Ford Explorer problems by model year
NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026
Summary
Across model years 2010–2020, NHTSA's public databases list 14,334 owner complaints and 67 distinct recall campaigns for the Ford Explorer.
The year with the most complaints is 2016 (2,464; owners name structure most). The year with the fewest is 2010 (115). The median year has 1,247.
These are raw counts. They are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
Every model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash | Fire | Most-named component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 115 | 2 | 8 | 0 | Power Train (24%) |
| 2011 | 1,197 | 8 | 30 | 4 | Steering (62%) |
| 2012 | 830 | 7 | 10 | 6 | Steering (43%) |
| 2013 | 2,237 | 12 | 44 | 11 | Steering (37%) |
| 2014 | 1,684 | 7 | 32 | 6 | Steering (30%) |
| 2015 | 1,814 | 9 | 37 | 1 | Structure (23%) |
| 2016 | 2,464 | 15 | 39 | 14 | Structure (24%) |
| 2017 | 1,713 | 14 | 34 | 11 | Structure (39%) |
| 2018 | 733 | 7 | 15 | 7 | Structure (39%) |
| 2019 | 300 | 6 | 2 | 0 | Structure (50%) |
| 2020 | 1,247 | 33 | 37 | 10 | Power Train (40%) |
Linked years have a full page with every component and recall. Other years get pages over time; the counts above are already live.
Quick answers
What is the worst year for the Ford Explorer?
By NHTSA owner complaints, 2016 (2,464 complaints; top component structure). That is a raw count, not adjusted for sales or age.
Which Ford Explorer year has the fewest complaints?
2010, with 115 complaints in NHTSA's data, among model years 2010–2020.
Which Ford Explorer year has the most recalls?
2020, with 33 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database.
Sources
Each count comes from NHTSA's Complaints API (complaintsByVehicle) and Recalls API (recallsByVehicle) for make FORD, model EXPLORER, one request per model year, for example https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle?make=FORD&model=EXPLORER&modelYear=2016. Checked 2026-10-31. See method.