1994 Ford Explorer: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1531 complaints
1531
Total Complaints
97,541mi
Median Mileage
Tread/Belt
Top Issue
124
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

79,200 25th Percentile
97,541 Median Mileage
129,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Tread/Belt
232
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
154
Tires
135
Support Device/Strut
82
Vehicle Speed Control
37
Automatic Transmission
32
Gasoline
31
Foundation Components
26
Suspension
26
Engine
22

Severity Assessment

124
Crashes
93
Fires
183
Injuries
25
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"VEHICLES ABS REAR BRAKES LOCK-UP WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. TT"
"VEHICLE HAS SEVERE VIBRATION AND CAN NOT BE DRIVING AT HWY SPEEDS. TT"
"ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED THREE TIMES, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD"

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.

Tread/Belt 232 complaints
Median: 79,600 mi
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 154 complaints
Median: 88,500 mi
Tires 135 complaints
25th: 21,500 mi Median: 31,500 mi 75th: 100,750 mi
Vehicle Speed Control 37 complaints
25th: 87,500 mi Median: 130,500 mi 75th: 199,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 189 FL: 141 NY: 127 TX: 121 PA: 103 VA: 63 MI: 47 NJ: 45 MA: 44 WA: 43

Who Files Complaints?

31.3%
Original Owners
68.7%
Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
199176470
199284854
1993115198
19951048107
19961818248
19972149180
19982374219
19991737143
20001203115
200150082
20024095178
2003136870
2004164769
200560430
200678818
200727114
20082158
2009498
201015513
2011148148
2012101314
2013275761
2014201148
2015213852
2016294056
2017192753
201881923
20193062
2020154450
202149221
202230825
202312611
2024210
202511111

Active Recalls (7)

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.
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

vs Chevrolet Tahoe → vs Jeep Grand Cherokee →

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