2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

THE RISING PRICE OF GAS DISCOURAGED ME FROM USING MY SPORT TRAC (ST) OFTEN, SO IT WAS GARAGED DURING THE WORK WEEK. ON THE WEEKENDS, I USUALLY DROVE THE ST TO RUN ERRANDS AROUND TOWN. ON JAN 28, 2012, I DROVE LESS THAN A MILE WHEN MY ST BEGAN LOSING THROTTLE RESPONSE AND AN UNFAMILIAR CLATTERING CAN BE HEARD GENERATED IN THE ENGINE BAY. I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL, SO I PROCEEDED TO PULL OVER. I THEN TOOK THE TRUCK TO A MECHANIC NEAR MY LOCATION. THE MECHANIC AFTER EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSIS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD FAILED, ALONG WITH TIMING CHAIN GUIDES WHICH SHATTERED INTO MULTIPLE PIECES (PHOTOS AVAILABLE). THE TIMING CHAIN AND ITS COMPONENTS ARE SUPPOSE TO LAST FOR A LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE, AND HENCE FORD PROVIDED NO INFORMATION OR PROVISION FOR ITS MAINTENANCE. THE REPAIR WAS EXPENSIVE, BECAUSE IT REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE WHICH IS BASED ON THE SOHC DESIGN HAVING ITS RIGHT CAMSHAFT DRIVEN BY A TIMING CHAIN LOCATED BEHIND THE ENGINE NEAR THE FIREWALL. A RECALL OF THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES AND TENSIONER SHOULD BE MADE BECAUSE OF THE COMMON PROBLEM THIS HAS BEEN FOR THIS ENGINE DESIGN, SOHC 4.0L AFTER THE REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE AND TIMING CHAIN GUIDE REPLACEMENT, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION REGISTERED AN ERROR ON MY DASHBOARD, AND AFTER CONSULTATION WITH AN EXPERT, REQUIRED A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. THE COST OF THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION REBUILD HAS BEEN VERY EXPENSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST. THE UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF THIS FAILURES WOULD COMPROMISE SAFETY DURING HIGH SPEED OPERATIONS. I HOPE NHTSA WILL REVIEW COMPLAINTS REGARDING TIMING CHAIN AND TRANSMISSION FAILURES, WHICH SHOULD REVEAL A PATTERN OF DESIGN FAILURES AT FORD. INTERESTINGLY, FORD HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS AND ENGINE REMOVAL TO REPAIR CHAIN GUIDES IN THE PAST. *TR

Mileage: 129,001

FORD 2001 SPORT TRAC SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF HEAD. *TR

Mileage: 172,000

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. 3 DIFFERENT TIMES IT HAS EJECTED THE REAR SPARK PLUG FROM THE ENGINE. I'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY GETTING IT REPARIED. EACH REPAIR HAS FAILED. EACH REPAIR SHOP HAS BEEN VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM. THIS CERTAINLY CANNOT BE SAFE. FORD SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR SUCH A POOR DESIGN OF ITS ENGINES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE EGR SENSOR FAILED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS AVAILABLE PERTAINING TO HIS VIN; THEREFORE, IT WAS EXCLUDED FROM RECALL NUMBER 02M01S6. THE CONTACT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRACT WITH A FAILURE MILEAGE OF 84,000 MILES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING UNDER WET CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE MADE A HARD JERK AND THEN LOST POWER. THE CONTACT TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC, WHO FOUND THAT THERE WAS WATER IN THE ENGINE AND THE TIMING GEAR HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE FAILURE HAPPENED. THE CONTACT HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED, AND FOUND THAT THE ENGINE'S FAILURE WAS DUE TO RECALL 00M12 CONCERNING THE TIMING CHAIN OF WHICH NHTSA HAD NO RECORD. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK IS A 2001, IT SHOULD BE LISTED ON THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN AUGUST 2000. THE CONSUMER HAS PROVIDED THE REPAIR INVOICE. UPDATE 05/04/07*TR

Mileage: 84,000

FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC TIMING BELT TENSIONER BROKE AT 38,000 BROKE AGAIN AT 92,000

Mileage: 92,000

PURCHASED THE TRUCK FROM BACKUS FORD ON THE 15TH OF FEB AND NOTICED IT HAD A ROUGH IDLE AND WHEN TURING THE TRUCK RIGHT OR LEFT IN THE IDLE SPEED IT WOULD ALMOST STALL. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BUT IT IS STILL THERE AND DOES THE SAME THING .IT ACTS LIKE IT IS MISSING. BACKUS HAS GONE THRU ALL SPECS ON IT AND CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I THINK IT MIGHT BE A CHIP OR COMPUTER PROBLEM BUT THEY (THE DEALER) DOES NOT. HAS ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM

