Two years at the same age, so the older one is not punished for having been on the road longer.
2015 vs 2016 Ford Explorer
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-10-14
Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.
In plain English
A lifetime total makes the 2015 look busier because it has been on the road longer. This page counts reports in the first 133 months for each year, so both years are the same age.
In that window, the 2016 has 52.1% more owner reports than the 2015.
The mix also shifted: Rear camera / backup safety is a smaller share of reports on the 2016 (6.6 points). That is a change in what owners named, not a score.
Open both year-pages. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov. Have a shop inspect Rear camera / backup safety. Do not pick a year from the percentage alone.
First 133 months on market for each model year
Exposure window calculated through Oct 15, 2026
Reports while each year was the same age
▲ 52.1% more reports at the same age
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-10-14
What owners named more or less
Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.
View component share data as a table
| Component | 2015 share | 2016 share | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 6.8% | 0.2% | ▼ 6.6 pts smaller share |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 19.0% | 22.2% | ▲ 3.2 pts larger share |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 3.4% | 6.6% | ▲ 3.1 pts larger share |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 11.3% | 14.2% | ▲ 2.9 pts larger share |
| Steering (STEERING) | 17.2% | 19.2% | ▲ 2.0 pts larger share |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 0.7% | 2.4% | ▲ 1.7 pts larger share |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 3.6% | 2.3% | ▼ 1.2 pts smaller share |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 0.7% | 1.8% | ▲ 1.2 pts larger share |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 1.2% | 0.3% | ▼ 0.9 pts smaller share |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 3.3% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.7 pts smaller share |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 1.5% | 2.2% | ▲ 0.7 pts larger share |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 0.8% | 0.2% | ▼ 0.6 pts smaller share |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 1.8% | 1.5% | ▼ 0.4 pts smaller share |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 3.3% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.3 pts smaller share |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 0.1% | 0.2% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 2.4% | 2.5% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE) | 0.1% | 0.0% | ▼ 0.1 pts smaller share |
| Tires (TIRES) | 0.2% | 0.2% | ▲ 0.1 pts larger share |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 0.3% | 0.2% | ▼ 0.0 pts smaller share |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 35.3% | 32.0% | ▼ 3.2 pts smaller share |
NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-10-15
Recall campaigns
Campaign components: Rear camera / backup safety, Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, and Suspension
Campaign components: Engine, Unclassified NHTSA leftover, Fuel system, Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, and Suspension
NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-10-14
Safety signals
- ◆ Fires
- 1 → 14
- ◆ Injuries
- 98 → 58
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Explorer year had more problems, 2015 or 2016?
In that window, the 2016 has 52.1% more owner reports than the 2015. Lifetime totals are not used here because the older year has had more time on the road.
Why not just compare lifetime complaint totals?
The older year has had more time to collect reports. This page holds age constant by counting the first 133 months for each year.
Does a larger share of one system mean that year is worse?
No. It means owners named that system more often in the file. Inspect it. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip.