"How reliable is the 1993 Ford Explorer?"

"Based on 1151 NHTSA complaints, the 1993 Ford Explorer has a median complaint mileage of 107248 miles. The most common issue is Tread/Belt."

"What are common problems with the 1993 Ford Explorer?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1993 Ford Explorer is Tread/Belt, accounting for a significant portion of the 1151 total complaints filed."

1993 Ford Explorer: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1151 complaints

1151

Total Complaints

107,248mi

Median Mileage

Tread/Belt

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

76,500 25th Percentile

107,248 Median Mileage

143,807 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Tread/Belt

167

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

144

Tires

Support Device/Strut

Automatic Transmission

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Foundation Components

Front

Gasoline

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

176

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FUEL FUMES ENTER VEHICLE FROM THE GAS TANK AREA. TT"

"ABS BRAKES; WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR. DEALER HAS REPLACED SHOES AND OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS AND SELF ADJUSTING SYSTEM, STILL FAILS. TT"

"VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN GOING OVER 60 MPH. TT"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Tires 91 complaints

Median: 100,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 196 TX: 129 FL: 117 NY: 95 PA: 56 VA: 45 GA: 37 AZ: 37 MI: 35 MA: 33

Who Files Complaints?

29.5%

Original Owners

70.5%

Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	764	113,804	Tread/Belt	70
1992	848	125,000	Tread/Belt	54
1994	1531	97,541	Tread/Belt	124
1995	1048	125,000	Tread/Belt	107
1996	1818	127,000	Tread/Belt	248
1997	2149	100,000	Tread/Belt	180
1998	2374	100,000	Tread/Belt	219
1999	1737	80,000	Tires	143
2000	1203	77,938	Tires	115
2001	500	90,500	Tires	82
2002	4095	79,000	Automatic Transmission	178
2003	1368	74,000	Automatic Transmission	70
2004	1647	65,000	Automatic Transmission	69
2005	604	70,000	Body	30
2006	788	60,000	Power Train	18
2007	271	69,000	Power Train	14
2008	215	78,000	Electrical System	8
2009	49	67,000	Vehicle Speed Control	8
2010	155	48,000	Power Train	13
2011	1481	65,000	Steering	48
2012	1013	62,000	Steering	14
2013	2757	74,000	Steering	61
2014	2011	64,000	Steering	48
2015	2138	54,600	Unknown Or Other	52
2016	2940	45,647	Steering	56
2017	1927	45,000	Structure	53
2018	819	42,000	Structure	23
2019	306	50,000	Structure	2
2020	1544	12,600	Power Train	50
2021	492	38,400	Power Train	21
2022	308	28,000	Power Train	25
2023	126	8,500	Unknown Or Other	11
2024	21	5,080	Unknown Or Other	0
2025	111	2,289	Electrical System	11

Active Recalls (9)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Tread/Belt

Campaign 00T005000 | 21/08/2000

IF THE TREAD SEPARATES FROM THE TIRE, THE DRIVER CAN LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.

THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON AUGUST 29, 2001. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-465-1904 FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.

Support Device/Strut

Campaign 99V310001 | 03/11/1999

WITH A BROKEN BRACKET WELD, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE LIFTGATE BRACKET TO GRADUALLY BEND INWARD ALLOWING THE LIFT CYLINDER BALL STUD TO DISENGAGE, UNEXPECTEDLY ALLOWING THE LIFTGATE TO FALL FROM AN OPEN POSITION.

DEALERS WILL INSTALL LIFTGATE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS. DEPENDING UPON THE CONDITION OF THE LIFTGATE SHEET METAL IN THE AREA OF THE BRACKET, DEALERS MAY ALSO INSTALL A LARGER REINFORCEMENT.

Tread/Belt

Campaign 01X001000 | 22/05/2001

SHOULD THE TREAD SEPARATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.

THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 2002. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT FORD AT 1-877-917-3673 OR GO ON-LINE TO WWW.FORD.COM FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.

Hydraulic

Campaign 96V024001 | 05/02/1996

IF A CRACK OCCURS, IT COULD RESULT IN ONE OR BOTH STUDS FRACTURING. THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD THEN SEPARATE FROM THE VACUUM BOOSTER, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, PREVENTING THE SERVICE BRAKES FROM ACTIVATING INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER ASSEMBLY.

Roof And Pillars

Campaign 97V235001 | 18/12/1997

UNEXPECTED SEPARATION OF THE SUNROOF GLASS PANEL COULD POSSIBLY DISTRACT THE DRIVER INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN INSTRUCTION BOOKLET WHICH THOROUGHLY OUTLINES, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, THE PROPER PROCEDURES FOR THE REMOVAL, STORAGE, AND REINSTALLATION OF THE SUNROOF'S GLASS PANEL. A WARNING LABEL FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE SUNROOF'S LATCH KNOB WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED TO THE OWNERS.

Support Device/Strut

Campaign 95V164001 | 25/08/1995

WITH A BROKEN BRACKET WELD, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE LIFTGATE BRACKET TO GRADUALLY BEND INWARD ALLOWING THE LIFT CYLINDERBALL STUD TO DISENGAGE.

DEALERS WILL INSTALL REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS.

Conventional

Campaign 94V169001 | 07/09/1994

WHEN THE ABOVE OCCURS, IT CAN RESULT IN PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM INEFFECTIVENESS. THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL FREELY, IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT LEFT IN GEAR.

A WEDGE WILL BE INSTALLED WHICH WILL SERVE TO LOCK THE PARKING BRAKE SELF-ADJUST MECHANISM PAWL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RACHET. ALSO, OWNERS WILL BE ADVISED TO RELEASE AND REAPPLY THE PARKING BRAKE WHENEVER TOOTH SKIP OCCURS AND WILL BE REMINDED TO ALWAYS TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND LEAVE THE VEHICLE I

Rearview Mirrors/Devices

Campaign 97V083000 | 05/05/1997

THE CURRENT CAN OVERHEAT THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AND OTHER PLASTIC AND ELASTOMERIC COMPONENTS OF THE SWITCH ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN SMOKE OR FIRE.

DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN IN-LINE 10 AMP FUSE IN THE POSITIVE BATTERY FEED TO THE REMOTE POWER MIRROR CONTROL SWITCH ASSEMBLY.

Support Device/Strut

Campaign 95I007000 | 31/01/1996

IF A BRACKET AND GAS ASSIST CYLINDER WERE TO DETACH COMPLETELY FROM THE LIFTGATE AND NO LONGER BEAR AGAINST THE LIFTGATE AS INTENDED, THE REMAINING ASSIST CYLINDER WOULD NOT HOLD THE LIFTGATE IN AN OPEN POSITION. PERSONAL INJURY COULD OCCUR.

FORD DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE BRACKET ATTACHMENTS.

Extend Your Tire Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Check tire pressure monthly — underinflation is the #1 tire killer
Rotate tires every 5,000-7,500 miles
Get an alignment check annually
Inspect for uneven wear patterns which indicate alignment or suspension issues
Replace tires when tread reaches 4/32 inch — don't wait for 2/32

Compare Ford Explorer

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28