Has anyone had this problem with their Ford Explorer?

Question

My 2004 Ford Explorer has an occasional problem when I try use my cruise control.

Once in a while...I will switch to cruise.....and it is suddenly as if I put the car into neutral...which I didn't.

It's kind of scary to be going 70 miles an hour, and switch to cruise, and suddenly the power steering is gone....and so is the accelaration. I've had to struggle over to the shoulder around fast moving cars...with the power steering gone.

When I *reboot* (turn the car off and on)...everything comes back.
This has happened three times....so I just stopped using my cruise control. It didn't happen every single time, though.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

I do know that the 2004 Explorer is the first year of a new transmission......

Don't know much else, though. When I take it in for service..I mention it...but they have yet to find a problem. (I tell them just to go out on a highway and use the cruise control...you'll experience it)!

Thanks...

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear about your problem, but rest assured that the problem is not the transmission. The crise control has no effect on the trans. The cruise works electronically with the PCM and the throttle. Take your vehicle back to a Ford dealer and take them out for a drive and duplicate the prob. Take the tech or the service manager with you. The main problem that we have is that if we can't verify the problem , we have no tests to perform to identify what the prob is. give the service department all the info you can on when this happens to you; ie..it happens when the vehicle is hot,cold,uphill,down hill,what speed,. All the info that you can give them, along with taking them on a test drive will definitly help.

Answer 2

Any Ford purchase is trouble. They are very poorly rated (JD Power). I don't know what your first explorer was like but I guess it was good enough for you to get another. My friend sold them and he would get new cars every 3 months and they always had problems. You want to encourage people to buy American.......but at what expense. I had one that was well-maintained (my fathers) and I dropped $6000.00 in 6 months, replacing the engine, heads and gasket, wiper motor broken motor mounts, electrical malfunctions, Ford brake pads wore very quickly..............everyone I know who has one has unusual problems. I think the whole company is cursed. The best thing I did was get rid of that vehicle. I wanted to get my money out of it and other things kept going on it. mine was 5 years old with 70,000 miles when I got it. I never had the problem your experiencing and I hope you can get it resolved as that would be a very scary thing to have happen.

Answer 3

I've had 5 Explorers/Mountaineers and never experience what you described. However, it does sound like a serious concern. Test drive with the service manager or shop foreman from the dealership. If possible, you drive and demonstrate how it occurs. Also pay attention to particular details the next time it occurs i.e. weather, terrain, speed.



You sound reasonable, try to remain calm at the dealership, despite what some people think. Dealers are more likely to help you and spend additional time looking at your vehicle if you are calm and collected.

Answer 4

ok ford doesn't have problems with these and all of there AODE tranny's its called failure to do maintenance. Ford explore'rs are not known to have problems with there cruise control I would get the box checked

Answer 5

They need to check harder, because the problem needs to be fixed, and they need to recall these transmissions.

Answer 6

I would call Ford directly and talk to them.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/help/contact/

Answer 7

the transmission in these are known to go bad.