1999 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 91,000 miles.
- 115power train complaints
- 91,000median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $3,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 1999 Ford Explorer at $3,000, and half of them between $1,600 and $4,400.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 115 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 14% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 28% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 497 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with the 3.27 or 3.55 axle ration. The subject vehicles have a powertrain control module that could allow the vehicle to exceed the design intent top speed. At these extreme speeds, the vehicle could be capable of exceeding the speed rating of the tire.
Risk: Operating the vehicle above the maximum speed rating could lead to a tire failure which at these speeds could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The transmission stopped going in reverse for no apparent reason. All other gears work fine. Thereâs no lagging when driving and no other signs. I went to put it in reverse to back out of my driveway and when I pushed the gas it just reved the engine up and floated backwards causing me to apply…
Transmission started slipping. Neutral is actually reverse over drive is neutral 2nd is od 1st is 2nd past 1st is 1st gear. When i move power lamp to off my headlights turn off. All of this haopened when i turned my vehicle on or when i was driving.
I almost turned on a one way street and needed to back up so i put it in reverse and something gave and my son and i were stuck with cars coming at us . We had to push the car back in heavy traffic . So when i got home and troubleshoot the problem i see alot of the same problem with the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 115 owner complaints about power train for the 1999 Ford Explorer (9% 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 power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 91,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,000 (half paid between $1,600 and $4,400), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
Other 1999 Ford Explorer problems
- Tires problems (370)
- Visibility problems (216)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (148)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (100)
- Air Bags problems (97)
- Electrical System problems (92)
- Seats problems (68)
- Suspension problems (65)
See all 1999 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.