Mileage: 57,260

THERE WERE NO PRECEDING EVENTS; UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE DIED. THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND ALL ATTENDANT PARTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FIRST NEW REPLACEMENT ENGINE ALSO FAILED IMMEDIATELY UPON INSTALLATION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED WITH YET ANOTHER ENGINE. COST TO CONSUMER: $6348.50. *AK

Mileage: 107,000

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLY PROBLEMS. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. ALL TIRES HAD STRESS MARKS LOCATED IN THE INNER SIDE OF THE TIRES. GOODYEAR, WRANGLER RTS P255/70R16. ALSO, COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE . CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE LEAK. BUT TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE STRESS MARKS. *AK

WHEN CHANGING GEARS, THERE WAS HESITATION AS IF THE TRUCK WANTED TO CUT OFF AND SHUDDER IN STEERING. HAD OXYGEN SENSOR AND FUEL INJECTOR CHECKED. *AK *JB

DROVE HOME, GARBAGE PICK-UP MISSED OUR HOUSE. GRAB THE CAN ,AND PUT IN BACK OF FORD SPORT TRAC..TRIED TO CATCH THE GARBAGE TRUCK DOWN A DIRT ROAD. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT HOOD ON MY SPORT TRAC CAME OPEN.ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WHEN TURNING ON AIR-CONDITIONER.I BELEIVE SAME TYPE OF PARTS OR COMPONENTS USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS FORD EXPLORER SPORT...RANGING BACK TO 98 OR FURTHER.PROBABLY SAME TYPES RECALLED OR COMPLAINED ABOUT IN THOSE YEARS PROBLEMS WITH DEFECTS..I HAVE FOUND THAT MY 2001 FORD SPORT TRAC WAS ACTUALLY MADE IN LATE YEAR OF 2000.*AK

Mileage: 70,000

CURRENTLY FORD HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM UNDER ONP 00M12 WHICH EXTENDS THE WARRANTY FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ON, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, 2001 EXPLORER SPORT TRACS. ACCORDING TO FORD'S SYSTEM, MY CAR, WHILE A 2001 SPORT TRAC WITH THE SOHC MOTOR, IS NOT COVERED. I AM AT THIS TIME EXPERIENCING THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT THEY ARE COVERING UNDER THIS EXTENSION, BUT FOR SOME REASON MY CAR IS EXCLUDED. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY HAD NO INFORMATION WHY MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED, BUT DID ADMIT THAT 2001 SPORT TRACS WERE PART OF THIS EXTENDED COVEREAGE. THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY DETAILS OR FACTS TO SUPPORT THEIR REASONING. IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR THE SOHC MOTORS, THUS THE REASON FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, MY CAR SEEMS TO BE NOT PART OF THIS PROGRAM, THUS NOT COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY, YET I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS WHAT IS COVERED.*AK

Mileage: 58,000

WHILE TRAVELING FROM WILLIAMSBURG/NEW PORT NEWS, VA MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO HAVE THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT. IT IS A POOR FLOW FOR THE EGR VALVE. ACCORDING TO DOCUMENTATION IN VARIOUS ENGINE REFERENCE BOOKS FAILURE OF THE VALVE COULD CAUSE ERRATIC ENGINE SURGES AND POTENTIAL OTHER RELATED PROBLEMS TO INCLUDE FAILURE OF THE POWER PLANT. THERE ARE APPARENTLY NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THE 4.0L V-6 WHICH IS A COMMON ENGINE IN THE RANGER AND EXPLORER MODELS. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 42000 HIGHWAY MILES AND RECEIVES REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOW LIFE OF THIS PART UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND CONDITIONS, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT THE PART FAILURE COULD CAUSE. *LA

Mileage: 42,148

CONSUMER STATES A NEW OVERFLOW TANK WAS INSTALLED, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE REQUIRED PUTTING 1/2 QUART OF ANTIFREEZE EVERYTIME THE OIL WAS CHANGED, ON ONE OCCASION THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, VEHICLE DIED OUT WHILE DRIVING. THEN NO CRANK NO START. PCM AND BLOWN FUSE REPLACED. HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *TT

THE VEHICLE IS LOUD ON THE INSIDE EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL. WHILE ON EXTENDED TRIPS THERE IS A RINGING SOUND HEARD IN THE EARS AT THE END OF THE TRIP. CONSUMER FEELS THIS LOUD NOISE MAY DAMAGE THE HEARING AND THAT IT IS TOO LOUD TO HEAR OUTSIDE TRAFFIC. *JG

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CROSS A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE STALLED, THE VEHICLE SURGES AND HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NLM