Ford Explorer 1995–2001
2nd generation · UN105/UN150
NHTSA data through 13 August 202610,833 complaints, 1,867 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 1,867
- Median of reported failures
- 94,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Tyres (28.5%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 60,034 and 135,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Explorer 1995–2001 · 1,867 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 89 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 73 complaints (3.9%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 37,100
- 25%
- 60,034
- Median
- 94,000
- 75%
- 135,000
- 90%
- 170,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 32 | 1.7% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 18 | 1.0% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 16 | 0.9% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 18 | 1.0% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 19 | 1.0% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 17 | 0.9% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 40 | 2.1% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 52 | 2.8% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 51 | 2.7% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 46 | 2.5% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 73 | 3.9% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 61 | 3.3% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 65 | 3.5% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 65 | 3.5% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 77 | 4.1% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 81 | 4.3% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 76 | 4.1% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 68 | 3.6% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 62 | 3.3% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 77 | 4.1% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 89 | 4.8% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 49 | 2.6% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 55 | 2.9% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 54 | 2.9% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 52 | 2.8% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 30 | 1.6% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 53 | 2.8% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 36 | 1.9% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 53 | 2.8% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 37 | 2.0% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 44 | 2.4% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 30 | 1.6% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 36 | 1.9% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 30 | 1.6% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 35 | 1.9% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 24 | 1.3% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 22 | 1.2% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 20 | 1.1% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 24 | 1.3% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 7 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 73 | 3.9% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 10,833 complaints with NHTSA about the 1995–2001 Ford Explorer, and 1,867 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 60,034 and 135,000 miles. The median is 94,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the tyres (28.5% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles), throttle and speed control (9.6% of complaints, typically around 102,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (7.6% of complaints, typically around 82,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1995–2001 Ford Explorer last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1995–2001 Ford Explorer were filed by 94,000 miles and 90% by 170,000 miles — figures drawn from 1,867 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
73 reports (3.9%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Explorer reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1995–2001 Explorer: the 3-minute check
Generated from 1,867 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check tires/rollover on 1995–2001 cars. Firestone ATX/Wilderness AT tread-separation failures leading to rollover; 6.5 million tires recalled in 2000 and Ford replaced a further 13 million in 2001. This is the dominant complaint cluster in ODI for these model…
- Check engine on 1997–2001 cars. 4.0L SOHC V6 timing chain cassette (plastic guide) and tensioner wear on the rear-mounted chain, producing a cold-start rattle and eventual chain jump; repair requires engine removal because the rear cassette is behind…
- Check body/electrical. Door lock actuator failure and door-ajar switch corrosion causing interior lights and chime to stay on and battery drain.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 60,000 and 135,000 miles, with a median of 94,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the tyres and throttle and speed control are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 90,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Explorer 1995–2001
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit588 reports69,00045,000–100,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 588 reports, median 69,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Visibility equipment573 reports77,00056,000–107,000Visibility equipment: 573 reports, median 77,000 miles, middle half 56,000 to 107,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system818 reports82,00052,000–115,000Engine and its cooling system: 818 reports, median 82,000 miles, middle half 52,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Tyres3,088 reports90,00060,000–130,000Tyres: 3,088 reports, median 90,000 miles, middle half 60,000 to 130,000 miles.
