1986 Ford Explorer Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1986 Ford Explorer. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the exterior lighting. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Headlight switch caught fire and burned dash.”
“Vehicle's front disc rotors warp when applying brakes, vehicle will vibrate. *ak”
“Steering column grinding.”
Defect investigations
WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1986 Ford Explorer as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.