1996 Ford Explorer Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “head gasket” (6% of reports).
- 81engine and engine cooling complaints
- 78,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Head gasket: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 9 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 7 a fire.
Ford Explorer engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 35,682 |
| 2022 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 88,689 |
| 2021 Explorer | 10 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 51,250 |
| 2019 Explorer | 6 | 2% | 63,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 29 | 4% | 71,699 |
| 2017 Explorer | 77 | 5% | 89,600 |
| 2016 Explorer | 114 | 5% | 75,650 |
| 2015 Explorer | 66 | 4% | 59,220 |
| 2014 Explorer | 67 | 4% | 27,950 |
| 2013 Explorer | 67 | 3% | 61,151 |
| 2012 Explorer | 14 | 2% | 56,734 |
| 2011 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 85,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 14,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 1 | 3% | 88,350 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 67,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 10 | 5% | 53,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 164 | 26% | 45,776 |
| 2005 Explorer | 29 | 6% | 44,113 |
| 2004 Explorer | 71 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 69 | 6% | 50,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 163 | 5% | 74,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 39 | 10% | 86,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 90 | 9% | 56,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 100 | 7% | 64,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 189 | 10% | 100,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 198 | 11% | 98,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 81 | 6% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 45 | 5% | 139,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I own a 1996 ford explorer sport 4x4, 4.0 liter v6 with 5 speed manual transmission. This is a motor made in germany and the truck, in the louisville, ky. Ford plant. Rodents took up residence in the heating system, and filled the heater blower assembly and ducting with scavenged materials, which…
1996 ford explorer vehicle caught on fire while traveling. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0629-91)8jb updated 04/22/11 *bf
1996 explorer, has been a great vehicle. Started loosing power and shifting down and strange times. Then the o/d fail light started to flash. I understand this is a common failure and ford knows about it but refuses to acknowledge the fact or accept responsibility. They need to recall these…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Explorers have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Ford Explorer (6% of the 1,450 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Ford Explorer engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “head gasket”, in 5 of 81 complaints.
Other 1996 Ford Explorer problems
- Tires problems (570)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (148)
- Power Train problems (120)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (120)
- Suspension problems (97)
- Seat Belts problems (78)
- Structure problems (63)
See all 1996 Ford Explorer problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Explorer years.