Cruise Control Problems of Ford Explorer - part 2

Two extremely frightening experiences happened this day. (1) I was driving on interstate 95 and the Explorer braked extremely hard from a speed of 65 mph to zero. There was nothing around and I could not determine any reason for this. I proceeded on to my destination and the vehicle accelerated inexplicably to 95 mph. I tried to turn off the cruise control manually and by tapping the brake (I was fearful of the vehicle rolling). Thank god, I was able to maneuver around traffic in northern new jersey and then the vehicle reduced speed. It was a very terrifying experience and one the Ford dealer told me he has no explanation for. I have had many, failures of the myfordtouch system which I will detail in a separate incident report.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when the engine caught on fire. The fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. The contact was informed that the fire was electrical and originated near the cruise control switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 96,160. The VIN was unavailable.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Explorer 🔎.

On Monday my future son-in-law was driving my Ford Explorer and experienced the cruise control refusing to disengage while traveling at 70 mph. He tried to disengage the cruise control by braking and by turning it off. Neither worked. He tried to shift it into neutral only to have the engine rev to high rpm, so he put it back in gear and forced to car to stop using the brakes fighting the engine. Probably ruining the brakes in the process. I recently had my vehicle serviced as relating to a recall concerning the speed control deactivation switch. The switch was not replaced after a visual inspection.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Explorer 🔎.

My 2004 Ford Explorer has had a problem since it was new where the cruise control (speed control) would disengage on its own and at the same time kill the engine. The dealerships could not make it happen again and have never been able to fix the problem. It does it much more often at speeds less than 50 mph, so I don't use the cruise at slower speeds; however, it has now started doing it above 50 mph and the abs light also comes on occasionally. This situation is extremely dangerous because when the engive dies your power-steering no longer works and steering is very difficult. It sounds to me like this should be included in a recall.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer 🔎.

More like adaptive 'curse' control. My 2011 Explorer limited 4x4 with the adaptive cruise always catches the rear of semi trucks in other lanes, causing it to apply full brakes and people behind me almost crash into me. My 2011 limited is totally factory original, no tow bars. Here in California the semi truck speed is 55 while autos can go 65-70mph (and in most cases everyone goes 80+). So when I'm going along at 65-70 with no vehicles head of me in my lane and the thing goes 100% brakes I almost crash. I also get the cruise control totally disabled because of an error in the sync modules. The sync computer modules control the adaptive cruise,stability control, back up detection system, auto wipers, auto parking system, traction control, 4x4 system, etc, etc. I fear that the srs is also tied into these same sync computer modules. Ford claims the sync system automatically resets/reboots itself every 24 hours while the vehicle is off to avoid system outages. What happens most of the time is the system will run (even though the screen is off) for about a week until, while driving, the sync computer crashes just like home computers & cell phones do if left on continuously. While this crash is taking place the touch screen freezes, music playing will stop, or change volume, or change track, or change source; wipers will stop working, cruise control will shut off, backup camera system goes down or screen freezes while backing up, 4x4 is disabled, center displays will go blank. My 2011 Explorer has been in the Ford service dept for sync module replacement and reprogramming 4 times now since Jan 2011. Still no fix.

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Cruise control often times "takes off" and does not hold the speed as set. I have looked down at the speedometer several times to find myself going well beyond 85mph - after setting the cruise control at 60. I have to disengage the cruise control for my vehicle to stop continuously speeding up. Then, there are times where the cruise control does not engage at all. The green light will come on, but the speed will not hold. In these instances, my speed actually decreases.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when it suddenly caught fire. The fire department was called but a neighbor extinguished the fire. The vehicle was still drivable. The vehicle had not been inspected to find the cause of the fire. The contact believed the failure was caused by the cruise control when he researched recall 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) which was related. The contact had not spoken with the dealer nor the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 113,000.

I have a problem with the cruise control on my 2005 Ford Explorer. My son first discovered it back in July-August 2010. While he was adjusting his speed for the cruise control while on the highway, the car completely stalled out and he lost all power steering and brakes. Thank goodness, he had the peace of mind to put the car in neutral and turn the key to start it again. I would not have thought to do that while traveling at a high speed trying to control the vehicle without power brakes or steering. Since that initial episode, both my son and my husband have tested it at slower speeds and have had the same results. So we brought it to a Ford dealer in our area to have it checked out. They eventually determined that it was a problem with the electronic throttle box and that it would cost in the range of $800-850 to fix. I asked the dealer if there was a recall regarding this problem and he said there wasn't. I questioned why there wasn't since this was clearly a safety issue, stalling at high speeds. I realize it is only when I use the cruise control but that still doesn't take away the safety concern. He assured me that it would not happen if the cruise control was not used. So I opted to contact their customer service center to see what they could do. $800-850 is a lot of money. I got feedback on the issue a couple of days later that basically said there was no recall so they couldn't help me. Then I was asked to fill out a customer service survey where I reiterated that my concerns about the safety issue were not answered. I have not gotten a response from them and that was back on 8-10-10. So I am now writing to you. Just how does a safety recall get started? are there other people out there that have had the same problem?.

See all problems of the 2005 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the he was pulling into a parking space when the vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle was investigated through the contact's insurance company and it was discovered that the fire originated from the cruise control wiring. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileage was 140,000.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer XLT. The contact was driving with the cruise control set to 70 mph when the vehicle abnormally began to accelerate over 80 mph. The contact then depressed the brakes to disengage the cruise control yet the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact then drove to the shoulder and shut the engine off. When restarting, there was an abnormal increase in engine rpms from 5,000 to 6,000. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure but recommended replacing all components of the cruise control mechanism. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 8,000 and the current mileage was 8,200.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. She stated the vehicle was left parked for approximately one hour. When the contact returned to the vehicle, she noticed the cruise control switch had overheated and melted. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home without incident. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. There was not a recall for the failure. The failure and current mileages were 91,309.

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Since I've purchased this vehicle, the cruise control has never worked.

The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact received repairs for recall 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) in April 2010. However, the cruise control buttons had melted. The contact called the dealer who stated that the failure was separate from the recall problem. The contact stated that there was no problem with the cruise control prior to the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 12,700. The current mileage was 127,155.

I have a 2004 Ford Explorer (v8 eddie bauer) I recently ran into a strange situation. I set the cruise control at 35 mph and as I was going down a small hill, the car stalled. I put it into neutral and it started with no problem at all. It is very dangerous when the 2004 Explorer stalls whenever the cruise control is set and it is going at a slow speed.

We own a 2003 Ford Explorer eddie bauer - 4wd at times the cruise control will either work, not work at all, work after being warmed up, work after shutting the motor off and restarting, work with the speed accelerating continuously at dangerous levels, or indicate it is working but is not. After viewing several sites where many other owners are having the same problem, we went to our dealer. Our dealer replaced a defective deactivation pressure switch that caused the cruise control to react erratically. They used ids hook up to locate problem at a cost to us of $325. 89. After talking to someone at the dealership, it became apparent this is not an uncommon problem, and it is a defective part that is causing a very dangerous situation to occur. The driver that does not detect the increasing speed or panics when it occurs could have a serious or deadly accident. Ford should be required to replace these parts at no cost to the owners at no cost, especially since our vehicle has just 39,000 miles on it.

1998 Ford Explorer. Parked at restaurant, shut off vehicle, went inside. Approximately 10 minutes later someone yelled fire. Went outside to discover smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. Fire department called and responded quickly. Fire extinguished, but vehicle totaled. No injuries, no other property damage except burned hedges that were in front of the vehicle where it was parked. Tow truck driver remarked that it appeared possible that it was one of those cruise control caused fires as it is evident that the fire originated on or near the brake master cylinder. I am the original owner, my son was using the truck when the fire occurred and I am relating his recollection of the events. Vehicle was towed immediately afterwards to a holding yard and subsequently to my home where it is presently.

