Latches
Free remedy
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH MAY CORRODE AT THE LATCH PIVOT AND STICK IN THE OPEN POSITION.
Problems · by component
1999 Ford Explorer latches/locks/linkages problems
39 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Explorer cite latches/locks/linkages, 3% of all 1,465 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
Complaints
39
3% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the latches/locks/linkages
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE HOOD OPENED AND CRACKED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND TIED THE HOOD DOWN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT, WHILE DRIVING, THE SPEED CONTROL WOULD ENGAGE OR NOT ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”
“THE POWER LOCKS WILL NOT UNLOCK ALL THE DOORS. THE ONLY DOOR THAT WILL UNLOCK IS THE FRONT PASSENGER. IF THE DRIVER DOOR SHUTS HARD IT WILL NOT OPEN BY THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE HANDLE. HAVE TO ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. *TR”
“THE PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK, YOU HEAR THE CLICKING AS THE OTHER DOORS UNLOCK, BUT IT WILL NOT UNLOCK. AS WITH THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN REGARDING THIS ISSUE, I TOO AM CONCERNED IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND THE PERSON IN THE PASSENGER SIDE IS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. *TR”
“DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK WONT UNLOCK WITH KEY OR WITH HANDLE, CANT UNLOCK DOOR WITH PULL KNOB EITHER,IT'S A DEATH TRAP IF U NEED TO ESCAPE IN THE EVENT OF FIRE OR ACCIDENT, THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD ASAP!!! *TR”
“FRONT PASSENGER DOOR CANNOT OPEN, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR HANDLES DO NOT RELEASE LATCH. PASSENGER IS TRAPPED IN VEHICLE. THE POWER (SOLENOID) AND MANUAL (KEY) LOCKING MECHANISM ACTIVATES/WORKS, BUT DOES NOT ALLOW DOOR TO BE OPENED. *TR”
“1999 FORD EXPLORER - THE DOORS LOCK BECOME STUCK - NEITHER OPENING WITH THE KEY MANUALLY, KEY CODE, OR REMOTE FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND THE DOOR IN THE BACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST STOPPED WORKING THE DOOR IN THE REAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OPENS FROM THE OUTSIDE; THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN AT ALL. IN ATTEMPT TO FREE MYSELF FROM THE CAR I BROKE THE INTERNAL DOOR HANDLE. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AND IT IS UNSAFE AND EXPENSIVE FOR THE OWNERS TO FIX. PLEASE REFERENCE THIS WEBSITE TO SEE THE NUMEROUS OTHER FORD CONSUMERS THAT ARE EFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM JUST ON THIS ONE FORUM THERE ARE MORE FORUMS THAN THIS FOR ALMOST ALL THE FORD MODELS: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/1998/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/DRIVERS_DOOR_WONT_UNLOCK.SHTML. *TR”
Showing 6 of 39 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
1 recall on this component
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 7, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.