Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →
REAR WINDOW EXPLODED/SHATTERED WHILE IN UPRIGHT POSITION, NO APPARENT REASON, VEHICLE PARKED APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES, GLASS SHATTERED ONTO HEAD OF OWNER, NO INJURIES, VEHICLE WITH DEALERSHIP FOR WINDOW REPLACEMENT, REASON UNKOWN, VEHICLE PARKED IN SHADE. *AK *JB
VEHICLE FIRE, ORIGINATING IN THE DASH AREA. ALSO, REPLACED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT OR ABOUT 30MPH OWNER TRIED TO DECELERATE AND THE CAR DID NOT RETURN TO IDLE. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN CONSUMER TOOK FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE PEDAL WAS STUCK AND HAD TO TAP THE BRAKES WHICH HAD LOCKED UP. ALSO HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND THE VEHICLE SWERVED AROUND INTO A TRACTOR TRAILER. THE VEHCLE FLIPPED 3 TIMES BEFORE IT CAME TO A STOP. *AK
POOR SUSPENSION CAUSES VEHICLE TO LEAN TO ONE SIDE.
WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS THE SERPINTINE BELT SLIPPED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM OUT OF SECOND AND THIRD GEAR.
DRIVE TRAIN DIFFERENTIAL UNIT FAILURE.
AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURY.
THE HOOD FLEW UP WHILE DRIVING.
SWAY BAR FAILED.
SHE IS INVOLVED IN A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL DEALING WITH THE CRANKCASE AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO DO THE RECALL BECAUSE THEY SAY IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR THEM TO PERFORM. *AK
LUGGAGE RACK ATTACHMENTS VIBRATE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND PARTIALY SEPARATED. *AK
TURNED OVERDRIVE OFF AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED.
VEHICLES FRONT END HAS SEVERE VIBRATION, MAKING VIT ERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE FRONT WHEELS ARE WEARING UNEVENLY AND BOTH STEEL RADIALS ARE COMING OUT.VEHICLES IS RIDING ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE.THE KITS ARE NON-ADJUSTABLE. *AK
VEHICLE'S ACCELERATOR PEDAL SPOT WELDS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THE PEDAL WAS HANGING OFF ONE WELD. *AK
ENGINE SURGES WHEN DRIVING IN CRUISE CONTROL.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS LUGGAGE RACK ATTACHMENTS VIBRATED, CAUSING IT TO LOOSEN AND SEPARATE FROM VEHICLE. *AK
THE CONSUMER WENT TO REVERSE OUT OF A PARKED POSITION WHEN THE SHIFT GEAR GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT MOVE.C ONSUMER KEPT MOVING THE GEAR WHEN SUDDENLY IT MADE LOUD NOISE AND ENGAGED AT A QUICK SPEED. DUE TO THIS DEFECT, IT ALMOST CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT A PEDESTRIAN. *AK
WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LIFT PEDAL WITH HIS FEET UNTIL IT COMES BACK UP. *AK
DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLEY FAILURE.
GAS PEDAL STICKS.
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED.
GAS PEDAL STICKS.
VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED ON THE CARPORT, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE/CARPORT TO COMPLETELY BURN. ALSO, SMOKE DAMAGES, FIR EWAS CAUDED BY FAULTY FUEL INJECTORS. *AK
THE CLUTCH SQUEAKS WHEN PEDAL PUSHED; THEREFORE CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER REPLACED ALSO, HUB AND BEARING FAILED AND CLUTCH RELEASE REPLACED.
BATTERY LEAKED ACID ON TO EVAPORATION VALVE AND CAUSED CORROSION.
ENGINE FLOODED BY WATER THRU AIR INTAKE.
UNIVERSAL JOINT BROKE/DISCONNECTED.
BRAKE PEDAL STICKS.
TACHOMETER INOPERATIVE.
PROBLEM WITH SUNROOF.
ENGINE STALLED 3 TIMES AT HIGH ALTITUDE.
DRIVER SEAT LUMBAR SWITCH FAILED.
INTERIOR DOOR RELEASE LEVER FAILED TWICE.
COMPASS INOPERATIVE.
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD, NEAR THE ENGINE. *AK
DRIVING VEHICLE IN FAST LANE, HEARD A HORRIBLE NOISE, LOOKED BACK & SAW UNIVERSAL JOINT HAD BLOWN OUT; HAD TO COAST TO SLOW LANE & SIDE OF HWY; DRIVESHAFT BROKE, HAD NO POWER; HAD VEHICLE TOWED. *AK
VEHICLE WANDERS LEFT TO RIGHT, AND WHEN OWNER TOOK VEHICLE DEALER HE WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS SET TO THE PROPER SPECS. HE ALSO HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE BELT LOCKED AND WOULD NOT RELEASE PASSENGER. HAD TO CUT BELT TO GET OUT. *AK
THE UPPER CONTROL ARM BROKE, CAUSING WHEEL TO COME OFF/ACCIDENT/INJURY.
CONSUMER WAS IN 35MPH HEAD-ON COLLISION AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER. *AK
STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. *AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND LEFT IN GARAGE, VEHICLE JUMPED OUT GEAR, ROLLED FORWARD, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION IN FOR REPAIR, FOUND NOT PROBLEM, OCCURRED AGAIN DEC-95. *AK
THE VEHICLE'S ABS SYSTEM LOCKED UP IN ICY CONDITIONS WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE SLIDE SIDE WAYS INTO A BUILDING. ALSO, THE POLICE REPORT SHOWS THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AFTER SHE HIT THE BUILDING, CAUSING HER HEAD TO STRIKE THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND BE DECAPITATED. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, PRESSED BRAKES, VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, RELEASED BRAKES, CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE, ENGINE ACCELERATED BACK TO ORIGINAL SPEED, WET PAVEMENT, VEHICLE SPUN AROUND, CRASHED INTO CEMENT BARRIER, CRUISE CONTROL SENSOR DEFECTIVE. *AK
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED TWICE.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS, TO FASTEN ONE MUST TWIST THE BELT. *AK
SEAT FRAME FAILED.
WINDSHIELD WEATHER STRIPING FAILED.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1996 Ford Explorer → · Every Explorer year → · How the figures are calculated →