Problems · NHTSA complaints
2000 Ford Explorer problems
Owners filed 1,078 complaints about the 2000 Ford Explorer with NHTSA between Oct 1999 and Apr 2025. The most-cited component is tires (228).
Complaints
1,078
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
112
Reported by owners
Fires
83
Reported by owners
Injuries
120
People reported injured
Deaths
4
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
6
241
134
83
131
89
97
37
62
56
28
28
14
15
5
11
9
10
4
1
3
3
2
3
3
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 6 |
| 2000 | 241 |
| 2001 | 134 |
| 2002 | 83 |
| 2003 | 131 |
| 2004 | 89 |
| 2005 | 97 |
| 2006 | 37 |
| 2007 | 62 |
| 2008 | 56 |
| 2009 | 28 |
| 2010 | 28 |
| 2011 | 14 |
| 2012 | 15 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Tires
228 reports22 crashes2 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2000 FOR EXPLORER EQUIPPED WITH DEFINITY DAKOTA A/T TIRES, SIZE: P235/75 R15 A/T (NA). WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER TIRE BEGAN TO SHRED. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO VISIBLE INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED; HOWEVER, A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,346 AND THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,870. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Power train
147 reports8 crashes4 fires1 related recall
“BIG CONCERN WITH MY POWER TRAIN. THE BACK OF THE CAR HAS A LOUD WHIRRING NOISE WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CLICKS LOUDLY WHEN YOU SLOW DOWN. GOING A FASTER SPEED SEEMS TO SOUND BETTER BUT ITS PRETTY SCARY.THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. THERE ALSO IS A SENSOR THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND I DON'T KNOW ITS NAME.. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT AND RENDERED PASSABLE BUT I FEAR THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP SOMETIMES.IT FEELS UNSTABLE. I AM ELDERLY AND NEED A STABLE CAR TO DRIVE.”
Vehicle speed control
128 reports14 crashes22 fires3 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR AND ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.”
Engine and engine cooling
104 reports2 crashes12 fires
“2000 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL STATES ENGINE RUNNING WITHOUT IGNITION KEY COULD START A FIRE. CONSUMER STATES THOUGHT DEALERSHIP REPAIRED RECALL PROBLEMS. VEHICLE EXPLODED SEVEN MINUTES AFTER CONSUMER EXISTS VEHICLE. *SMD”
Electrical system
99 reports2 crashes33 fires1 related recall
“Driving at the correct speed limit swerved to avoid hitting deer that ran out into the road hit a covert had seatbelt on airbags came out before that something hit me in side of my right arm it hit my elbow so hard and fast my arm was flung outwards and upwards which broke out the passenger side window the top of my elbow is broken that gave me a large purple bruise I got 2 pretty good size gashes on my arm also one on the bottom of my forearm and on the back side of my arm. Refer to request 1500509 and Request 1500511.”
Air bags
70 reports32 crashes1 related recall
“I was driving slowly (35mph), regular speed limit on that road is 60. Roads were snowy and icy, another vehicle driving extremely fast for the road conditions, started to swerve head on in to my lane, I swerved to avoid a head on collision. In doing so, I hit ice, started doing a 360, the front end and the drivers side door of my vehicle hit an irrigation ditch where it goes under a street, it caught my vehicle on the drivers side and I started rolling. I rolled 3 or 4 times and finally landed right side up. My roof was caved in and resting on the top of my head, shoulder and neck. However, none of my airbags deployed ( see pictures), even though I hit the irrigation ditch head-on. Vehicle can be inspected if needed. The vehicle is totaled as they had to cut the doors off to extract me. I have left head, shoulder, neck, abdomen and leg soft tissue damage since I kept slamming in to the steering wheel with no protection since my air bags did not deploy. I did have my seatbelt on.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.