Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 97 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 97, in the owner's own words
SUV SUSPENSION SWAYS LIKE ITS ABOUT TO FLIP. THE DRIVER MUST SLOW DOWN TO REGAIN STABILITY. THIS OCCURS ALWAYS WHEN INCREASING SPEED WHILE IN PASSING LANE OR DURING RAPID ACCELERATION! I FEAR THIS WILL CAUSE A WREAK IN THE FUTURE! *TR
WHEN EVER I GO OVER A BUMP OR A DIP IN THE ROAD. SOMETHING (SWAY BAR) SEEMS AS IF IT SOMETHING IS CRACKED AND THE TIRE AXES IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *TR
I REPLACED THE FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES IN DECEMBER 2011 WITH PARTS PURCHASED FROM AUTOPARTSMIDWEST.COM. ON DECEMBER 18, 2012, THE LEFT HUB ASSEMBLY FAILED AND THE WHEEL CAME OFF. THE OUTER PORTION OF THE BALL BEARING RACE CAME OFF THE SPLINED HUB. I WAS GOING VERY SLOWLY AT THE TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND THERE WAS NO INJURY OR DAMAGE OTHER THAN TO THE HUB ASSEMBLY, CALIPER BRACKET AND SOME OTHER BRAKE PARTS. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR PARTS NOT INCLUDING LABOR IS ABOUT $500. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MANUFACTURER OF THE HUB ASSEMBLY. IT SHOULD BE REASONABLE TO EXPECT A CRITICAL PART LIKE A HUB ASSEMBLY TO LAST MORE THAN ABOUT 6000 MILES. IF THE HUB ASSEMBLY HAD COME APART TWO MINUTES OR A HALF MILE EARLIER, I MIGHT NOT BE FILING THIS REPORT. I HAVE ASKED AUTOPARTSMIDWEST TO REFUND THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE DEFECTUVE HUB ASSEMBLIES AS WELL AS THE COST OF REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE SALE OF DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE PARTS BY AUTOPARTSMIDWEST AND OTHER ON LINE SELLER MUST STOP. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO INSPECT SOMETHING LIKE A HUB ASSEMBLY TO VERIFY ITS QUALITY. BUYERS MUST DEPEND ON THE SELLER AND MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE SAFE CAR PARTS. *TR
MY WIFE AND I ARE SCARED TO DRIVE OUR 96 EXPLORER ONCE WE LEARNED OF ALL THE RECALLS ( REAR SIDE GLASS, BAD SUSPENSION, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, HEADLIGHTS.) JUST TO NAME A FEW I KNOW OF. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SWAY BAR FAILED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V402000 (SUSPENSION); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,000.
DRIVER SIDE FRONT TORSION BAR BROKE/SPLIT, APPROXIMATELY AT ITS HALF LENGTH POSITION, WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY DURING THE SUMMER. FIX WAS TO DONATE VEHICLE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45-55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING AND COULD NOT BE STEERED. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AND ROLLED OVER. THE CONTACT AND HER BABY RECEIVED MINOR BRUISES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AVAILABLE. HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V402000 (SUSPENSION). THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE WHEN SHE DROVE OVER A BUMP. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SUSPENSION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 00V402000) HOWEVER; THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 164,827. UPDATED 04/11/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SWAY BAR LINK BROKE. UPDATED
1996 FORD EXPLORER WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE MECHANICAL ISSUES. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FELL OFF AND IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE. *KB THE POLICE REPORT STATED THE WHEEL BEARING AREA WAS DRY AND RUSTY, WHICH UNDER NORAML CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE LUBRICATED WITH OIL. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT)*JB
I BOUGHT MY 1996 EXPLORER NEW ON 01/19/1996 FROM WADE FORD SMYRNA GA. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER MAILING ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE WHERE I LIVED AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND I STILL LIVE THERE TODAY. FORD DID NOT SEND ME A NOTICE OF NHTSA ID # 00V402000. CAN YOU PLEASE HAVE FORD SEND A NOTICE THAT I CAN TAKE TO A FORD DEALER FOR THE SPECIFIED REPAIRS? I LEARNED OF THE RECALL 10/3/07. THANK YOU. *TR UPDATED 12-12-07. *KB UPDATED
FRONT SWAY BAR LINK BROKE, DEALER REPAIRED IT, (CHARGED ME FOR REPAIR, BUT SOON AFTER, THE OTHER FRONT SWAY BAR LINK BROKE. THERE WAS RECALL 00V402000, BUT THIS Y CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I THINK THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK
SUDDEN TREAD SEPARATION ON LEFT REAR TIRE OF FORD EXPLORER CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL AND ON-ROAD ROLLOVER. TIRE WAS A COOPER ELDORADO RADIAL ZR1, SIZE P23575R15, DOT# 3DHLEKN2900.
IN FEB 04 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR THE SWAY BAR REPLACEMENT. SINCE THAT TIME, IT HAS BEEN RIDING WORSE AND MAKING RATTLING NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. TALKED TO DEALERSHIP THAT FIXED IT THE FIRST TIME AND THEY SAID IT MOST LIKELY IS NOT THE SAME THING AND WILL CHARGE $35-$68 FEE TO INSPECT THE FRONT END. THE DID NOT DO A DIAGNOSIS THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN ACCORDING TO THEIR REP WALT. THEREFORE MY QUESTION IS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT HAS A PENDING RECALL ON IT? *AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH 10:30P.M., WITHOUT CAUSE VEHICLE SLID ACROSS HIGHWAY TO THE LEFT, ROLLED AND FLIPPED, AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE - VEHICLE LANDED ON ITS SIDE WITH ROOF IN TO THE STEERING WHEEL: ALL WINDOWS BROKEN AND WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. ROOF ACTUALLY CAVED IN ON TEENAGE DRIVER -FATALITY FROM MULTIPLE BRAIN INJURIES.*AK
SUMMARY WAS UNREADIBLE, AND THEN DISAPPEARED. *AK
EXPLORER SPORT (4X2),( MANUAL TRANSMISSION)(18,462 MILES) DODGING TRUCK TIRE RETREAD ON INTERSTATE WAS OVERSTEERED. THEN OVERSTEERED BACK WHEN LEFT REA HUB ASSEMBLY BROKE OFF. THEN CAR FLIPED 6 TIMES. WHEN THE CAR LOST THE REA WHEEL, CONTROL WAS LOST.*AK
WE PURCHASED OUR VEHICLE USED IN 1999 WITH 33000 MILES. 6 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION LAST YEAR (2002), NEW BALL JOINTS, AND NOW WE ARE BEING TOLD THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. FORD HAS NOT OFFERED ANY RECALLS ON THIS PART BUT I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS. MY VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY SHAKING (FEELS LIKE I AM GOING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS) WHEN I AM OVER 30-40 MPH. WE ALSO JUST HAD OUR VEHICLE ALIGNED AND IT IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AGAIN BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB
THE RECALL COMPONET REGARDING THE FRONT SWAY BAR LINK FAILED FOUR TIMES. *JB
CONSUMER STATED PROBLEMS WITH THE BALL JOINTS. MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WILL PASS THE INFORMATION TO THE ENGENIEERS BUT HAS BEEN 8 DAYS AND HE HAS NOT HEARD ABOUT THEM. *TS THE RUBBER BOOTS FELL APART CAUSING DIRT AND WATER TO ENTER THE BALL JOINTS. CONSUMER IS AWARE OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS CONDITION. HOWEVER A MONTH HAS PASTED AND CONSUMER HAS YET TO HEAR FROM MANUFACTURE. *TT
WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD HUMMING SOUND WHICH COMES FROM FRONT END OF VEHICLE. ALSO, TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. CONSUMER CONSTANTLY HAS TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE SPEED SENSOR AND THE O2 SENSOR WERE REPLACED. JG
FRONT SWAY BAR BRACKET BROKEN, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, REAR SUSPENSION BAD, REAR BUMPER & FRAME BENT, ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE, FRONT & REAR BRAKES NEEDED, REAR -END SHIFTS. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE I WAS LIED TO BECAUSE I DID INQUIRE ABOUT AND ACCIDENT BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT. ALSO, ALLIGNMENT NEEDED.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS MY EXPLORER SEEMS TO HAVE LOST IT'S HANDLING ABILITY. THE VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE SWAY AND TOO MUCH PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE STOPPED USING THE VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION.
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL LETTER CONCERNING THE FRONT SWAYBAR LINKS, BUT HAD PROBLEMS WITH DEALERSHIP CONCERNING THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AS OF YET AND TO RETURN A LATER TIME. *JG
VEHICLE WOULD START VIBRATING AT 40 MPH OR LESS. TOOK VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANICTO CHECK. MECHANIC INDICATED ONE BOLT WAS MISSING, AND OTHERS WERE HALFWAY OUT OF SUSPENSION. *AK
NOISE COMING FROM FRONT SUSPENSION(CREEKING & POPING),VEHICLE STEERING IS ERATIC, TENDS TO OVERSTEER. LOCAL FORD DEALER PERFORMED SWAY BAR RECALL ON 02/12/01. WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO. ON THIS PROBLEM. CAN I GET HELP FROM FORD? WHAT. *AK
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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