2002 Ford Explorer cruise control would not release, the car accelerated each time after trying to release the cruise control. I had to ride the brake to stop the car. I shut the racing engine down and tried to restart and found the engine raced as soon as it was started. If we were in traffic, we may have crashed. I stayed calm but thinking about my wife and son driving the car at times, they may not have reacted as I did. This was a very scary and dangerous situation.

After sitting in the driveway for aprox 9 hours, the engine area caught on fire at 4am. Speculation is the cruise control switch ignited and caused the fire. The front end of the vehicle is completely destroyed, as is the interior with smoke damage.

My 2003 Ford Explorer exhibits most of the symptoms described in consumer advisory dated 13 October 2009. It has an intermittently functioning cruise control, a permanently on abs indicator light, and it occasionally gets stuck in park. I was wondering why 2003 wasn't included in the safety recall.

This morning, as I was in motion of (64mph). My cruise control was on and I pressed the off button on wheel to disengage. My truck completely shut down, the gas pedal felt like the truck was not on- it did nothing, the steering wheel was almost impossible to turn, the brake pedal very hard to push and would not bring the truck to a stop, the dash lights dimmed very low. After wrestling with these obstacles, I put the truck in park and turned eng. Off, then back on and I haven't tried the cruise since.

A 1997 Ford Explorer cruise control deactivation switch caused a fire resulting in the death of the driver.

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Car was parked and off out in front of garage, all doors locked. Approximately one hour we noticed the car was on fire outside. Fire was coming from inside engine hood. Fire department showed up, put out fire and kicked in the windows. Damage was severe and life-threatening; large fire almost caught the entire apartment building on fire. The fireman said that this seemed due to an electrical problem and not arson due to the way the fire came from the engine, all doors and windows of the car were closed with no evidence of break-in. This problem seems to be similar to the recall for scds the cruise control deactivation Ford made on suvs and pickups 1998-2002 but this occurred on a 2005 Ford Explorer. Please help! people almost died due to this terrible hazard Ford has not fixed.

My 2000 Ford Explorer XLT caught on fire for no apparent reason. My daughter and I were at a friend's house, we were in the process of backing out of the drive when smoke started coming from under the hood. I pulled the car off to the side of the road and put it in park and turned off the engine, the smoke got much worse. My daughter and I got out of the Explorer just as it was catching fire. We called 911, the car was a total loss. The whole incident is unbelievable, we are shocked. My insurance adjuster informed me that it wasn't uncommon and mentioned something about a recall on the cruise control. I bought my Explorer in indiana, but have moved to tennessee. I never received a recall, I'm still waiting on my insurance company to get back with me.

The contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The controls for the cruise control became dislodged and he could not put them back. The dealer was notified, but he did not receive any assistance. He received recall notice # 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). A technician stated that they would repair the part described under the recall that would cause the fire but not repair the controls. The controls should also be repaired because without there functioning, the cruise control could not be activated. The current mileage was approximately 157,000. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign id number 06v286000 (vehicle speed control), but did not take the vehicle to the dealer for repair. She was awakened by a neighbor informing her that the vehicle was on fire. The entire front wiring system was melted. An investigator from the fire department speculated that the cruise control was the cause of the failure. The contact has pictures of the failed incident and she is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure and current mileages were unknown.

When you engage cruise control it shuts down the engine.

