FORD EXPLORER · model year

1977 FORD EXPLORER

2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1977FORDEXPLORER carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1977 EXPLORER is tires with 1 filings, followed by tires:tread/belt (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 13 investigation files overlapping the 1977 EXPLORER, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
TIRES1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1

Recent Complaints

20001107TIRES:TREAD/BELT

FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRE, NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL, EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION AND CRACKING.

20000920TIRES

TIRES DID NOT FAIL BUT AN VIBRATION SURFACED AT 60-65 MPH. TIRES CHECKED NO APPARENT PROBLEMS. WHEN THE NEWS OF THE TIRE FAILURES MADE THE NEWS I CHANGED THE TIRES TO A COOPER TIRE. FEEL FIRESTONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF TIRES AND THAT RUNNING AT MANUFACTURER 26PSI IS CAUSE OF PROBLEM.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P255X70R16 )

Compare 1977FORDEXPLORER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1977 FORD EXPLORER have?
The 1977 FORD EXPLORER has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1977 FORD EXPLORER?
The most-complained component for the 1977 FORD EXPLORER is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1977 FORD EXPLORER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.