2016 FORD EXPLORER — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 2,430 complaints · 15 recalls
Most-reported system: STRUCTURE (533 complaints · 21.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 37
  • Fires 14
  • Injuries 58
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2015 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution STRUCTURE appears in 533 of 2,430 owner complaints (21.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. STRUCTURE: 533 complaints, 21.9% of reports STRUCTURE 533 · 21.9% · 3 crash reports 1 fire reports STEERING: 468 complaints, 19.3% of reports STEERING 468 · 19.3% · 7 crash reports ENGINE: 347 complaints, 14.3% of reports ENGINE 347 · 14.3% · 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 161 complaints, 6.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 161 · 6.6% · 6 crash reports 4 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 73 complaints, 3.0% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 73 · 3.0% AIR BAGS: 64 complaints, 2.6% of reports AIR BAGS 64 · 2.6% · 6 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 60 complaints, 2.5% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 60 · 2.5% · 3 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 59 complaints, 2.4% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 59 · 2.4% · 1 crash reports SUSPENSION: 57 complaints, 2.4% of reports SUSPENSION 57 · 2.4% · 6 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 776 complaints, 31.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 776 · 31.9% · 9 crash reports 4 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
STRUCTURE 533 21.9% 3 crashes · 1 fires
STEERING 468 19.3% 7 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 347 14.3% 0 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 161 6.6% 6 crashes · 4 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 73 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 64 2.6% 6 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 60 2.5% 0 crashes · 3 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 59 2.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 57 2.4% 6 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 776 31.9% 9 crashes · 4 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 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.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2015. 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2016-Q2: 72 owner reports 72 2016-Q3: 95 owner reports 95 2016-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2017-Q1: 57 owner reports 57 2017-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2017-Q3: 132 owner reports 132 2017-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2018-Q1: 53 owner reports 53 2018-Q2: 43 owner reports 43 2018-Q3: 52 owner reports 52 2018-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2019-Q1: 39 owner reports 39 2019-Q2: 49 owner reports 49 2019-Q3: 82 owner reports 82 2019-Q4: 59 owner reports 59 2020-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2020-Q2: 27 owner reports 27 2020-Q3: 53 owner reports 53 2020-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2021-Q1: 45 owner reports 45 2021-Q2: 30 owner reports 30 2021-Q3: 46 owner reports 46 2021-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2022-Q1: 42 owner reports 42 2022-Q2: 49 owner reports 49 2022-Q3: 53 owner reports 53 2022-Q4: 52 owner reports 52 2023-Q1: 100 owner reports 100 2023-Q2: 74 owner reports 74 2023-Q3: 89 owner reports 89 2023-Q4: 49 owner reports 49 2024-Q1: 61 owner reports 61 2024-Q2: 86 owner reports 86 2024-Q3: 78 owner reports 78 2024-Q4: 43 owner reports 43 2025-Q1: 81 owner reports 81 2025-Q2: 117 owner reports 117 2025-Q3: 84 owner reports 84 2025-Q4: 63 owner reports 63 2026-Q1: 37 owner reports 37 2026-Q2: 48 owner reports 48 2026-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 Owner reports Jul 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V464000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V464000 Recall campaign 15V605000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V605000 Recall campaign 16V183000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V183000 Recall campaign 16V475000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V475000 Recall campaign 17E048000 ◆ Recall campaign 17E048000 Recall campaign 17V767000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V767000 Recall campaign 19V435000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V435000 Recall campaign 20V692000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V692000 Recall campaign 20V675000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V675000 Recall campaign 21V316000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V316000 Recall campaign 21V537000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V537000 Recall campaign 24V031000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V031000 Recall campaign 25V347000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V347000 Recall campaign 25V685000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V685000 Recall campaign 26V448000 ◆ Recall campaign 26V448000 Investigation EA17002 ● Investigation EA17002 Investigation PE23001 ● Investigation PE23001
  • Campaign 16V183000 was reported 34 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V475000 was reported 220 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V435000 was reported 637 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V692000 was reported 1,645 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V675000 was reported 1,278 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V316000 was reported 1,862 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V537000 was reported 1,403 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V031000 was reported 2,851 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V347000 was reported 3,341 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V685000 was reported 3,611 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 26V448000 was reported 3,758 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 13
2016-Q2 Owner reports 72
2016-Q3 Owner reports 95
2016-Q4 Owner reports 33
2017-Q1 Owner reports 57
2017-Q2 Owner reports 32
2017-Q3 Owner reports 132
2017-Q4 Owner reports 37
2018-Q1 Owner reports 53
2018-Q2 Owner reports 43
2018-Q3 Owner reports 52
2018-Q4 Owner reports 33
2019-Q1 Owner reports 39
2019-Q2 Owner reports 49
2019-Q3 Owner reports 82
2019-Q4 Owner reports 59
2020-Q1 Owner reports 44
2020-Q2 Owner reports 27
2020-Q3 Owner reports 53
2020-Q4 Owner reports 39
2021-Q1 Owner reports 45
2021-Q2 Owner reports 30
2021-Q3 Owner reports 46
2021-Q4 Owner reports 37
2022-Q1 Owner reports 42
2022-Q2 Owner reports 49
2022-Q3 Owner reports 53
2022-Q4 Owner reports 52
2023-Q1 Owner reports 100
2023-Q2 Owner reports 74
2023-Q3 Owner reports 89
2023-Q4 Owner reports 49
2024-Q1 Owner reports 61
2024-Q2 Owner reports 86
2024-Q3 Owner reports 78
2024-Q4 Owner reports 43
2025-Q1 Owner reports 81
2025-Q2 Owner reports 117
2025-Q3 Owner reports 84
2025-Q4 Owner reports 63
2026-Q1 Owner reports 37
2026-Q2 Owner reports 48
2026-Q3 Owner reports 18
Recall campaign 1 15V464000
Recall campaign 1 15V605000
Recall campaign 1 16V183000
Recall campaign 1 16V475000
Recall campaign 1 17E048000
Recall campaign 1 17V767000
Recall campaign 1 19V435000
Recall campaign 1 20V692000
Recall campaign 1 20V675000
Recall campaign 1 21V316000
Recall campaign 1 21V537000
Recall campaign 1 24V031000
Recall campaign 1 25V347000
Recall campaign 1 25V685000
Recall campaign 1 26V448000
Defect investigation 1 EA17002
Defect investigation 1 PE23001
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (15)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V605000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    If the fuel tank separates from the vehicle, a fuel leak may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the fuel tank attachment bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S26.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V183000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    Overheating of the engine block increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine block heater, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and replace the electrical cord, as necessary. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S14. Note: Owners should not use the engine block heater until the vehicle has been remedied.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V475000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    Consequence:
    The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall begin on August 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 16C11.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17E048000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V767000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash, a seat occupant that is not properly restrained has an increased risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tightness of the power seat track upper pivot link bolt, either applying threadlocker or replacing the lift link and hardware, free of charge. Interim letters are expected to go out January 15, 2018. Owners will receive a second notice when the remedy becomes available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S40.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V435000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V675000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V692000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V316000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V537000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 24V031000

    Report date
    Component:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  13. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 25V347000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  14. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 25V685000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  15. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 26V448000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 24, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 2430 complaints · page 1 of 98

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources