IllustrationWHILE DRIVING, SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AREA. *JB
1999 Chevrolet Explorer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Explorer years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 5 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
5 reportsTHE CALIPER BOLTS WERE MISSING, WHICH CAUSED A VIBRATION. *JB
CONSUMER STATES; WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AIR BAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASH ON AND OFF. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND FIXED COUPLE TIME AN THE PROBLEM STILL REOCCCURING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
AT 5MPH PUT ON TURN SIGNAL AND STEERING COLUMN STARTED SMOKING. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSE A FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
IN GENERAL, HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED TOO HIGH. I AIM MINE LOWER TO ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY BUT NOT THE TREES. THE STANDARD FOR HEADLIGHT AIM NEEDS TO BE REVISED TO LOWER SUBSTANTIALLY. IN ADDITION, THE ADVENT OF FOG LAMPS IS A DISSAPPOINTMENT. FIRST, THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL. THEY BROADCAST LIGHT, RATHER THAN AIM IT IN A NARROW …
Read full complaint
IN GENERAL, HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED TOO HIGH. I AIM MINE LOWER TO ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY BUT NOT THE TREES. THE STANDARD FOR HEADLIGHT AIM NEEDS TO BE REVISED TO LOWER SUBSTANTIALLY. IN ADDITION, THE ADVENT OF FOG LAMPS IS A DISSAPPOINTMENT. FIRST, THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL. THEY BROADCAST LIGHT, RATHER THAN AIM IT IN A NARROW BEAM ALONG THE ROADWAY JUST OFF PAVEMENT HEIGHT. THEY DIRECT LIGHT UP INTO THE LINE OF SIGHT JUST IN FRONT OF THE GRILL, PLACING ADDITIONAL GLARE IN THE DRIVERS VIEW. SOME OF THESE "FOG LAMPS" ARE ALSO FAR TOO BRIGHT, PRODUCING MORE GLARE FOR ON-COMING DRIVERS THAN THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS. THE WORST OFFENDERS ARE DAIMLER-CHRYSLER MINIVANS AND MID-SIZED SEDANS, PLUS PONTIAC MINIVANS. THE AIM AND POWER OF THESE LAMPS-FOR-STYLE MUST BE CONTROLLED TO MINIMIZE THEIR EFFECT ON DRIVER VISION. SO, LOWER HEADLIGHT AIM, AND DIM THE GLARE FROM "FOG LIGHTS". THANK YOU.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.