Ford Explorer
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Ford Explorer, model year by model year — ranked from 3211 federal NHTSA complaints across 2010–2022.
A single issue towers over the Ford Explorer's complaint record: windshield trim detachment. On the 2016 — the heaviest file in this dataset at 1,316 total occurrences — that one safety-severity problem accounts for 1,085 occurrences, and it doesn't stop there: 586 more on the 2017, 66 on the 2018, 82 on the 2019, with related A-pillar trim detachment complaints appearing throughout. Exterior trim coming loose at speed is the kind of defect owners clearly found alarming, and the volume says it was widespread.
The 2018 adds a different concern to the same era: 98 reports of exhaust fumes entering the cabin during acceleration, its top entry. And running through all of these years is process frustration — recall parts unavailability, repair delays, and non-compliance complaints occupy multiple top-five slots on the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 files alike.
The 2020 opens a new chapter with 528 occurrences: sunroof shade malfunction at safety severity (241 reports), back over prevention system failure (108), and transmission complaints. It also carries the longest campaign list here — fourteen recalls, including 19V575, 19V687, 20V549, 20V730, 20V788, 21V154, and 23V069 — while the 2016 and 2017 carry 16V183, 16V925, 17V530, 19V435, 20V675, and 21V537 between them. The 2021 and 2022 taper to 155 and 109 occurrences, mixing electrical faults, backup camera failures, lingering sunroof shade reports, and, on the 2022, transmission shift delays; their recall lists remain long, with 23V626, 24V598, 24V852, and 25V685 appearing on both.
Given the trim numbers, confirming campaign work is done — and simply looking hard at the windshield and A-pillar trim — belongs at the top of any 2016–2019 inspection, while a 2020 deserves a sunroof and camera check. The closing perspective is the usual one: complaint counts show what owners filed with NHTSA, not true failure rates, the newer years have had less time to accumulate reports, and a documented service history plus a pre-purchase inspection beats model-year generalizations.
Ford Explorer problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72 | 11 | 3/3 | Headrest design causing discomfort and neck strain Other · 18 complaints |
| 2016worst | 1209 | 21 | 2/6 | Windshield Trim Detachment Other · 1085 complaints |
| 2017worst | 808 | 40 | 2/7 | Windshield Trim Detachment Other · 586 complaints |
| 2018 | 315 | 13 | 0/5 | Exhaust fumes entering cabin during acceleration Fuel system · 98 complaints |
| 2019 | 134 | 18 | 1/6 | Windshield Trim Detachment Other · 82 complaints |
| 2020worst | 464 | 36 | 2/8 | Sunroof Shade Malfunction Other · 241 complaints |
| 2021 | 128 | 16 | 1/6 | Electrical system failures affecting multiple systems Electrical · 35 complaints |
| 2022 | 81 | 20 | 0/6 | Transmission Delay or Failure to Shift Properly Transmission · 16 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2010–2022. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.