1996 Ford Explorer structure problems
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the structure on the 1996 Ford Explorer — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Sudden unintentional acceleration: on three different occasions, from years 1998-2015. The first incident occurred in town, 1998. I had to apply the emergency brake to disengage the surging accelerator. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer, who could find nothing wrong. Perhaps a floor mat…”
filed Sep 2, 2016
“When ever I go over a bump or a dip in the road. Something (sway bar) seems as if it something is cracked and the tire axes is about to fall off in the middle of the road. *tr”
filed Sep 5, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Structure problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 1 | 3% |
| 2025 Explorer | 7 | 7% |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 9% |
| 2022 Explorer | 10 | 4% |
| 2021 Explorer | 23 | 5% |
| 2020 Explorer | 44 | 4% |
| 2019 Explorer | 148 | 50% |
| 2018 Explorer | 287 | 39% |
| 2017 Explorer | 656 | 39% |
| 2016 Explorer | 584 | 24% |
| 2015 Explorer | 407 | 23% |
| 2014 Explorer | 276 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1996 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.