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The 2010 Ford Explorer has 115 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 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 2010 Ford Explorer has 115 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 27 complaints (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Explorer | 208 | 3 |
| 2008 Explorer | 148 | 3 |
| 2009 Explorer | 33 | 1 |
| 2010 Explorer (this page) | 115 | 2 |
| 2011 Explorer | 1,196 | 8 |
| 2012 Explorer | 827 | 7 |
| 2013 Explorer | 2,232 | 12 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
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: powertrain is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.4/10 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford explorer. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…
Oil leak in both valve gasket covers oil on the crossmember it started slow then it was traced by Ford to the gaskets(fire hazard) 120 k on odometer
Truck recently start having problems, has correct amount of transmission fluid, everything. Transmission light came on car stalled, restarted the car tge car drove but acted like it was slipping, light still on, took it to mechanic... The light did not give any codes of any sort…
I was stuck in traffic and as I was at a full stop, I saw that the car in front of me had moved. So I began to accelerate. When I saw the car in front of me had stopped, I went to hit the brakes and nothing happened. I hit them again and still nothing, my car kept on going.…
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 crash, the seatback and head restraint may move rearward, increasing the risk of injury.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Ford Explorer is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2010 Ford Explorer is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Powertrain: 27 complaints, classified severe; Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 2 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 27 owner complaints filed. 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 7.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 115 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. 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 27 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The cruise control is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $600 at an independent shop. 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 115 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $600, 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.