How many recalls does the 1990 Ford Explorer have?

The 1990 Ford Explorer has no NHTSA safety recalls on record.

How do I check if my 1990 Ford Explorer has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1990 Ford Explorer?

Of 12 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is fuel system, gasoline.

1990 Ford Explorer Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1990 Ford Explorer. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

Total complaints12

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“While coming to a stop at 20 mph vehicle stalled/ lost power. Consumer pulled over and managed to gain control of the vehicle. *ak”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2003-11-27

“Fuel gauge no longer works,. Consumer cannot tell the amount of fuel left in tank.*ak”

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY · reported 2002-07-08

“While driving 58 mph opened sun roof, it disconnected and fell off.*ak”

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY · reported 2002-07-01

“Pulling into driveway & applied brakes, pedal locked in one spot. Vehicle was free rolling & hit a garage door. Towed vehicle to dealer & mechanic ran a diagnostic test for brakes & found nothing. Problem happened again since having engine work done. Problem was intermittent. *ak”

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · reported 2000-11-16

“Firestone radial atx tires p23575r15 original equipment on a 90 explorer. While driving 70mph the driver heard a loud noise and noticed that rear driver's side tread had separated ,through rear view mirror, causing damage to vehicle. *ak dot#w2hl 1pm. *slc”

TIRES:TREAD/BELT · reported 2000-07-16

“No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 1998-11-01

“Connecting pipes on the gas tank are formed from seamed steal pipe, and the seam is sealed due to bad manufacturing. The seam bends over and eventually rusts away, and allows gas to leak to ground. Dealer contacted and cannot duplicate the problem. *ak”

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY · reported 1998-09-12

“I had three tires lose the entire center tread on my previous vehicle (90 ford explorer) while traveling aroung 70mph. All three were within a month of each other. The first tire that went caused damage to my vehicle body that was reported to my insurance.( dot number: tire size: p235/75r15 )”

TIRES:TREAD/BELT · reported 1998-07-01

Defect investigations

Investigation PE92029 Opened 1992-03-16 · closed 1992-08-31

WHL SEPARATION/TORQUE LOSS

There is no summary currently available

Investigation PE92084 Opened 1992-10-23 · closed 1993-02-26

FRONT SEAT TRACK FAILURE

There is no summary currently available

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1990 Ford Explorer as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.