no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
1999 Ford ExplorerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,348 owner complaints about the 1999 Ford Explorer, most often about the tires. It is covered by 9 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 3, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1999 Ford Explorer has problems
1,348 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
370Tires55 crash/fire/injury
216Visibility5 crash/fire/injury
148Vehicle speed control25 crash/fire/injury
115Power train7 crash/fire/injury
100Engine and engine cooling7 crash/fire/injury
97Air bags33 crash/fire/injury
92Electrical system
68Seats
65Suspension
33722 other systems49 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 370 | 55 |
| Visibility | 216 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 148 | 25 |
| Power train | 115 | 7 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 100 | 7 |
| Air bags | 97 | 33 |
| Electrical system | 92 | 17 |
| Seats | 68 | 9 |
| Suspension | 65 | 7 |
| 22 other systems | 337 | 49 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
9 recalls
1999 Ford Explorer recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
no report yet
Vehicle speed control: cables
Risk. THE THROTTLE RETURN SPRING FORCE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE BINDING CONDITION WHEN THE SPEED CONTROL IS DISENGAGED.
no report yet
Front assembly: recliner
Risk. THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Show 5 more recalls
no report yet
Automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Risk. OPERATING THE VEHICLE ABOVE THE MAXIMUM SPEED RATING COULD LEAD TO A TIRE FAILURE WHICH AT THESE SPEEDS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
Risk. AN INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM COULD AFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Hood: latch
Risk. IF THIS OCCURS AND THE PRIMARY HOOD LATCH IS EITHER NOT ENGAGED OR IS RELEASED, A HOOD FLY-UP COULD OCCUR.
no report yet
Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE TO THE FRONT WHEELS, INCREASING THE STOPPING DISTANCE.
no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. IF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS USED AND THIS CONDITION IS PRESENT, A STUCK THROTTLE COULD RESULT, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do tires problems start?
84kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 21 tires complaints. 52% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 22% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
0under 30k miles11under 100k miles10100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
8 owners mentioned a cost$350median
Middle half: $300 – $463
Power train
8 owners mentioned a cost$2,300median
Middle half: $1,275 – $3,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
1999 vs. every other Explorer year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Explorer median. How we score
6096339391,2078431,4501,7311,9591,3489523753,2951,1311,304497630208148331151,1988312,2391,6841,8202,4671,7067363031,25345627611321111440
'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
1999 Ford Explorer safety ratings
1999 Ford Explorer 4-DR. 4x4 w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1999 Ford Explorer, and the recalls they led to.
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADNo recall
- SEAT BELT WEBBINGNo recall
- FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENTLed to recall 03V-281
- WINDSHIELD WIPER MALFUNCTIONLed to recall 00V-072
- VEHICLE HESITATION/STALLINGNo recall
- AIRBAG SYSTEM'S LIGHT DYSFUNCTIONALNo recall
In owners' words
What Explorer owners report
Recent tires complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES, SIZE: P235/75/R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRE WAS…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH GOOD YEAR WRANGLER TIRES, TIRE SIZE 235-75-R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ENTERED INTO ONCOMING…
1999 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FIRESTONE TIRES (PR.15.75) RECALL ON VEHICLE. *SMD THE WOULD LIKE A LIST OF ALL THE FIRESTONE TIRES THAT WERE RECALLED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE TIRES HE HAD ON HIS VEHICLE WERE DEFECTIVE, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT IN 2007, IN WHICH THE…
Own a 1999 Explorer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.