1996 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

4X4 FAILS TO ACTIVATE LEAVING VEHICLE IMPAIRED IN 2 WHEEL MODE DURING CRITICAL DRIVING TIMES. SWITCH ON DASH GOES OUT, APPEARS TO BE FAILURE OF 4X4 CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSFER MOTOR. PROBLEM OCCURS AFTER BATTERY HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. REPAIR FOR VEHICLE REQUIRES CHANGING OUT CONTROL MODULE OR TRANSFER CASE MOTOR. PROBLEM APPEARS TO OCCUR IN ALL MODELS OF FORD EXPLORER 1991 - TO DATE. *TR

ON MONDAY DEC 22 I DROVE MY EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER TO WORK PARKED IT AND WENT ON WITH MY DUTIES AT WORK WITHIN 5 MIN A RESIDENT PULLS UP TELLING ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS ON FIRE .THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD AND COMPLETELY BURNED THE WHOLE VEHICLE I AM LOOKING FOR A ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THIS THANK YOU. *TR

1996 FORD EXPLORER. VEHICLE KEYS ONLY WORK INFREQUENTLY. NEW KEYS FROM FORD DEALER CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. FOR SAFETY, ANY INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEIR VEHICLE KEY WILL OPERATE RELIABLY. IF YOU FEEL THREATENED OR ARE BEING FOLLOWED AND NEEDED THE SECURITY OF ENTERING AND LOCKING YOUR VEHICLE BUT WERE UNABLE THIS COULD RESULT IN A PERSONAL SAFETY RISK INCLUDING DEATH. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE ISSUE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE IS A COMMON COMPLAINT FROM OTHER OWNERS AND FORD HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE OR CORRECT IT. HAVING TO LEAVE A VEHICLE UNLOCKED SIMPLY TO ALLOW ENTRY IS UNACCEPTABLE. I MIGHT AS WELL PLACE A SIGN ON MY VEHICLE SAYING STEAL ME. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 3 YEARS WITHOUT A SOLUTION. NEW KEYS MAY WORK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN SIMPLY STOP WORKING. THEY MAY EVEN WORK LATER, IT IS NOT A KEY PROBLEM BUT A VEHICLE DESIGN ISSUE. NONE OF THE KEYS OPERATE THE REAR HATCH, NONE OF THE KEYS OPERATE THE PASSENGER DOOR ANY LONGER EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH EITHER. THE DRIVERS DOOR WORKS APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE TIME. THESE ARE NOT "CHIP KEYS", THERE IS NO SECURITY ISSUE IN THAT REGARD. THESE ARE SIMPLY STANDARD DEALER CUT KEYS. THERE IS NO DISTINGUISHABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEYS AND ALL HAVE WORKED AT TIMES. AGAIN, THE ISSUE IS THE VEHICLE DESIGN. *TR

DRIVER SIDE FRONT TORSION BAR BROKE/SPLIT, APPROXIMATELY AT ITS HALF LENGTH POSITION, WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY DURING THE SUMMER. FIX WAS TO DONATE VEHICLE. *TR

FIRESTONE TIRE P235 75 R15 FR480 MS SEPARATED CAUSING OUR FORDEXPLORER TO ROLL OVER. NEAR VENUS, TEXAS ON HWY 67 SOUTH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE PLACING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS DOUSED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE DAMAGE AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD MELTED, AS WELL AS THE MASTER CYLINDER. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,000.

DRIVERS SEATBACK FAILURE. THE DRIVERS SEAT IN OUR 1996 FORD EXPLORER COLLAPSED. THE UPPER PORTION OF OUR SEAT SUDDENLY FLEW BACKWARDS ONLY STOPPING WHEN IT STRUCK THE REAR SEAT. LUCKILY THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. MY WIFE WAS HURLED BACKWARDS HER FEET FLYING UPWARDS AND STRIKING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. HER HANDS CAME OFF THE STEERING WHEEL AND SHE WAS LEFT PRONE STARING AT THE CEILING OF THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A GREAT CONCERN TO NHTSA SINCE ANY DRIVER EXPERIENCING SUCH A FAILURE WHILE DRIVING WOULD BE IN GRAVE DANGER. AFTER REMOVING THE SEAT AND RESEARCHING ISSUES WITH EXPLORER SEATS I FOUND THE 1998 EXPLORER RECALL THAT EXACTLY DESCRIBED OUR SEAT FAILURE. THE SAME EXACT BOLT IN THE 1998 RECALL WAS THE CAUSE OF OUR SEAT COLLAPSE. I HAVE SAID BOLT ( BROKEN IN TWO PIECES)AND WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE NHTSA EXAMINING IT TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO BAD BOLTS OR IF THE SEAT DESIGN CAUSED THE BOLT TO FAIL. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE BOLT WITH A NEW BOLT AND STEEL SPACER (I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE REMEDY CALLED FOR IN THE 1998 RECALL) IF I HAD NOT REMOVED THE SEAT THE WHOLE PROCESS WOULD HAVE TAKEN UNDER 20 MINUTES AND THE PARTS CAN BE HAD FOR UNDER $2 . PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG BUT DOESN'T YOUR WEB SEAT SAY THAT IF A SAFETY RELATED REPAIR IS NECESSARY THE MANUFACTURER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SAID REPAIR. THIS REPAIR CLEARLY FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY. I WOULD HOPE NHTSA SHARES MY CONCERN AND DOES A THROUGH INVESTIGATION. THANK YOU, GREG CAMPBELL *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED ON THE HEATER. HE WALKED TO HIS MAILBOX AND RETURNED TO FIND SMOKE COMING FROM THE CENTER CONSOLE OF THE VEHICLE. ALL OF A SUDDEN, FLAMES APPEARED FROM THE CONSOLE. HE RETRIEVED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO DOUSE THE FIRE. THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND UNDERNEATH CAUGHT FIRE AND HE BELIEVED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE DASHBOARD MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. HE DID NOT CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE MANUFACTURER TO REPORT THE FIRE, BUT HE DID CONTACT HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 143,000. UPDATED 07/29/08 *BF UPDATED 07/29/08. *JB

I HAVE A '96 FORD EXPLORER. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS TO LOCK IN THE SEAT BELT. THIS SAFETY DEVICE SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN THE VEHICLE ITSELF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THE VEHICLE, THE SEAT SPONTANEOUSLY COLLAPSED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT CALLED A DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE EITHER THE RECLINER BOLTS OR THE SEAT ASSEMBLY AT HIS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE RECLINER BOLTS, BUT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT WAS MANUFACTURED AT A DIFFERENT PLANT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE IT WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME MODEL. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.