1999 Ford Explorer Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 216 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,300 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield wipers” (53% of reports).
- 216visibility complaints
- 80,300median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention 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.
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 115 of 216 complaints (53%)
- Turn signal: mentioned in 18 of 216 complaints (8%)
- Poor visibility: mentioned in 13 of 216 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 18 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 216 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | 7,300 |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 7,550 |
| 2023 Explorer | 5 | 5% | 11,750 |
| 2022 Explorer | 10 | 4% | 35,500 |
| 2021 Explorer | 19 | 4% | 44,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 13 | 1% | 45,980 |
| 2019 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 43,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 73,500 |
| 2017 Explorer | 32 | 2% | 69,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 36 | 1% | 83,913 |
| 2015 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 27 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 30 | 1% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 16 | 2% | 38,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 14 | 1% | 47,800 |
| 2010 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 50,750 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 77,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 6 | 3% | 64,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 15 | 2% | 40,051 |
| 2005 Explorer | 23 | 5% | 53,168 |
| 2004 Explorer | 100 | 8% | 68,328 |
| 2003 Explorer | 57 | 5% | 67,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 129 | 4% | 70,500 |
| 2001 Explorer | 15 | 4% | 65,651 |
| 2000 Explorer | 45 | 5% | 60,800 |
| 1999 Explorer | 216 | 16% | 80,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 108 | 6% | 79,500 |
| 1997 Explorer | 90 | 5% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 19 | 2% | 100,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility for the 1999 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 1999 ford explorer. The contact stated that the windshield wipers would sporadically operate without activation and when activated, would not operate at all. The failure progressed until the wipers were completely inoperable. The contact's personal mechanic inspected vehicle…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph the windshield wipers began to operate involuntarily two or three times. During the failures, smoke would begin to rise from the top of the steering column. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford explorer. While driving at speeds of 60 mph in intense rainy weather conditions, the windshield wipers failed. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the interior lights, power locks and 4-wheel drive system failed intermittently. The vehicle was taken to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Ford Explorers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 216 owner complaints about visibility for the 1999 Ford Explorer (16% 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 visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,300 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield wipers”, in 115 of 216 complaints, followed by “turn signal” (18).
Other 1999 Ford Explorer problems
- Tires problems (370)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (148)
- Power Train problems (115)
- 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 visibility problems across all Explorer years.