There are 50 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 1996 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PRESS THE BRAKES TO STOP THEY OFTEN STICK. I THEN EASY OFF A LITTLE AND PRESS HARD, PUSHING THROUGH THE STICKING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE PLACING FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS DOUSED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE DAMAGE AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD MELTED, AS WELL AS THE MASTER CYLINDER. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,000.
1996 FORD EXPLORER WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE PEDAL IS LOCATED TO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR BOARD. AND IS TO CLOSE TO THE ACCELERATOR CAUSING YOU TO HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND THE BRAKE PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE, HIS FOOT ALSO HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING A NONE TO VERY LITTLE BAKING. 2ND TIME WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES CAUSING A REAR END COLLISION. *NM
BRAKE FAILURE - REAR BRAKES FAILED, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. BRAKE LINE RUSTED OUT AT REAR BY AXLE. NEW LINE INSTALLED. GARAGE SAID COMMON PROBLEM ON FORDS.
WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKE, THEY LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE SLID AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THEN ROLLED OVER. *AK
MY 1996 EXPLORER IS A 5.0 LITRE AWD EDDIE BAUR PURCHSED USED. AFTER DRIVING USING THE CRUISE CONTROL WITHOUT INCIDENT, I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT. COASTING SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SLOT APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE APPEARED TO INCREASE POWER MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE MORE I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE MORE THE ENGINE POWER INCREASED PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING UNTIL COLLIDING WITH A VEHICLE IN FRONT. WITH THE BRAKE STILL APPLIED, THE ENGINE RACED WHEN PUT IN NUETRAL UNTIL SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF. THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER RESTARTING. DAMAGE RESULTED TO THE EXPLORER BUMPER. I DID NOT OBSERVE THE GAS PEDAL POSITION DURING THE INCIDENT BUT ASSUMED IT COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN BY THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE UNDER UNCOMMANDED OPERATION AND SEVERED THE CRUISE CABLE BEFORE PROCEDING. A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAD OCCURED DURING A PRIOR STOP THE SAME TRIP BUT ABRUPTLY RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION POSSIBLY AFTER HAVING PUMPED THE BRAKES TO CHECK THEM. THE SAME TYPE PROBLEM WITH ENGINE POWER SURGE DURING BRAKING TO A STOP OCCURED ON PRIOR DAYS WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD NOT BEEN USED AND MAY HAVE CORRECTED AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKE. REVIEWING NHSTA COMPLAINT ODI ID 736277 AND SUBSEQUENT EXPERIMENT ON MY VEHICLE, IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT FROM INADVERTANT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DURING BRAKING DUE TO PROXIMITY OF THE PEDALS BUT I CAN'T RULE OUT UNCOMMANDED CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION ACTIVATED BY A BRAKE SIGNAL. PLEASE ADVISE IF INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERY HAVE RESULTED IN ANY PROBABLE CAUSES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD. DOES NOT DISPLAY SYMPTOMS CORRECTED BY RECALLS FOR THROTTLE BODY STICKING AND JAMMED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE.*AK
ANTI-BRAKE SENSORS REPLACED TWICE SINCE OWNING CAR. *JB
WHILE VEHICLE IDLED ENGINE STARTED TO RACE. THEN, VEHICLE WAS TRYING TO MOVE WITH BRAKES APPLIED. *AK
TRUCK WAS IN PARK. PUT MY FOOT ON BRAKE, SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, TRUCK IMMEDIATELY MOVED FORWARD WITH FOOT STILL ON BRAKE, AT APPROX 2- 5 MPH. PUSHED CONTINUALLY HARDER ON BRAKE WITH NO RESPONSE. LIFTED FOOT COMPLETELY OFF BRAKE AND PUSHED AGAIN, THEN TRUCK STOPPED. WENT THROUGH A GARAGE DOOR IN THE PROCESS, COULDN'T STOP UNTIL TRUCK WAS FULLY THROUGH.*AK
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT LOW SPEEDS, WHILE BRAKING, THE ABS SENSOR KICKED IN, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES. MR SCC
CONSUMER STATES, WHILE DRIVING AND APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES SYSTEM TAKE LONGER TO STOP AND ALWAYS REMAIN THE LIGHT ON. ALSO HAS PROBLEM WITH SUDDEN ACCELARATION. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. NLM
WHILE DRIVING 25MPH BRAKES WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN APPLIED. TOOK TO DEALER TWICE TO BE REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
PADS STICK AND WEAR DOWN AFTER GLUE GIVES WAY NOTED FOR ON FORD EXPLORERS ACCORDING TO GARAGE DOING REPAIR WHICH WILL COST ME $175.00 TO REPLACE.*AK
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, NOT A PANIC STOP, ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES, THIS INCREASES THE STOPPING DISTANCE BY SEVERAL FEET. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND IS GETTING MORE FREQUENTLY, DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT FRONT WHEEL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL BROKE, HITTING THE FLOOR, THE BOLT BROKE.
