I have wondered for months, and I mean months. No one seems to hear what I was hearing. I've taken it to a mechanic, who replaced first the sway bar, still heard it, (he acted like he was deaf). I returned it later to have the 2 front shocks replaced. He's still deaf! Then I returned again to have the back shocks replaced. Geez!! He asked me to bring it back in when he replaced the fuel pump. Dah! It's taken me long enough to realize he's ripping me off!!

I took it to the Ford dealership, they said the right inner tie rod needed replaced and brakes. Ford wanted in excess of $900 to do that. I left thinking, Oh hell no!! Finally, I decided to lie down taking a look under the car. Low and behold, I saw foam that was rotting. Well, it looked like foam, crumbling foam..I pushed on some part and heard what sound like the noise I would hear when driving. Funny thing, after the Ford dealership checked my vehicle, the noise became much, much worse.

Geez!! I found a mechanic that would charge me $500 to replace them. Must and will do it soon. I've read good reviews on Prothane Kit, but it does not contains the fastening hardware. Some say go to the Ford dealership.. Is that the only place? Needing manly or womanly help here in central Mississippi. I'd be delighted to get some advice.

Delighted, but disgruntled!

Update from Nov 20, 2014: I posted the my first article just a few dates ago (November 17, 2014) why is it dated for February 2014?

delighted

While driving down the road I heard a popping followed by a lot of metal noise. The truck seamed to shift around. Upon looking under the truck the body mount under the passenger seat was gone on both sides of the frame..... The cab is now sitting on the frame, my hood is on my engine and up on a quarter of an inch on passenger's front side. There seems to be cracks in the metal around the front mount on same side. Fog light now half way up in the hole it use to be in. See, these vehicles have wind and rain issues. If yours does you need to look under your truck. Chances are your body is shifting due to a issue I now call FORD. It looks like the Sport Trac will bring back that old phrase "found on road dead". The problem is it may be us in the body bag.

Talked to Ford customer service today and got none. Reported it to NHTSA for what good that will do. If you have this issue report it to them, should be a flood coming their way. Took it to my local dealer, got an appointment to have a Ford Certified Look on the advise of "customer service" to go along with my claim I opened. Of course, they will say the same thing, out of warranty and no recalls. My wife and I have a Mustang Convertible, a work van, and this truck. Guess which one I told Ford we use for our 1 year old grandson? That's right the 4 door Sport Trac.....

We are in business for ourselves and it is also my work truck. Can you say screwed. The dealer's service manager said "do not drive it, it is not safe". Does "not safe' constitute a maintenance issue or product failure? Who is out a work and personal vehicle, us or Ford? If I have to pay and they recall it they had better pay that body mount repair they will not do now. I am not looking forward to shelling out for a repair the truck should not be in need of. This is no different then the frame issue Toyota had with their trucks. NHTSA, get it together before someone gets killed, or is that too much to ask? I think not. And Ford, don't make me go to government motors.....for my next vehicle.

I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXPLORE SPORT TRAC, AND THE CAB MOUNTS ARE GONE,ON A 2001 MODEL.I WOULD THINK THESE MOUNTS WOULD LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE TRUCK . THESE MOUNTS CRUMBLE LIKE DIRT WHEN YOU TOUCH THEM. IF YOU HAVE THIS MODEL, YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK UNDER YOUR TRUCK TO SEE WHAT YOURS LOOKS LIKE. THEIR ARE FOUR OF THEM ON EACH SIDE. ONLY THE ONES UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGERS SIDE UNDER THE FLOORBOARD AND THE ONES UNDER THE DOOR POST ARE GONE, BUT ON BOTH SIDES. I READ ON THE INTERNET ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL AND REPLACE THESE MOUNTS BECAUSE OF POOR MATERIAL THEY WERE MADE OF. IF YOU HAVE IT DONE GET READY TO DROP SOME BUCK$$$$$$

I started hearing a rattle in the drivers florboard that sounded like someone tapping it with a hammer underneath your feet. I noticed that this happened when I was on rural country roads. I got to thinking about it one day and decided to look and see if I could find the source of the noise. HOLY CRAP!!! What I found was the rubber bushings in the body mounts were literally in pieces (what was left of them). Way to go FORD!!!! Before I noticed the rattling I noticed that the handling caracteristics had changed (more body roll), I guess I know why now. I bought this truck new in 01 it came off the lot with the deadly Firestone tires on it, now the body isn't attached to the frame very well. Is Ford trying to purposely kill its customers....hmmmmmm

Ford has used a very defective part on this vehicle. The rubber bushings that are used in the connection of the cab to the frame have totally disintegrated to the point that they crumble when just touched. There are 3 or four sets on both sides of the vehicle. I have contacted Ford Customer Care and filed a 'report'. They are not acknowledging the problem so far. Have requested an investigation by the NHTSA, and am currently going thru the BBB with a complaint to try and get Ford to replace these failed units.

If you are aware as to what these busings are, then you can imagine the possible outcome from continuing to drive a vehicle with not body bushings in it. This now allows for a good bit of play in the body to frame connections. I hate to think what might happen in a collision...