Steering Column problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer

My steering column broke right off! trying to put it in drive @99,735 mi. Had to tow it to shop, and replace the steering column. I see other people had this same problem. There should be a recall for this!!! I also had to replace the transmission @ 103,000 miles it would skip 3rd gear. Seems everyone else has to replace the transmission. Also back bearings!! what a disgrace. Recall this disgraceful workmanship! no honor!.

I was on my way to work on a Tuesday morning with my son who is a college student at my school on August 20, 2013. I work at a community college and it was the first week of the fall semester 2013 starting. I arrived about 10:15 a. M. And could not find parking. I found a parking stall in the staff parking lot. I put the Ford Explorer in reverse and was going backwards to park in the stall. When I moved the shift gear handle to put the truck into drive into the parking stall, the gear shift was just broke off. I couldn't believe it! I had to act quickly and hit the emergency brake and trun the ignition off from the car to make it stop. I was really scared! luckily, I dropped off my son so he can go to his first class. I had to have the car towed to banning, California and have my mechanic fix it. Still to this day, Ford cannot provide a part to fix the steering column shift level. Ford says its on backorder, no one has the part. They don't know when I will have the part to fix my truck. I need help, I hope you can issue a recall on all 2004 Ford Explorers with gear shift level breaking off. Very upset need your help to get my truck fixed. This matter has made me sick with high blood pressure and would appreciate someone to investigate this matter right away.

Started driving and when I went to make a turn I felt a grab. Thought I might be imaging things but happened again on the next intersection turn this time causing me to have to make a wheel correction. On the third turn it was markedly worse and a grunch sound accompanied it and it was more difficult to make the turn. And then next few turns markedly worse again to the point I am considering pulling over and getting a tow as now it is dangerous. I figured out that it was mostly straight driving to the mechanic garage and three turns so I drove cautiously. A very difficult drive making turns and I could barely turn into the garage drive as the steering barely worked and was accompanied by very loud grunching. It was a quick fix as a bolt in the steering column had come out. Had this happening on a highway this could have been a life threatening situation to navigate off the highway. No injuries.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that smoke emitted from the steering column while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they confirmed that the multi function switch malfunctioned. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 145,000.

While attempting to shift from "park," into "reverse," the column-mounted gear selector, broke away from the column and into my mother's hand. The vehicle sat in a parking lot for a few hours. Later on, we found a temporary workaround utilising a pair of "vise-grips," and we were able to drive the vehicle home. The gear selector has not been repaired; and the vehicle just sits there, because the she is too afraid to drive it.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was parked, he attempted to shift and the shifter level broke. The contact turned the vehicle off and vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were 27,650.

Gear shifter fell into my hand while trying to put my 2004 Ford eddie bauer Explorer from park into reverse. The vehicle is parked but not in park. It is only being held still by parking brake as it is stuck in between park and reverse. The key can not be removed because the car is not in park. There were zero events leading up to this failure. Fortunately, I was parked in my drive way but I can only imagine the consequences had I been parked on a hill or had the shifter broke while in gear where it would have remained. I have not repaired the problem as of yet it just happened today, but after doing research it appears as if entire steering column needs to be replaced and I am to spend any where from $1000 to $2000 to replace a defective part with a brand new defective part to have it happen again at any time. I was able to locate over 100 complaints on the exact same issue dating back to 2/2007. I am curious as to why there has been no recall for this situation.

In the days prior to the failure, when I turned the wheel far right or left for extreme turns, there would be a slight thump to the extent I thought something let loose. I had the car in for a regular oil change etc(scheduled maint) and told the shop about this event but they said they checked it and could find nothing wrong. I was turning into a head in parking spot and noticed when I turned the wheel to the left, I felt that I had lost control of the steering. When I put the car in park, the gear shift lever fell apart in my hands. It had detached from the steering column and I could not remove the key.

I own a 2004 Ford Explorer 4wd, XLT 6 cy engine. I was driving it last week and the front end felt loose. I pulled into a parking spot and when I tried to put it in park the shift lever fell apart in my hand and the steering column fell apart. I was only going 5 mph at the time but I wonder what would happen if I was going 40 or so. , I had lost control as I parked!! the Ford mechanic said he had never seen this before.