Four years after the launch of the first-gen Explorer, Ford refreshed its budding SUV with a new look. Granted, it wasn't exactly a dramatic departure from the original, but it was different enough. The grille and headlights now had a more distinctive look, and at 190.7 inches (five-door) it was significantly longer than the first version, due in part to the death of the Bronco the year prior.
Underhood of the second-gen Explorer, the same 155-horsepower (115-kilowatt) four-liter carried over. But in order to compete with cars like the Jeep Cherokee, Ford shoehorned in a 5.0-liter V8 producing 210 hp (157 kW) in 1995. In 1997, that same updated engine produced 215 hp, and Ford introduced a third engine to the Explorer range: A 4.0-liter V6 good for 210 hp.
But the second-gen Explorer, in particular, had its fair share of with criticism. In 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into possible Firestone tire tread issues and rollover deaths associated with the Ford Explorer. A year later, Firestone issued a recall of 3.5 million P235/75R15 and P255/70R16 Wilderness AT tires deemed unsafe for the road. According to court documents, 271 people were killed and another 823 people were injured as a result.
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