2007 Ford Explorer: grinding or squealing brakes

Filed Oct 7, 2018 · Engine · 197,000 miles · GA

Harmonic balancer is bad on a lot of ford explorers. My girlfriend and I just purchased a 2007 ford explorer and didn't have any problems at all. A couple weeks ago we notice a loud squealing noise coming from the engine compartment. First thought it was a fan belt needing replaced. Replaced that its got worse. After doing some research I found out a lot of ford customers are having problems with this issue. All the videos and forum searches leads to the harmonic balancer. These things go bad and causes more problems within the pulley belt system, even engine failure. I'm only making this complaint because ford hasn't made any adjustments or attempt to put out a recall on this issue and its the purpose of engine failure in a lot of ford explorers, expeditions, etc. The squeal occurs when the vehicle is stationary and in motion. It stops periodically, but starts up again at take off from stops and its constant when driving causing the vehicle to have a feel of lost of power. Alot of the customers are dealing with this issue themselves. Some doesn't make it to getting it fixed because shops saying its a belt and never get the real problem fixed. Ford needs to take responsibility for a mechanical part that basically runs the vehicle. Bad harmonic balancer or damage balancer equals worn belts, bad belt tensioner, and damage to engine life itself and need to resolved.

Filed Oct 22, 2016 · Transmission · MN

I have a 2007 ford explorer with 94,000 miles. The transmission is slipping and grinding. I do not believe the transmission should be going bad at the low of miles.

Filed May 5, 2016 · Transmission · 71,000 miles · FL

I have a 2007 ford explorer with 71,000 miles. The transmission is slipping and grinding. I do not believe the transmission should be going bad at the low of miles

Filed Jun 1, 2015 · Wheels · 90,000 miles · PA

My husband noticed a squeaking noise when driving. It got worse after a road trip and we isolated the noise as coming from the rear passenger side. We investigated further and discovered only one lug nut was holding the tire on, and 2 of the pins had sheared completely off. We immediately had the vehicle towed to the mechanic. We ended up having to replace the entire axle. After chatting about the issue at work I discovered a coworker had the exact same thing happen with his 2005 explorer but his wheel actually fell off causing $5,000 in damage to his vehicle (no injuries or accident). Is it possible there is some defect?

Filed May 9, 2011 · Wheels · 43,333 miles · CA

On april 25, 2011 at a approximately 10 am, my wife and I were traveling in our 2007 explorer going southbound on rt 5 passing stockton ca. I was driving; my wife was in the front passenger seat. We were in the middle lane of this 3 lane highway in moderate 75 MPH traffic and about mile north of exit #473 when suddenly and without any previous warning (such as the way a vehicle handles when a tire is going flat or a wheel is coming loose), there was a loud bang accompanied by high vibration and a loud rumbling noise like a tire blowout. The noise and vibration lasted a second or so, then stopped for a second or so, then resumed again for another second or so after which the vibration stopped and the loud rumbling noise was replaced by a loud steady scraping/grinding noise. I got onto the shoulder of the highway in about 15 seconds. During this I had no significant difficulty in steering or controlling the explorer. The passenger side rear wheel had come off. All 5 lug bolts were fractured through and all but their short portions that are threaded into the hub, were missing. A long skid mark from the #2 lane over to the shoulder was done by the rear wheel's stabilizer frame and associated linkages having been scraped over the pavement. The last time the lug bolts and lug nuts on this wheel were removed and reinstalled was over 8,000 miles ago when the brakes were inspected. The torques on the lug nuts on the remaining 3 wheels were now measured and found to be per explorer shop manual specifications. I am concerned about the safety of the lug bolts in other vehicles that have similar lug bolts from the same batch as in mine. I have the hub with the portions of the fractured lug bolts still threaded into it, and it is available for examination by the federal safety agency if that will help in determining if a more widespread lug bolt safety issue exists.