1996 Ford Explorer Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 97 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 140,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “sway bar” (26% of reports).
- 97suspension complaints
- 140,000median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 12mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 51%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.
- Sway bar: mentioned in 25 of 97 complaints (26%)
- Front end: mentioned in 10 of 97 complaints (10%)
- Wheel bearing: mentioned in 5 of 97 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 13 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 97 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 12 an injury.
Ford Explorer suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 2,289 |
| 2024 Explorer | 3 | 14% | 7,352 |
| 2023 Explorer | 14 | 13% | 3,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 13 | 5% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 15 | 3% | 6,010 |
| 2020 Explorer | 35 | 3% | 43,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 11 | 4% | 88,086 |
| 2018 Explorer | 23 | 3% | 62,500 |
| 2017 Explorer | 57 | 3% | 43,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 73 | 3% | 67,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 83 | 5% | 76,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 103 | 6% | 82,500 |
| 2013 Explorer | 79 | 4% | 96,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 22 | 3% | 135,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 24 | 2% | 125,525 |
| 2010 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 35,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2008 Explorer | 3 | 2% | 76,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 6 | 3% | 52,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 5 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 2005 Explorer | 15 | 3% | 62,376 |
| 2004 Explorer | 37 | 3% | 65,950 |
| 2003 Explorer | 63 | 6% | 72,203 |
| 2002 Explorer | 422 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 43 | 11% | 92,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 62 | 7% | 57,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 65 | 5% | 113,850 |
| 1998 Explorer | 111 | 6% | 90,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 105 | 6% | 117,500 |
| 1996 Explorer | 97 | 7% | 140,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 93 | 11% | 127,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Suspension
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. Under certain conditions, a front sway bar link can fracture.
Risk: Vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace both the left and right front sway bar links.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Suv suspension sways like its about to flip. The driver must slow down to regain stability. This occurs always when increasing speed while in passing lane or during rapid acceleration! I fear this will cause a wreak in the future! *tr
When ever i go over a bump or a dip in the road. Something (sway bar) seems as if it something is cracked and the tire axes is about to fall off in the middle of the road. *tr
I replaced the front hub assemblies in december 2011 with parts purchased from autopartsmidwest.com. On december 18, 2012, the left hub assembly failed and the wheel came off. The outer portion of the ball bearing race came off the splined hub. I was going very slowly at the time the failure…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Explorers have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 97 owner complaints about suspension for the 1996 Ford Explorer (7% 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 suspension?
Yes: 1 safety recall list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 140,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 1996 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “sway bar”, in 25 of 97 complaints, followed by “front end” (10).
Other 1996 Ford Explorer problems
See all 1996 Ford Explorer problems or suspension problems across all Explorer years.