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1999 Ford Explorer problems

The most common problem on the 1999 Ford Explorer is tires, typically around 84,000 miles. It has 1.8 times the complaints of a typical Explorer model year.

Typical year1.8x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
1,347
Recalls
9
Service bulletins
412
Worst area
Tires
Fuel economy
14-18mpg
Typical repair
$400

The worst 1999 Ford Explorer problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Ford Explorer

Wipers 191Tire blowout 139Airbag light 45Stalling 44Fire or smoke 42Adaptive cruise 41No deployment 22Door locks 21Pulling 18Slipping 16Transmission failure 16Check engine light 15Ball joint 13Grinding brakes 13Headlights 10Hesitation 10Sudden acceleration 10Won't start 10Brake failure 9ABS 8Fuel pump 7Premature wear 7Engine failure 6Jerking 6Seat belt 6Misfire 5

Recalls 9

Vehicle speed controlReported October 13, 2009 · 4,500,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk
A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1‑888‑222‑2751.

Recall number 09V399000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported August 3, 2007 · 3,600,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk
This could result in an underhood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑888‑222‑2751.

Recall number 07V336000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed control: cablesReported August 5, 2003 · 448,005 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable may bind when the speed control is activated.
Risk
The throttle return spring force may not be sufficient to overcome the binding condition when the speed control is disengaged. Braking function would be maintained though stopping distances may be increased.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 03V280000 · Recall details

Seats: front assembly: reclinerReported August 5, 2003 · 1,552,880 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Risk
The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner notification began on august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 03V281000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)Reported November 28, 2000 · 100,500 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with the 3.27 or 3.55 axle ration. The subject vehicles have a powertrain control module that could allow the vehicle to exceed the design intent top speed. At these extreme speeds, the vehicle could be capable of exceeding the speed rating of the tire.
Risk
Operating the vehicle above the maximum speed rating could lead to a tire failure which at these speeds could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module.

Recall number 00V395000 · Recall details

Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakersReported March 7, 2000 · 208,903 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles equipped with 4.0l engines and all-time 4-wheel drive (a4wd) powertrains. The generic electronic module (gem) could experience a condition referred to as "lock-up" in which the gem controlled electronic functions (e.g., front windshield wipers, interior lights, 4x4 system, etc.) could not be turned on or, in some cases if the function is on, could not be turned off.
Risk
An inoperative windshield wiper system could affect driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install a resistor in the gem circuit.

Recall number 00V072000 · Recall details

Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latchReported June 29, 1999 · 854,288 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The secondary hood latch may corrode at the latch pivot and stick in the open position.
Risk
If this occurs and the primary hood latch is either not engaged or is released, a hood fly-up could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will install a secondary hood latch with components that are coated prior to assembly for improved latch pivot corrosion protection.

Recall number 99V164000 · Recall details

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsReported May 18, 1999 · 15,681 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right front brake line to the hydraulic control unit (hcu) connection could separate causing the line to leak when the brake pedal is applied.
Risk
This could result in a loss of brake pressure to the front wheels, increasing the stopping distance.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the flare nut on the brake line.

Recall number 99V123000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported March 30, 1999 · 898,739 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8l, 4.6l 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 f250/f350/f450/f550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 f-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Risk
If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.

Recall number 99V062001 · Recall details

See all 9 recalls for the 1999 Ford Explorer

Defect investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

Front seat back recliner attachmentOpened May 21, 2003, closed September 5, 2003

By letter dated august 4, 2003, ford notified the agency that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall (the federal safety agency recall no. 03v281) involving certain model year (my) 1998-2001 ford explorer / mercury mountaineer 4-door, my 1998-2000 ford explorer 2-door and my 2001-2002 ford explorer sport and sport trac vehicles equipped with high back seats.complaints allege that the driver's seat back reclined without warning.a bolt between the upper seat recliner attachment and the seat back frame may fracture.ford will replace the bolt that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame on the driver side seat.based on ford's safety recall action, this investigation is closed.

PE03020

Seat belt webbingOpened February 26, 2001, closed April 25, 2002

Odi opened pe00-044investigation on november 3, 2000, based on a report regarding the death of the occupant of the right front seat in a 2000 model year ford explorer xls involved in a roll-over crash.it is alleged that the webbing of the buckle portion of the seat belt assembly failed during the crash.the occupant was partially ejected from the vehicle, thereby sustaining fatal injuries.this investigation has been opened for further study.

EA01008

Airbag system's light dysfunctionalOpened November 19, 1999, closed May 23, 2000

There is no summary currently available

SQ99026

Windshield wiper malfunctionOpened July 28, 1999, closed April 24, 2000

There is no summary currently available

PE99049

Vehicle hesitation/stallingOpened June 9, 1999, closed February 22, 2000

There is no summary currently available

SQ99017

Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Ford Explorer 412

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 412 bulletins for the 1999 Ford Explorer

1999 Ford Explorer fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
4.0L 6‑cylRWD14-1619-2116-18
4.0L 6‑cyl4WD13-1418-1915-16
5.0L 8‑cylRWD131815
5.0L 8‑cyl4WD131714

What 1999 Ford Explorer owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 3, 2023 · Acceleration · PA

