Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 72 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 72, in the owner's own words
THE POWER CONTROL FOR SIDE VIEW MIRROR SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND ORANGE GLOW/FIRE FROM SIDE CONSOLE. CHECKING YOUR SITE, YOU ALREADY LIST THIS BUT DEALERSHIP AND FORD DO NOT HAVE A RECORD OF THIS RECALL (97V083000).
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE POWER WINDOWS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT DURING CHRISTMAS SHE AND HER CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING WHEN REAR DEFROSTER OVERHEATED. CONSUMER TRIED TO CUT IT OFF, BUT THE SWITCH DID NOT WORK. WHILE SHE WAS TRYING TO SHUT IT OFF REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AND BLEW OUT. *AK *NM
RECALL 97V083000 CONCERNING REMOTE POWER MIRROR SWITCH WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. WHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY MIRROR CONTROLS BEGAN TO SMOKE. MOMENTS LATER, FIRE WAS STREAMING FROM THE MIRROR ITSELF, CONSUMING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. *AK
GASOLINE GUAGE WORKS INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL, 4 WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT WORK, PASSENGER WINDOW IN FRONT SIDE DOES NOT WORK. *AK
THE POWER MIRROR CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NLM
WHILE RETURNING FROM CHRISTMAS SHOPPING I DISARMED MY CAR ALARM. WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED, SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE POWER MIRROR SWITCH. USING A SCREWDRIVER, I REMOVED THE ELECTRICAL CONSOLE AND SWUNG THE SCREWDRIVER AT THE FLAMING SWITCH ASSEMBLY UNTIL IT RELEASED. FALLING TO THE GROUND I QUICKLY SMOTHERED THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY UNTIL ALL SMOKE CLEARED.
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM VENTS. ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF, AND VENTS CLOSED. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY DEALER YET. *AK
VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND SMELLED LIKE INSULATION BURNING. CONSUMER INDICATED REMOTE POWER MIRROR SWITCH HAD BURNED. POWER SWITCH BUTTONS FOR MIRROR WILL NOT MOVE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK
HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR BLEWOUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE, FORD EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND FOUND LEAVES AND HEATER PLUG RESISTOR TO BE THE CAUSE. *JG
CONSUMER TOOK CAR IN FOR RECAL 97 V 083 000 REPAIRS. 3 YEARS LATER, CONSUMER'S CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE THE SAME WAY AS MENTIONED IN RECALL. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT A FUSE WAS PUT IN TO STOP WHOLE CAR FROM CATCHING FIRE. CONSUMER STATED DOOR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED.*AK THE DEALER DECLINED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILED FUSE. THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE MIRROR WIRES AND THE MIRROR SWITCH FAILED. *YH
DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF HEATING SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE TWICE FROM PINE NEEDLES COLLECTING AROUND THE HEATING APPARATUS UNDER THE HOOD. *AK
PROBLEM 1: ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL OCCASIONALLY WHEN TURN HEATER ON AND ONCE WHEN TURNED A/C ON. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIRST TIME USING THE SYSTEM AND SMELLS LIKE WHEN ANOTHER CAR OF MINE HAD THE ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE STEERING WHEEL BURN AND SMOKE. PROBLEM 2: GAS PEDAL OCCASIONALLY FLOORS ITSELF AND I CANNOT BRAKE THE CAR EVEN WITH ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I HANDLE IT BY POPPING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SITTING THERE WHILE THE ENGINE GUNS ITSELF. I ALSO PUMP THE GAS PEDAL DURING THIS TIME IN THE HOPES THAT IT HELPS. THIS IS THE SCARIEST OF ALL MY PROBLEMS AND