Despite such strong press for Ford Motor Company in recent months, the Ford Explorer has come back to possibly haunt Ford's reputation according to a new report. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will begin evaluating whether or not 2002-2005 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer transmissions slip out of park and into reverse on its own. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, out of 1.4 million vehicles produced 200 complaints were filed with the federal government. Eleven owners stated that the vehicle transferred gears from park to reverse on its own, and 61 owners stated that the gearshift mechanism failed while trying to transfer in and out of park.
Chalk up another win and resume point for Alan Mulally. Ford Motor Company has announced today that they have cut their automotive debt by $9.9 billion, which translates to 38%. By the end of 2008, Ford's automotive debt exceeded $25.8 billion even after shedding Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors in the spring. Ford has been on a no-holds-barred attempt since Muially took the helm as CEO over two years ago to reduce debt, match customer demands, and increase innovation and quality across all Ford vehicles. 
Just when things couldn't get any worse for domestic auto makers comes the abysmal sales results of March 2009. Although it may be April 1st, there is no joking or laughing involved for any automaker these days. Topping a terrible 40 percent drop in sales for February 2009 versus a year earlier, March 2009 delivers an even worse return: a 41.7 percent drop in sales compared to a year ago.
ExplorerX is a dedicated Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Lincoln Aviator, and Saleen Explorer XP6/XP8 enthusiast community. We have focused for years on the aggressive side of Explorer customizing, and have grown into a very loyal community. While countless are shying away from SUV's, our members are spending extra cash on modifying their Explorer to become truly unique.
