Ford Explorer reliability by year
80 recalls and 16,284 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2009. Year to avoid: 2025.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 11 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Explorer aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Ford Explorer?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2009 Ford Explorer scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 33 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Ford Explorer year should I avoid?
The 2025 Ford Explorer scores 4.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 79 owner complaints with NHTSA, 16 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2025 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Ford Explorer should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2022 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 53 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 10,000–40,000 mi); 2017 (avoid — the engine — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2016 (avoid — the powertrain — 6 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2015 (avoid — the engine — engine: 204 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 24,400–90,000 mi); 2014 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 1 fire-related complaint on the steering); 2013 (avoid — the powertrain — 1 fatality report and 8 crash-related complaints on the powertrain). The cleaner years on the data are 2009, 2024, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2012. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Ford Explorer are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 80 recalls and 16,284 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Ford Explorer?
steering is the most-reported category — 3,484 complaints across 19 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.