2013 Ford Explorer reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Ford Explorer holds 2,234 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 77 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Explorer years here — over the median of the other years, which is 49. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Roof and pillars, Rear, and Hub.

Ford Explorer, 2012–2015 body — Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

2,234

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (835 of 2,234), then Structure (438) and Engine (225). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 76,900 miles, and the middle half falls between 46,000 and 112,000 miles. Those filings include 44 that report a crash, 11 that report a fire, 42 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Explorer has 827 complaints, 46 per year, and the 2014 has 1,677 complaints, 76 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Ford Explorer. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (12)

Recall structure, body, roof and pillars 2024-01-19 · NHTSA campaign 24V031000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.

Vehicles affected 1,889,110

Recall suspension, rear 2021-09-22 · NHTSA campaign 21V746000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.

Remedy Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.

Vehicles affected 150,723

Recall suspension, rear 2021-07-15 · NHTSA campaign 21V537000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.

Vehicles affected 631,176

Recall suspension, rear 2021-03-12 · NHTSA campaign 20V675000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.

Vehicles affected 454,941

Recall suspension, rear 2019-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 19V435000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.

Vehicles affected 1,194,173

Recall wheels, hub 2017-08-28 · NHTSA campaign 17E048000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.

Remedy Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 630

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2015-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 15V812000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Explorer Police Utility, Taurus, Taurus Police Interceptor, Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.

Vehicles affected 868

Recall structure, body, door 2015-03-24 · NHTSA campaign 15V171000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.

Vehicles affected 194,484

Recall Electric power steering 2014-05-29 · NHTSA campaign 14V286000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S06.

Vehicles affected 179,027

Recall Latches, locks, and linkages 2013-06-26 · NHTSA campaign 13V270000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured November 29, 2012, through December 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, with sufficient door openings and closings, the child safety locks may change from an activated position to a deactivated position without notice.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S07. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 12,569

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2013-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 13V227000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion, Police Interceptor Sedan and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 Lincoln MKS, MKT, and MKZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.

Vehicles affected 390,783

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2013-03-27 · NHTSA campaign 13V109000

Summary Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and model year 2013 Explorer vehicles manufactured July 19, 2011, through March 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength in the event of an impact. The tanks may also leak.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 3,037

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (2234 total)

Steering

835

Structure

438

Engine

225

Electrical system

163

Fuel and propulsion system

120

Powertrain

119

Suspension

Engine and engine cooling

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Back-over prevention

Speed control

Fuel system, gasoline

Visibility and wipers

Service brakes

Visibility

Exterior lighting

Seat belts

Wheels

Air bags

Latches, locks, and linkages

Lane departure

Seats

Hydraulic brakes

Traction control

Forward collision avoidance

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Equipment

Parking brake

Tires

Show 21 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 1,536 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 76,900 miles. The middle half fall between 46,000 and 112,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The water pump on these explorers are internal and if not caught by a professional in time, the water pump will fail and cause catastrophic engine failure"
Engine · filed 2026-09-17
"The steering rack limiter on the passenger side dislodged itself and got caught on the rack and pinion teeth causing my wheel to get stuck"
Steering · filed 2026-09-17
"THE BACKUP CAMERA HAS STOPPED WORKING, THE BEEPING SENSOR STILL ALARMS WHEN TO CLOSE BUT THE CAMERA DOES NOT WORK AT ALL."
Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-04
"The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the parts to complete the recall repair were not yet available. The contact…"
Structure · filed 2026-08-31
"Coughlin Ford of Heath ohio committed recall fraud on my vehicle by falsifying federal safety recall 24S02. Their invoice claims the repair was Completed,' but my original panels are still loose and dangerously reliant…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-22

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Explorer two-wheel drive flex-fuel	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	24	20 MPG	$3250
Explorer all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	16	22	18 MPG	$3600
Explorer all-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	23	19 MPG	$3400
Explorer all-wheel drive flex-fuel	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	17	23	19 MPG	$3400
Explorer front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Explorer front-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	17	24	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

5th generation, 2011–2019

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-30 synthetic (EcoBoost engines); 5W-20 synthetic (3.5L Ti-VCT V6) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 245/65R17 (XLT) to 255/50R20 (Limited/Sport)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA complaints filed on 2011-2019 Explorers most often name the structure and the steering. Recall 19V-435 covers certain 2011-2017 Explorers: the rear suspension toe links may fracture from stress on the rear suspension, which can cause a sudden change in handling. Dealers replace the toe links and inspect the rear toe-link ball joints, replacing the wheel knuckle if needed. Recall 21V-537 expands that campaign for certain 2013-2017 Explorers originally sold or ever registered in salt-belt states, where road salt can corrode and seize the cross-axis ball joint and fracture the outboard section of the toe link. Recall 24V-031 covers certain 2011-2019 Explorers whose A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, so the trim can detach. Recall 21V-316 covers certain 2016-2019 Explorers whose roof-rail cover retention pins can loosen and let the cover detach.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Ford Explorer Next year 2014 Ford Explorer See every Ford Explorer model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford Explorer reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Ford Explorer?

Is the 2013 Ford Explorer more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2013 Ford Explorer been recalled?

The 2013 Ford Explorer has 12 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Ford Explorer?

Owners have filed 2234 complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Ford Explorer get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Ford Explorer is 19.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford Explorer?

2011-2019 is the 5th generation, built on a unibody platform, and 2020-onward is the 6th generation, which switched to a rear-wheel-drive-based platform shared with the Police Interceptor Utility.

Are there rear axle problems on the 6th-generation Explorer?

Yes. 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles were covered by recalls 22V-255, 23V-199, and 23V-675 for a rear axle horizontal mounting bolt that may fracture and disconnect the driveshaft, risking a loss of drive power or a rollaway.