How Reliable is the Ford Explorer?

A jury has blamed Ford for concealing dangers that could have prevented a 1998 Explorer rollover crash.

According to the lawsuit, concerned Ford engineers wanted to change the design of the 1998 Explorer to stop rollovers. Ford refused and switched to computer simulated rollover tests instead. Ford will appeal the jury’s decision to award $151 million to an Alabama man who was paralyzed in a 2015 rollover crash.

A Texas man has been awarded $4.8 million dollars for losing his arm after his 1999 Ford Explorer rolled over in a crash.

Ford was held liable for using a cheap tempered window glass that didn’t do what tempered glass is designed to do.

The jury ruled there was a design defect in the 1999 Ford Explorer when it was originally sold by Ford, a defect that caused the plaintiff to lose his arm. And when asked to determine how much Ford was responsible for his injuries, the jury ruled Ford held 90 percent liability.

On the surface, this sounds like a win for the little guy against a major corporation, but that line gets a bit blurry when you consider:

1. The plaintiff was twice the legal intoxication limit when he crashed.
2. The jury couldn’t bring themselves to hold Ford 100% liable for the crash because the dude still had original suspension parts on his SUV with over 300,000 miles on the odometer.

The details of the case almost have you sympathizing with Ford. But then you remember the company’s net worth is around $143 billion and they used cheap glass to save a few bucks back (at our expense) in 1999.

The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) says enough with the "special programs" and "complimentary service" campaigns,

it's time for an extensive recall program for 1.3 million Explorers with carbon monoixide problems. The CAS says the SUVs have cracked exhaust manifolds that allow carbon monoxide to enter the cabins and that claims about CO exposure have increased 900% since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation a year and a half ago. That's not even counting the thousands of complaints sent by owners to Ford and sites like CarComplaints.com.

The "complimentary service" program only lasts until December 31st of this year. The CAS is looking for something more permanent, saying it is possible that Ford and Ford’s customers have just been lucky up until this point, but the time for Ford to take more serious action is now, before that luck runs out.

The Austin Texas police department is starting to put Ford Explorer Police Interceptors back into service after pulling all 397 off the streets earlier this year.

An additional 42 used by other city departments were pulled as well. The issue is exposure to carbon monoxide. After multiple officers complained about feeling sick the department made a move to equip all the SUVs with carbon monoxide detectors. Multiple officers filed lawsuits against Ford. At least one officer says the exposure led to nerve damage. Yikes.…

Another day, another police officer accusing Ford of negligently poisoning them while on the job.

Austin police officer Ryan Hancock says his symptoms (nausea, headaches and vision problems ) continued the next day and caused him to seek medical help. According to the lawsuit, tests conducted at the hospital showed his symptoms were from carbon monoxide poisoning. Furthermore, the plaintiff says his nervous system has been damaged by the fumes.

Hancock is represented by Brian Chase, the same attorney repressing officer Zachary LaHood in another carbon monoxide lawsuit against the automaker.…

The free customer program may sound good to some Explorer owners, but the Center for Auto Safety says the program doesn't go far enough and the automaker should not be allowed to get by with anything less than an official recall.

Recalls are reserved for safety-related issues. Ford obviously doesn’t think this qualifies, but in my opinion they’re wrong.

By calling it a “service campaign,” the automaker doesn’t have to follow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) rules for notifying all owners. Instead, only owners who hear about the campaign through other means will get the repairs.…

There’s a new Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit in town, and this one is expanding the size of the problem.

[Plaintiff Mary] Boatner says that on July 6 she drove the Explorer from Alabama to Michigan and noticed a strong chemical odor. Ms. Boatner rolled down her windows for fresh air but the odor was still there … When Ms. Boatner arrived in Michigan, and for several days thereafter, she allegedly experienced restlessness, lack of focus, fatigue, nausea and headaches.

Mrs. Boatner owns a 2017 Explorer, which falls outside the scope of the current NHTSA investigation.…

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor carbon monoxide problems have led to three police officers suing the automaker after they allegedly crashed their patrol vehicles.

One of the officers is from Austin. The other suffered a dangerous crash after passing out in their patrol car.

Ford has been working with police departments to inspect the SUVs and seal any spaces created when aftermarket police-related equipment was installed in the rear of the Explorers.

A lawsuit concerning Ford Explorer exhaust leaks has been dropped in Illinois.

A Ford Explorer exhaust leak lawsuit is over as a federal judge granted the wishes of Ford to dismiss the proposed class-action lawsuit.

“The lawsuit never made it to the class-action stage as the plaintiff couldn't prove his case. The judge ruled the plaintiff didn't provide enough details to prove the Ford Explorer has defects that allow exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide to enter the cabin.”

This is a setback, but not a death blow for Explorer owners wanting nationwide action for carbon monoxide poisoning. The plaintiff in this case was given a chance to amend his complaint, but failed to do so.

Defective electronic throttle bodies (ETB) are causing Ford vehicles to suddenly decelerate and enter "limp home" mode, which is like trying to drive a snail through a molasses puddle.

A lawsuit that is seeking class-action certification wants Ford to fix their ETBs.

"The plaintiff wants Ford to pay damages and equitable relief, fix all vehicles named in the lawsuit by replacing the electronic throttle bodies, inform consumers through advertising campaigns about the dangers of sudden unintended deceleration and educate consumers about their pre-purchase or pre-lease legal rights once all the facts are known."…

'Tis the season for holiday cookies, silent nights, a dashboard that stays lit like a Christmas tree, and frantically stepping on the gas pedal wondering why your SUV is no longer accelerating.

OK, those last two are special "treats" for 2016 Ford Explorer owners. Owners complain about vehicles that lose power while driving, leaving drivers urgently pressing the gas pedals to no avail. Symptoms typically include seeing a "wrench light" illuminated with the words, "See Manual," all while the SUV loses speed as it enters "limp home mode."

If this has happened to you than you'll be happy to hear an investigation has been opened to determine if a lawsuit is needed. It's not as helpful as a recall, but it's a step in the right direction. The investigation is focusing on the throttle body – a part, which many owners have told us, is not readily available.

A settlement has been reached. This all went down shortly before the trial was set to begin.

If the court finalizes the settlement, the plaintiffs will include anyone who purchased or leased a 2011-2015 Ford Explorer from Florida Ford dealerships.

Well, that’s great for Florida residents but it stinks for everyone else. And Explorer owners know all about what stinks.

Hopefully this settlement will lay the groundwork for future action nationwide.

MyFord Touch intended to bring sophisticated technological control to your vehicle’s center console.

Emphasis on intended because the system is well-known for failures. While a glitchy navigation system is an inconvenience, a proposed class-action lawsuit says the system can be dangerous in how it limits access to basic vehicle functions.

“Ford is on the receiving end of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in a California court. The lawsuit claims the system is a safety hazard because it often fails and can cause serious problems with the defroster and rear-view camera.”

Common complaints about MyFord Touch include a terrible navigation experience, rear-view camera failure, issues controlling the temperature, no way to turn on the defroster, and more.

Ford has asked a court to throw out a lawsuit about exhaust odors inside Explorers Despite issuing a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) titled Explorer Exhaust Odor in Vehicle.

Not surprisingly their appeal was denied.

“Ford filed the motion to dismiss by claiming it wasn't responsible for breach of warranty claims because Sanchez-Knutson bought her Ford Explorer from a dealer, not directly from Ford. U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas didn't buy that argument, and he further rejected Ford's claim that only the federal government has jurisdiction in the exhaust claims.”…

A Florida woman says her 5th generation Explorer is poisoning both her and her 5-year-old daughter with exposure to carbon monoxide (CO).

The plaintiff says she complained about exhaust odors inside the cabin 8 times to a local dealership, only to be told the stink won’t hurt anyone. Yeah, about that.

“The lawsuit claims independent testing of the Ford Explorer confirmed carbon monoxide was entering the cabin of the vehicle while it was being driven.”

The CO allegedly builds up when the auxiliary rear air conditioning is on and the engine is running at a higher RPM. This matches up with other stories told by owners to CarComplaints.com, saying the problem also happens during heavy acceleration:

“When I accelerate fast, the exhaust enters the vehicle from the AC unit. It is only a matter of time before a child that is strapped into his seat dies of C.M. poisoning! The smell is extremely worse in the back seat, never mind sitting in the 3rd row! You would probably die a silent death rather quickly!”

None of this should come as a surprise to Ford, considering they issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 12-12-4) in December 2012 titled Explorer Exhaust Odor in Vehicle.

The TSB tells mechanics how to respond if a customer makes a stink about the stank:

“Some 2011 - 2013 Explorer vehicles may exhibit an exhaust odor in the vehicle with the auxiliary climate control system on. Customers may indicate the odor smells like sulfur. This Technical Service Bulletin contains steps to correct the condition, including replacing the left side rear air extractor, installing a new drain valve, and applying new layers of undercoating.”