Vehicles › Ford › Ford Explorer
1992 Ford Explorer
4 recall campaigns and 633 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 1992 Ford Explorer; the recalls concern structure, visibility and service brakes, hydraulic.
The component named most often is tires: 167.5 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 29.5 per 1,000 across all 1992 model-year vehicles and against 138.9 per 1,000 for the Ford Explorer line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 526.7 complaints per model year across the 45 Ford Explorer model years on this register; 47 complaints reported a crash and 63 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2000 (141); the most recent in the file is dated 27 Mar 2015.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 14 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles equipped with factory installed sunroof. The sunroof glass panel assembly can separate while the vehicle is moving due to incorrect hinge engagement. This was caused by improper sunroof installation of the glass panel.
Consequence: Unexpected separation of the sunroof glass panel could possibly distract the driver increasing the risk of a vehicle crash or loss of vehicle control.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with an instruction booklet which thoroughly outlines, with illustrations, the proper procedures for the removal, storage, and reinstallation of the sunroof's glass panel. A warning label for attachment to the sunroof's latch knob will also be provided to the owners.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Defect, as filed: A short circuit condition can occur in the remote power mirror control switch circuit board as a result of a separated part of the contact assembly bridging the switch positive battery pad and adjacent chassis ground pad.
Consequence: The current can overheat the printed circuit board and other plastic and elastomeric components of the switch assembly resulting in smoke or fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install an in-line 10 amp fuse in the positive battery feed to the remote power mirror control switch assembly.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Defect, as filed: The studs which attach the brake master cylinder to the power brake vacuum booster assembly can develop stress corrosion cracking after being operated for an extended period of time in the southern california location.
Consequence: If a crack occurs, it could result in one or both studs fracturing. The master cylinder could then separate from the vacuum booster, when the brakes are applied, preventing the service brakes from activating increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power brake vacuum booster assembly.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Defect, as filed: The hydraulic lift cylinders are attached to brackets that are welded to the liftgate. The bracket welds can fracture.
Consequence: With a broken bracket weld, there is a potential for the liftgate bracket to gradually bend inward allowing the lift cylinderball stud to disengage.
Remedy: Dealers will install reinforcement brackets.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 1992 Ford Explorer (black) against all 1992 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 1992 | Explorer line | All 1992 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 167.5 | 138.9 | 29.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 162.7 | 54.4 | 181 |
| Power Train | 107.3 | 146.1 | 106.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 95.5 | 61.5 | 115.2 |
| Structure | 80.2 | 83.7 | 62.3 |
| Suspension | 74.3 | 52 | 33.2 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 1992 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 142 | 167.5 | 138.9 | 29.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 138 | 162.7 | 54.4 | 181 |
| Power Train | 91 | 107.3 | 146.1 | 106.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 81 | 95.5 | 61.5 | 115.2 |
| Structure | 68 | 80.2 | 83.7 | 62.3 |
| Suspension | 63 | 74.3 | 52 | 33.2 |
| Electrical System | 53 | 62.5 | 48.9 | 89.3 |
| Visibility | 48 | 56.6 | 38.9 | 42.7 |
| Seat Belts | 27 | 31.8 | 16.8 | 72.1 |
| Steering | 25 | 29.5 | 60.8 | 35.9 |
| Equipment | 23 | 27.1 | 13.2 | 17.8 |
| Seats | 22 | 25.9 | 18.6 | 20.5 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 20 | 23.6 | 15.6 | 49.3 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 17.7 | 56.8 | 35.9 |
