2007 Ford Explorer Electrical Problems

Your Explorer's throttle body system keeps malfunctioning even after you've replaced the sensor and entire throttle body assembly multiple times. Two days ago, your vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating in traffic, nearly causing a collision, and you see the check engine light and wrench icon on the dashboard each time the problem occurs. Despite extensive repairs and visits to the dealership, no one has been able to identify or fix the underlying cause. The fix may require a thorough diagnostic scan to identify electrical or computer-related issues beyond just the throttle body components themselves.

Your check engine light came on and your car makes a loud noise when accelerating. The dealer identified a faulty wiring harness as the cause and needs to replace it, but the part has been on national backorder for 8-9 months with no availability in the US or Canada and no estimated delivery date. Your car won't pass inspection with the check engine light on, and you're concerned about safety risks including potential fire while driving with this faulty part. The fix will require replacing the specific wiring harness once the part becomes available.

I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A FORD DEALER USED 2 YEARS AGO. IT WAS A ONE OWNER VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE AND HAS BEEN CONTINUING SINCE AND OVER THE LAST 3 MONTHS HAS BEEN MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. CAR WILL SUDDENLY DISPLAY THE YELLOW BOX AND WRENCH ON THE STATUS SCREEN IN DASH BOARD AND IF CRUISE IS SET, THE CRUISE WILL TURN OFF. IT WILL START LUNGING, THEN STOP COMPLETELY. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES I CAN FINALLY GET IT STARTED. THEN IT WILL START RUNNING, STOP, START AND WILL ONLY REV TO LOW RPM'S AND MOVE VERY SLOWLY. THE SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS WHEN IT COMPLETELY STOPS RUNNING SUDDENLY WHILE TRAVELING AT 40-70 MPH. THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKS AND THE POWER BRAKES ARE VERY HARD TO USE.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE POWER SEAT HAS MOVED BACKWARDS ON ITS OWN, CAUSING PROBLEMS IN REACHING THE PEDALS SAFELY. IN SEVERAL INCIDENTS WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ALSO TURNED ON. TWO OF THE TIMES THIS HAPPENED, IT WAS WHEN I HAD TO HONK THE HORN, BUT HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER OCCASIONS AS WELL. TONIGHT, WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE SEAT MOVED BACKWARDS, THEN THE VEHICLE DIED - ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WENT DEAD. I COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED WHILE TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE RE-STARTED AND THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUDDEN ENGINE SURGES AND STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS AND NOW THE "WRENCH" ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLS. *TR

FORD EXPLORER 2007 EB. TIRE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. HAD FORD DEALER CHECK. ADJUSTED AIR PRESSURE. CONTINUED TO OCCUR. DEALER WOULD TRY TO RETRAIN SENSORS. NEVER HELPED. SAID THEY THINK IT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH AN AFTERMARKET CHARGER FOR THE CELL PHONE AFFECTING THE COMPUTER. THEY SAID IT IS HAPPENING IN A LOT OF CARS. PROBLEM CONTINUED AFTER SENSOR RETRAINED EVEN IF PHONE HAD NOT BEEN PLUGGED IN. NEW TIRES INSTALLED NOV. 2012 AT SAM'S. THEY MADE A NOTATION ON THE INVOICE ABOUT SENSOR SHOWING FAULT. WENT SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER AND THEY WOULD RETRAIN SENSORS. NEVER HELPED. WOULD START AGAIN. FINALLY IN OCT 2013 ASKED DEALER TO CHECK ALL FOUR SENSORS FOR CRACKS OR DAMAGE. THEY BROKE DOWN TIRES, INSPECTED TPMS AND NO CRACKS FOUND. RETRAINED SENSORS AGAIN. NOTHING THEY HAVE TRIED HAS STOPPED THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES NOW IT WILL SAY TIRE SENSOR FAULT THEN CHANGE TO TIRE MONITOR FAULT. I JUST HIT THE RESET BUTTON UNTIL THE NEXT TIME IT DOES IT, WHICH IS USUALLY JUST A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD. LIGHT TURNS OFF WHEN ENGINE IS TURNED OFF, BUT DOES IT AGAIN THE NEXT TIME I'M ON THE ROAD. READY TO JUST HAVE THE SENSOR DISCONNECTED. FRUSTRATING. *TR

DOME LIGHTS DO NOT TURN OFF UNLESS THE IGNITION SWITCH IS IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT SPOT. THIS VARIES EACH TIME I START THE CAR. SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING. COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. *TR

DRIVING ALONG AND INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON THEN WENT OFF IN THE FRONT THEN THE REAR INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND WENT OFF. THIS HAPPENED TWO TIMES BUT DID NOT REOCCUR YET. COULD CAUSE A DISTRACTION OR PROBLEMS SEEING ROAD AT NIGHT. *TR

