RoadVitals

1995 Ford Explorer Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints 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.
14
Latest Dec 30, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 843 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 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.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Dec 30, 2011

MY VEHICLE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT ALL OF A SUDDEN DON'T DRIVE IT OFTEN AND SORELY SURPRISE THAT IT WOULD JUST BE COMPLETELY OUT. IT IS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND SHOULD BE OPERABLE TO THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. AS IT STANDS WON'T PASS INSPECTION AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ON IT. THANKS *KB

NHTSA ID
10441745
Incident
Dec 27, 2011
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 1, 2011

1995 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER. HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, FOUND OUT THROUGH RESEARCH THAT IT IS THE LAMP OUTAGE MODULE LOCATED IN THE CONSOLE OF THE CAR. ALMOST STARTED A FIRE, COMPLETELY MELTED MODULE AND AFFECTED OTHER AREAS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VERY DANGEROUS AND NO RECALL THAT I CAN FIND. PART IS DEALER ONLY AND 90.00. *KB

NHTSA ID
10416520
Incident
Aug 1, 2010
Mileage
200,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 28, 2010

DRIVER'S SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS A BULB SENSING SYSTEM, AND ISSUED A WARNING TO CHECK THE HEADLAMPS. I REPLACED BULB, BUT IT STILL DID NOT WORK. A DAY LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT ALSO FAILED, LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS. AFTER LOOKING FOR A FUSE OR WIRING PROBLEM, I FOUND THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A RATHER COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS AND SIMILAR VEHICLE MODELS, AND HAS BEEN INDIRECTLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER IN A TSB, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. TO ME THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED MORE PROACTIVELY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10314968
Incident
Feb 16, 2010
Mileage
122,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 30, 2007

I HAVE A 1995 FORD EXPLORER WHICH THE HEADLIGHT SENSOR CONTINUOUSLY GOES BAD WHICH WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IF THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITHOUT IT. WHEN THIS SENSOR, WHICH HAS GONE BAD TWICE SINCE I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE, FAILS I SHOULD NOT BE MADE AWARE OF THIS UNTIL THE HEADLIGHT GOES BAD AND THE SENSOR DOES NOT ALERT ME. WHEN THE SENSOR GOES BAD I GET AN INDICATION THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE OUT AND WHEN REPLACED THEY ARE STILL OUT BECAUSE THE TRUE PROBLEM IS THE SENSOR HAS GONE BAD. HOW A SENSOR GOES BAD WHEN IT STILL SENSES THE LAMP NOT FUNCTIONING IS BEYOND ME. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFICIENCY IN MY OPINION AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RECALLING THIS ITEM DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE SENSORS SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER AND REPLACED WITH A SENSOR THAT IF IT WERE TO FAIL WOULD NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10181148
Incident
May 20, 2004
Mileage
90,000 mi
Exterior lightingTransmission
Filed Oct 27, 2004

CLEAR COAT IS PEALING ON HOOD AND OVER BACK HATCH, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS THE HEADLIGHT WILL NOT WORK ON DIM I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE SENSOR KEEPS GOING OUT ON THE TRANSMISSION.*AK

NHTSA ID
10096529
Incident
Oct 17, 2004
Mileage
171,214 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting+1 more
Filed Feb 6, 2004

I HAVE A 1995 FORD EXPLORER THE WINDOWS WORK SOMETIMES YOU MIT DRIVE A BLOCK THAN THAY DON'TAND THE 4/4 WILL THE SAME THING . MY SON HAS 1995 EXPLORER IT WILL DO THE SAME THING IS THERE A RECALL IF NOT THER SHOUGH BE THANK YOU . *AK

NHTSA ID
10056704
Incident
Feb 6, 2004
Mileage
30,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 16, 2003

I HAVE 2 FORD VEHICLES FROM MID 1990'S. THE HEADLIGHTS ON EACH HAVE LONG SINCE BECOME THOROUGHLY OPACIFIED. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS OPACITY OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 2 TO 4 YEARS. ACCORDING MY MECHANIC (WHO IS A "FORD MAN"), "THIS IS A VERY CHARACTERISTIC AND LONGSTANDING FLAW WITH THE FORD BRAND, YOU WOULD THINK FORD WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE LONG AGO, BUT FORD HAS NOT AND CONTINUES NOT TO DEAL WITH IT." THIS SAFETI ISSUE/PROBLEM NOT INEXPENSIVE TO REMEDY.

NHTSA ID
10007579
Incident
Feb 16, 2003
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 4, 2002

HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES WERE ORIGINALLY CLEAR PLASTIC BUT HAVE AGED NOT VERY WELL TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE OPAQUE (CLOUDY) AND I FEEL THE LIGHT OUTPUT HAS DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY BELOW ORIGINAL LUMEN LEVELS. I HAVE NOTICED MAJORITY OF FORD PRODUCTS THAT ARE OVER 3-4 YEARS OF AGE HAVE CLOUDED PLASTIC HEADLAMPS. CLOSE EXAMINATION REVEALS SLIGHT CRAZING OF THE PLASTIC OUTER SURFACE AS WELL AS GENERAL DULLNESS OF THE PLASTIC.*AK

NHTSA ID
758933
Incident
Jan 1, 1997
Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 7, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
748021
Incident
Jul 7, 2001
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 9, 2001

LENSES ON HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME DISCOLORED. DEALER SAID YES IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD DO NOTHING . CONSUMER WENT, AND HAD POLICE LOOK AT HEADLIGHTS,.THEY STATED YES HE WOULD BE PULLED OVER AND CITED DUE TO HEADLIGHTS NOT BEING BRIGHT ENOUGH. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES IT IS THE DEALER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHTS. *YH

NHTSA ID
882593
Incident
Mar 8, 2001
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 24, 1999

REAR CENTER TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD COMPLETE FAILURE; DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST BETWEEN $250 AND $300 TO REPLACE. I PRESUME IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE I FAILED ANNUAL INSPECTION DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT. ARE THERE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES? I AM UPSET THAT I HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH FOR A COMPONENT THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED MORE THAN 3.5 YEARS. *AK

NHTSA ID
704852
Incident
Mar 23, 1999
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 9, 1998
Fire reported

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND LOCKED FOR 30 HOURS PRIOR TO FIRE. FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AREA OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND DIMMER CONTROL FOR THE INTERIOR LIGHTS.

NHTSA ID
536737
Incident
Jun 6, 1998
ElectricalFuel systemExterior lighting
Filed Mar 11, 1997

FUEL PUMP FAILED.

NHTSA ID
516241
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 18, 1996

PARKING LIGHT BULB FAILURE. *AK

NHTSA ID
600611
Incident
Dec 18, 1995

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .