The 1996 Ford Explorer has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,543,470 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1,818 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the tires. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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…
Consequence
A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
Remedy
FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27,…
SUSPENSION00V4020002000-11-28810,000 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A FRONT SWAY BAR LINK CAN FRACTURE.
Consequence
VEHICLE HANDLING COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS.
STRUCTURE97V1370001997-08-192,200 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LIFTGATE ASSIST GAS CYLINDER BRACKET ON THE RIGHT HAND BODYSIDE OUTER PANEL WAS INCORRECTLY WELDED.
Consequence
THE GAS CYLINDER BRACKET MAY NOT PROPERLY SUPPORT THE LIFTGATE INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REINFORCE THE BRACKET ATTACHMENT WITH TWO POP RIVETS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 5.0L ENGINES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, IDAHO, IOWA, MAINE, MICHIGAN (UPPER PENINSULA ONLY), MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. …
Consequence
ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY EITHER APPLYING THE SERVICE BRAKES OR SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL, INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORTS OR SOME INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE CAN RESULT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REVISED PCV SYSTEM WITH WATER HEATED VACUUM SOURCE.
EQUIPMENT96V1610001996-08-29134,770 affected
Defect
THE CERTIFICATION LABELS ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES HAS INCORRECT REAR TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE DESIGNATIONS. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS."
Consequence
INCORRECT INFLATION PRESSURES COULD CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR OF THE REAR TIRES. .
Remedy
OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT CERTIFICATION LABELS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THESE LABELS. DEALERS CAN INSTALL THIS LABEL IF THE OWNER SO DESIRES.
WHEN IN THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, THE DRIVER DOOR LATCHES MAY OPEN WHEN SUBJECTED TO TRANSVERSE LOADS LESS THAN THAT SPECIFIED IN FMVSS NO. 206, "DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS."
Consequence
THE DRIVER'S DOOR, WHEN CLOSED ONLY TO THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, MAY NOT SUSTAIN A 1,000 POUND TRANSVERSE LOAD.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH.
Complaints by component
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
369
58crashes1fires148injuries32deaths
TIRES
260
47crashes121injuries24deaths
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
85
11crashes4fires14injuries1deaths
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
78
3crashes1fires2injuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
76
20crashes1fires25injuries2deaths
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
39
5crashes4injuries
SUSPENSION:FRONT
37
8crashes3injuries2deaths
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
35
2crashes2injuries1deaths
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
32
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
29
28crashes18injuries4deaths
Total complaints1,818
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“While stationary and preparing to safely operate the vehicle, the driver's side seat belt receptacle does not retain the seat belt. It may hold for a brief moment, but then releases the belt rendering the seat belt system ineffective and unsafe.”
“While driving in "d" in first to second it has had a problem shifting between the 1st and 2nd gears when accelerating and will rev high rpms and sometimes do absolutley nothing when drying to move forward unless I de accelerate and then try to accelerate agine then finally it will catch and go in…”
“While driving in "d" in first to second it has had a problem shifting between the 1st and 2nd gears when accelerating and will rev high rpms and sometimes do absolutley nothing when drying to move forward unless I de accelerate and then try to accelerate agine then finally it will catch and go in…”
“While driving in "d" in first to second it has had a problem shifting between the 1st and 2nd gears when accelerating and will rev high rpms and sometimes do absolutley nothing when drying to move forward unless I de accelerate and then try to accelerate agine then finally it will catch and go in…”
“All four windows intermittently stop working. Cannot go up or down. Doesnt have a preference as to when, happens when the car is off or on.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt was jammed and would not unlatch. As a result, the contact had to cut the seat belt. Jim hudson ford (1201 w main st, lexington, sc) was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer…”
“Safety recall 09s09 - scds (speed control deactivation switch) on ford models made after 95 with a texas made deactivation switch that was made poorly. I purchased a 1996 ford explorer eddie bauer edition 4x4 truck in december of 2016, from a private party in nevada.the vehicle was purchased…”
“I was driving my ford explorer and my tire on the driver frontside went out and my steering wheel locked up on me and then my vehicle hit the curve and flipped over 15 or 16 times before it stopped I was feeling all over the road I had my set belt on but my air bags never came out and I was only…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE00039 Opened 2000-09-20 · closed 2000-11-30
FRONT SUSPENSION STABILIZER BAR LINK
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE97010 Opened 1997-03-13 · closed 1997-09-04
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…
InvestigationPE99068 Opened 1999-11-01 · closed 2000-03-09
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Ford Explorer as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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