1996 Ford Explorer

Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.

Vehicle coverage

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Coverage held for this vehicle

  • OFFICIAL ACTION 11 US Recalls
  • MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 238 Manufacturer Bulletins
  • INVESTIGATION 3 Investigations
  • CONSUMER REPORT 1,450 Consumer Complaints
  • CANADIAN RECALL 6 Canada Recalls

These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

  • 09V399000 2009-10-13

    Recall 09V399000

    FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 09E025000 2009-05-11

    Recall 09E025000

    DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 09E012000 2009-04-07

    Recall 09E012000

    SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

    Recorded model years: 1996

Showing 3 of 11 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 144 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

  • 10017891 2005-04-01

    030508

    FRONT AXLE LEAKS FLUID FROM VENT TUBE - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4X4 OR AWD. *TT

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 635998 2003-11-10

    02138

    LOW LINE PRESSURE READING AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE (WOT), SLIPPING SHIFTS AND / OR DELAYED ENGAGEMENTS WITH POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0732, P0733, P1762 SET ON VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 12/1/2001. *TT

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 10004027 2003-09-15

    03181

    REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT

    Recorded model years: 1996

Showing 3 of 238 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 2,047 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

  • PE00039 2000-09-20

    FRONT SUSPENSION STABILIZER BAR LINK

    There is no summary currently available

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • PE99068 1999-11-01

    ACCELERATOR PEDAL

    There is no summary currently available

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • PE97010 1997-03-13

    ELECTRICAL FIRE IN CENTER CONSOLE

    THIS INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT CONSOLE FIRES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MOST OFTEN OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE LAMP OUTAGE MODULE (LOM), WHICH IS PART OF THE MESSAGE CENTER, WERE TOWING A TRAILER AND WHICH HAD BEEN MODIFIED BY ADDING AN AFTERMARKET TRAILER WIRING HARNESS INTO THE VEHICLE'S TAILLIGHT CIRCUITS.THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES NEVER AND MORE THAN OTHER TRAILER LIGHT…

    Recorded model years: 1996

A further 39 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

  • 2009292 2009-10-14

    Transport Canada recall 2009292

    Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 2000297 2000-12-15

    Transport Canada recall 2000297

    On certain vehicles, the front stabilizer bar link stud can fracture from bending fatigue. This can result in increased vehicle lean or the driver may sense a feeling of looseness in the steering. Above 80 km/h drivers may experience vehicle wander or sway. Correction: Dealers will install 10mm front left and right stabilizer bar links.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 1997172 1997-10-08

    Transport Canada recall 1997172

    THIS VEHICLE MAY HAVE UNDERSIZED WELDS ON THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE LIFTGATE ASSIST GAS CYLINDER TO THE RIGHT HAND BODYSIDE OUTER PANEL. THIS COULD RESULT IN BRACKET SEPARATION WHICH COULD PREVENT THE GAS CYLINDER FROM PROPERLY SUPPORTING THE LIFTGATE. CORRECTION: BRACKET ATTACHMENT WILL BE REINFORCED WITH TWO POP RIVETS.

    Recorded model years: 1996

Showing 3 of 6 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 112 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

1,450 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

  • reports mentioning a crash 195
  • reports mentioning a fire 37
  • reported injuries 344
  • reported fatalities 51

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

  • Tires & wheels588 (34.8%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 1995–2017.
  • Speed control & accelerator152 (9.0%)Official recall records for this system: 7, covering model years 1995–2002.
  • Brakes144 (8.5%)Official recall records for this system: 11, covering model years 1995–2025.
  • Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)127 (7.5%)Official recall records for this system: 33, covering model years 1999–2025.
  • Suspension105 (6.2%)Official recall records for this system: 20, covering model years 1995–2023.
  • Seat belts78 (4.6%)Official recall records for this system: 26, covering model years 1995–2026.
  • Body & structure64 (3.8%)Official recall records for this system: 27, covering model years 1995–2026.
  • Engine59 (3.5%)Official recall records for this system: 29, covering model years 1996–2026.

Other / uncategorized: 28 classifications (1.7%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 30,985 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.

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