Just driving along taking a mild corner and my 2005 Ford Explorer just died and the steering wheel locked up. Took to the local auto repair and they got two codes P2104 and P2112. Which has something to do with the throttle actuator. After speaking with Ford locally the part(s) for this problem have been on back order since at least August and they are saying they may not be available until Jan. 2010 or later.

- Yacolt, WA, USA

2005 Ford Explorer fuel gauge malfunction: Started about a year ago. Was intermittent at first, but is now constant. Fuel gauge registers empty until tank is about half full, after which the gauge works properly. Service engine light stays on. A scan of the internet indicates this is a very common problem and Ford has no program in place to fix it. Since the gauge is causing the service engine light to stay on, that light cannot alert me to other potential failures. Cost to repair is approximately $500+.

- Milford, NJ, USA

On three occasions within the past three weeks, my car has lost all power. On two of these occasions, I was slowing down to make a turn in the road and on the third time, I was driving on a straight-away. Each time I was doing less than 40 mph. Only one time was anyone else in the vehicle but it was still very scary and very upsetting, considering I have only had the vehicle for 8 months. I am just afraid that this is going to happen when I am going faster or in heavy traffic. So far, I have been lucky and have not been in any traffic when this has occurred.

- Franklin, PA, USA

05 Ford Explorer has repeated (engine throttle control) light warnings. The vehicle, while moving, loses power and then stalls. I shut the vehicle off, the problem seems to reset and the vehicle then runs fine. This has happened on (2) occasions and now feel the vehicle may not be safe.

- Vail, AZ, USA

After having this vehicle for only 2 years, the heater/ defroster does not work. It seems to be the switch that selects heat and cold is broken and only makes a clicking sound, and will not pull in heat to defrost the windows and warm up the passenger compartment. This repair costs quite a bit of money. This is also a severe safety hazard due to winter driving conditions and the need to defrost the windshield. I have seen several others complain of the same problem.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

On several occasions (about 6 times total) and without any warning, my 2005 Ford Explorer has lost all power. All incidents have occurred within the past 6 months with the most recent occurrence on November 26, 2008. Each incident has occurred at speeds below 45 mph and while coasting on a slight downgrade. My concern is that I will lose power in a crucial situation and not be able to steer or stop effectively since these features function most effectively with full power. In all instances I moved the gear to neutral and restarted the engine without any trouble. I did catch it one time before it lost power, again while coasting I noticed the tachometer drop to almost 0. at seeing this I tapped the accelerator, the RPM went back to a normal range and I drove on as normal.

- High Point, NC, USA

Vehicle had a dead battery roughly 6 months ago. Dealer replaced battery under warranty, but did no other diagnostics on the vehicle. If the vehicle is not driven every day, the battery drains down, and now the battery will not charge at all. Now my vehicle is out of warranty coverage, and the dealer will not diagnose the charging system problem. This vehicle is completely unreliable, and the charging system failure is just one of my many complaints about this vehicle.

- Felton, CA, USA

I bought one of the sharpest SUV's I ever saw - a 2005 Ford Explorer XLT 4X4 6 cylinder. It started randomly dying on me like the others I have read about (70+ on the interstate was the most interesting!) this vehicle doesn't have a cable from the gas pedal to the throttle; the computer takes the request from the pedal and then the computer opens the throttle. So, if the computer can't "see" what the throttle is actually doing, that could be a bad thing, and for safety reasons, shuts everything down (Ford's so called fmem "limp home mode"). well, I replaced the tps, and it started again. I took it to the dealer, and in return for 90 dollars, they plugged a box into my SUV, pushed a button and then told me the PCM was bad. The PCM (powertrain control module) is the main brain for the car. Everything is either directly controlled by it, or by a submodule (SRS, 4WD, ABS, eatc, instrument cluster, TPMS, and vcm) that it directly controls. Here is the rub: Consider people that lose a limb, but continue to feel its' presence. That's' because even in the absence of real time data from the limb, the brain has a problem and 'thinks' it sees the limb. In case the analogy isn't clear, if the PCM begins to fail, it might say* sensor is failing. But the sensor is fine ' the brain is 'broken'. if it is broken due to a heat or vibration issue, it can work perfectly for however long, then just go nuts for a little while. That's what scares me the most ' this PCM controls everything, right" what happens if it commands the throttle to wide open, commands the transmission to shift to 1st, then fires the airbags? can you prove it couldn't" my problem in a nutshell is that an emissions control item like the PCM shouldn't fail in three years. Ford should just fix it instead of charging a grand plus labor. All of these others having intermittent surging, stalling failsafe mode and throttle issues I am betting is the same problem.

- Harriman, TN, USA

: the contact stated the check engine, change oil immediately and check tire pressure lights illuminated on a reoccurring basis without cause. The onboard computer was reset by the service dealer each time. The manufacturer was notified.

- Lincolnton, NC, USA

On two separate occasions my 2005 Ford Explorer XLT has completely died while the vehicle was in motion. Both instances happened at speeds of less than 45 mph. The vehicle goes dead, as if the key has been turned from "run" to the next position back. There are no symptoms prior to the vehicle shutting off. The vehicle experiences a total loss of power, all gauges go dead and all dash warning lights illuminate, so I know that the vehicle still has electrical power. Something is causing the engine to turn off while the vehicle is in motion. This has happened on the 13th of may and again on the 2nd of June. On both occasions I took the vehicle to garry smith Ford, in ft walton beach fl for service, and on both occasions I was told that they could not duplicate the fault and that there was no record of a fault in the vehicle system. I am not satisfied with their answer. They have replaced no parts on my vehicle and recommended that I simply keep driving it, until I can get it to die, then call them on the phone.

- Navarre, FL, USA

: the contact stated while driving at no specific speed all the windows went up and down, the driver seat moved forward and backward, the radio came on and went off, and the air conditioner came on and went off. Also, while attempting to apply brake pressure the brakes vibrated and a clunking noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle. The dealership inspected the vehicle and unknown repairs were made; however the repairs did not remedy the problem. The manufacturer has been alerted.

- Millerton, PA, USA

2005 Ford Explorer. The contact states the vehicle has been in the repair shop four times with nine repairs since purchase, approximately a month ago. The rear axle assembly/wheel bearings had to be replaced. Also, the rear window on the driver's side/the pulley in the motor, had to be replaced, and the computer chip had to be reset. The key was getting stuck in the ignition; the dealership could find what was wrong with ignition. There were other problems with the vehicle, but the contact did not have that information. The contact was asking Ford to take the vehicle back at this time. A service advisor was suppose to speak with the contact.

- Mufreesboro, TN, USA