There are 40 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 1999 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
DRIVER SIDE DOOR KEEPS OPENING UP WHILE WHICLE IS MOVING. THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND LOCKED PRIOR TO THE TRAVEL. BIG SAFETY ISSUE.
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN DOORS FROM OUTSIDE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN AN ACCIDENT IF ATTEMPTING TO GET SOMEONE OUT. ALSO THE LATCH FOR THE HOOD HAS THE SAME PROBLEM
DOORS WILL NOT OPEN HAVE TO CLIMB OUT OF CAR WINDOW ON GROWING PROBLEM FIRST PASSENGER SIDE KNOW DRIVER SIDE A LOT OF EMBARRASSING MOMENTS TRYING TO GET OUT OF CAR AT WORK. *TR
I HAVE A 1999 FOR EXPLORER SPORT (2 DOOR) AND IN FEBRUARY OF 2011 THE DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE LOCKED AND AS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE OPEN SINCE THEN. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT IT, THINKING THAT IT WOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN IF IN A WRECK AND A PASSENGER COULD OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR. WAS TOLD NOT A SAFETY CONCERN AND TO GET IT FIX I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A COMPANY CAN THINK THAT A DOOR ON A VEHICLE NOT OPENING IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR
I DRIVE A 1999 FORD EXPLORER AND COMING HOME FROM WORK LAST NIGHT THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO THE FIREWALL SHEARED OFF. MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS LEFT DANGLING AND I COULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE. COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS HAD I BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE. IT APPEARS LIKE THREE LITTLE RIVETS HOLD THE BRACKET TO THE FIREWALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH WINDOW EXPLODED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMEONE HAD BROKEN THE WINDOW AND CONTACTED THE POLICE. THE POLICE ADVISED THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE BREAKAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 189,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT REMAIN OPEN IN A FIXATED POSITION. IF THE HOOD COLLAPSES ONTO A PERSON, HE OR SHE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE FRONT HOOD LIFT CYLINDER. SHE HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 4/23/09 *CN UPDATED 04/28/09.*JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. UPDATED 01/13/11*LJ UPDATED 04/01/11
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ROD THAT IS USED TO KEEP THE HOOD LIFTED IS TOO SMALL. THE ROD DOES NOT KEEP THE HOOD PROPPED UP AND CAUSES IT TO CLOSE. THE HOOD HAS NEVER FALLEN ON HIM, BUT HE HAS HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE CONTACT'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR MECHANISM WOULD LOCK, BUT WOULD FAIL TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. IN ADDITION, THE PLASTIC CLIP HANGING DOWN WOULD SLIP OUT OF POSITION. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE FAILURE MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. FORD STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HATCHBACK LIFT GATE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BALL JOINT ON THE BRACKET CRACKED AND BROKE DUE TO RUST. THE ENTIRE LIFT GATE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB
1999 FORD EXPLORER GRAB BAR OVER THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT FELL OFF ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO PRESSURE APPLIED TO IT. *MR FOR SEVEN WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE TO CONSUMER HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO USE THE GRAB BAR TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF AN ANKLE INJURY. THE CONSUMER SAID THAT AT NO TIME DURING THOSE SEVEN WEEKS DID THE BAR FEEL LOOSE OR UNSTABLE. *NM
THE FACTORY HOOD SHOCKS ARE TOO SMALL AND CANNOT HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD. THIS RESULTED IN THE HOOD SLAMMING SHUT WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE HOOD WOULD STAY UP FOR FIVE MINUTES. *SC *JB
CONSUMER STATES IF THE ARM REST IS TIPPED UPWARD TO GET INTO THE STORAGE AREA, HOT /COLD DRINKS WILL SPILL INTO THE REAR PASSENGER AREA. *AK *MR
WHILE PASSENGER WAS GETTING INSIDE OF VEHICLE BY PULLING ON THE UPPER HANDLE GRIP THE HANDLE SNAPPED, CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO FALL TO THE GROUND.*AK
I PURCHASED A 1999 FORD EXPLORER VIN #[XXX] FROM A WASHINGTON STATE FORD DEALERSHIP IN SEPTEMBER 2002. THE VEHICLE HAD 54,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME, I HAVE PUT 7,000 MILES ON IT. THE REAR LIFTGATE BEGAN TO MAKE A CLUNKING/POPPING NOISE RECENTLY, AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER, PORT ANGELES FORD LINCOLN MERCURY, AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE SHEET METAL WHERE THE HINGES ARE MOUNTED IS TEARING AWAY FROM THE STRUCTURE AND THAT IT IS NOT A COVERED ITEM (I DID PURCHASE THE FORD WARRANTY PLAN), AND THAT I WILL NEED TO GO TO A BODY SHOP AND HAVE NEW STEEL PLATES WELDED IN PLACE AT MY EXPENSE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY, THE STEEL THAT WAS USED WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT USING THIS LIFTGATE, AND I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT FORD IS LIABLE FOR THIS. CAN YOU HELP ME TO CONFIRM THIS? I AM UNABLE TO USE THE LIFTGATE AT THIS TIME AS THE FORD DEALER SAYS THE LIFTGATE COULD FALL OFF, POSSIBLY INJURING SOMEONE. THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO, AFTER PARKING MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER (VIN [XXX], PURCHASED FROM HALL FORD, NEWPORT NEWS, VA ON DECEMBER 16, 1998), I ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED THE KEYS BETWEEN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND CENTER CONSOLE. THERE IS ADEQUATE ROOM TO SLIP ONES HAND BETWEEN THE TWO, SO I DID SO IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE THE KEYS. AS I WAS PULLING MY HAND BACK UP, I FOUND THAT THE HORIZONTAL PIECE OF PLASTIC ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CONSOLE WAS RAZOR-SHARP, AND HAD CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INJURY TO MY RIGHT HAND (PHOTO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST). IN ADDITION TO THE PHYSICAL DISFIGUREMENT, I WAS IN PAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS, AND HAD TO USE ANTIBIOTICS TO BEAT BACK A RESULTING SECONDARY INFECTION FROM THE WOUND.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE BUMPER COLLAPSED WHEN IT WAS HIT. *JB
CONSUMER HAD LIFTED TAILGATE. WHILE CONSUMER WAS STANDING UNDERNEATH TAILGATE IT FELL DOWN, HITTING CONSUMER ON THE HEAD. BOTH HYDRAULIC HINGES WERE LEAKING OIL. VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY DEALER.*AK
THE METAL IS CRACKING AROUND THE HINGE LOCATED ON THE REAR HATCH DOOR. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB *TT
Showing 1–20 of 40 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