Vehicle Data Hub

Ford Explorer by model year

43,537 owner complaints are on file with NHTSA for the Ford Explorer across 37 model years. Choose a year for problems, recalls, fuel economy and crash ratings in one place.

See the best and worst years for the Ford Explorer

Complaints by model year

Total NHTSA complaints by model year, Ford Explorer 0 2,250 4,500 1991: 764 '91 1992: 848 1993: 1,151 1994: 1,531 '94 1995: 1,048 1996: 1,818 1997: 2,150 '97 1998: 2,374 1999: 1,737 2000: 1,203 '00 2001: 503 2002: 4,100 2003: 1,369 '03 2004: 1,647 2005: 604 2006: 788 '06 2007: 271 2008: 217 2009: 49 '09 2010: 155 2011: 1,501 2012: 1,037 '12 2013: 2,800 2014: 2,057 2015: 2,265 '15 2016: 3,052 2017: 2,080 2018: 896 '18 2019: 349 2020: 1,755 2021: 604 '21 2022: 383 2023: 159 2024: 28 '24 2025: 167 2026: 65
Older model years have had longer to collect complaints, so a taller bar on an older year is not necessarily a worse year. The best and worst years page corrects for this.
View the numbers
Model yearComplaints
1991764
1992848
19931,151
19941,531
19951,048
19961,818
19972,150
19982,374
19991,737
20001,203
2001503
20024,100
20031,369
20041,647
2005604
2006788
2007271
2008217
200949
2010155
20111,501
20121,037
20132,800
20142,057
20152,265
20163,052
20172,080
2018896
2019349
20201,755
2021604
2022383
2023159
202428
2025167
202665

All model years

Model yearComplaintsMost reportedRecallsMPGSafety
2027 1 19 to 23
2026 65 Electrical system (14%) 14 19 to 24
2025 167 Electrical system (14%) 20 20 to 24 5 stars
2024 28 Suspension (14%) 10 20 to 24 5 stars
2023 159 Electrical system (9%) 15 20 to 27 5 stars
2022 383 Drivetrain & axles (16%) 24 19 to 27
2021 604 Drivetrain & axles (21%) 26 19 to 27 5 stars
2020 1,755 Drivetrain & axles (28%) 33 19 to 28 5 stars
2019 349 Body & structure (43%) 6 18 to 22 5 stars
2018 896 Body & structure (32%) 7 18 to 22 5 stars
2017 2,080 Body & structure (32%) 13 18 to 22 5 stars
2016 3,052 Body & structure (20%) 14 18 to 22 5 stars
2015 2,265 Body & structure (18%) 8 18 to 23 5 stars
2014 2,057 Steering (24%) 6 18 to 23 5 stars
2013 2,800 Steering (30%) 11 18 to 23 5 stars
2012 1,037 Steering (35%) 5 19 to 23 4 stars
2011 1,501 Steering (50%) 6 19 to 20
2010 155 Drivetrain & axles (17%) 1 15 to 17
2009 49 Cruise control (10%) 15 to 17
2008 217 Electrical system (18%) 1 15 to 16
2007 271 Drivetrain & axles (14%) 1 15 to 16
2006 788 Drivetrain & axles (23%) 1 15 to 16
2005 604 Body & structure (26%) 14 to 16
2004 1,647 Body & structure (27%) 15 to 16
2003 1,369 Body & structure (27%) 2 15 to 16
2002 4,100 Transmission (24%) 4 14 to 39
2001 503 Tires (13%) 6 15 to 39
2000 1,203 Tires (20%) 9 15 to 18
1999 1,737 Tires (23%) 9 14 to 18
1998 2,374 Tires (32%) 9 14 to 17
1997 2,150 Tires (36%) 7 14 to 18
1996 1,818 Tires (36%) 6 14 to 18
1995 1,048 Tires (21%) 5 15 to 18
1994 1,531 Tires (25%) 4 15 to 18
1993 1,151 Brakes (24%) 6 16 to 18
1992 848 Brakes (17%) 4 15 to 17
1991 764 Brakes (20%) 8 16 to 18