2015 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls (1,801 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2015 Ford Explorer is Body / frame (19% of 1,801 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,801 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2015 Ford Explorer?
342 of 1,801 filings named Body / frame (19% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Steering (310 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, and Rear camera / backup safety. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2014 has 1,677 reports on file; this year has 1,801. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Body / frame 342 complaints · 19.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 37
- Fires 1
- Injuries 98
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 342 | 19.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 310 | 17.2% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 204 | 11.3% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 123 | 6.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 64 | 3.6% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 62 | 3.4% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 59 | 3.3% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 59 | 3.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 43 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 635 | 35.3% | 10 crashes · 0 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 397 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17E048000 was reported 886 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V435000 was reported 1,537 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V692000 was reported 1,975 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V675000 was reported 2,178 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V537000 was reported 2,303 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V031000 was reported 3,140 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V695000 was reported 2,252 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 76 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 50 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 111 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 69 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 50 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 47 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 61 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 58 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 47 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 47 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 51 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 66 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 64 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 69 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 56 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2026-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V464000 | |
| 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 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V695000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE15017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA17002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE23001 |
Safety Recalls (9)
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, Body / frame, and Rear camera / backup safety.
-
Recall campaign 15V464000
Safety recall 15V464000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 25V695000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
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 10 of 1,801 complaints · page 1 of 73
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Nothing has happened yet. Have been waiting 2.5 years for this recall to be fixed and I am afraid to drive my car without it being fixed so basically I am stuck at home and paying car insurance and maintenance on a car I can't drive far.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the message that the rear-view camera was inoperable was displayed, and the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the rear-view camera display had failed. The contact was informed that the rear-view camera display needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the part to be available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the camera intermittently displayed a blank or distorted image on the screen. The message "Camera Unavailable - Please Contact Your Dealer" was displayed. The dealer was contacted but could not confirm when parts would be available.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear-view camera failed to display a clear view image. Two local dealers were contacted, and the failure was confirmed. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen, glitched with the message “Rear-view Camera Unavailable” was displayed with the message displayed upside down. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure had been occurring over four years. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving into a parking lot at approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed after the failure. The contact was able to continue driving and pulled into a parking space, where the vehicle remained overnight. The vehicle was in the process of being towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the remedy to be available. The contact stated that while in reverse, the camera intermittently displayed a black screen. The dealer was contacted but could not confirm when parts would be available. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Intermittent locking of steering wheel while driving for about 8 months. Now it has complete loss of power steering. [XXX] says service advance trac and complete steering loss pull over safely. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ABS module failed. Contacted ford and was told the only thing I could do was purchase the same failed ABS module, even though there is a stop sale on it. The failure is anytime I put the vehicle out of park.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the front passenger's side A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image with lines. The contact stated that intermittently the rear-view camera failed to activate as intended. Several dealers were contacted by phone and made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Ford Explorer Complaints by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2015 Ford Explorer?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 342 of 1,801 reports (19%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2015 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Transmission / driveline, Body / frame, and Rear camera / backup safety. 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 2015 Ford Explorer?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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.