUG WIRE, FUEL HAS NOW BACKED UP INTO THE TOP SIDE OF THE ENGINE, AND SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS AND THE REMOVAL OF THE FUEL MUST TAKE PLACE. IT SEEMS THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE VERY QUICKLY. CONSIDERING THE REACTION OF THE VEHICLE WOULD INDICATE THE NEED FOR A TUNE UP ONLY. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY SAID IT WAS A MAINTENANCE PROBLEM AND NOT A FORD PROBLEM. NEVER HAD A VEHICLE BURN THROUGH SPARK PLUG WIRES BEFORE AND I DON'T SEE HOW A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM TWICE. IT APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO BEFORE A FIRE DOES OCCUR AND CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH. *JB

WHEN THE VEHICLE SITS FOR 4-8 HOURS I WOULD ATTEMPT TO START IT AND THEN IT WOULD CUT OFF. THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT CUTS OFF. I WOULD HAVE TO STEP ON THE GAS TO START IT AND KEPT MY FOOT ON THE GAS. IF I LET GO OF THE GAS THE ENGINE WOULD SHAKE AND THEN IT WOULD STALL. NO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED AT 60,000 MILES. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN WOODSTOCK GA ON JUNE 30, 2003 AND STATED THAT MOST OF THE EXPLORERS AND EXPEDITIONS ARE COMING IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER FOUND IT IS THE IAC VALVE STICKING OR THE IGNITION MODUCLE SENSOR BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IF IT WAS FOR NOT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THE PART ALONE COSTS $225.00 IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WITH THE FORD DON;T UNDERSTAND WHY FORD DOES NOT RECALL THEM. I CONSIDERED THIS A DEFECT.*AK

THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IN MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER XLT STARTED SMOKING WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS TURNED ON. THE SERVICE MAN INFORMED ME THAT THIS SITUATION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT FIXED THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT A FIRE WOULD START BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE THAT WOULD TAKE OUT THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM OF MY VEHICLE. FORD EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THIS A "HAZARD" IT WAS SOMETHING THEY CONSIDERED A "MAINTENANCE ISSUE." I HAVE 42,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED 2 EXPLORERS PREVIOUS TO THIS AND ONE OF MY OTHER EXPLORERS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ELETRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY WENT OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND PUTTING ON TURN SIGNAL, TURN SIGNAL FAILED AND SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM STEERING COLUMN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHEN LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS USED, SMOKE BEGINS TO COME OUT OF THE OPENING WHERE THE EMERGENCY LIGHT BUTTON IS LOCATED, RESULTING IN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL TO BE INOPERATIVE. *AK *TT

THE TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES 2 MINUTES AFTER BEING SHUT OFF. VEHICLE COMPLETELY TOTALED.*AK