Ford Explorer years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 31 model years of the Ford Explorer by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2016, 2020, 2017, 2013, 2015, 2002, 2014 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
View as table
| Model year | Complaints per year since release |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 47 |
| 1997 | 60 |
| 1998 | 72 |
| 1999 | 52 |
| 2000 | 40 |
| 2001 | 28 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 55 |
| 2004 | 61 |
| 2005 | 26 |
| 2006 | 30 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 75 |
| 2012 | 55 |
| 2013 | 160 |
| 2014 | 130 |
| 2015 | 151 |
| 2016 | 224 |
| 2017 | 171 |
| 2018 | 81 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 178 |
| 2021 | 75 |
| 2022 | 54 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 54 |
| 2026 | 44 |
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 44 | 44 | — | 14 | 3 | Too new to judge |
| 2025 | 107 | 54 | 1.0 | 20 | 8 | Typical |
| 2024 | 21 | 7 | 0.1 | 10 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2023 | 113 | 28 | 0.5 | 15 | 7 | Typical |
| 2022 | 271 | 54 | 1.0 | 24 | 17 | Typical |
| 2021 | 452 | 75 | 1.4 | 26 | 14 | Typical |
| 2020 | 1,247 | 178 | 3.3 | 33 | 37 | Most complaints |
| 2019 | 302 | 38 | 0.7 | 6 | 2 | Typical |
| 2018 | 733 | 81 | 1.5 | 7 | 15 | Typical |
| 2017 | 1,713 | 171 | 3.1 | 14 | 34 | Most complaints |
| 2016 | 2,464 | 224 | 4.1 | 15 | 39 | Most complaints |
| 2015 | 1,814 | 151 | 2.8 | 9 | 37 | Most complaints |
| 2014 | 1,684 | 130 | 2.4 | 7 | 32 | Most complaints |
| 2013 | 2,237 | 160 | 2.9 | 12 | 44 | Most complaints |
| 2012 | 830 | 55 | 1.0 | 7 | 10 | Typical |
| 2011 | 1,197 | 75 | 1.4 | 8 | 30 | Typical |
| 2010 | 115 | 7 | 0.1 | 2 | 8 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 33 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 5 | Fewest complaints |
| 2008 | 148 | 8 | 0.1 | 3 | 6 | Fewest complaints |
| 2007 | 208 | 10 | 0.2 | 3 | 11 | Fewest complaints |
| 2006 | 635 | 30 | 0.6 | 4 | 13 | Typical |
| 2005 | 568 | 26 | 0.5 | 3 | 27 | Fewest complaints |
| 2004 | 1,408 | 61 | 1.1 | 4 | 75 | Typical |
| 2003 | 1,313 | 55 | 1.0 | 7 | 69 | Typical |
| 2002 | 3,613 | 145 | 2.6 | 10 | 163 | Most complaints |
| 2001 | 730 | 28 | 0.5 | 12 | 97 | Typical |
| 2000 | 1,078 | 40 | 0.7 | 15 | 112 | Typical |
| 1999 | 1,465 | 52 | 1.0 | 15 | 122 | Typical |
| 1998 | 2,099 | 72 | 1.3 | 14 | 187 | Typical |
| 1997 | 1,789 | 60 | 1.1 | 12 | 159 | Typical |
| 1996 | 1,468 | 47 | 0.9 | 11 | 196 | Typical |
- 202644 complaints · 14 recallsToo new to judge
- 2025107 complaints · 20 recallsTypical
- 202421 complaints · 10 recallsFewest complaints
- 2023113 complaints · 15 recallsTypical
- 2022271 complaints · 24 recallsTypical
- 2021452 complaints · 26 recallsTypical
- 20201,247 complaints · 33 recallsMost complaints
- 2019302 complaints · 6 recallsTypical
- 2018733 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 20171,713 complaints · 14 recallsMost complaints
- 20162,464 complaints · 15 recallsMost complaints
- 20151,814 complaints · 9 recallsMost complaints
- 20141,684 complaints · 7 recallsMost complaints
- 20132,237 complaints · 12 recallsMost complaints
- 2012830 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 20111,197 complaints · 8 recallsTypical
- 2010115 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 200933 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 2008148 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 2007208 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 2006635 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 2005568 complaints · 3 recallsFewest complaints
- 20041,408 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 20031,313 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 20023,613 complaints · 10 recallsMost complaints
- 2001730 complaints · 12 recallsTypical
- 20001,078 complaints · 15 recallsTypical
- 19991,465 complaints · 15 recallsTypical
- 19982,099 complaints · 14 recallsTypical
- 19971,789 complaints · 12 recallsTypical
- 19961,468 complaints · 11 recallsTypical
Fewest complaints for their age: 2009, 2010, 2024, 2008, 2007, 2005.
About this comparison
What Ford Explorer years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2016, 2020, 2017, 2013, 2015, 2002, 2014 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 31 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.