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#BS-1991-FOREXP-33C8

1991 Ford Explorer

Based on reports from 764 owners and 11 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
764
Crashes
70
Fires
73
Recalls
11
TSBs
63
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 764 complaints, 70 crashes, 73 fires, and 11 recalls. Complaint rate is 4.1x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission very hard to shift

3 complaints • Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission slipping

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
3

gas is mixing into the oil

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Wheels & TiresHIGH

58 owners reported wheels & tires issues — failures commonly reported around 114K miles.

!Inspect the Tires:tread/beltMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
1
30–60K
6
60–90K
8
90–120K
5
120–150K
13
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (13 reports) • Median: 114K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Wheels & Tires (58 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Wheels & Tires58 (8%)
Tires:tread/belt54 (7%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip52 (7%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline25 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission22 (3%)
Speed Control20 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder20 (3%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine18 (2%)

1991 Ford Explorer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1991 Ford Explorer, with 58 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 113,804 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 114K-mile mark.

Tires:tread/belt Issues

Tires:tread/belt complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1991 Ford Explorer, with 54 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to tires:tread/belt-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1991 Ford Explorer, with 52 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 1991 Ford Explorer, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

140
00
71
01
28
02
42
03
9
04
19
05
4
06
4
08
2
09
1
11
1
13
1
15
1
21

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1991 Ford Explorer. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (11 recalls)

00T005000Aug 2000

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

TIRE DESCRIPTION: FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT, SIZE P235/75R15, PRODUCED AT THE DECATUR, ILLINOIS TIRE PLANT AND ALL FIRESTONE RADIAL ATX AND RADIAL ATX II TIRES, SIZE P235/75R15. OPERATION OF THESE TIRES AT LOW INFLATION PRESSURES, HIGH SPEED, AND IN HOT WEATHER, CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SEPARATION OF THE TIRE TREAD.

01X001000Jun 2001

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. FORD REPORTS TREAD SEPARATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE TIRE DESIGN TO STRESS, AGING, AND MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS. FORD IS REPLACING THESE TIRES TO PREVENT POSSIBLE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE VEHICLES LISTED BELOW MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES OR MAY HAVE HAD WILDERNESS AT TIRES INSTALLED DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL LAUNCHED IN AUGUST 2000. CERTAIN 1991 THROUGHT 2002 FORD EXPLORER CERTAIN 2001 THROUGHT 2002 EXPLORER SPORT, AND SPORT TRAC CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 2001 RANGER CERTAIN 1999 THROUGH 2001 EXPEDITION CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994, AND 1997 MODEL YEAR F-SERIES CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994 BRONCO NOTE: BOTH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE AFFECTED.

90V098000May 1990

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

IF SUNROOF GLASS IS REMOVED AND REINSTALLED BY VEHICLE OPERATOR, HINGE ASSEMBLIES CAN BE ACCIDENTALLY IMPROPERLY MATED.

91V024000Mar 1991

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

THE FRONT HEAT SHIELD MAY CONTACT THE FRONT OF THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK, CAUSING CUTS OR OTHER DAMAGE TO THE EXTENT OF PENETRATION.

91V025000Mar 1991

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

THE HOT PLATE WELD WHICH ATTACHES THE VAPOR VENT VALVE CARRIER TO THE TOP OF THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK MAY PARTIALLY FRACTURE, ALLOWING VAPOR OF FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK.

+ 6 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Explorer is the 2006 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

1991 Ford Explorer vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

764

Class avg

188

4.1x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 764 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 11 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Explorer Model Years

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View all Ford Explorer years →

1991 Ford Explorer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1991 Ford Explorer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1991 Ford Explorer is related to the wheels & tires, with 58 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1991 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 1991 Ford Explorer has 764 complaints, 70 crash reports, and 73 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 4.1x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1991 Ford Explorer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1991 Ford Explorer have any recalls?
Yes, the 1991 Ford Explorer has 11 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Explorer problems start?
Based on 37 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 113,804 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 764 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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