2nd generation · UN105/UN150 · 10,833 complaints, 1,867 with mileage
Owners filed 10,833 complaints with NHTSA about the 1995–2001 Ford Explorer, and 1,867 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
46% of failures occur beyond 100,000 miles — a wear pattern. The car generally reaches substantial mileage before trouble starts.
The most-reported areas are the tyres (28.5% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles), throttle and speed control (9.6% of complaints, typically around 102,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (7.6% of complaints, typically around 82,006 miles).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 3,088 | 28.5% | 90,000 | 60,034–130,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1,045 | 9.6% | 102,000 | 77,317–145,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 818 | 7.6% | 82,006 | 52,000–115,000 |
| Power Train | 798 | 7.4% | 92,000 | 61,000–123,345 |
| Suspension | 624 | 5.8% | 90,000 | 53,200–133,700 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 588 | 5.4% | 68,890 | 45,000–100,000 |
| Visibility | 573 | 5.3% | 77,075 | 56,000–107,000 |
| Electrical System | 512 | 4.7% | 98,000 | 66,241–143,000 |
| Air Bags | 343 | 3.2% | 71,000 | 51,700–130,000 |
| Structure | 333 | 3.1% | 101,500 | 72,444–135,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,048 | 121 |
| 1996 | 1,818 | 181 |
| 1997 | 2,150 | 283 |
| 1998 | 2,374 | 364 |
| 1999 | 1,737 | 368 |
| 2000 | 1,203 | 400 |
| 2001 | 503 | 150 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 94,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The tyres account for 28.5% of complaints (3,088 reports, 76 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 60,034 and 130,000 miles.
A single system taking 28.5% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 9.6% of complaints (1,045 reports, 268 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 102,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 77,317 and 145,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.6% of complaints (818 reports, 161 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 82,006 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 115,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.4% of complaints (798 reports, 217 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 92,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 61,000 and 123,345 miles.
The suspension accounts for 5.8% of complaints (624 reports, 101 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 53,200 and 133,700 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.4% of complaints (588 reports, 94 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 68,890 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 100,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1998 model year drew the most — 2,374 complaints — while 2001 drew the fewest at 503. The median year sits at 1,737.
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Of the 10,833 complaints filed against this generation, 1,094 reported a crash; 435 reported a fire; 1,473 reported an injury; 177 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 10.1% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, a late-failure pattern shifts the question from whether to when. 46% of reported failures occur beyond 100,000 miles, so an example approaching that figure is approaching the range where other owners started reporting problems. The middle half of all failures falls between 60,034 and 135,000 miles.
On inspection, the tyres and throttle and speed control are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 90,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Firestone ATX/Wilderness AT tread-separation failures leading to rollover; 6.5 million tires recalled in 2000 and Ford replaced a further 13 million in 2001. This is the dominant complaint cluster in ODI for these model years and it is a tire/vehicle-dynamics interaction, not a single component fault.
4.0L SOHC V6 timing chain cassette (plastic guide) and tensioner wear on the rear-mounted chain, producing a cold-start rattle and eventual chain jump; repair requires engine removal because the rear cassette is behind the block.
Door lock actuator failure and door-ajar switch corrosion causing interior lights and chime to stay on and battery drain.