- Suspension624 reports90,00053,000–134,000Suspension: 624 reports, median 90,000 miles, middle half 53,000 to 134,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline798 reports92,00061,000–123,000Transmission and driveline: 798 reports, median 92,000 miles, middle half 61,000 to 123,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control1,045 reports102,00077,000–145,000Throttle and speed control: 1,045 reports, median 102,000 miles, middle half 77,000 to 145,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3,088 | 28.5% | 90,000 | 60,000–130,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 1,045 | 9.6% | 102,000 | 77,000–145,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 818 | 7.6% | 82,000 | 52,000–115,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 798 | 7.4% | 92,000 | 61,000–123,000 |
| Suspension | 624 | 5.8% | 90,000 | 53,000–134,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 588 | 5.4% | 69,000 | 45,000–100,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 573 | 5.3% | 77,000 | 56,000–107,000 |
| Electrical system | 512 | 4.7% | 98,000 | 66,000–143,000 |
| Airbag system | 343 | 3.2% | 71,000 | 52,000–130,000 |
| Body structure | 333 | 3.1% | 102,000 | 72,000–135,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Explorer 1995–2001 · 1,867 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 24% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 47% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 68% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.9% of reports (73) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
24% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 52,000–115,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 53,000–134,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 45,000–100,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — middle half 56,000–107,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Tyres — middle half 60,000–130,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 77,000–145,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 61,000–123,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
47% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Tyres — middle half 60,000–130,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 77,000–145,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 52,000–115,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 61,000–123,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 53,000–134,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 45,000–100,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — middle half 56,000–107,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
68% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine and its cooling system — median 82,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 69,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — median 77,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Tyres — middle half 60,000–130,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 77,000–145,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 61,000–123,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 53,000–134,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 94,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The tyres account for 28.5% of complaints (3,088 reports, 76 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 60,000 and 130,000 miles.
A single system taking 28.5% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 9.6% of complaints (1,045 reports, 268 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 102,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 77,000 and 145,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.6% of complaints (818 reports, 161 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 82,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 115,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.4% of complaints (798 reports, 217 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 92,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 61,000 and 123,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 5.8% of complaints (624 reports, 101 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 53,000 and 134,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 5.4% of complaints (588 reports, 94 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 69,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 100,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1998 model year drew the most — 2,374 complaints — while 2001 drew the fewest at 503. The median year sits at 1,737.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 10,833 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 1,094 (10.1%)
- Fires
- 435
- Injury reports
- 864
- Fatality reports
- 132
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Tires/Rollover 1995–2001
Firestone ATX/Wilderness AT tread-separation failures leading to rollover; 6.5 million tires recalled in 2000 and Ford replaced a further 13 million in 2001. This is the dominant complaint cluster in ODI for these model years and it is a tire/vehicle-dynamics interaction, not a single component fault.
Engine 1997–2001
4.0L SOHC V6 timing chain cassette (plastic guide) and tensioner wear on the rear-mounted chain, producing a cold-start rattle and eventual chain jump; repair requires engine removal because the rear cassette is behind the block.
Body/Electrical
Door lock actuator failure and door-ajar switch corrosion causing interior lights and chime to stay on and battery drain.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,048 | 121 |
| 1996 | 1,818 | 181 |
| 1997 | 2,150 | 283 |
| 1998 | 2,374 | 364 |
| 1999 | 1,737 | 368 |
| 2000 | 1,203 | 400 |
| 2001 | 503 | 150 |
What owners reported
I own a 1995 Ford Explorer 4x4. I purchased it new and did not have any problems with the transmission until last year when i had it flushed. I started to work the next morning and the transmission began to slip coming out of first gear. I took it into aamco and they told me the transmission needed to be replaced.…
1995 · 200 miles · Transmission and driveline
the contact owns a 1995 Ford Explorer. While driving the over-drive warning light will illuminate on the instrument control panel, and then the vehicle will hesitate before decelerating. He contacted the dealer, and a technician stated that this was a common failure for this model type. He then added that the…
1995 · 55,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
I have a 1995 Ford Explorer and the dealer refuses to honor some of the recalls that have been ordered for my vehicle the recalls are listed below recall date: mar 15, 1995 model affected: 1995 Ford Explorer summary: the inner tie rod assemblies were improperly manufactured and can fracture causing shaking or shimmy…
1995 · 65,000 miles · Suspension
the contact owns a 1995 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 25 MPH the front drivers side seat belt became unbuckled. The failure recurred intermittently while driving at any speed. He also mentioned that it sometimes takes repeated attempts to get the seat belt to initially buckle. The vehicle was not taken to…
1995 · 80,000 miles · Seat belts
Built from 1,867 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page