Ford Explorer problems by year
43,345 complaints across 33 model years, 1991–2025. 2002 draws the most at 4,100; 2010 the fewest at 155.
Read this first
Complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold as much as how reliable they were. A popular model year will always look worse than a rare one. Compare the dominant failure system between years rather than the raw totals.
Every model year
| Year | Complaints | Top reported system | Crashes | Fires | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 764 | Service brakes, hydraulic (18.8%) | 70 | 73 | 4 |
| 1992 | 848 | Tires (16.7%) | 54 | 84 | 4 |
| 1993 | 1,151 | Tires (23.6%) | 98 | 53 | 2 |
| 1994 | 1,531 | Tires (25.1%) | 124 | 93 | 25 |
| 1995 | 1,048 | Tires (21.3%) | 107 | 39 | 9 |
| 1996 | 1,818 | Tires (35.8%) | 248 | 46 | 89 |
| 1997 | 2,150 | Tires (35.5%) | 180 | 58 | 41 |
| 1998 | 2,374 | Tires (31.6%) | 219 | 124 | 20 |
| 1999 | 1,737 | Tires (22.9%) | 143 | 54 | 4 |
| 2000 | 1,203 | Tires (19.7%) | 115 | 84 | 5 |
| 2001 | 503 | Tires (13.3%) | 82 | 30 | 9 |
| 2002 | 4,100most | Power train (38.6%) | 178 | 71 | 6 |
| 2003 | 1,369 | Structure (26.7%) | 70 | 10 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1,647 | Power train (28.7%) | 69 | 21 | 0 |
| 2005 | 604 | Structure (25.5%) | 30 | 8 | 1 |
| 2006 | 788 | Power train (38.2%) | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| 2007 | 271 | Power train (21.4%) | 14 | 6 | 4 |
| 2008 | 217 | Electrical system (18.0%) | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 2010 | 155 | Power train (18.7%) | 13 | 0 | 50 |
| 2011 | 1,501 | Steering (49.8%) | 48 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1,037 | Steering (34.8%) | 15 | 12 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2,800 | Steering (30.0%) | 61 | 16 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2,051 | Steering (24.3%) | 49 | 10 | 6 |
| 2015 | 2,262 | Structure (18.2%) | 55 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | 3,049 | Structure (19.5%) | 58 | 21 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2,078 | Structure (31.8%) | 56 | 16 | 0 |
| 2018 | 895 | Structure (32.3%) | 31 | 9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 349 | Structure (43.3%) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1,744 | Power train (28.7%) | 58 | 16 | 0 |
| 2021 | 601 | Power train (21.1%) | 24 | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 | 379 | Power train (16.1%) | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | 159 | Electrical system (8.8%) | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 162 | Electrical system (14.2%) | 16 | 0 | 0 |