1990 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 1990 Ford Explorer problems
The Ford Explorer, first introduced in 1990, has been a popular choice for many drivers due to its robust styling, impressive versatility, and four-wheel drive practicality.
One of the most common problems with the Ford Explorer 1990 is related to the vehicle's structure. There have been complaints about malfunctioning door latches, causing bogus "door ajar" alarms, which created unnecessary stress for drivers, especially when children were in the back.
Another problem that has affected the Ford Explorer 1990 is the heater getting stuck at the maximum setting, causing the vehicle to overheat easily.
The Ford Explorer 1990 also has issues with the engine, specifically the 4.0L OHV V-6 engine. With proper maintenance, these engines are reliable, but they can develop problems such as valvetrain clatter and coolant consumption.
The stock cylinder heads of the Ford Explorer 1990 are also prone to cracks around the valve spring pads or between the valves in the chamber. This can cause coolant loss over time, which can lead to more serious engine problems if not addressed.
In summary, while the Ford Explorer 1990 is a popular and capable SUV, it has several common problems related to the vehicle's structure, heater, and engine. Proper maintenance and regular inspections can help prevent these issues from becoming more serious, but it is essential to be aware of these potential problems when owning or operating a Ford Explorer 1990.
1990 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:
- Engine and engine cooling problems
- Fuel system problems
- Gasoline problems
- Service brakes problems
- Hydraulic problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1990 Ford Explorer vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1990 Ford Explorer complaints
The NHTSA has received 12 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1990 Ford Explorer.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2003-11-27
- VIN: 1FMDU64E4YZ
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT 20 MPH VEHICLE STALLED/ LOST POWER. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND MANAGED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2002-07-01
- VIN: ADD
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: WHILE DRIVING 58 MPH OPENED SUN ROOF, IT DISCONNECTED AND FELL OFF.*AK
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2002-07-08
- VIN: ADD
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: FUEL GAUGE NO LONGER WORKS,. CONSUMER CANNOT TELL THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT IN TANK.*AK
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2000-11-16
- Crash: 1
- VIN: FILL IN
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY & APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL LOCKED IN ONE SPOT. VEHICLE WAS FREE ROLLING & HIT A GARAGE DOOR. TOWED VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR BRAKES & FOUND NOTHING. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN SINCE HAVING ENGINE WORK DONE. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *AK
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-07-01
- Crash: 1
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: I HAD THREE TIRES LOSE THE ENTIRE CENTER TREAD ON MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE (90 FORD EXPLORER) WHILE TRAVELING AROUNG 70MPH. ALL THREE WERE WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH OTHER. THE FIRST TIRE THAT WENT CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE BODY THAT WAS REPORTED TO MY INSURANCE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75R15 )
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2000-07-16
- VIN: 1FMDU32X6NU
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX TIRES P23575R15 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 90 EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 70MPH THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED THAT REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TREAD HAD SEPARATED ,THROUGH REAR VIEW MIRROR, CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *AK DOT#W2HL 1PM. *SLC
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-11-01
- VIN: 1FMDU34XXMU
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-09-12
- VIN: 1FMDU34X8MU
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: CONNECTING PIPES ON THE GAS TANK ARE FORMED FROM SEAMED STEAL PIPE, AND THE SEAM IS SEALED DUE TO BAD MANUFACTURING. THE SEAM BENDS OVER AND EVENTUALLY RUSTS AWAY, AND ALLOWS GAS TO LEAK TO GROUND. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1997-12-27
- Fire: 1
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: ENGINE FIRE.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1992-01-01
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: IN WET WEATHER THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP . *AK
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED SIX TIMES. WOULD NOT SHIFT. TT
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1995-02-09
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, TRANSMISSION IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PULL THE VEHICLE WEIGHT. TT
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