Total Complaints
12 filings
FORD EXPLORER · model year
1990 FORD EXPLORER
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990FORDEXPLORER carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1990 EXPLORER is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (2) and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (2). 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 1990 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.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031203ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT 20 MPH VEHICLE STALLED/ LOST POWER. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND MANAGED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
Mileage: 58,410
20020710VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
WHILE DRIVING 58 MPH OPENED SUN ROOF, IT DISCONNECTED AND FELL OFF.*AK
20020710FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL GAUGE NO LONGER WORKS,. CONSUMER CANNOT TELL THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEFT IN TANK.*AK
20010104CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
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
20000824CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
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 )
20000803TIRES:TREAD/BELT
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
19990325FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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
19990125UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19980302FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE.
19961007SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
IN WET WEATHER THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP . *AK
19950614POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED SIX TIMES. WOULD NOT SHIFT. TT
19950221POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, TRANSMISSION IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PULL THE VEHICLE WEIGHT. TT
Compare 1990FORDEXPLORER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 FORD EXPLORER have?▼
The 1990 FORD EXPLORER has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD EXPLORER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD EXPLORER is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1990 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.