2018 Ford Explorer problems
The 2018 Ford Explorer has 896 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (32%) concerns body & structure. Next are engine (14%) and electrical system (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 896 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 31 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 24 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 45,000 miles 346 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 96 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 59 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 51 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 51 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 38 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 32 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 10 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 6 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 346 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 45,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 61,000 miles (124 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 31 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 24 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 22nd most-complained-about out of 36 model years of the Ford Explorer with enough data (465 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Vehicle was struck from behind by a pick-up truck driving at a high rate of speed. Upon impact my vehicle's front seats collapsed into the back seats causing the seat belts to be ineffective. As a result the passenger in my vehicle sustained back and neck injuries. My vehicle was stationary as the traffic was at a standstill. The vehicle that struck my vehicle was traveling at about 70 miles per hour.
We took our 2018 ford explorer into the shop last winter complaining of a bad smell. The shop kept our car for about 5 days and said there was nothing wrong. 2 weeks ago my wife went to the er and was diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. We began working with for to help get this fixed, 5 days later she passed out at the wheel and wrecked into a telephone poll. While at the er there was carbon monoxide in her blood again. Thank goodness she didn't hit a family or something worse.
Both. Vehicles were moving. The explorer front hit the right rear panel of a 2011 ford ranger. Both vehicles were going approximately 30 MPH. No injuries sustained by either driver. My ford explorer air bags did not deploy. I was on a city street the other vehicle was just beginning to turn.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle failed to start. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut off unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the alternator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim had detached from the vehicle causing excessive wind noise and water to leak into the cabin of the vehicle.