Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was at work on Friday afternoon, 5/16 and received a voicemail at 3:50 pm from the fire marshall stating my 1999 Ford Explorer xlt burned in my driveway and was totaled. I had not driven the Explorer since approximately 7 pm the night before and had taken my other car to work. The Explorer was just sitting in the driveway, outside the garage and started burning. A neighbor 2 houses over smelled the smoke and saw the flames and called the fire department. The fire marshall stated he had seen this type of fire before due to the Ford cruise control recall problems, based on the burn pattern. I was not the original owner and bought it about 8 years ago and have never received any kind of recall notice. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch window exploded unexpectedly. The contact was under the impression that someone had broken the window and contacted the police. The police advised they were unable to determine what caused the breakage. The failure and current mileages were 189,000.
I purchased a 1999 Ford Explorer VIN #[redacted] from a washington state Ford dealership in September 2002. The vehicle had 54,000 miles on it at the time, I have put 7,000 miles on it. The rear liftgate began to make a clunking/popping noise recently, and became difficult to close. I took it to our local Ford dealer, port angeles Ford Lincoln Mercury, and they tell me that the sheet metal where the hinges are mounted is tearing away from the structure and that it is not a covered item (I did purchase the Ford warranty plan), and that I will need to go to a body shop and have new steel plates welded in place at my expense. I do not believe that this is my responsibility, the steel that was used was obviously not strong enough to support using this liftgate, and I strongly believe that Ford is liable for this. Can you help me to confirm this? …
Dt: vehicle's metal sport running boards rusted in two years. The owner felt that this was a safety issue. The owner needed the running boards to help her get in and out of the vehicle. She contacted the dealership and a body shop. The consumer has not been in contact with the manufacturer. Consumer checked on having fiberglass running boards placed on her vehicle. The metal running boards were original equipment on the vehicle when purchased. The consumer wants Ford to reimburse her for the new fiberglass running boards.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver side door mechanism would lock, but would fail to open from the inside or outside. In addition, the plastic clip hanging down would slip out of position. The contact repaired the failure multiple times. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. Ford stated that there were no recalls for this failure. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 135,000 and failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front hood of the vehicle would not remain open in a fixated position. If the hood collapses onto a person, he or she could be seriously injured or killed. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the cause of the failure was the front hood lift cylinder. She has not had the vehicle inspected. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 82,000. Updated 4/23/09 updated 04/28/09.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rod that is used to keep the hood lifted is too small. The rod does not keep the hood propped up and causes it to close. The hood has never fallen on him, but he has had many close calls. The vehicle has not been to the dealer, but they stated that the failure was the contact's responsibility. The current mileage was 35,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. While driving 50 MPH the vehicle stalled. There was a recall for the fuel system. However, the dealer stated that this vehicle was not included due to the VIN. Also, the hood on the vehicle will not open. The failure has not been diagnosed. The driver's door will not open with the key. The failure and current mileage was 190,000.
1999 Ford Explorer grab bar over the front passenger's seat fell off although there was no pressure applied to it. For seven weeks prior to the failure to consumer had been instructed to use the grab bar to get in and out of the vehicle because of an ankle injury. The consumer said that at no time during those seven weeks did the bar feel loose or unstable.
I drive a 1999 Ford Explorer and coming home from work last night the bracket that attaches the accelerator pedal to the firewall sheared off. My accelerator pedal was left dangling and I could not drive the vehicle any more. Could have been dangerous had I been on the interstate. It appears like three little rivets hold the bracket to the firewall.
Body complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 1,348 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Explorer body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1999 Ford Explorer, though it has 9 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 1999 Ford Explorer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 8 injuries to body & structure 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.