Reliability & cost of ownership
Ford Explorer Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Ford Explorer? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Ford Explorer problems by model year
277 recall entries and 23699 owner complaints on file across 27 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Ford Explorer, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- structure4640 complaints
- power train4500 complaints
- steering3804 complaints
- unknown or other2920 complaints
- engine2025 complaints
- electrical system1628 complaints
- suspension1208 complaints
- engine and engine cooling1136 complaints