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The 2007 Ford Explorer has 208 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2007 Ford Explorer has 208 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 54 complaints, typically surfacing around 73,605 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Explorer | 568 | 3 |
| 2006 Explorer | 635 | 4 |
| 2007 Explorer (this page) | 208 | 3 |
| 2008 Explorer | 148 | 3 |
| 2009 Explorer | 33 | 1 |
| 2010 Explorer | 115 | 2 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: engine is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 82,972 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.8/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford explorer. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost power and shut off without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road where it was towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the PCM needed to be…
The visor on the driver side, the mirror assembly has separated from the visor and on the passenger side the cover of the mirror assembly has snapped. The passenger side mirror is rarely used since a passenger is rarely in the seat. The clips holding the driver side mirror…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford explorer. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was loose and shook uncontrollably. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was a loose nut in the steering column, which caused the…
On several occasions while driving during the past several months, the power seat has moved backwards on its own, causing problems in reaching the pedals safely. In several incidents when this occurred, the interior lights also turned on. Two of the times this happened, it was…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An improperly deployed airbag could result in serious injury.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(s) may be seriously injured by shattered glass.
This condition could cause "clunking" noise when steering as well as decreased steering effectiveness potentially resulting in a crash.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 208 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2007 Ford Explorer has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2007 Ford Explorer is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Engine: 28 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 45,000–112,689 mi; Reliability score 6.8/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 54 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 73,605 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.8 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 208 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 73,605 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 54 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 73,605 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 81,392 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 208 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.