Ford Explorer years to avoid
Every Ford Explorer model year on file (2012-2025), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2024
Worst year on file
88.4
Severity index
Unknown Or Other
Most-reported system
2012
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 Ford Explorer | 88.4 High | 21 | Unknown Or Other |
| 2 | 2022 Ford Explorer | 86.0 High | 271 | Power Train |
| 3 | 2023 Ford Explorer | 82.0 High | 111 | Unknown Or Other |
| 4 | 2025 Ford Explorer | 72.0 Medium | 107 | Electrical System |
| 5 | 2021 Ford Explorer | 51.7 Medium | 447 | Power Train |
| 6 | 2015 Ford Explorer | 51.0 Medium | 1,810 | Structure |
| 7 | 2020 Ford Explorer | 42.8 Low | 1,239 | Power Train |
| 8 | 2017 Ford Explorer | 37.0 Low | 1,712 | Structure |
| 9 | 2013 Ford Explorer | 35.6 Low | 2,237 | Steering |
| 10 | 2014 Ford Explorer | 34.1 Low | 1,684 | Steering |
| 11 | 2018 Ford Explorer | 31.1 Low | 733 | Structure |
| 12 | 2016 Ford Explorer | 30.2 Low | 2,461 | Structure |
| 13 | 2019 Ford Explorer | 29.3 Low | 299 | Structure |
| 14 | 2012 Ford Explorer | 25.9 Low | 829 | Steering |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Ford Explorer complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 829 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 25.9 Low | STEERING |
| 2013 | 2,237 | 12 | 44 | 11 | 35.6 Low | STEERING |
| 2014 | 1,684 | 7 | 32 | 6 | 34.1 Low | STEERING |
| 2015 | 1,810 | 9 | 37 | 1 | 51.0 Medium | STRUCTURE |
| 2016 | 2,461 | 15 | 39 | 14 | 30.2 Low | STRUCTURE |
| 2017 | 1,712 | 14 | 34 | 11 | 37.0 Low | STRUCTURE |
| 2018 | 733 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 31.1 Low | STRUCTURE |
| 2019 | 299 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 29.3 Low | STRUCTURE |
| 2020 | 1,239 | 33 | 37 | 10 | 42.8 Low | POWER TRAIN |
| 2021 | 447 | 26 | 14 | 5 | 51.7 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2022 | 271 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 86.0 High | POWER TRAIN |
| 2023 | 111 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 82.0 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2024 | 21 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 88.4 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 107 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 72.0 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.