2015 Ford Explorer: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 1,755 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 9 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
1,755
Complaints
9
Recalls
36
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
95
Injuries
51.9
Severity index
Severity index 51.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Ford Explorer ranks 91 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 36% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 401 | 22.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 394 | 22.5% |
| STEERING | 342 | 19.5% |
| ENGINE | 225 | 12.8% |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 120 | 6.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 89 | 5.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 86 | 4.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 84 | 4.8% |
The single most-reported system is STRUCTURE, cited in 401 of 1,755 complaints (22.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 51 |
| 2016 | 119 |
| 2017 | 270 |
| 2018 | 139 |
| 2019 | 183 |
| 2020 | 123 |
| 2021 | 89 |
| 2022 | 91 |
| 2023 | 152 |
| 2024 | 181 |
| 2025 | 250 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 104 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.9x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V435000 | 10/06/2019 | SUSPENSION:REAR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension. |
| 17E048000 | 28/08/2017 | WHEELS:HUB | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feat |
| 15V464000 | 24/07/2015 | PARKING BRAKE | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015 |
| 16V245000 | 26/04/2016 | SUSPENSION:REAR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured January 17, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may have improperly welded rear suspension toe links that may fracture. |
| 20V692000 | 10/11/2020 | POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft may fail. |
| 21V537000 | 15/07/2021 | SUSPENSION:REAR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, P |
| 20V675000 | 12/03/2021 | SUSPENSION:REAR | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, |
| 24V031000 | 19/01/2024 | STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach. |
| 25V695000 | 13/10/2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermitten |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.