1996 Ford Explorer Tires Problems

NHTSA component category: TIRES · data through 07/14/2026

260Tires complaints

17.9%Of all 1,450 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How tires ranks on this vehicle

TIRES:TREAD/BELT369 · 25.4%

TIRES260 · 17.9%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL85 · 5.9%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION78 · 5.4%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP76 · 5.2%

Share of the 1,450 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1996 Ford Explorer overview page.

What owners report

“FIRESTONE TIRE HAS HAD A SLOW LEAK SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE.”NHTSA complaint 603828 — filed 09/08/1997

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Tires complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1996 Ford Explorer have tires problems?

Tires is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 1996 Ford Explorer: 260 of 1,450 complaints on file (17.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1996 Ford Explorer have in total?

1,450 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 197 involved a crash, 37 involved a fire, 347 reported injuries, and 51 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's tires category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the TIRES category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.