On December 17, 2008 at around 6:50 a. M. , I was driving my wife to work. We live in a quiet village type residential area. After two minutes or so after I pulled out of our driveway, my 2004 Ford Explorer suddenly accelerated at a very high speed, without my stepping on the gas pedal. I estimate the vehicle reached 45 mph or more in a very short span of time, and apparently increasing. The vehicle speed was out of my control for 3 seconds or more, despite my foot being away from the accelerator. At first I thought I was skidding on black ice, but I realized this couldn't be because the engine was increasingly roaring and getting louder as I gained speed. It reminded me of the sensation when cruise control picks up speed on the freeway. Besides, I wasn't losing control of the steering wheel. It felt like my gas pedal was not only stuck, but was being pressed even further more. When I realized I wasn't skidding, I quickly applied the brakes and vehicle slowed down. Good thing, the street was deserted. The most significant memory was the sudden roaring of the engine and the rapid acceleration despite my foot being off the gas pedal. The temperature outside was 38f, with a slight drizzle.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 70 mph with the cruise control activated, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the cruise control failed to deactivate after several attempts. In addition, the cruise control activation mechanism failed to respond and the vehicle would not slow down. Immediately, the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and the ignition key was turned off with the gear shifter placed in the park position. The vehicle completely stopped. The contact was unaware if the warning indicators were illuminated on the instrument panel. The engine revved and the rpm's raced when the ignition was restarted. The contact turned off the ignition and, after several attempts, the engine idled normally. Whenever the cruise control system was not in use, the vehicle operated properly. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 93,000. Updated 3/12/10 updated 06/01/10.

1998 Ford Explorer spontaneously caught fire in engine compartment 8am, 12/02/08. Car was previously driven 12 hours prior to incident. Engine was not running. Doors were locked. No signs of entry prior to incident. Fire engulfed engine and spread to passenger compartment before alameda fire department extinguished vehicle. Insurance company has claimed vehicle as totaled and is investigating. Suspected cause is cruise control shutoff switch, subject to Ford recall 05s28.

The contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. After being parked for 20 minutes with the engine shut off, the front end of the vehicle burst into flames in the engine compartment. The fire department arrived and assisted in extinguishing the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle is still parked in the contact's driveway. He sent the manufacturer some requested documents. Ford explained that there was a recall on that vehicle for the cruise control, which was the cause of the fire. The contact stated that the recall repair had previously been performed; however, the failure still occurs. The vehicle was destroyed. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 79,000. Updated 11/26/08. Updated 12/01/08.

I have discovered that my 2004 Ford limited v8 cruise control can kill the engine while the car is in motion. I have been using the coast button on my cruise control to reduce speed as I approach a speed sign lower than my existing speed. If I hold the button as the car slows to a speed below 35mph (approximate) the engine quits leaving me with no power steering or vacuum braking. I've tried it several time and the fault is consistent. Whenever the car slows to below the minimum cruise control the device should disengage, not stall the engine. I think this is a serious issue and owners should be aware of it.

When driving the vehicle will properly engage the cruise control. If you press the accelerate or decelerate buttons the engine will shut off while the vehicle is still moving. This occurs every time the cruise control system is used. The vehicle becomes very difficult to control and stop when the engine shuts off as the vehicle is moving. I have stopped using the cruise control as I am afraid for the safety of my family. I have not repaired this problem as I thought it was a Ford defect and subsequently used your website to search for recalls. No recalls or current investigations are currently listed regarding this problem. Please investigate this issue so that Ford may repair it.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer. While driving 75 mph, the contact activated the cruise control. She began hearing a clicking noise and smelled something burning. He deactivated the cruise control, but the burning smell persisted. The contact did not continue to drive the vehicle. He received a safety recall notice three months ago, but the switch was never disconnected or repaired. Nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) was referenced. The current and failure mileages were 80,016.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While driving 50 mph and attempting to engage the cruise control, the speed rapidly increased above 55 mph. The cruise control light illuminated, which indicated that the cruise control was engaged. The contact depressed the brake pedal and attempted to disengage the cruise control, but was unsuccessful. The cruise control intermittently failed to operate normally. The vehicle was not equipped with antilock brakes. The fuel system and date of purchase were unavailable. The failure mileage was 77,335 and current mileage was 77,392.

Cruise control failures: fails to engage, un-commanded acceleration, un-commanded deceleration, speed surging, indicates engaged and is not engaged.