WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS
Opened Mar 16, 1992
Closed Aug 31, 1992
There is no summary currently available
SUSPENSION
1987 Ford Explorer
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest May 7, 2001
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1987 Ford Explorer, most frequently naming the tires & wheels and brakes categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Tires & wheels266.7%
- Brakes133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Tires & wheels
Filed May 7, 2001
TIRE "DETREADED" AT HIGHWAY SPEED, CAUSING MAJOR FENDER AND ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO TAILLIGHT. FORTUNATELY THE TIRE DID NOT GO FLAT. *AK (DOT NUMBER: HYKC FRX TIRESIZE: P205 75 R1)
- NHTSA ID
- 745034
- Incident
- May 6, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 20, 2001
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A SLAPPING NOISE. HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE, AND AND WHEN HE GOT HOME, HE NOTICED THAT LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESS AT, P23575R16, THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 886401
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2001
Brakes
Filed Aug 16, 1996
ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCK UP UPON ENGAGEMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SKID MOMENTARILY.
- NHTSA ID
- 507612
- Incident
- Aug 16, 1996
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
BC5225961001
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A VIBRATION DURING WIDE OPEN THROTTLE ACCELERATION OR WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. REVISED FRONT DRIVESHAFT. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 55.9 |
| 2025 | 92 | 19 | 0 | 60.8 |
| 2024 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 60.0 |
| 2023 | 103 | 15 | 0 | 61.6 |
| 2022 | 255 | 24 | 2 | 69.1 |
| 2021 | 409 | 26 | 2 | 66.8 |
| 2020 | 1,187 | 33 | 3 | 67.6 |
| 2019 | 289 | 6 | 1 | 61.2 |
| 2018 | 717 | 7 | 2 | 66.0 |
| 2017 | 1,672 | 14 | 2 | 65.6 |
| 2016 | 2,439 | 15 | 2 | 61.3 |
| 2015 | 1,768 | 9 | 5 | 67.2 |
| 2014 | 1,672 | 7 | 4 | 62.5 |
| 2013 | 2,228 | 12 | 6 | 64.3 |
| 2012 | 822 | 7 | 4 | 61.5 |
| 2011 | 1,195 | 8 | 4 | 63.1 |
| 2010 | 115 | 2 | 1 | 55.3 |
| 2009 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 45.6 |
| 2008 | 148 | 3 | 1 | 52.2 |
| 2007 | 208 | 3 | 1 | 52.1 |
| 2006 | 630 | 4 | 0 | 47.1 |
| 2005 | 497 | 3 | 2 | 54.7 |
| 2004 | 1,304 | 4 | 4 | 59.5 |
| 2003 | 1,131 | 7 | 3 | 60.0 |
| 2002 | 3,294 | 10 | 7 | 62.5 |
| 2001 | 375 | 12 | 2 | 65.6 |
| 2000 | 952 | 15 | 4 | 66.1 |
| 1999 | 1,348 | 15 | 6 | 65.4 |
| 1998 | 1,959 | 14 | 8 | 67.4 |
| 1997 | 1,731 | 12 | 6 | 66.6 |
| 1996 | 1,450 | 11 | 3 | 66.9 |
| 1995 | 843 | 12 | 6 | 66.2 |
| 1994 | 1,207 | 7 | 13 | 68.2 |
| 1993 | 939 | 9 | 14 | 68.0 |
| 1992 | 633 | 7 | 14 | 67.7 |
| 1991 | 609 | 11 | 17 | 68.5 |
| 1990 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 47.9 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1988 | 4 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1987Viewing | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.