RoadVitals

1988 Ford Explorer Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
4
Latest Dec 2, 2001
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
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 26, 1997

What this page shows

Our database holds 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Ford Explorer. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–4 of 4

BrakesTires & wheels
Filed Dec 2, 2001

I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE&I AM CONCERN ABOUT THE TIRE&THE BRAKE. *AK

NHTSA ID
755187
Suspension
Filed May 25, 2000

VISITED DEALER WITH COMPLAINT OF NOISE(GROWL) IN STEERING COLUMN. WAS ADVISED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. ALSO, FRONT SUSPENSION HAS NUMEROUS SQUEAKS AS YOU WOULD EXPERIENCE IN AN OLDER VEHICLE THAT HAS NOT HAD PROPER LUBRICATION. DEALER ADVISED THIS WAS NORMAL. DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL. I INTEND TO TAKE VEHICLE TO SPECIALIZED SUSPENSION REPAIR SHOP FOR EVALUATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
723175
Electrical
Filed Jul 29, 1999

IGNITION REPLACED ON RECALL 8/7/96. FUEL & TEMPERATURE GAUGES FREQUENTLY MALFUNCTION WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS & OVERHEATS. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATES OVERHEATING. FOCUSING ON OVERHEATING PROBLEM OVERLOOKS THE ACTUAL PROBLEM OF THE IGNITION WHICH WAS REPLACED ON RECALL. ALSO RADIATOR FAN WILL NOT ENGAGE & ACTUAL OVERHEATING WILL TAKE PLACE. LUCKILY NO IGNITION FIRE. REPLACE IGNITION SWITCH & AVOID FORD PRODUCT IF POSSIBLE.

NHTSA ID
709358
ElectricalExterior lightingSteering
Filed Feb 26, 1997

CONSUMER HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED UNDER RECALL, HOWEVER AFTER THE REPAIR THERE WERE SEVERAL FAILURES THAT WERE NOT PRESENT PRIOR TO THE REPAIR. THE POWER STEERING/HEADLIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE BATTERY WAS DOWN AND THE INSIDE LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OFF.

NHTSA ID
515145
Incident
Jan 22, 1997

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .