Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 56 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 56, in the owner's own words
I BOUGHT A CAR FROM A DEALER AND HAVE THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 30 DAYS AND THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT. THE DEALER WOULD NOT GIVE ME A TEMPORARY TAG UNLESS I WENT TO HIS MECHANIC FOR A INSPECTION ALSO THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY LEAKING OIL SINCE THE 2ND DAY I PURCHASED. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY FROM FIRST TO THE SECOND GEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. *MR THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 5 OCCASIONS WITH NO SUCCESS UNTIL ANOTHER CHEVY DEALER FOUND THAT THERE WAS A BAD BATTERY CABLE. *SC *JB
CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE.*JB
VEHICLE STALLS OUT WHEN DRIVING. CONTACT DEALER . TRANSMISSION FAILURE. HAD PART REPLACED 3 TIMES WITHIN 3 YEARS.*AK
THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE IS DERIVED FROM A MAZDA MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND IS WELL-KNOWN TO LEAK LUBRICANT RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION GEAR FAILURE.*AK
WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED IF ANY RECALLS OR INFORMATION REGARDING THIS VEHICLE COME UP. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
ENGINE OIL LEAK SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK
THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER. IT BLEW AGAIN, AND WAS LUCKILY, STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE FACT THAT 2 TRANSMISSIONS WERE REPLACED IS VERY TROUBLING. WE NOW CALL OUR EXPLORER, THE EXPLODER! I RECENTLY READ OF THE STUDY UNDERWAY INTO THE FIRESTONE TIRES PEELING OFF THEIR CASINGS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO US. THANK GOODNESS, NO ONE WAS HURT, JUST MAJOR VEHICLE DAMAGE. HAD IT BEEN THE FRONT TIRE, I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE ALIVE TO WRITE THIS. PLEASE GET THESE TIRES OFF THE MARKET, BEFORE OTHERS ARE KILLED! *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2HL1MOO15 TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
I'M TRYING TO FIND THE RECALLS ON MY AUTO. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
TRANSMISION FAILED GOING UP A HILL AND ALL TRANSMISION FLUID WAS LOST AT ONLY 78000 MILES. TRANSMISION HAD TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE ALSO HAS ABNORMAL SHAKING ABOVE 55 MPH.*AK
CAR WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE RUNNING ON MY RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY IN PARK. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO BRIEFLY GO INTO THE HOUSE TO GET MY SON. I WALKED FROM THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE, AND WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE HOUSE THROUGH THE DOOR INSIDE THE GARAGE WHEN I SAW THE CAR ROLLING INTO THE GARAGE. I TRIED TO GET INTO THE CAR TO APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR HIT THE WATER HEATER. THE WATER HEATER WAS MOVED OFF ITS BASE AND INTO THE WALL. DAMAGE TO THE WATER HEATER, GARAGE WALL AND INTERIOR UTILITY ROOM WALL OCCURED AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO MY EXPLORER. I HAVE TRIED ON MANY OCCASIONS TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITION BUT CANNOT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND GET OUT WITHOUT THE CAR IMMEDIATELY ROLLING FORWARD. THE DRIVEWAY HAS A SLOPE GOING AWAY FROM THE GARAGE AND YET IT STILL IMMEDIATELY ROLLS FORWARD. IN FACT, IT ROLLS FORWARD FASTER THAN I CAN WALK AT A NORMAL PACE. HOWEVER, I HAD WALKED APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET WHEN I NOTICED IT COMING TO ME THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. I'VE TRIED TO DUPLICATE THIS WITH BOTH A COLD AND WARM ENGINE, BUT CANNOT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT ALWAYS ROLLS FORWARD AS SOON AS I RELEASE THE BRAKE WHILE IN DRIVE. THIS SHOWS ME THAT I COULDN'T HAVE LEFT IT IN DRIVE. IF I WOULD HAVE LEFT IT IN REVERSE OR NEUTRAL, IT WOULD HAVE GONE BACKWARD. I LEFT IT IN PARK, BUT SOMEHOW IT WENT FORWARD, AFTER I LEFT THE CAR AND WALKED SOME DISTANCE. I'VE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR AND THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNLESS MY INSURANCE COMPANY FILES A COMPLAINT WITH THEM. APPARENTLY MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOT INTERESTED IN DOING SO. MEANWHILE I AM OUT 2 DEDUCTIBLES (AUTO AND HOME) AND BEWILDERED AS TO HOW THIS HAPPENED AND CONCERNED IF IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME OR SOMEONE ELSE WITH MORE SEVERE RESULTS. *AK
WE HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS W/ OUR 93 EXPLORER. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 93000 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE ABS LIGHT KEEPS FLICKERING ON AND OFF AND WE ARE NOT SURE WHICH SENSOR IS OUT. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE AN ARM & LEG JUST TO TELL US WHICH SENSOR IT IS. MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE NOT BEEN POSITIVE. THEY CHARGE TOO MUCH FOR SIMPLE TASKS AND I HAVE BEEN LIED TO ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR VEHICLE. IT IDLES ROUGH AND WE HAVE REPLACED ALL OF THE PARTS THE DEALERSHIP HAS SAID WERE BAD AND IT STILL IDLES REAL ROUGH. WE HAVE SPENT MORE ON AUTO REPAIRS THAN WHAT THE VEHICLE IS WORTH. THE AIR CONDITIONER RECENTLY WENT OUT, THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED, NOW THEY ARE TELLING US IT IS THE FAN SWITCH - SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GIVE FORD MOTOR COMPANY A SWIFT KICK. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE AS LONG AS I LIVE. IT SEEMS THAT FOREIGN VEHICLES ARE WORTH THE FEW EXTRA BUCKS IN THE LONG RUN. *AK
TRANSMISSION PLATE RUBBER PLUGS ALLOWED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK RAPIDLY FROM THE CASING WHILE DRIVING A LONG DISTANCE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE TRANSMISSION PARTS AND CASE WERE "MELTED" DUE TO THE HEAT CAUSED BY THE FRICTION OF THE PARTS. MECHANICS AGREE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON DESIGN FLAW IN THE FORD TRANSMISSION. IF FORD WOULD HAVE USED A BETTER SEALING SURFACE FOR THE PLUGS, THEN THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. FORD NO LONGER MANUFACTURS THESE TRANSMISSIONS.
VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR WHILE PARKED. CAUESED DAMAGE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
NO SUMMARY
TRANSMISSION GEARS GRIND AND STICK, REPLACEMENT OF THE CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION DID NOT RECTIFY STICKING PROBLEMS. MJS
NO SUMMARY
TRANSMISSION FAILED. 3RD AND 4TH GEAR CAME APART.
MANUAL 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND LOST SECOND GEAR. TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AT MODERATE SPEED ON THE FREEWAY.
WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, CAUSING A TOTAL SHUTDOWN, GIVING THE DRIVER NO INDICATION. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
RUBBER PLUGS ON THE TRANSMISSION SHRINK AND LEAK FLUID.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .