10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
58 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
148 / 32
Average Mileage:
827 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1996 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #209

Aug 012000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Tire failure-Firestone tire blow out poss defect caused insd driver son to lose control and roll veh. Tlsr shows tire to be Firestone. (claim# 59-V537-710)

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #208

Aug 082000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
He drove iv to montgomery wards auto dept-he is having the tire replaced and will save the damaged tire. Estimate amount 874054 no injury involved. Here's the info you requested. 1) Firestone radial ATX 2) P235/75/R15 105S M/S 3) the ni said they are approximately 2 yrs old. He bought the iv in 9/98 and the iv had around 40K miles. The tires were nearly new the, so he thinks they were put on the iv sometime in July/August 98. 4) dot bdhl 1pm 016 sr897J B01R. (claim# 20-5269-283)

- Clinton, MD, USA

problem #207

Aug 052000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Firestone: Left front tire blew and #1 was in passing lane and #1 lost control and struck concrete divider in median. (claim#35-W487-470)

- Canton, OH, USA

problem #206

Aug 311998

Explorer

  • miles
The vehicle experienced two Firestone ATX P235/75R15 radial tires failures prior to recall, the vehicle was damaged due to tread separation, consumer requesting reimbursement for tires and damages.

- Flowermoun, TX, USA

problem #205

Aug 052000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Tread came off Firestone tires and ripped front bumper and front quarter panel comments from the adjuster tread came off Firestone tires & ripped front bumper & front qrt panel tire info:Firestone radial ATX, size P235/75/R15. (claim# 11-3505-905)

- Savannah, GA, USA

problem #204

Aug 311998

Explorer

  • miles
The vehicle experienced two Firestone ATX P235/75R15 radial tires failures prior to recall, the vehicle was damaged due to tread separation, consumer requesting reimbursement for tires and damages.

- Flowermoun, TX, USA

problem #203

Jul 051999

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Firestone: This claim happened over a year ago. The tire has since been destroyed but there is a photo of tire in the file, is sub possible"??" (claim# 13-9440-600)

- Bloomington, IL, USA

problem #202

Jul 172000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Insd tires blew out and damaged the right front fender. Insd stated that there may be a recall due to lawsuit regarding Firestone tires. (claim# 43-R520-760)

- Dallas , TX, USA

problem #201

Aug 311998

Explorer

  • miles
The vehicle experienced two Firestone ATX P235/75R15 radial tires failures prior to recall, the vehicle was damaged due to tread separation, consumer requesting reimbursement for tires and damages.

- Flowermoun, TX, USA

problem #200

Jun 072000

Explorer

  • miles
While driving 65mph & heard a loud explosion. Lost control of vehicle. Flipped over while trying to steer off the road. Tread had separated from right rear tire. Driver/passenger received minor injuries. Two weeks previously, had vehicle serviced, including tire rotation. Firestone, radial ATX, P235/75R15 with 39,000 miles.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #199

Jul 182000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Insured was driving down bolton St and had a blow out. The tire damaged ther rear fender when it blew. Firestone tires invloved make... Firestone model..ATX size..P235/70/R15. (claim 43-R528-739)

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #198

Aug 032000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Insured was traveling on lowell connector & her rear tire exploded. The tire that exploded was a Firestone ATX tire. Insured has since replaced all 4 tires on her vehicle with good year tires. Insd had a blow out with a Firestone tire. She has since replaced all 4 but has the old ones. (claim 29-6048-943)

- Manchester, NH, USA

problem #197

Jul 292000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Insured's car tire blew out and vehicle went off the road Firestone ATX. Size:P235/75/R15. Dot#vdhl 1pm 196. Please provide that tire size and dot# ers related to the Firestone recall for future reference. (claim 05-4517-847)

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #196

Mar 102000

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Left rear tire blew out-loosing control-striking light pole-causing damages. (claim 43-R436-817-)

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #195

Dec 211999

Explorer

  • miles
On the above date I was returning from jacksonville on I-95 southbound when the tread separated from the carcas on my left rear tire. The tread took out part of the lower left rear quarter panel when it came off. I fishtailed but managed to come to a safe stop, and no further damage ensued. These tires were original equipment on my SUV when I bought it. All four tires on the ground were rotated according to manufacturer's specs by a local tire kingdom on 12/03/1999. They felt out-of-round on the trip back. I had the four tires on the ground replaced with Goodyear tires on 04/25/2000. I still have the original spare. Firestone has not been cooperative in my efforts to be reimbursed. Please feel free to contact me by phone or email for further information. (dot number: Unknown tiresize: P235/75R15)

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #194

Aug 281999

Explorer 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Right rear tire tread came loose - insured purchased truck used, however, states tires were oem Firestone tires - tires replaced prior to claim report. (claim #55-S206-481)

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #193

Oct 012000

(reported on)

Explorer 4WD

  • miles
Wear defect. Left front tire(althought it was on other areas as the tires were rotated) always had excessive inside tread wear. I complained to Firestone and they said I probably needed a front end alignment. I had three alignments done in the suceeding 18 months and it did not correct the problem. After I have read about the defect in the tires, I thought maybe that was an indication the treat was faulty. It only happened on one tire. I didn't report as I replaced the tires when necessary but thought is was odd that this would happen. (tiresize: 16/225)( dot number: Tire size: 16/225 )

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

problem #192

Aug 202000

Explorer 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Was driving 65mph when tread separated from tire. Vehicle went into a skid, rolled over two or three times, and hit median. Tires were still inflated. Vehicle was totaled. Firestone, Wilderness AT with 43,000 miles. P235/75R15.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #191

Oct 042000

(reported on)

Explorer 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Original equipment on a 1996, Explorer, P255/70R16 size, dot#vncv1pl275. Tread on all four tires has started to crack at the top of the tire. The customer had Firestone Wilderness AT 16 which was not on recall and had no problem that others experienced but got it replaced be on safe side.

- Marbol Heal, OH, USA

problem #190

May 012000

Explorer 4WD

  • miles
Steel belts exposed through sidewall.( dot number: Tire size: P235/75R15 )

- Peotone, IL, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »