There are 47 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 1993 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
STARTED 1993 FORD EXPLORER AND HEATER FAN WAS ON SETTING 2. BURNING LEAF SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE DEFROST VENTS (HEATER SELECTOR WAS SET TO DEFROST). IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF IGNITION AND HAD TO DRIVE OTHER VEHICLE TO WORK. WILL HAVE TO REMOVE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR ASSEMBLY AND CLEAN OUT DEBRIS FROM BLOWER HOUSING. NOTICED BURNT LEAF SMELL BEFORE BUT NEVER SAW SMOKE UNTIL TODAY. *NM
FIRE IN HEATER BLOWER, 1993 FORD EXPLORER, HEAVY SMOKE IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.*AK
IN 1998 MY FORD EXPLORER WAS RECALLED FOR NHTSB ID # 97V083000, COMPONENT: VISUAL SYSTEMS: MIRRORS. THE RECALL WAS TO CORRECT A SHORT CIRCUIT CONDITION THAT COULD OCCUR IN THE REMOTE POWER MIRROR CONTROL SWITH CIRCUIT BOARD AS A RESULT OF A SEPARATED PART OF THE CONTACT ASSEMBLY BRIDGING THE SWITCH POSITIVE BATTERY PAD AND ADJACENT CHASSIS GROUND PAD. THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED. BUT, THE EXACT DEFECT STATED IN THE RECALL OCURRED ON MY VEHICLE. EVIDENTLY THE INSTALLATION OF A 10 AMP INLINE FUSE WAS NOT A POSITIVE CORRECTION TO THIS DEFECT! I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE "SWITCH". I HAVE THE SWITCH IN MY POSSESSION IF NEEDED FOR AN INVESTIGATION. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE SWITCH. *AK
ANTI-FREEZE IS LEAKING INTO EXHAUST SYSTEM WHICH MAKE IT HARD TO SEE WHEN ANTI-FREEZE IS NEEDED TO DEFOG WINDOW.
THE ALUMINUM FINNED HEAT EXCHANGER UNIT UNDER THE HOOD HAS A PLASTIC SHROUD AROUND IT THE DUCTS FRESH AIR INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATER BLOWER DUCTING. THIS SHROUD BECAME FULL OF LEAVES WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE , FILLING THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH DENSE SMOKE. I HAD TO PULL THE DUCT WORK UNDER THE HOOD APART AND BLOW OUT THE REMAINING ASH AND LEAVES TO ALLEVIATE ANY FUTURE FIRE SOURCE. FORD HAS A DEFECT IN THE WAY THEY DESIGNED THE FRESH AIR INTAKE DUCTING WHICH ALLOWS LEAVES AND OTHER DEBRIS TO DRIFT DIRECTLY INTO THE BLOWER HOUSING SHROUDING WHICH BECOMES A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD. I NOW HAVE TO COVER THE LOWER HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD AND THE UPPER HALF OF THE HOOD INCLUDING THE FRESH AIR INTAKE DUCTS WITH FIBERGLASS WINDOW SCREEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED OUTSIDE TO ASSURE LEAVES DO NOT FILL THE DUCTING SYSTEM AGAIN CAUSING ANOTHER FIRE. I HAVE ALSO FOUND 2 OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS BLOWER HOUSING FIRES IN OTHER NHTSA INCIDENTS ON THIS SITE AS REFERENCED BY THIS :*AK
RECALL 97V235000/SUN ROOF: SUN ROOF MALFUNCTIONED WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED ,AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
THE GLASS SHATTERED FOR NO REASON. REPORTED TO FORD BUT THEY DID NOT SEEM TO CARE!. *AK
HELLO, I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH A SAFETY RECALL FOR MY 1993 EXPLORER ( [XXX]) - POWER MIRROR SWITCH. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
CONSUMER CONTROL MIRROR SWITCH IS INOPERATIVE. DEALER SAYS THEY DON'T HAVE A RECALL ON VEHICLE. HOWEVER, CONSUMER REMEMBERS RECEIVING RECALL 97V083OOO/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 97S70. WILL CONTACT THE DEALER FOR A COPY. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WHEN THE RECALL WAS RECEIVED. *AK
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN MY SUNROOF EXPLODED INTO SPLINTERS OF GLASS ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AND I HAD MY DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW OPEN. *AK
THIS PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 97V083000. FORD MAINTAINS THAT MY VIN WAS NOT AFFECTED EVEN THOUGH IT FALLS WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEARS DESCRIBED AND I HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM DESCRIBED. I PURCHASED A $32 REPLACEMENT SWITCH (IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL) AND I AWAIT THE NEXT FIRE.
WHILE VEHICLE IS PARKED, LEAVES AND OTHER FOREIGN ITEMS WOULD ENTER HEATER/VENTILATION AREA. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE IF IGNITION SOURCE IS NEAR. TOOK TO DEALER TO HAVE VENTILATION CLEANED OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. *AK
LEAVES WOULD ENTER THE HEATER SYSTEM FROM THE OUTSIDE AND WOULD START TO BURN WHILE DRIVING. *AK
RIGHT SIDE REAR QUARTER WINDOW LEAKED ALSO. BOTH WINDOWS HAD ALL OF THE ATTATCHING NUTS LOOSE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *AK
LEAVES IN THE BLOWER MOTOR CAUSED SMOKE TO FILL THE CAB OF THE CAR.
PE98048; BLOWER ASSEMBLY FIRES; WHILE DRIVING WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE VENTS. TRUCK CHECKED BY DEALERSHIP. DEALER FOUND TH FIRE STARTED IN THE VENTS WHICH WAS CAUSED BY DEBRIS. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT FIRE WAS DUE TO LEAVES BUILDING UP IN THE VENTS. *AK
REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
DESIGN OF AUTO HEATER MOTOR SPEED CONTROL IS DEFECTIVE. SPEED IS CONTROLLED BY SWITCHING IN VARIOUS WIRE RESISTORS MOUNTED IN THE AIR PLENUM WITHOUT A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RESISTANCE WIRE ELEMENTS. RESISTORS GET HOT AT LOW MOTOR SPEEDS AND INCINERATE LEAVES OR PAPER IN THE AREA. THIS FIRE MELTS THE PLASTIC HEATER FAN HOUSING, AS WELL AS THE A/C EVAPORATOR. SITE OF ENTRY OF LEAVES IS UNKNOWN, BUT ONE DEALER REP SAID THERE IS A GAP IN THE FENDER WALL. TWO DEALERS' SERVICE WRITERS AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED SEVERAL SUCH FIRES IN EXPLORES AND F-150'S A PERFORATED METAL COVER OVER THE RESISTOR ELEMENTS IS MANDATORY.
WHILE DRIVING WITH HEAT ON, VEHICLE FILLED UP WITH SMOKE DUE TO LEAVES GETTING INTO THE HEATER BOX. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 47 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026