7.6
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$566.00
Average Mileage:
68,358 miles
Total Complaints:
10 complaints
Most common solutions:
- crankshaft pulley replacement (8 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
engine problem
Helpful Websites About 2004 Ford Explorer crankshaft pulley failure
2009Aug 26
Explorer
- Automatic transmission
- 60,100 miles
My Explorer started to make a loud squealing noise under the hood. I was hoping it was just a loose belt and took it to my local dealer. They said that my crankshaft pulley was coming apart where the rubber and metal meet. They also said that this is very unusual and they only see it about once a year. It is estimated to cost around 300.00 if that is all they find. How does this happen if it is so rare?
2009Jul 23
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 70,000 miles
Sounds much like the others.
First heard chirps, followed by cricket sounds.
Eventually belt sounded bad.
Got belt replaced.
Two day later...cars in shop cause the pulley broke.
Which also breaks the speed sensor.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Feb 22
Explorer XLT 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 38,000 miles
car was idling very bad,first i thought i need tune up,but i took dealer they change the pulley now its ok,be careful don't take your car to any other mechanic
2009Jan 11
Explorer XLT 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 74,500 miles
click to see larger images
Complaint Photos
I had a squeal in the front of that I thought I could fix with a new Serpentine belt. The day after I installed the new belt the car died on the side fo the road. I went online to make sure that I installed the belt correctly when I found this sight and saw that others had teh exact same problem.
This is a repair that I cannot perform in my garage so now I am getting on the phone to my mechanic...
2008Dec 27
Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 52,000 miles
It started about a month ago as a belt squeal. My local mechanic replaced the serpentine belt and the noise went away. A month later while we were on a road trip about 600 miles from home we began to hear and feel an occasional "clunk" as we were driving. Within a few miles the car would stall repeatedly and two warning lights came on, the service engine light and a symbol of a wrench. We managed to limp home to my daughters home about 30 miles away. We took the car to a reputable mechanic the next morning who got stuck test driving the car. Had to be towed back to his shop. Turns out the crankshaft pulley separated from the rubber damper and it protruded enough to also wipe out the speed sensor which caused the engine stalling. The crankshaft pulley part cost $184, the speed sensor $48 and the labor was $425. Total cost of repair with taxes $703.62. I saved the original parts. I've never heard of such a problem in all my years. A crankshaft pulley should last a lifetime. Obviously a defect. I will pursue with Ford but I do not expect any satisfaction from yet another lame American auto company. I need to replace my 1999 Camry soon and if I don't get any satisfaction from Ford they can forget me as a customer. And my taxes may have to bail them out!!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Dec 30
Explorer XLS 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 94,000 miles
I also had the crankshaft pulley fail on my 2004 Ford Explorer. I had just replaced the belt as a routine maintenance item, but within 1 week I started hearing a chirp coming from one of the pulleys in the system. The next day, the new belt came off of the tensioner pulley and was destroyed. When I started to install another new belt, I noticed that the outer crankshaft pulley had separated from the inner damper and was not in line with the other pulleys. I had the vehicle towed to my local Ford dealer for repairs, do not know the cost of repairs at this time.
2008Jul 11
Explorer XLT 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
presently finding ourselves on vacation and having this crankshaft related serpentine belt failure. trying to find competent repair presently. will update.
2008Apr 14
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 83,183 miles
The vehicle started to chirp loudly; then after a week or so, it became a continuous squeal. I assumed it was the serpentine belt, but it died along side the Interstate and we had to be towed and the end result was the crankshaft "went one way and the pulley went the other." Total estimated cost of repair $690. I have seen several other vehicles with this same problem.. Has anyone had any luck pushing this off to Ford to cover?
2008Mar 21
Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 51,000 miles
click to see larger images
Complaint Photos
3/21/08 Ford Explorer XLT 4.0L V6 crankshaft pulley(CP) failure. Two weeks ago, it started with a slight chirp. Upon auditory inspection, it was obvious that it was coming from the location of one of the 7 serpentine belt pulleys. The belt was in good condition( no cracks/ no glazing) .I lubricated the 2 idler puller bearings, but that didn't help. After a week, the chirp turned into a continuous squeal. I applied belt conditioner ($4), but no help. At almost 2 weeks, the squealing was excessive. I purchased a new serpentine belt ($40) and anticipated a 15 minute change. Much to my dismay, when I started to route the belt underneath the CP, it was obvious that it was out of line with the cooling fan pulley that was directly above. A closer look, at the CP, revealed a critical failure between the outer pulley band and its rubber damper. Before I jumped to a conclusion, I checked the rotation of all the other pulleys to see if one somehow created excessive resistance that would cause this failure, but all were smooth. This vehicle only has 51000 miles on it, so it's obvious the manufacturing of this part was substandard. I've found 2 other owners who posted the same problem, but I imagine there are a lot more. I'll be contacting Ford to see how they're addressing this problem. See the other persons issue at the link below:
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t426_ds42008
As it stands now, I'm out $200 in parts and labor and still have a dead vehicle. I hope Ford will step up to the plate and make this an easy repair.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Sep 14
Explorer XLT V8
Started as chirping in the front, went on to belt screeching, now a full failure. Where is the recall in all this.
Update from Sep 19, 2009: Cost to repair was $373.00
John D.
Medford, MA, USA
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