DRIVERS SEAT MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND INTERIOR LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, INCLUDING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FIRST OCCURRENCE AT 40000MI. STARTED OUT HAPPENING ONLY OCCASIONALLY, THEN BEGAN MORE FREQUENTLY. NOTICED SOMETIMES OCCURRED WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. FINALLY ABLE TO RECREATE THE EVENT AT FORD WITH ENGINE RUNNING IN PARK BY TOUCHING THE KEYS. KEYS ARE A STANDARD KEY SET, NOT A HEAVY RING OF KEYS. FORD REPAIR NOTES: CONFIRMED COMPLAINT - RAN ELECTRICAL TEST - NO CODES STORED - CHECKED ALL GROUNDS AND CONNECTIONS - CONTACTED TECHLINE - RAN DIAGNOSTICS PER TECHLINE - FOUND INTERNAL FAILURE IN IGNITION SWITCH DUE TO WORN PUSH PIN - REMOVED AND REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND RETESTED PART REPLACED 1 AU5Z*11582*B CYLINDER IGNITION REPAIR SOLVED THE ISSUE. MADE AT 61000MI THE FIRST FORD I WENT TO FOR THIS PROBLEM WAS IN SEVIERVILLE, TN. I PAID FOR DIAGNOSTICS, BUT NO CODES. I EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE IGNITION SINCE I HAD SEEN A SIMILAR RECALL ON GM VEHICLES. FORD SAID WOULD CHARGE LABOR TIME TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN ABLE TO RECREATE PROBLEM IN LOT BY TOUCHING KEYS. I ALERTED SERVICE DESK AND WAITED 20 MIN WITH ENGINE RUNNING FOR A TECHNICIAN TO COME AND WITNESS THE PROBLEM. THEY FINALLY SENT THE GIRL THAT WORKS THE SERVICE COUNTER WHO SAID TURN IT OFF AND WE WILL PULL IT INTO THE BAY AND HAVE A TECHNICIAN TRY TO RECREATE IT IN THE MORNING, CONFIRMING THEY WOULD CHARGE LABOR TIME TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. SHE WAS VERY RUDE AND TOLD ME NO TECHNICIAN WAS GOING TO COME OUT AND THAT I COULD LEAVE THE CAR OR NOT, THEN STORMED INSIDE. I LEFT WITHOUT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED AND MADE AN APPT. AT THE NEXT CLOSEST DEALERSHIP 40 MILES AWAY NEWPORT, TN. I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM FOR THE TECHNICIAN AT THE NEWPORT DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND PROFESSIONAL AND PERFORMED THE IGNITION REPAIR QUICKLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC DRIVER'S SEAT WOULD INDEPENDENTLY MOVE BACKWARD AND FORWARD WITHOUT BEING ENGAGED. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE SEAT FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR. THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WOULD SEND FAULTY SIGNALS TO THE AUTOMATIC DRIVER'S SEAT, INDICATING THAT THE DOOR WAS BEING OPENED AND CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO MOVE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 8/11/14*CN UPDATED 08/25/2014 *JS

NOTICED WATER WHILE RAINING WAS COMING FROM THE LIGHTING/HEATING PANEL AT TOP-ROOF PANEL THAT CONTROLS HEATING, AIR AND LIGHTS AFTER ENTERING THE VEHICLE. WATER CONTINUED TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE RAIN STOPPED, THEN LIGHTS INSIDE THE TRUCK CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WHICH CAUSED DRIVER TO SWERVE FROM LIGHTS COMING ON WITHOUT WARNING. AS OF THIS DATE, TRUCK IS IN BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS OF WATER LEAK THROUGH THE LIGHTING/HEATING CONTROL SWITCHES. LIGHT SWITCH HAD TO BE SET TO OFF UNTIL CAN BE FIXED OR LIGHTS NOW CONTINUE TO COME ON RANDOMLY WHEN DRIVING AND CONTINUES TO LEAK WHENEVER IT RAINS. ALSO, NOTE THIS STARTED AFTER THE HEAVY RAINS OF HURRICANE SANDY. HAVE OWNED OTHER SUVS BY OTHER MAKERS AND NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN! *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT MOVED TO THE FULL BACK POSITION. THIS AS HAPPENED AT ANY SPEED MANY TIMES IN THE PASS FEW MONTHS. A SHORT OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CAN NOT APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED. YOU MUST REACH DOWN AND MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD WITH THE POWER SWITCH LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. THIS PROCEDURE TAKES TO LONG IF YOU NEED TO COME TO A QUICK STOP. THIS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AS NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

WATER IS LEAKING THROUGH THE SWITCH FOR THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE HAS A SUNROOF NOT SURE IF THAT IS WHERE IT'S COMING FROM OR NOT. SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND A TSB FOR THIS. TSB 07-20-6 WATER LEAK IN HEADLINER / DOME LAMP AREA - REVISED *TR