Gas pedal bracket fell off the firewall of the vehicle.jamming up under the brake pedal almost caused and accident. I got the vehicle stopped by using the Emergency brake did a temporary repair to get my vehicle to a shop to see about having repair done. After the vehicle was at the shop and repair was done the garage had informed me of the pour weld condition from the the gas pedal bracket was installed. Said repair was in deed done by the shop with all new weld being done and adjusted. After looking online for gas pedal problems for these vehicles Ford needs to have a nationwide recall to repair or replace these before someone gets serious injury or even death from a accident

Filed Apr 25, 2022 · Wheels · TN

Was driving under 20mph on my way home about 5 minutes away no warning no sounds nothing warned us that our tire was going to fall off the drivers side while driving with other vehicles on the road behind us and in passing us all 5 studs that hold the lugnuts on so tire stays on but all 5 studs broke and tire just fell off thank god no one got hurt. Just caused a anxiety attack I was scared that bad and that's bad enough. Plus had to have it towed costing $60.00 less than 5 mins. Away to get it home now it's sitting on a Jack with scotches and now I have to hope I can get help with getting my son to elementary school. My only car not now.

Filed Mar 29, 2022 · Transmission · PR

The transmission stopped going in reverse for no apparent reason. All other gears work fine. There’s no lagging when driving and no other signs. I went to put it in reverse to back out of my driveway and when I pushed the gas it just reved the engine up and floated backwards causing me to apply the brakes quickly so I wouldn’t hit my house. There was smoke coming up from the transmission fluid container.The smoke continues to this day and there’s the proper amount/ plenty of transmission fluid in the transmission container.

Filed Jan 5, 2021 · Acceleration, Brakes · NV

They fix the cable for speed control deactivation switch and is said they should check ABS module and fix as necessary they never did just switch cable that's all

Filed Dec 31, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 210,000 miles · IN

I need to know what causes the electric to go haywire. The overhead lamp clicks on and off the driver door lock doesn't work completely. The driver window does not work correctly. Some of my gauges will decide not to work sometimes and then other times we'll be fine. My radio clock does not work. All happens the same whether I'm driving or not whether I'm parked with the engine running or not. I can't figure out anything it's causing this

Filed Nov 16, 2019 · Acceleration · 130,000 miles · FL · crash

Acceleration ( gas stuck open and caused the vehicle to not to be controlled and the car jumped the curb and hit a car in opposite side of the roadway). 1999 ford explorer sport

Filed Jul 13, 2019 · 1 miles · FL

My VIN was good yesterday, it is not in your or ford's, computer today...probably because recalls for extremely dangerous vehicles, such as this one, are voluntary and to be enforced by the consumer at the consumer's expense. Yesterday, the ford recall notice on my VIN showed that my vehicle was to be repaired by my ford dealer only if ford intended to continue to manufacture parts as well as provide the parts and service ...if ford was not willing to provide them they had th option of purchasing the automobile back. Yesterday, I pointed out that ford never provided the correct part, they instead recalled for the wrong part.(the vehicle has been reported to explode and burn while safely parked in the garage or driveway) the part which is actually defective is the design of the entire series of vehicles which ford no longer provides parts for only waivers of liability. What is actually wrong with the design is that the fuel system is constantly maintained under pressure by the fuel pump, regardless if the vehicle is running or not. (my crippled vehicle is currently in my driveway with no fuel in it's tank and the battery terminal disconnected.) I believe this involves all ford vehicles of this chassis that were supposedly redesigned, at us government expense, for e10 fuel and were not designed by a factory team for professional alcohol fuel racing. Dangerous condition: all and any series of vehicles of this design will eventually spring a leak, regardless of who is at fault and with no way of stemming fuel flow it will pump the entire contents of the fuel tank under the drivers/passengers seat. This design condition is so dangerous that such designs are considered dangerous in alcohol fuel racing; with no way of stemming the fuel system power and/or the fuel flow the vehicle would not be allowed on any race track or garage to which I am aware.

Filed May 28, 2019 · Acceleration, Locks · 100,000 miles · NV

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. While driving 75 MPH, the hood opened and cracked the front windshield. The contact pulled the vehicle over and tied the hood down. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also stated that, while driving, the speed control would engage or not engage without warning. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Nov 13, 2018 · Body · 135,000 miles · NC

Driver side door keeps opening up while whicle is moving. The door is closed and locked prior to the travel. Big safety issue.

Filed Jul 8, 2018 · 120,000 miles · IL

For years now, the vehicle will stall while driving. It can happen in town or on highways. At times it will start right back up and is drivable. Other times it needs to sit for 15-20 minutes before being able to start and drive the vehicle, although sometimes it will start after a short time, but sputter and stall again when putting the vehicle in drive. This started happening about 10-years ago, and all the likely causes have been checked or fixed (I.e fuel filter replaced). It seems to usually, if not always, happen during spring/summer months when it is warm. No mechanic, including at ford dealerships have been able to identify any problems. It is definitely a safety issue as it will stall on busy interstates at speed limits. Thie date and info I used for this posts was simply the most current event, but the same events have been happening consistently for many years.

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Other model years

1990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

Questions about the 1999 Ford Explorer

Is the 1999 Ford Explorer reliable?

Owners have filed 1,347 complaints about the 1999 Ford Explorer, 1.8 times a typical Explorer model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1999 Ford Explorer?

Tires, with 370 complaints, typically around 84,000 miles. Next is visibility (216).

How many recalls does the 1999 Ford Explorer have?

9 recalls, covering vehicle speed control, seats and power train.

What gas mileage does the 1999 Ford Explorer get?

Official estimates for the 1999 Ford Explorer range from 14 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.0L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 14-16 city and 19-21 highway.

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