1994 Ford Explorer Visibility
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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).
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
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
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.
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
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
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
DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF HEATING SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE TWICE FROM PINE NEEDLES COLLECTING AROUND THE HEATING APPARATUS UNDER THE HOOD. *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
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
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
VEHICLE EMITS SMELL/SMOKE IN VENTILATION SYSTEM UPON START UP OF VEHICLE.
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.
I HAD THE HEATER/DEFROSTER ON WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM INTO THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS. I SAW A GAS STATION SO I STARTED UP THE CAR AND PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. I TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE HEATING COIL HAD BURNT OUT BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHECK IT OUT. I TRIED THE HEATER A FEW DAYS LATER AND A BURNING SMELL CAME OUT OF THE VENTILATION. I HAVE NOT PUT ON THE HEAT SINCE THEN.
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
WELDED BACK DOOR SUPPORT POPPED OFF. DOOR SLAMMED DANGEROUSLY. *AK
SMOKE FREQUENTLY ENTERS THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING MIRROR STARTS TO SMOKE, CAUSING OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE VEHICLE TO BLOW OUT, SUCH AS THE RADI/AND MIRROR SWITCH. *AK
THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE OF A "FIRE" IN THE HEATER/AIRCONDITIONER DUCTS. *AK
SMOKE AND ODOR FROM THE HEATER SYSTEM. SMELLS LIKE BURNING LEAVES. *AK
RECALL NOTICE NOT RECIEVED FOR THE POORLY DESIGN REMOTE POWER MIRROR CONTROL SWITCH WHICH SHORTED AND CAUSED A VEHICLE FIRE. (RECALL 97970) NLM
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
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Quick Summary
The 1994 Ford Explorer has 59 Visibility complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.