1991 Ford Explorer problems & reliability
609 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Explorer. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
28 complaints report injuries (44 injured, 4 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Ford Explorer vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 118 | 19% |
| Tires | 102 | 17% |
| Power Train | 69 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 52 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 52 | 9% |
| Suspension | 33 | 5% |
| Visibility | 32 | 5% |
| Structure | 31 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 5% |
| Equipment | 29 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 121,902 miles (middle 50% between 79,288 and 159,975 miles), based on 34 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The component that malfunctioned was the abs sensor. It is not available for inspection. I was driving going around 45 in traffic and the drivers side rear brake locked up and spun me out of control and caused me to collide with another vehicle. I only lightly pressed the brakes and it happened suddenly and…”
Service Brakes · filed Dec 20, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 ford explorer. While driving 15 mph with another passenger, the seat belts disengaged and caused the passenger seat to overturn between the seats. The passenger was not injured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate…”
Seat Belts · filed May 7, 2015
“On june 4th my daughter and I were driving east bound on 62nd and over-hill in los angeles ca. Shortly after 12:00pm. When suddenly the ford explorer was engulfed in flames. My daughter and I were ordered to exit the vehicle. I was never notified of a recall. Due to investigation on my own I have received a recall…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jul 5, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARE TIRE WINCH CABLE
Engineering Analysis EA00012 · opened Apr 14, 2000 · closed Oct 20, 2000
- SPARE TIRE WINCH CABLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE99072 · opened Nov 30, 1999 · closed Apr 14, 2000
- LIFTGATE SUPPORT BRACKET FAILURE
Recall Query RQ99016 · opened Jul 29, 1999 · open · led to recall 99V310002
- HEAVY LATERAL VIBRATION
Defect Petition DP98001 · opened Jan 6, 1998 · closed Feb 4, 1998
- PARKING PAWL
Recall Query RQ97015 · opened Oct 29, 1997 · closed Apr 1, 1999 · led to recall 91V189000
- SUNROOF SHATTERING AND SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA97011 · opened May 23, 1997 · closed Jan 20, 1998 · led to recall 97V235002
- SEPARATION OF MASTER CYLINDER
Engineering Analysis EA95018 · opened Jun 19, 1995 · closed Apr 2, 1996 · led to recall 96V024002
- BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE95001 · opened Jan 3, 1995 · closed Jun 19, 1995
Technical service bulletins
63 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Ford Explorer. The 10 most recent:
Various noise issues from the rear leaf springs while driving. *tt
16735 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2003
Some vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and a 4.0l ohv engine may exhibit a noise / vibration, no drive, unusual noise during cranking or a no crank condition. *tt
02142 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2002
Owner notification program supplement 7 revised information - regarding replacement of wilderness at tires. *tt
01B77 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Some vehicles equipped with the 4.0l ohv engine may exhibit an engine noise which may be perceived by the customer as a piston / onnecting rod bearing knock. *tt
01197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
On some vehicles, the accelerator pedal bracket may become loose or separated from the dash panel. This may be caused by repeated excessive force on the accelerator pedal, resulting in cracking of the dash panel sheet…
00243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2000
Subject pertaining to supplemental tire inflation label. *jb
00L09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2000
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Some vehicles equipped with manual transmission may exhibit neutral gear rollover noise (a light metallic rattling sound from the transmission) which occurs at idle with transmission in neutral clutch engaged (clutch…
7366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 Ford Explorer in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 Ford Explorer?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 121,902 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.