Problems · NHTSA complaints
2015 Ford Explorer problems
Owners filed 1,814 complaints about the 2015 Ford Explorer with NHTSA between Oct 2014 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is structure (411).
Complaints
1,814
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
98
People reported injured
Deaths
0
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 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
3
51
119
270
139
183
123
89
91
152
181
250
163
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 51 |
| 2016 | 119 |
| 2017 | 270 |
| 2018 | 139 |
| 2019 | 183 |
| 2020 | 123 |
| 2021 | 89 |
| 2022 | 91 |
| 2023 | 152 |
| 2024 | 181 |
| 2025 | 250 |
| 2026 | 163 |
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
Structure
411 reports4 crashes1 related recall
“The contact's son owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim had become loose and unsecured. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE).”
Steering
348 reports4 crashes
“Out of nowhere the steering assist quit when i turned on the car in question on to go work in the morning. Luckily for everybody it did not happen while on the road like many of the cases i have read about. Now i’m facing a $3,000 bill to repair a very common problem Ford refuses to recall.”
Engine
227 reports1 crash1 fire
“The water pump failed at 117,000 miles. The water pump is internal in the engine causing a extremely high repair bill and weeks of time without the vehicle. If we had not caught it soon enough we could have been looking at replacing the motor. Unfortunately for us this is a repair we have to make in a vehicle we are still making payments on and need for work.”
Back over prevention
147 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera display flickered on and off. Additionally, the rear-view camera message was displayed. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that parts were unavailable for the repair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable.”
Electrical system
93 reports1 crash
“Intermittent locking of steering wheel while driving for about 8 months. Now it has complete loss of power steering. [XXX] says service advance trac and complete steering loss pull over safely.”
Power train
86 reports4 crashes1 related recall
“The contact owned a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the front windshield trim detached from the vehicle. Additionally, the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, and the "Service Advancetrac" message was displayed. Additionally, the message “Transmission not in Park” was displayed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with gear shifter failure and an obsolete instrument panel.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.