There are 50 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 1994 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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).
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE POWER WINDOWS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
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
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.
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
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
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
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!
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
WHILE DRIVING MIRROR STARTS TO SMOKE, CAUSING OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE VEHICLE TO BLOW OUT, SUCH AS THE RADI/AND MIRROR SWITCH. *AK
WELDED BACK DOOR SUPPORT POPPED OFF. DOOR SLAMMED DANGEROUSLY. *AK
RECALL NOTICE NOT RECIEVED FOR THE POORLY DESIGN REMOTE POWER MIRROR CONTROL SWITCH WHICH SHORTED AND CAUSED A VEHICLE FIRE. (RECALL 97970) NLM
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
BURNING LEAF SMELL AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF ALL OF THE DASH VENTS
THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS LEAVES IN THE BLOWER. THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE APART THE DASH AND CHARGE ME. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD. I FEAR THE VEHICLE WILL IGNITE BECAUSE THE SMOKE IS VERY HEAVY AND BILLOWING OUT FROM THE INTERIOR VENTS AND EXTERIOR IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD.
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.
DEBRIS HAS BEEN SUCKED INTO THE AIR CHAMBER BY THE HEATER/ AIR CONDITIONER. BECAUSE THE FAN MOTOR SPEED IS CHANGED BY VARIOUS SIZED RESISTORS IN THIS CHAMBER, WHEN THE FAN OPERATED AT LOW SPEED, IT HEATED THE RESISTORS AND CAUGHT THE DEBRIS ON FIRE, WITH SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE VENTS, NEARLY BLINDING ME THE DRIVER AND BURNING MY LUNGS. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I NEEDED TO CLEAN OFF THE CAR TO PREVENT THIS, AND I PAID FOR REPAIRS. CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHER MEANS TO VARY A FAN SPEED, LIKE MULTIPLE WINDING MOTORS. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THEIR TO CAUSE INJURY OR BURN UP THE EXPLORER.
Showing 1–20 of 50 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