| Wheels | 10 | 11.8 | 14.5 | 7.3 |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 5.9 | 54.7 | 13.2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4.7 | 10.9 | 19.7 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 4 | 4.7 | 12.6 | 15.5 |
| Engine | 3 | 3.5 | 35.3 | 0.7 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 5.9 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 4.8 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1.2 | 26.1 | 33 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0 |
633 unique complaints, 848 component mentions; 57 injuries and 4 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA00012 | Engineering analysis | SPARE TIRE WINCH CABLE | structure | 14 Apr 2000 | 20 Oct 2000 | — |
| PE99072 | Preliminary evaluation | SPARE TIRE WINCH CABLE | structure | 30 Nov 1999 | 14 Apr 2000 | — |
| RQ99016 | Recall query | LIFTGATE SUPPORT BRACKET FAILURE | structure | 29 Jul 1999 | open | 99V310001 |
| EA99004 | Engineering analysis | BLOWER ASSEMBLY FIRES | visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system | 15 Jan 1999 | 18 Apr 2000 | — |
| PE98048 | Preliminary evaluation | BLOWER ASSEMBLY FIRES | visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system | 4 Sep 1998 | 15 Jan 1999 | — |
| DP98008 | Defect petition | HEATER BLOWER ASSEMBLY FIRE | visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system | 4 Sep 1998 | 11 Sep 1998 | — |
| DP98001 | Defect petition | HEAVY LATERAL VIBRATION | structure | 6 Jan 1998 | 4 Feb 1998 | — |
| EA97011 | Engineering analysis | SUNROOF SHATTERING AND SEPARATION | structure | 23 May 1997 | 20 Jan 1998 | 97V235001 |
| PE96074 | Preliminary evaluation | SUNROOF (AIR ROOF) SHATTER | structure | 17 Dec 1996 | 23 May 1997 | — |
| EA95018 | Engineering analysis | SEPARATION OF MASTER CYLINDER | service brakes, hydraulic | 19 Jun 1995 | 2 Apr 1996 | 96V024001 |
| PE95001 | Preliminary evaluation | BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/BOOSTER SEPARATION | service brakes, hydraulic | 3 Jan 1995 | 19 Jun 1995 | — |
| PE94044 | Preliminary evaluation | ENGINE COOLING FAN CRACKS | engine and engine cooling | 10 Jun 1994 | 31 Aug 1994 | — |
| EA93004 | Engineering analysis | AUTO TRANS PRNDL MISALIGN | power train | 29 Jan 1993 | 29 Jul 1994 | — |
| PE92078 | Preliminary evaluation | AUTO TRANS.PRNDL MISALIGN | power train | 9 Sep 1992 | 29 Jan 1993 | — |
Other Ford Explorer model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1988 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1989 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 12 | — |
| 1991 | 8 | 608 | 1,915,500 |
| 1992 | 4 | 633 | 1,267,784 |
| 1993 | 6 | 936 | 2,574,157 |
| 1994 | 4 | 1,206 | 2,024,373 |
| 1995 | 5 | 842 | 5,837,982 |
| 1996 | 6 | 1,447 | 5,543,470 |
| 1997 | 7 | 1,729 | 6,792,376 |
| 1998 | 9 | 1,955 | 9,567,644 |
| 1999 | 9 | 1,340 | 12,178,996 |
| 2000 | 9 | 936 | 10,560,697 |
| 2001 | 6 | 373 | 10,104,564 |
| 2002 | 4 | 3,266 | 5,511,406 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1,124 | 959,406 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1,285 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 487 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 616 | 199,942 |
| 2007 | 1 | 200 | 11 |
| 2008 | 1 | 133 | 1,497 |
| 2009 | 0 | 30 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 97 | 33,256 |
| 2011 | 6 | 657 | 3,609,175 |
| 2012 | 5 | 410 | 3,607,517 |
| 2013 | 11 | 984 | 5,100,891 |
| 2014 | 6 | 660 | 4,260,351 |
| 2015 | 8 | 635 | 5,716,171 |
| 2016 | 14 | 717 | 5,832,874 |
| 2017 | 13 | 316 | 6,354,133 |
| 2018 | 7 | 52 | 3,905,452 |
| 2019 | 6 | 1 | 3,848,705 |
| 2020 | 33 | 0 | 6,198,017 |
| 2021 | 26 | 0 | 5,838,416 |
| 2022 | 24 | 0 | 4,646,746 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 3,599,589 |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 1,814,933 |
| 2025 | 20 | 0 | 1,434,649 |
| 2026 | 14 | 0 | 571,142 |
| 2027 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 76,748 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Explorer model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 1992 Ford Explorer have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 97V235001, was reported to NHTSA on 18 Dec 1997 and concerns structure:body:roof and pillars. Across all model years the Ford Explorer line has 142 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 1992 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 14 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 1992 Ford Explorer complain about most?
Tires: 142 of 848 component mentions (167.5 per 1,000). Next is service brakes, hydraulic with 138. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.