FORD · vehicle model
FORD EXPLORER
42,132 NHTSA complaints and 119 safety recalls across model years 1977–2025.
- Complaints
- 42,132
- Recalls
- 119
- Model years
- 43
The FORDEXPLORER appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 42,132 consumer safety complaints and 119 recall campaigns across 43 model years (1977–2025). That averages roughly 980 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.
Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.
NHTSA has 13 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.
Complaints by Year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 108 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2023 | 123 |
| 2022 | 297 |
| 2021 | 481 |
| 2020 | 1518 |
| 2019 | 293 |
| 2018 | 799 |
| 2017 | 1893 |
| 2016 | 2924 |
| 2015 | 2103 |
| 2014 | 1997 |
| 2013 | 2735 |
| 2012 | 1013 |
| 2011 | 1477 |
| 2010 | 154 |
| 2009 | 49 |
| 2008 | 215 |
| 2007 | 271 |
| 2006 | 788 |
| 2005 | 604 |
| 2004 | 1647 |
| 2003 | 1369 |
| 2002 | 4096 |
| 2001 | 503 |
| 2000 | 1203 |
| 1999 | 1737 |
| 1998 | 2374 |
| 1997 | 2150 |
| 1996 | 1818 |
| 1995 | 1048 |
| 1994 | 1531 |
| 1993 | 1151 |
| 1992 | 848 |
| 1991 | 764 |
| 1990 | 12 |
| 1989 | 1 |
| 1988 | 7 |
| 1987 | 3 |
| 1986 | 3 |
| 1985 | 1 |
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1977 | 2 |
Complaint Filing Trend
NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).
Filings moved from 7,074 in 2017-2021 to 8,928 in 2022-2026, a rise of 26.2%. That is the 70th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.
Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.
Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).
Compare FORDEXPLORER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Underbody shields detachment
Rear Axle Bolt Failure
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
Front Brake Hose Failure
Front brake hose failure
Front brake hose failure
Electric power steering failure
TIRE VALVE CRACKS
SEAT BELT WEBBING
Frequently Asked Questions
How reliable is the FORD EXPLORER?▼
What years of FORD EXPLORER are available?▼
Does the FORD EXPLORER have safety ratings?▼
What are the most common FORD EXPLORER complaints?▼
How do I check if my FORD EXPLORER has been recalled?▼
Data sources
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. FORD EXPLORER totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.