1999 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 92 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 75,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering column” (12% of reports).
- 92electrical system complaints
- 75,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 33%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.
- Steering column: mentioned in 11 of 92 complaints (12%)
- Turn signal: mentioned in 9 of 92 complaints (10%)
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 9 of 92 complaints (10%)
- Multi function switch: mentioned in 6 of 92 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 92 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 17 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 12% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 186 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles equipped with 4.0l engines and all-time 4-wheel drive (a4wd) powertrains. The generic electronic module (gem) could experience a condition referred to as "lock-up" in which the gem controlled electronic functions (e.g., front windshield wipers, interior lights, 4x4 system, etc.) could not be turned on or, in some cases if the function is on, could not be turned off.
Risk: An inoperative windshield wiper system could affect driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a resistor in the gem circuit.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I need to know what causes the electric to go haywire. The overhead lamp clicks on and off the driver door lock doesn't work completely. The driver window does not work correctly. Some of my gauges will decide not to work sometimes and then other times we'll be fine. My radio clock does not work…
The electrical on my vehicle is bad. My radio lights flash, none of my doors open from te inside and only roll down windows from diver switcth; gas gayge only reads empry although i j ust put 30 dollars in the tank.
Started driving down the street and noticed heavy smoke coming from hazord switch, stopped to check once truck was turned off smoke stopped started truck up again and went on my way sevrel miles from home smoke started again, could not lose any more time so i kept on going watching for any fire or…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 92 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1999 Ford Explorer (7% of the 1,348 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 1999 Ford Explorer electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 75,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “steering column”, in 11 of 92 complaints, followed by “turn signal” (9).
Other 1999 Ford Explorer problems
- Tires problems (370)
- Visibility problems (216)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (148)
- Power Train problems (115)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (100)
- Air Bags problems (97)
- Seats problems (68)
- Suspension problems (65)
See all 1999 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.