1996 Ford Explorer Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 101,700 miles. The words owners use most often: “brakes failed” (12% of reports).
- 120service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 101,700median miles at failure
- 26mention a crash
- 18mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 22%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.
- Brakes failed: mentioned in 14 of 120 complaints (12%)
- Stopping distance: mentioned in 9 of 120 complaints (8%)
- Pedal went: mentioned in 7 of 120 complaints (6%)
- ABS brake: mentioned in 6 of 120 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 6 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 120 complaints, 26 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 18 an injury.
Ford Explorer service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 39,793 |
| 2021 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 69,615 |
| 2020 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 74,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 36,033 |
| 2018 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 982 |
| 2015 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 115,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 111,315 |
| 2013 Explorer | 7 | 0% | 52,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 56,285 |
| 2011 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 9,250 |
| 2010 Explorer | 6 | 5% | 6,900 |
| 2008 Explorer | 3 | 2% | 10,800 |
| 2007 Explorer | 8 | 4% | 38,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 23 | 4% | 52,872 |
| 2005 Explorer | 8 | 2% | 48,684 |
| 2004 Explorer | 31 | 2% | 36,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 31 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 89 | 3% | 40,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 31 | 8% | 28,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 56 | 6% | 56,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 66,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 86 | 4% | 70,598 |
| 1997 Explorer | 83 | 5% | 90,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 101,700 |
| 1995 Explorer | 75 | 9% | 110,014 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic 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.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford explorer. While placing fuel in the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke underneath the hood. He opened the hood and noticed that the vehicle was on fire. The fire was doused with a fire extinguisher. The contact examined the damage and noticed that the wiring harness…
1996 ford explorer with brake problems. Consumer states that brake pedal is located to close to the floor board. And is to close to the accelerator causing you to hit the accelerator and the brake pedal at the same time. *kb the consumer stated when he applied the brake, his foot also hit the…
Anti lock brake system failed causing a none to very little baking. 2nd time was a complete loss of brakes causing a rear end collision. *nm
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Explorers have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 120 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1996 Ford Explorer (8% 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 101,700 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “brakes failed”, in 14 of 120 complaints, followed by “stopping distance” (9).
Other 1996 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1996 Ford Explorer problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Explorer years.