There are 20 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 1994 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER THE VEHICLE COLLIDED INTO A STONE WALL WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND WAS DEEMED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME DOING 25+ MPH. MY SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK UP AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY PASSENGER AND MYSELF WERE BOTH HURT IN THE ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THIS IN OTHER 1994 FORD EXPLORERS.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A LEFT SIDE FRONTAL COLLISION AT APPROX 50 MPH. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DIDNOT DEPLOY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS PROBLEM. *AK
BOTH REAR OUTBOARD SEATBELT RETRACTORS NO LONGER WORK. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALER.*AK
REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT DOES NOT LOCK WHEN PULLING ON SEATBELT, THEREFORE, CONSUMER FEELS CHILD IS NOT PROPERLY RESTRAINED. *AK
THE FEMALE SIDE OF THE MIDDLE REAR SEATBELT FAILED UNDER THE 5/50,000 RESTRAINT WARRANTY. SEAT BELT HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FROM ASHLEY FORD IN NEW BEDFORD, MA AND UPGRADED TO VEHICLE INOPERATIVE ORDER STATUS SINCE 9/9/98. PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE. HAVE TO USE REAR SEAT AND CAN NOT BUCKLE CHILD IN MIDDLE REAR SEAT. THAT OCCUPANT MUST REMAIN UNBUCKLED. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF MASSACHUSETTS STATE LAW.
THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND THE REAR LEFT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT UNLATCH, CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO BE INOPERATIVE IN WHICH IT WONT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.
THE PLASTIC PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT CONNECTION IS CRACKED AND WAS REPORTED TO FORD FOR REPLACEMENT. NO ACTION --EXCEPT REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $800 ON OUR PART. FORD HAS NOT RESPONDED AFTER FIRST CONTACT.
THE REAR MIDDLE LAP SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO RETRACTOR . PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
AIRBAG DIDNOT DEPLOY DURING FRONT COLLISION, VEHICLE HIT RETAINING WALL ON EXPRESSWAY HEAD ON. *AK
POLICE OFFICER STOPPED AT ACCIDENT SCENE, REARENDED BY ANOTHER CAR, TWO FRONT BUCKET SEATS COLLAPSED BACKWARDS, BOTH FRAMES BROKE, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
THE SHOULDER BELT DIDN'T LOCK IN AN ACCIDENT. CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO BE THROWN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
VEHICLE 12:00 POSITION AT 45MPH DRIVERS AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
REAR SPLIT MIDDLE SEAT BELT MOUNTED TOO CLOSE WHICH INHIBITS OCCUPANT FROM RELEASING SIDE MOUNTED MECHANISM. TT
SEAT BELTS ARE 1 INCH TOO SHORT, PREVENTING CHILD SAFETY SEAT FROM BEING SECURED PROPERLY. *SKD
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL AT APPROX. 35MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, AIRBAG FAIL TO DEPLOY WHEN HIT A TREE, STEERING COLUMN FELL IN LAP. TT
WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH AND AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT REAR SEAT BELT THAT HAD CHILD SEAT LOCKED IN BECAME UNLOCKED. CHILD SEAT WAS LAYING FACE DOWN ON FLOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 55 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH WITH FIRESTONE ATX TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE. ON JULY 31,1998 THERE WAS A POP SOUND , AND SUDDENLY VEHICLE WAS ON IT'S ROOF, LEFT REAR TIRE HAD PEELED LIKE A BANANA, CAUSING THIS. FORD WAS CONTACTED. *AK THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS HIT WHEN THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED BUT THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *YH
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