Reliable Auto DB

2018 Ford Explorer reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 728 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Explorer over 9 years — 39 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Explorer years here — under the median of the other years, which is 64. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Structure, body, Rear, and Engine block heater.

2016 Ford Explorer
Photo by Bull-Doser, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

728

Per year

39

Recalls

7

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (287 of 728), then Engine (95) and Electrical system (58). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 50,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 16,225 and 82,625 miles. Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 13 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Explorer has 1,700 complaints, 136 per year, and the 2019 has 294 complaints, 14 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Ford Explorer. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (7)

Recall structure, body 2026-07-14 · NHTSA campaign 26V448000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Vehicles affected 288,314
Recall suspension, rear 2026-02-20 · NHTSA campaign 26V101000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
Remedy Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
Vehicles affected 412,774
Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2025-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 25V685000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Remedy Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Vehicles affected 59,006
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 structure, body 2021-05-05 · NHTSA campaign 21V316000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
Remedy Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Vehicles affected 616,967
Recall seats, front assembly, recliner 2019-08-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V633000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
Vehicles affected 639,137
Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2018-11-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V807000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.5L GTDI engine. Due to an assembly error, the fuel pressure sensor may leak fuel.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S35.
Vehicles affected 144

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

Complaints by component (728 total)

Structure
287
Engine
95
Electrical system
58
Powertrain
49
Engine and engine cooling
29
Back-over prevention
26
Suspension
23
Steering
20
Fuel and propulsion system
19
Visibility and wipers
16
Air bags
11
Visibility
11
Speed control
10
Tires
10
Service brakes
9
Wheels
8
Seat belts
7
Seats
7
Forward collision avoidance
5
Equipment
4
Exterior lighting
4
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Hydraulic brakes
2
Lane departure
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

16

Fire-flagged

7

Injury reports

13

Death reports

0

Of the 288 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 50,000 miles. The middle half fall between 16,225 and 82,625 miles.

Complaints filed per year

402018412019372020382021412022123202313520241902025832026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "A pillar has not been fixed by local Ford dealership. A pillars are cracked and loose"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-08
  • "My 2018 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5L that we bought brand new from Bob Bell Ford/Glen Burnie Maryland had a water pump failure at only 72,344 miles, this was a safety concern when driving down the road that put us & others at…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-05
  • "At 30 to 40 mph, there is a shuttering or stutter in the transmission during acceleration. This is a problem when trying to enter traffic on the expressway (Interstate or other lanes of traffic). I have taken this to…"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-04
  • "my transmission, like several others' I have spoken to, is about to lose reverse. The incident happened when i encountered a problem on the road and was UNABLE to put my car in reverse. I have taken it to several…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-03
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle veered off the road toward the passenger’s side. The contact turned the steering wheel; however, the vehicle became…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-09-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 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 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
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 16 22 19 MPG $3400
Explorer all-wheel drive flex-fuel 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Explorer front-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Explorer front-wheel drive 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 19 27 22 MPG $2950

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 2017 Ford Explorer Next year 2019 Ford Explorer See every Ford Explorer model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford Explorer reliable?

Owners have filed 728 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Explorer over 9 years — 39 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Explorer years here — under the median of the other years, which is 64. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Structure, body, Rear, and Engine block heater.

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford Explorer?

The complaints owners file most often name Structure (287 of 728), then Engine (95) and Electrical system (58). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 50,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 16,225 and 82,625 miles. Those filings include 16 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 13 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Ford Explorer more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Explorer has 1,700 complaints, 136 per year, and the 2019 has 294 complaints, 14 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Ford Explorer been recalled?

The 2018 Ford Explorer has 7 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 2018 Ford Explorer?

Owners have filed 728 complaints about the 2018 Ford Explorer with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford Explorer get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford Explorer is 19.7 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.