1986 Ford Explorer problems
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. As the first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford SUV range in North America, the Explorer is slotted between the Ford Edge and Ford Expedition. As with the Ford Ranger, the Explorer derives its name from a trim package previously offered on the Ford F-Series pickup trucks.
The Explorer has been offered in multiple chassis and powertrain layouts. The first two generations were directly derived from the Ford Ranger, switching to a model-specific chassis for the third and fourth generations. The fifth generation was repackaged as a crossover SUV, adopting a variant of the Ford Taurus chassis architecture.
Alongside the five-door Explorer wagon, a three-door Explorer wagon was offered from 1991 to 2003, officially referred to as the Explorer Sport after 1999, serving as the direct replacement of the Bronco II; the 2001–2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a crew-cab pickup derived from the model line. For police use, the Ford Police Interceptor Utility has been derived from the fifth and sixth-generation Explorer to replace the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (and the later Taurus-based Police Interceptor Sedan). Through rebranding, Mazda, Mercury, and Lincoln have sold versions of the Explorer; Lincoln currently markets the sixth-generation model line as the Lincoln Aviator.
For the North American market, the first four generations of the Explorer were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly Plant (Louisville, Kentucky) and at its now-closed St. Louis Assembly Plant (Hazelwood, Missouri); the model line is currently produced at Chicago Assembly Plant (Chicago, Illinois).
In 2020, CNBC reported the Ford Explorer range as the best-selling SUV of all time in America.
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Common 1986 Ford Explorer problems
The 1986 Ford Explorer is not mentioned in the search results, as the model was not produced until 1991. However, the search results do provide information on common problems with the Ford Explorer from 1991 to 2022.
One common problem with the Ford Explorer is suspension issues, particularly a bouncy ride quality along the freeway. This problem can be caused by high tire pressures, and the solution is to replace all four shock absorbers.
Another common problem is with the ventilation system, where not enough air gets sent to the floor area when defrosting the windshield. This issue is caused by excessive air bleed to the defroster caused by a faulty floor/defroster door. The solution is to install a new door, which means removing the affected section of the ventilation system from the vehicle, fitting the new door, and reinstalling the ventilation set-up in the Explorer.
The Ford Explorer is also known to have rattling problems, particularly in the steering column. This issue is caused by a dislocated spring in the tilt lever. Power door locks can also cause issues, most notably when the actuator disengages from the bracket, preventing entry into the vehicle.
Rear wipers on Ford Explorers are also prone to the odd glitch, in which they either work erratically or fail to work at all. The first time this occurs is likely to be on a day when it's pouring.
For the 2011-2017 model years, the vehicle was plagued with more body paint (22 percent) and interior accessories (13 percent) issues. However, transmission problems were minimized (to four percent). Instead, engine (nine percent), exhaust (eight percent), and steering (eight percent) became the following dominant sources of complaints.
In June 2019, Ford recalled 1.2 million Explorers worldwide due to suspension issues. The affected vehicles included model years 2011 to 2017. The company stated that when these Explorers were frequently driven over rough terrain, the toe link on the rear suspension negatively affected steering.
In 2019, Ford Explorer owners launched a class-action lawsuit against Ford over a water pump issue. The lawsuit was launched in 2019 and is ongoing. Model years 2011-2019 are included in the lawsuit, and all the vehicles listed come equipped with a Duratec V6 engine.
In summary, the Ford Explorer has had several common problems over the years, including suspension issues, ventilation problems, rattling problems, and issues with rear wipers. The 2011-2017 model years were particularly problematic, with issues related to body paint, interior accessories, engine, exhaust, and steering. Ford has also faced class-action lawsuits over water pump and suspension issues.
1986 Ford Explorer car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Ford Explorer problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Exterior lighting problems
- Steering problems
- Service brakes problems
- Hydraulic problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1986 Ford Explorer vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1986 Ford Explorer complaints
The NHTSA has received 3 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1986 Ford Explorer.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-03-18
- VIN: 1FMDU34X1TZ
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: HEADLIGHT SWITCH CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED DASH.
STEERING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1996-02-01
- VIN: 1FMDU32X8TU
- Components: STEERING
- Summary: STEERING COLUMN GRINDING.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1996-04-08
- VIN: JT2SV12E8G0
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: VEHICLE'S FRONT DISC ROTORS WARP WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. *AK
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