14 problems related to underhood wiring have been reported for the 1998 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Last night I pulled into my driveway after coming home from work, my family had dinner and I was sitting down in the living room to play with my 2 year old son. I heard a popping sound and asked my wife what was that noise, she looked out the window and yelled your car is on fire ! my car burned to the ground!!!.
1998 Ford Explorer parked in garage had spontaneous fire in engine compartment department put out fire. This was a cruise control deactivation switch fire. It may have been reported to you by police, insurance, or fire dept. If so, just let me know you have the information.
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The engine caught on fire while the car was sitting there. This did happened on July 27, 2005. The firemen could not determine what started the fire. The vehicle had been sitting for approximately four hours before it caught on fire. The vehicle had not been driving any different before this happened.
Fire started in vehicle in the garage of our home.
While parked for 45 minutes a fire started under the hood. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Underhood fire in Explorer. Minor fire concentrated around cruise control deactivation switch. Fuse for that circuit blown. Xrays show total internal destruction of the switch contacts even though the plastic body is still relatively intact but charred and deformed.
On may 15, 2004, I was fishing in a local bass tournament. I parked my 1998 Ford Explorer beside one of my fishing friends chevy truck and boat trailer. After launching my partner for the days boat, I parked his truck and trailer on the other side of my Explorer. Approximately 4 hours later, my partner and I were approched by another friend and told us we were needed back at the parking lot that my Explorer had burned to the ground, burned the chevy with the trailer to the ground and scorched paint and melted parts of my partners truck. The chevy truck and my Explorer were total losses and I lost a lot of personal items that insurance did not pay for. State farm claim # 18-1010-243.
Vehicle was parked outside of home and without prior warning it caught on fire. Dealership was aware of problem.
Fire under hood while vehicle parked, with power off. Vehicle sat for 5 hrs, then fire started. Flames under hood and from rear window defogger connection. Battery then exploded. No fire under car. Passenger compartment untouched.
Multi unit radio system, the clock/station displayed went out.
Ford said that they were not interested in looking at the vehicle to determine what the cause was. The engine fire occurred 3 1/2 hours after the vehicle was parked. It was parked in the street, but it is normally in my garage. If it had been in the garage, my house would have caught fire and my family could have been killed. I will never feel confortable with it in the garage again. Is there something that you can do ?.
After parking vehicle for 3. 5 hours engine compartment broke out into a fire. The fire was determined to be an electrical short. Dealer has been contacted.
While driving the truck lost all power and electricity. Took the truck to dealer and they said that they fixed an alternator wire loom for excess, and replaced a part of the power distributor box. The nut to the alternator wire loom was left loose which could cause the truck to melt from the mounted plate that they could not tighten.
Vehicle was parked in off position for over ten minutes and caught on fire in engine compartment. Also, vehicle was serviced for recall 00v422000 regarding throttle. Consumer not sure if cause of fire was due to that problem. Please provide any further details.