There are 14 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 1995 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DRIVER'S SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS A BULB SENSING SYSTEM, AND ISSUED A WARNING TO CHECK THE HEADLAMPS. I REPLACED BULB, BUT IT STILL DID NOT WORK. A DAY LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT ALSO FAILED, LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS. AFTER LOOKING FOR A FUSE OR WIRING PROBLEM, I FOUND THROUGH RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A RATHER COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS AND SIMILAR VEHICLE MODELS, AND HAS BEEN INDIRECTLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER IN A TSB, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. TO ME THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED MORE PROACTIVELY. *TR
I HAVE A 1995 FORD EXPLORER WHICH THE HEADLIGHT SENSOR CONTINUOUSLY GOES BAD WHICH WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IF THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITHOUT IT. WHEN THIS SENSOR, WHICH HAS GONE BAD TWICE SINCE I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE, FAILS I SHOULD NOT BE MADE AWARE OF THIS UNTIL THE HEADLIGHT GOES BAD AND THE SENSOR DOES NOT ALERT ME. WHEN THE SENSOR GOES BAD I GET AN INDICATION THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE OUT AND WHEN REPLACED THEY ARE STILL OUT BECAUSE THE TRUE PROBLEM IS THE SENSOR HAS GONE BAD. HOW A SENSOR GOES BAD WHEN IT STILL SENSES THE LAMP NOT FUNCTIONING IS BEYOND ME. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFICIENCY IN MY OPINION AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RECALLING THIS ITEM DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE SENSORS SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER AND REPLACED WITH A SENSOR THAT IF IT WERE TO FAIL WOULD NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS. *NM
I HAVE 2 FORD VEHICLES FROM MID 1990'S. THE HEADLIGHTS ON EACH HAVE LONG SINCE BECOME THOROUGHLY OPACIFIED. MY GUESS IS THAT THIS OPACITY OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 2 TO 4 YEARS. ACCORDING MY MECHANIC (WHO IS A "FORD MAN"), "THIS IS A VERY CHARACTERISTIC AND LONGSTANDING FLAW WITH THE FORD BRAND, YOU WOULD THINK FORD WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE LONG AGO, BUT FORD HAS NOT AND CONTINUES NOT TO DEAL WITH IT." THIS SAFETI ISSUE/PROBLEM NOT INEXPENSIVE TO REMEDY.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
HIGH-MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT FOUND INOPERABLE DURING NC SAFETY INSPECTION. ESTIMATE OF REPLACEMENT IS OVER $350.00. THIS SEEMS LIKE A PART THAT SHOULD HAVE A LONGER LIFETIME GIVEN THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. ARE THERE ANY MANUFACTURER REIMBURSEMENTS AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT?*AK
DOME LIGHTS STAY ON. CONSUMER IS WORRIED IT MAY CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.*AK
LENSES ON HEADLIGHTS HAVE BECOME DISCOLORED. DEALER SAID YES IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT SINCE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD DO NOTHING . CONSUMER WENT, AND HAD POLICE LOOK AT HEADLIGHTS,.THEY STATED YES HE WOULD BE PULLED OVER AND CITED DUE TO HEADLIGHTS NOT BEING BRIGHT ENOUGH. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES IT IS THE DEALER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHTS. *YH
REAR CENTER TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD COMPLETE FAILURE; DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST BETWEEN $250 AND $300 TO REPLACE. I PRESUME IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE I FAILED ANNUAL INSPECTION DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT. ARE THERE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES? I AM UPSET THAT I HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH FOR A COMPONENT THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED MORE THAN 3.5 YEARS. *AK
VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND LOCKED FOR 30 HOURS PRIOR TO FIRE. FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY IGNITED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AREA OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND DIMMER CONTROL FOR THE INTERIOR LIGHTS.
COURTESY LIGHT BULB SHORTED AND SMOKE CAME FROM THE CENTER OF THE DASH WHICH CAUGHT FIRE.
HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES WERE ORIGINALLY CLEAR PLASTIC BUT HAVE AGED NOT VERY WELL TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE OPAQUE (CLOUDY) AND I FEEL THE LIGHT OUTPUT HAS DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY BELOW ORIGINAL LUMEN LEVELS. I HAVE NOTICED MAJORITY OF FORD PRODUCTS THAT ARE OVER 3-4 YEARS OF AGE HAVE CLOUDED PLASTIC HEADLAMPS. CLOSE EXAMINATION REVEALS SLIGHT CRAZING OF THE PLASTIC OUTER SURFACE AS WELL AS GENERAL DULLNESS OF THE PLASTIC.*AK
PARKING LIGHT BULB FAILURE. *AK
DOME LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE LIGHT TURNED OFF BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP THE LIGHT TURNED BACK ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. *AK
SPEEDOMETER LIGHT DOES NOT WORK ON THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE.
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