2014 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls (1,677 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2014 Ford Explorer is Steering (27% of 1,677 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,677 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2014 Ford Explorer?
449 of 1,677 filings named Steering (27% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Body / frame (248 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2013 has 2,234 reports on file; this year has 1,677. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 449 complaints · 26.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 32
- Fires 6
- Injuries 38
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 449 | 26.8% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 248 | 14.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 188 | 11.2% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 85 | 5.1% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 62 | 3.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 50 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 39 | 2.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 39 | 2.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 30 | 1.8% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 541 | 32.3% | 12 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 16V245000 was reported 480 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17E048000 was reported 969 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V435000 was reported 1,620 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V692000 was reported 2,657 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V675000 was reported 2,261 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V537000 was reported 2,386 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V031000 was reported 3,635 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 57 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 76 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 94 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 49 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 50 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 67 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 53 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 65 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 53 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2026-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V245000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17E048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V435000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V692000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V675000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V537000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V031000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA17002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE23001 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 16V245000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S18.
-
Recall campaign 17E048000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 19V435000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
-
Recall campaign 20V675000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
-
Recall campaign 20V692000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the link shaft bracket, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners received an interim notification detailing safety risk December 8, 2020. A second letter will be mailed when parts become available in January 2021. The recall began February 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
-
Recall campaign 21V537000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
-
Recall campaign 24V031000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-14
Showing 6 of 1,677 complaints · page 1 of 68
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving down the highway, and I heard what sounded as if something had fallen on vehicle and cracked my window. However, there wasn't anything, so I got out of the car and saw that my B pillar trim had come off and was hanging down by the wires on the driver side of vehicle. This was very frightening as this could have resulted in an accident due to this piece falling apart on the side of the car.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 2014 Ford Explorer experienced a serious electric power steering failure. While driving, the vehicle displayed “Power Steering Assist Fault” and the steering became extremely difficult to turn due to loss of steering assistance. I was driving with my child in the vehicle when this occurred. I believe this created a potentially life-threatening situation. If I had needed to make an emergency maneuver or avoid another vehicle or obstacle, I may not have been able to control the vehicle normally. I could have been killed and my child could have been seriously injured or killed. The Power Steering Control Module was scanned and produced these DTCs: U3000-96 – Control Module: Component Internal Failure; U2011-49 – Motor: Internal Electronic Failure; U3000-49 – Control Module: Internal Electronic Failure. I replaced the battery with a brand-new battery and replaced a corroded EPAS fuse, but the steering remained extremely difficult and the problem continued. The vehicle is currently at Howell Ford in [XXX]. I have been given an estimated repair cost of approximately $2,700 plus tax. The repair has not yet been authorized. I previously contacted NHTSA and received Request #XXX, concerning “2014 Explorer Electric Power Steering Failure / Matching EPAS DTCs.” I am concerned this may be a safety-related defect and may be related to electric power steering failures reported on other Ford Explorer model years. I am requesting that NHTSA compare my vehicle, symptoms, and DTCs with other Ford Explorer EPAS complaints, investigations, recalls, and manufacturer information and determine whether the 2014 Explorer requires further safety review. I can provide the VIN, diagnostic scan, photographs, dealership information, and repair estimate. This was an actual loss of steering assistance, not merely a warning light, and occurred while I had my child in the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2 incomplete recalls
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Steering simply shutoff and locked up while driving. I seen there's a recall on 2013 Ford exploers but not for 2014 even though its the same problem. Now im without a vehicle and it will be a expensive repair.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I own a 2014 Ford Explorer, VIN [XXX]. In approximately 2020, I reported damaged exterior A-pillar appliqué trim clip(s) to a Ford dealer and requested repair. I was told the needed part was on backorder. The condition was not permanently repaired. Ford later issued Safety Recall 24S02 / NHTSA Recall 24V-031 for certain 2011-2019 Ford Explorers involving exterior A-pillar appliqué trim retention clips that can allow the trim to loosen or detach. This is the same or substantially similar condition I reported years earlier. At a later dealer visit, the dealer verified the damaged A-pillar trim. Instead of completing a permanent repair, black duct tape was applied as a temporary measure. I was again told the recall repair parts were on backorder and that I was on a waiting list. The recall repair remains incomplete. I am concerned the exterior A-pillar trim could loosen or detach while driving, creating roadway debris and a hazard to other motorists. I believe the continued delay is unreasonable because I first reported this condition in 2020, the dealer verified it, and the issue is now covered by a safety recall. I request that NHTSA review Ford’s and the dealer’s continued inability to provide the required recall repair and the reliance on duct tape as a long-term temporary measure. I request prompt availability of the correct parts and completion of the recall repair at no cost. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Recall issued and notified via mail by Ford for faulty A-pillarsin 2024. A-pillars can fall off vehicle while driving and can cause safety issue. Vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection in March of 2025 to verify issue and was informed that no parts are available. After several visits to service department and phone calls, still no parts available for now 2+ years. Ford apparently has no intention of providing parts for the recall.
Ford Explorer Complaints by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2014 Ford Explorer?
Owners named Steering most often — 449 of 1,677 reports (27%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2014 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2014 Ford Explorer?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.