Ford Explorer Years to Avoid

Why 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2020 made the avoid list

2011 Ford Explorer

AvoidTop issue: steering · 76% of complaints · median 32,000 miles

Owners describe power steering that suddenly cuts out or locks up while driving, often with dashboard warnings, plus brakes that lose stopping power or feel soft. Many say restarting only temporarily helps and that dealers struggled to diagnose or permanently fix these problems.

Full 2011 report ›

2013 Ford Explorer

AvoidTop issue: engine · 24% of complaints · median 35,000 miles

Owners describe exhaust or fuel smells filling the cabin during hard acceleration or highway merging, sometimes with headaches or nausea, and say dealer fixes often didn't last. Some also report power steering suddenly turning heavy or locking up, often with dashboard warnings.

Full 2013 report ›

2015 Ford Explorer

AvoidTop issue: engine · 23% of complaints · median 24,000 miles

Owners of the 2015 Explorer describe exhaust or sulfur odors entering the cabin during acceleration, sometimes with headaches or nausea, and many say dealer fixes didn't stop it. Some also report power steering suddenly failing or locking up, plus stalling linked to the throttle body.

Full 2015 report ›

2016 Ford Explorer

AvoidTop issue: engine · 26% of complaints · median 13,000 miles

Owners describe sudden loss of power or stalling tied to failed throttle bodies, plus exhaust or fuel odors in the cabin that dealers struggled to fix. Some also report power steering failing after warning messages or grinding noises, with the wheel stiffening or locking while driving.

Full 2016 report ›

2020 Ford Explorer

AvoidTop issue: powertrain · 36% of complaints · median 11,000 miles

Owners of the 2020 Explorer describe backup cameras going blank or blue along with lost driver-assist features, electrical glitches like sudden stalling or unexpected braking, and transmission or oil cooler failures with jerking and power loss. Many say problems returned after dealer repairs.

Full 2020 report ›

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints on NHTSA's site and checked against them; the counts and mileages come from our data.

Best Ford Explorer years to buy

2008 Ford Explorer

Best betTop issue: air bags · 5% of complaints

Owners filed 41 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Explorer in its first five years, about 44 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical Explorer year. 5% of them involve the air bags.

Full 2008 report ›

2009 Ford Explorer

Best betTop issue: seats and belts · 31% of complaints

Owners filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Explorer in its first five years, about 22 for every 100,000 sold: 0.1× the rate of a typical Explorer year. 31% of them involve the seats and seat belts.

Full 2009 report ›

2018 Ford Explorer

Best betTop issue: engine · 20% of complaints · median 9,000 miles

Owners filed 191 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Explorer in its first five years, about 72 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical Explorer year. 20% of them involve the engine, at a median of 9,000 miles.

Full 2018 report ›

2019 Ford Explorer

Best betTop issue: body and structure · 33% of complaints · median 28,000 miles

Owners filed 90 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Explorer in its first five years, about 44 for every 100,000 sold: 0.2× the rate of a typical Explorer year. 33% of them involve the body and structure, at a median of 28,000 miles.

Full 2019 report ›

A best bet drew 0.6× the complaint rate of a typical Explorer year or less in its first five years on the road. How we rate

1. Engine19% of complaints · 1,175 complaints · median 5,000–65,000 miles by year · worst years: 2014, 2015 and 2016
2. Steering18% of complaints · 1,094 complaints · median 8,000–53,000 miles by year · worst years: 2011, 2015 and 2016
3. Powertrain12% of complaints · 759 complaints · median 11,000–60,000 miles by year · worst years: 2016, 2020 and 2021
4. Electrical9% of complaints · 559 complaints · median 7,000–43,000 miles by year · worst years: 2013, 2016 and 2020
5. Fuel and propulsion8% of complaints · 479 complaints · median 6,000–50,000 miles by year · worst years: 2013, 2015 and 2016

Complaints owners filed with NHTSA in each model year's first five years on the road, all years combined. A complaint can name more than one area. Worst years are the rated years with the most complaints about that area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

Questions owners ask

Which Ford Explorer years should you avoid?

Counting complaints owners filed with NHTSA in each year's first five years on the road, per vehicle sold, the 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2020 Explorer drew the most: each more than twice the rate of a typical Explorer year, spread across more than one problem area. The 2014 and 2017 also ran above average; use caution with them.

What is the best year for a used Ford Explorer?

The best bets are the 2008, 2009, 2018 and 2019 Explorer, which drew far fewer complaints per vehicle sold than a typical Explorer year. The 2009 drew the fewest for its time on the road (0.1× the rate of a typical Explorer year). Years from 2023 on haven't had five years on the road, so they aren't rated yet.

What is the most common problem with the Ford Explorer?

Across every year, the problem area owners report most is the engine (19% of complaints), followed by the steering (18%) and the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (12%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the Ford Explorer been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 105 recall campaigns covering Explorer model years 2008 to 2026, the most recent in November 2026. Enter a vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether its repairs were done.