I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH NOT TO BE TOO CLOSE TO PEOPLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 2X A YEAR AND I CANNOT TIE ANY OF THE INCIDENS TOGETHER AS IT HAS OCCURRED ON RAINY DAYS, SUNNY DAYS.... PROBLEM 3: I NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR ABOVE 65MPH BECAUSE IN THE PAST I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WHERE AFTER MORE THAN 45 MINUTES OF HIGH SPEED DRIVING THE FUEL SYSTEM MESSES UP. MY MILEAGE DROPS TO ABOUT 8 MILES TO THE GALLON AND THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I'VE HAD TO GET MY PURGE TANK EMPTIED OF FUEL AND OTHER PROBLEMS AFTER AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS, BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOT NOTICABLE WHEN THE CAR IS COOL OR IN CITY DRIVING. OVERALL NOTE: I HAVE SOME OF THE DATES OF THE PROBLEMS WRITTEN DOWN BUT NOT ALL SO THE DATES AND MILEAGES ARE FICTIONAL IN MY NOTES TO YOU. *AK
RECALL 97V083000. POWER MIRROR SHORTED, CAUSING SMOKE TO ENTER VEHICLE. VEHICLE'S MAKE AND MODEL HAS BEEN RECALLED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. *MJS
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A SHORT CIRCUIT IN POWER MIRROR SWITCH. RECALL 97V083000 WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. BUT DEALER DID NOT REGISTER THIS VEHICLE IN CONSUMER'S NAME WITH MANUFACTURER. THEREFORE, CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. *AK
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WHILE HAVING THE REAR WIPER MOTOR REPLACED THE LIFTGAGE BRACKET BROKE, OTHER BRACKET BROKE LATER, BOTH WERE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION (99V-310) *MJS
RELATED TO EA99-004. EARLIER INCIDENTS (BEGINNING 1998) WERE JUST A HINT OF BURNING GRASS, USUALLY OCCURING WHEN STARTING CAR WITH FAN SWITCH ON ONE OF THE 'ON' POSITIONS.LATEST INCIDENT HAD BILLOWING CLOUDS OF WHITE SMOKE POURING FROM VENTS, FILLING CABIN, AT LEAST 5 MINUTES. EXTINGUISHED BY POURING WATER INTO OUTSIDE AIR VENTS. BLOWER MOTER NOW ONLY WORKS ON HIGH SETTING. THIS IS DANGEROUS!
LEAVES AND STEMS ENTERED THE ENGINE THROUGH WINDSHIELD AIR VENTS INTO VEHICLE HEATER BLOWER AND CAUSED A BURNING SMELL. YH
WAS DRIVING DOWN ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55MPH WHEN THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE & OUTSIDE VEHICLE DID NOT CHANGE. NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF. WASN'T CLOSING OR OPENING THE SUN ROOF WHEN IT SHATTERED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING MIRROR STARTS TO SMOKE, CAUSING OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE VEHICLE TO BLOW OUT, SUCH AS THE RADI/AND MIRROR SWITCH. *AK
REAR LIFT GATE ON EXPLORER HAS BROKEN OFF ON THREE PREVIOUS OCASSIONS. ON THE THIRD OCCURANCE THE ENTIRE LIFT GATE WAS REPLACED UNDER A FACTORY 'RECALL' PROGRAM. THE BOLTS OR SCREWS HOLDING THE LIFT GATE TO THE HINGES HAVE NOW PULLED OUT OF THE LIFT GATE BRACKETS. DEALER CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR METAL FATIGUE FAILURE BECAUSE IT OCCURRED MORE THAN 12 MONTHS SINCE REPLACEMENT . CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY REJECTED CLAIM ALSO. THIS VEHICLE HAS 46010 MILES AND THE LIFT GATE HAS NOW FAILED FOUR SEPARATE TIMES. THIS IS NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE BUT STRUCTURAL DESIGN FAILURE.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH PINE NEEDLES COLLECTED INTO OUTSIDE HEATER DUCT AND CATCHING ON FIRE. ALSO, REAR HYDRAULIC CYLINDER DEATCHED FROM VEHICLE BODY. DEALER NOTIFIED OF BOTH INCIDENTS, AND CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER NO RECALLS. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA INTHIS MATTER. *AK
CONSUMER NOT NOTIFIED OF RECALL (97V083000) DESIGN FLAW IN POWER MIRROR WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION IN THE REMOTE POWER MIRROR CONTROL SWITCH TO OVERHEAT AND RESULT IN VEHICLE FIRE. NLM
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
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