Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I got in my car a battery less than 2 weeks old was almost dead nothing was plugged in or on I drove got on the freeway about 20 min on freeway car stops won't move makes rev noise eventually starts long enough to stop again at bottom of freeway exit starts again get in into gas station I sit in gas station for about 12 hours add 5 quarts of transmission fluid eventually car will let me drive about two blocks but come to find out I was driving well on fire race to get my dog and I out car catches completely on fire fire man says it electric under hood no previous problems other than the battery and the od off light coming on and off I had the car about a month police report number1702207 oakland ca police department
95 Ford Explorer parked in carport with engine shut off for 5 min while carried groceries up stairs - I had left dog in crate til finished unloading but when I came down noticed electrical smell, got out looked around car but did not notice any burning, got dog out and returned in three minutes to find key no longer unlocked door and could not see through windows - when door was opened smoke bellowed out, interior was covered with black soot, a hole bigger than a basketball was burnt out of seat and back of driver's seat was parched - had I not had the windows completely up it most likely would have to continued to burn.
Vehicle was parked on a residential street and engine had been off for 30 minutes. Driver was sitting in vehicle making phone calls when he smelled smoke and saw flaming wire under driver's seat. Driver escaped unharmed and was able to remove some contents but vehicle was fully engulfed in flame within a few minutes, destroying vehicle entirely, melting pavement, burning nearby grass and trees, and melting bumper and paint on a nearby parked vehicle. Fire department arrived to extinguish vehicle.
My 1995 Explorer was sitting and at 12:30 am, when it caught on fire and burned. The fire started under the hood, and the vehicle was a total loss. The incident occurred on the evening March 23. This was the same evening that Ford recalled the expedition for this very same type of problem, a cold vehicle catches fire under the hood. This was what our Explorer did as well. However when we called Ford they said that the Explorer was not on the recall.
After operating the heater a fire occurred under the hood. It burned the plastic case around the heater core area. I was able to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. I contacted the local Ford dealership and was told that no recalls had been issued on my vehicle (1995 Ford Explorer VIN# [redacted]). The service tech at the dealership said that the heater core could not have caused the fire and that perhaps a mouse had built a nest inside and that could have been the cause. He did not mention any service bulletins regarding electrical problems in the dash,A/C/,heater area that I later found on the internet. He suggested I bring the car in for repair. Needless to say I am not taking it to the dealership. I do have an appointment for Monday (1/24/05) at a repair shop. I will know more about costs to repair and the extent of the damage then. …
On 3/10/00 notice a burning smell, got worse through the week, had the heater core checked was fine($375). On 3/18/00 wife was driving home and the smell was sssooooo bad, checked smoke was coming from behind glove compartment, headlights blew out but all fuses are fine, also the smell was always worse with the heat on, now the smoke seems to have stopped, but the truck smells sooo bad, can not get it in to the mechanic until Monday 3/20/00, I saw there was an fire earlier from under dash in complaints section and thought this should be reported!!
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. In addition, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle could be restarted. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical system failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealership multiple times. Although, an undetermined number of parts were replaced the stalling continued. After conducting research on the internet the contact determined the problem is with the ignition module. Upon inspection the dealer determined there is no problem with the ignition module.
I was driving my car when it began to down shift around 35mph. Eventually, after adding more gas, it kicked into gear. My vehicle is an automatic. Once it down shifts, the od light begins flashing on and off. It has now been doing this consistently. The drive is not a smooth drive and when I am going approximately 50-60mph or more, the car begins to shake.
Electrical: drove vehicle from georgia to florida, pulled into driveway, noticed smoke coming up around the windshield, turned the ignition off and was getting out of vehicle when he noticed smoke coming from the floorboard.there was no warning lights or any type of warning to let know that the vehicle was about to catch fire. Vehicle was totaled.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical fire in center console
This investigation revealed that console fires in the subject vehicles most often occurred while vehicles equipped with the lamp outage module (lom), which is part of the message center, were towing a trailer and which had been modified by adding an aftermarket trailer wiring harness into the vehicle's taillight circuits.the owner's manual states never and more than other trailer light bulb to one circuit however…
Electrical complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1995 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the electrical system of the 1995 Ford Explorer, 7% of the model year's 843 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Ford Explorer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1995 Ford Explorer, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1995 Ford Explorer electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 157,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 16 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.