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 1996 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact started the vehicle and turned on the heater. He walked to his mailbox and returned to find smoke coming from the center console of the vehicle. All of a sudden, flames appeared from the console. He retrieved a fire extinguisher to douse the fire. The entire dashboard and underneath caught fire and he believed that the wiring harness under the dashboard May have been the cause of the fire. He did not contact the fire department or the manufacturer to report the fire, but he did contact his insurance company. The failure and current mileages were 143,000. Updated 07/29/08 updated 07/29/08.
On Monday dec 22 I drove my eddie bauer Explorer to work parked it and went on with my duties at work within 5 min a resident pulls up telling me that my vehicle is on fire .the fire started under the hood and completely burned the whole vehicle I am looking for a any information that would explain this thank you.
15 minutes after parking the vehicle and getting off the vehicle caught onfire under the hood in the drivers side. The fire expanded quickly caught drivers side front tire and moved on to the entire motor before the firefighters came and stopped the fire.
The truck was parked inside the parking lot and it caught on fire. No injuries reported. Driver called the fire department to extinguish the fire. Vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company.
While driving in "d" in first to second it has had a problem shifting between the 1st and 2nd gears when accelerating and will rev high rpms and sometimes do absolutley nothing when drying to move forward unless I de accelerate and then try to accelerate agine then finally it will catch and go in to 2nd and proceed to 3rd and then 4th and then 5th ,4th and 5th when accelerating sounds very rough when accelerating like it's trying to hard to drive, lately it just the other day I had trouble getting it to go in to d to 1st 2nd 3rd automatic transmission shifting was not wanting to catch had t OK try 3-6 times de accelerating and accelerating to try to get it to go finalt it caught and I was able to drive it so I stopped at the parts store had them do a scan and the only code that came up was p1701 they looked it up and it said something to do with trouble in reverse witch in reverse has …
While driving my vehicle I noticed some smoke coming out from under the hood. I started to pull off to the side of the road when the entire engine compartment burst into flames. I got pulled over as quick as possible and opened the hood where I noticed the engine was completely on fire. I tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but the fire was buring too hot for me to get close, the fire dept arrived in less than 5 minutes and proceeded to put out the fire, at which time it was too late, the vehicle was completely burned up. I only had this vehicle for less then 4 months and had no work done to it at all and it just blew up on me. I just got out of the car in time before being severely burned myself. I did purchase a 3yr/36,000 mile warranty from the selling dealer at time of purchase whihc was suppose to be a bumper to bumper warranty. …
1996 eddie bauer, Ford Explorer..the vehicle has operated fine for the past year, but in June the wipers, windows, interior lights, and some interior systems shut down, then come back on, then lock up again. After talking to my dealer, they tell me it likely the gem going out. They informed me that a recall had been made on 1999 models, but that it didn't cover 1996's. I've spoken to a number of other 1996 owners and have visited a number of Explorer sites online and evidently this isn't an isolated incident. The NHTSA recall for the 1999's is identical to the problems I'm having...is there anything that can be done to correct this problem. The gem is an expensive replacement part and my mechanic says it shouldn't have went out in such a short period of time. …
When I attempted to start my Ford Explorer by turning the key it wouldn't start it would make a slight buzz but that was it, so I got one of the mechanic to assist me at my job. He told me the battery was good, because the lights and radio was working. So he started the SUV by putting the key in the start position and placing a screwdriver across this one part mounted under the hood on the driver side I was then able to drive home. When my husband returned from out town I told him about the situation and he attempted to start the Explorer and the same thing occurred, so he started it the same way that the mechanic did. However; this time he wasn't able to turn the ignition off. The key just turns a full 360 degree in the chamber and makes no connection with anything. He end up disconnecting the battery to turn off the Explorer. This is an 1996 eddie bauer edition. …
The multi-function switch operating the windshield wipers and turn signals fails, resulting in turn signal staying in the on position and results in wire shortage inside the steering column, causing electrical smoke to come out of the steering column. Had I not manually pushed the switch off, there would have been fire within seconds. This has now happened twice in the same vehicle. The switch was replaced the first time, in 2006. That switch also failed, but I was told the part was only under warranty for 12/12, so I cannot have it replaced for free. Since it is faulty, (not caused by the driver) and is a major safety hazard that could lead to injury or death, I believe it is important to raise awareness and get this handled immediately.
Tl contact owns a 1996 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that dashboard lights were too dim. The gas cap was not secure on the tank and did she was unable to replace the gas cap on tight. The dealer advised her that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced because it added to the pollution. She received recall notice 09V399000,vehicle speed control and the dealer replaced the catalytic converter instead of the speed control deactivation switch. She called the dealer and the manufacturer but received no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 157,000.
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 1996 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the electrical system of the 1996 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 1,450 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Ford Explorer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1996 Ford Explorer, though it has 6 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 1996 Ford Explorer electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 143,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 16 fires and 2 injuries 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.