WHILE DRIVING, BRAKE PEDAL BROKE CAUSING CONSUMER TO HAVE NO BRAKES, CONSUMER USED EMERGENCY BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE, DEALER REPLACED POWER BRAKE UNIT. *TT
WHILE DRIVING AT GA400, NOTICED THAT VEHICLE CAN NOT BE SLOWED DOWN AFTER APPLYING BRAKE PEDALS SEVERAL TIMES. NOTICE THAT THE RPM IS INCREASING. FEARING THAT SINCE THERE IS NOT WAY TO SLOWING DOWN THE CAR,I SHIFTED TO THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL AND EXIT AT HOLCOMB BRIDGE EXIT. SINCE THE SPEED IS STILL AT 70MPH, THE CAR HIT THE ENBANKMENT, WENT DOWN THE GRASSY AREA AND (FFG IS WHAT I CAN REMEMBER HAPPENED)AND HIT A WATER RUN-OFF/DITCH, DID A SPIN AND CAME UP AND STOP AT THE GRASSY AREA. I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF OF THE ENGINE WHEN I CAME BACK TO SENSES AND RAN TO THE CLOSEST GAS STATION (CHEVRON) TO CALL AAA. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR NOTICED THAT WHEN HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE, IT WAS ROARING AT 5000RPM. TOWED IT TO FORD DEALER/SERVICE AT MANSELL ROAD, WAS TOLD 2-DAYS LATER THAT THEY HAVE INSPECT LINKAGE FOR BINDING AND TROTTLE BODY FOR BINDING, BUT DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM, AND SINCE THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE THE SITUATION, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BUT TO BRING IT BACK WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN??? I FEARED FOR THE NEXT TIME THAT IT HAPPENED, LIFES WOULD BE AFFECTED.*AK
THE DEALER IS BEEN INFORMING THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON FUEL GUAGE PROBLEM FOR ALMOST 1 YEAR AND REPLACED THE ASSEMBLY IN THE FUEL TANK AND CONTACTED FORD SEVERAL TIMES. I ALSO CONTACTED THEM AND SPOKE TO SHAWN @ 1-800-392-3673 EXTN: 3066. HE TOLD ME FORD WILL CONTACT ME, BUT, FAILED TO CONTACT. ABS PROBLEM CAME RECENTLY. DEALER REAPLACED A PART, BUT, DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. AS PER THE DEALER THE FORD MOTORS ARE AWARE OF THE FUEL GUAGE PROBLEM FROM THE BEGINING BUT, FAILED TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. DURING AN EMERGENCY STOP, BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO ITS LIMIT. DUE TO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR ALONG WITH THE HEIGHT OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BOTH WERE DEPRESSED AT ONCE CAUSING A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS IN TURN WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR A RECENT COLLISION AND SEVERAL PAST NEAR MISSED ACCIDENTS DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. WIPER CONTROL ARM AND FLUID DISPENSER DOES NOT WORK ON OCCASION. THIS PART HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE IN THE PAST UNDER WARRANTEE. SECOND PART IS ACTING THE SAME AS THE FIRST.
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