There are 50 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 1999 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SPORADICALLY OPERATE WITHOUT ACTIVATION AND WHEN ACTIVATED, WOULD NOT OPERATE AT ALL. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED UNTIL THE WIPERS WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT'S PERSONAL MECHANIC INSPECTED VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING HAD FAILED AND WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO OPERATE INVOLUNTARILY TWO OR THREE TIMES. DURING THE FAILURES, SMOKE WOULD BEGIN TO RISE FROM THE TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WOULD ONLY DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED THE REAR HATCH, THE GLASS SUDDENLY EXPLODED EVERYWHERE. THERE WERE PIECES OF GLASS THAT WERE EIGHT INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE GLASS SHATTERED WITH SUCH GREAT FORCE THAT SOME OF THE PIECES STRUCK AND CRACKED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED POWDER BURNS TO THE FACE AND SHOULDERS, AS WELL AS SMALL CUTS. SHE HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR A MECHANIC, BUT THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 143,077.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD NOT BE TURNED ON. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 FORD EXPLORER. HIS REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER STOPPED WORKING AND HIS FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GEM MODULE AND THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS; HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A FORD DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW WHEN HE WILL HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
WINDSHIELD CRACKING AND STATIONARY WINDOW BACK PASSENGER WINDOW BREAKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE REAR GLASS SUDDENLY SHATTERED INTO PIECES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,726. UPDATED 06/02/08 *BF UPDATED 06/02/08 *TR UPDATED 06/03/08
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL START ON THEIR OWN. WHEN IT HAPPENS, THEY WILL CONTINUE INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL I TURN THE WIPERS ON HIGH THEN TURN THEM BACK OFF. IT IS EXTREMELY INTERMITTENT, SOMETIMES GOING MONTHS BEFORE IT WILL DO IT. HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. *TR
THE REAR WINDOW WIPER ON MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER FAILS TO WORK. I'VE REPLACED THE MOTOR, AND THERE IS POWER TO THE MOTOR ITSELF. IF I TURN THE WIPER ON AND GET OUT AND FORCE THE WIPER UP, IT WILL BEGIN TO WORK. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT AN OPTION WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT BEGINS TO RAIN. WITH THE WIPER NOT WORKING, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT THE BACK. *JB
DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE PLASTIC VENT INSIDE THE HEATER CONTROL ASSEMBLY BROKE. THIS PLASTIC VENT REGULATES WHERE THE AIR WILL CIRCULATE THROUGH OUT THE VEHICLE. ALSO, IT CONTROLS THE DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SEE WITHOUT THE WINDSHIELD BEING DEFROSTED. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED WHY THE COMPONENT BROKE. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND NOT DO ANYTHING. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. *AK
BLEND DOOR ON THE HEAT AND AC BROKEN, CANNOT WARM UP INTERIOR OF VEHICLE TO DEFROST WINDOWS, IT JUST BLOWS COLD AIR(MAYBE OUTSIDE AIR). HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET.
THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ENGAGE WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED TO DO SO AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD IN MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER CAME LOOSE. ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT COME COMPLETELY OUT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE REMAINED INTACT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. I HADS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, MAKING IT HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE DURING RAINY WEATHER. *AK
AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL PEOPLE, AND DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A COMMON PROBLEM IS WITH THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. ON MORE THAN ONE OCASSION, THE MOTORS STOPPED WORKING, WORK INCORRECTLY, OR WORK ONE MINUTE AND FAIL TO FUNCTION THE NEXT. THIS LEADS TO THE LACK OF VISIBILITY TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME SAFETY CONCERNS.*AK
REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH/MOTOR FAILED FROM TIME TO TIME.*AK
THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED TWICE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE MOTOR STARTED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN COMPLETELY FAILED.*JB
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN THE RAIN THE WINDSIELD WIPER MOTOR WENT OUT CAUSING LOW VISABILITY. PH
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WENT OUT CAUSING LOW VISABILITY. PH
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026