4/15/2011 2:00 P.M. TRIED KEY IN IGNITION DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN IGNITION AT FIRST, THEN IT WENT IN BUT WOULD NOT TURN. CANNOT GET THE KEY TO TURN IN THE IGNITION. WIGGLED THE STEERING WHEEL, THEN IT "LOCKED". TRIED TO MOVE THE SHIFTING GEAR FROM PARK, CANNOT MOVE IT. VEHICLE WAS IN FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF SHIFTING GEAR ON/AROUND 3/17/2011. AT THAT TIME WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY "EXTENDED WARRANTY" THAT WAS PURCHASED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. CALLED LOCAL DEALER WHO AGREE TO CALL ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR ME SINCE I NEEDED TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A RIDE (AND A RIDE FOR 3 OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RIDING WITH ME). LOCAL DEALER TOOK MY CELL PHONE NUMBER AND LET ME KNOW I WOULD GET A CALL BACK. THIS WAS ON 4/15/2011 APPROXIMATELY 2 P.M. HAD TO LEAVE FOR APPOINTMENT, DIDN'T RETURN UNTIL AROUND 9:00 P.M. NO CALL FROM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HAD BEEN RECEIVED. HAD CELL PHONE SERVICE THE ENTIRE TIME. CALLED THEM MYSELF AROUND 9:30 P.M. THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THE CALL FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY WHICH REFERENCED MY CELL PHONE NUMBER. IF THE TOW HAD BEEN ARRANGED EARLIER, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER BEFORE THEY CLOSED ON FRIDAY. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN (THE TOW), I WOULD HAVE CALLED MY OWN TOWING COMPANY TO DO IT. HORRIBLE SERVICE! :) SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE FOR VACATION ON MONDAY, BUT NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW WITH ONLY A SMALL VEHICLE TO USE FOR 4 PEOPLE AND 4 SUITCASES! NOT SURE IT WILL BE FEASIBLE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAYS THE VEHICLE WILL BE DELIVERED TO DEALER TOMORROW. WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THE DEALER HAS TO SAY, BUT BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE AM NOT VERY OPTIMISTIC. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR SHIFTER (WHICH I DON'T THINK NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE). ALSO JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE CONSOLE AROUND THE RADIO AND THE HEAT DUCT WAS LOOSE.

I WAS SHOVELING THE DRIVEWAY AND WANTED TO SHOVEL UNDER MY VEHICLE SO I STARTED IT TO PULL IT INTO THE GARAGE. THE ICE WAS THICK ON THE WINDSHIELD SO I PUT THE DEFROST ON AND LET IT RUN TO WARM UP. I SHOVELED THE DRIVEWAY A BIT MORE THEN AFTER ABOUT 90 SECONDS DECIDED I WOULD JUST SCRAPE THE ICE SO I COULD GET IT IN THE GARAGE. I OPENED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO GRAB MY ICE SCRAPER AND SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR UNDER THE DASHBOARD. I GRABBED THE CAR KEYS AND RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND SAW LIQUID FLAMES DRIPPING TO THE FLOOR BUT NOT CATCHING IT ON FIRE YET. I CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY AT 8:56AM AND RAN ACROSS THE STREET TO MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. AT 9:06AM THE VEHICLE (FIRST VIDEO) IS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASE 10/12/2010 WITH JUST OVER 52,000 MILES. THE FIRE OCCURRED ON 1/10/2011 WITH JUST UNDER 55,000 MILES. *TR

ON 11/23/2007 MY 2007 FORD EXPLORER WITH 14,600 MILES ON IT WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY CHANGED THE MAIN COMPUTER AND THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT TOOK 2 WEEKS FOR THIS PART OF THE REPAIR. THEY THEN SAID IT NEEDED A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHICH THEY ORDERED. THE NEW PART WILL NOT BE HERE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF JAN. 2008. SO I WILL BE WITHOUT MY EXPLORER FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS. AFTER THE FIRST 2 WEEKS THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A CAR TO DRIVE. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WAY WAY TO LONG TO HAVE A NEW CAR (RELATIVELY) TO BE REPAIRED. DO YOU HAVE INFO OF THIS PART FAILING ON MORE FORD EXPLORERS. *TR

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM GOT OUT OF CONTROL. THE CD PLAYER WAS JUMPING BETWEEN CD'S AND ALSO THE AUTOMATIC STIRRUP GOT STUCK AND COULD NOT GET DOWN WHEN DOORS ARE OPEN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR IT YET. *JB

RUNNING AND TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING. TAIL AND RUNNING LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON WITH USE OF MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROLS. FOUND BLOWN FUSE AND REPLACED FUSE. FUSE FAILED AGAIN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON RUNNING AND TAIL LIGHTS. BRAKE AND TURNING LIGHTS WORK. DEALERS SERVICE WRITER REPORTED THAT INSPECTION FOUND UNDER THE DASH "SMART JUNCTION BOX" FAULTY AND A SECOND 2007 EXPLORER WAS IN THE SHOP THAT DAY FOR THE SAME REASON. *JB