2018 FORD EXPLORER — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 710 complaints · 7 recalls
Most-reported system: STRUCTURE (260 complaints · 36.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 15
  • Fires 7
  • Injuries 13
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2017 →
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 260 of 710 owner complaints (36.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. STRUCTURE: 260 complaints, 36.6% of reports STRUCTURE 260 · 36.6% · 3 crash reports ENGINE: 93 complaints, 13.1% of reports ENGINE 93 · 13.1% · 2 crash reports 3 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 35 complaints, 4.9% of reports POWER TRAIN 35 · 4.9% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 31 complaints, 4.4% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 31 · 4.4% · 1 crash reports BACK OVER PREVENTION: 24 complaints, 3.4% of reports BACK OVER PREVENTION 24 · 3.4% VISIBILITY: 21 complaints, 3.0% of reports VISIBILITY 21 · 3.0% SUSPENSION: 19 complaints, 2.7% of reports SUSPENSION 19 · 2.7% · 2 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 16 complaints, 2.3% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 16 · 2.3% · 1 crash reports 2 fire reports STEERING: 16 complaints, 2.3% of reports STEERING 16 · 2.3% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 308 complaints, 43.4% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 308 · 43.4% · 7 crash reports 3 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 260 36.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 93 13.1% 2 crashes · 3 fires
POWER TRAIN 35 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 31 4.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
BACK OVER PREVENTION 24 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 21 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 19 2.7% 2 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 16 2.3% 1 crashes · 2 fires
STEERING 16 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 308 43.4% 7 crashes · 3 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 Jan 2018; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2018. 2018-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2018-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2020-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2020-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2021-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2021-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2022-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2023-Q2: 34 owner reports 34 2023-Q3: 29 owner reports 29 2023-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2024-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2024-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2024-Q3: 39 owner reports 39 2024-Q4: 42 owner reports 42 2025-Q1: 53 owner reports 53 2025-Q2: 39 owner reports 39 2025-Q3: 48 owner reports 48 2025-Q4: 50 owner reports 50 2026-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2026-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2026-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 Owner reports Jan 2018 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 18V807000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V807000 Recall campaign 19V633000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V633000 Recall campaign 21V316000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V316000 Recall campaign 24V031000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V031000 Recall campaign 25V685000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V685000 Recall campaign 26V101000 ◆ Recall campaign 26V101000 Recall campaign 26V448000 ◆ Recall campaign 26V448000 Investigation AQ22003 ● Investigation AQ22003 Investigation PE23001 ● Investigation PE23001
  • Campaign 19V633000 was reported 562 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V316000 was reported 1,149 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V031000 was reported 2,138 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V685000 was reported 2,797 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 26V101000 was reported 2,660 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 26V448000 was reported 3,045 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2018-Q1 Owner reports 7
2018-Q2 Owner reports 8
2018-Q3 Owner reports 18
2018-Q4 Owner reports 7
2019-Q1 Owner reports 9
2019-Q2 Owner reports 8
2019-Q3 Owner reports 12
2019-Q4 Owner reports 10
2020-Q1 Owner reports 10
2020-Q2 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 11
2020-Q4 Owner reports 10
2021-Q1 Owner reports 7
2021-Q2 Owner reports 4
2021-Q3 Owner reports 12
2021-Q4 Owner reports 13
2022-Q1 Owner reports 10
2022-Q2 Owner reports 11
2022-Q3 Owner reports 14
2022-Q4 Owner reports 6
2023-Q1 Owner reports 36
2023-Q2 Owner reports 34
2023-Q3 Owner reports 29
2023-Q4 Owner reports 23
2024-Q1 Owner reports 28
2024-Q2 Owner reports 26
2024-Q3 Owner reports 39
2024-Q4 Owner reports 42
2025-Q1 Owner reports 53
2025-Q2 Owner reports 39
2025-Q3 Owner reports 48
2025-Q4 Owner reports 50
2026-Q1 Owner reports 30
2026-Q2 Owner reports 29
2026-Q3 Owner reports 13
Recall campaign 1 18V807000
Recall campaign 1 19V633000
Recall campaign 1 21V316000
Recall campaign 1 24V031000
Recall campaign 1 25V685000
Recall campaign 1 26V101000
Recall campaign 1 26V448000
Defect investigation 1 AQ22003
Defect investigation 1 PE23001
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (7)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V807000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S35.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V633000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    Consequence:
    A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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 →

  4. 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 →

  5. 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 →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 26V101000

    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 replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. 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 710 complaints · page 1 of 29

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