Reliable Auto DB

2024 Ford Explorer reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Ford Explorer over 3 years — 7 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 13 Explorer years on this site. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Middle or rear assembly, Automatic transmission, and Seat belts.

2020 Ford Explorer
Photo by Benespit, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

20

Per year

7

Recalls

10

Years on the road

3

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (3 of 20), then Suspension (3) and Visibility and wipers (3). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 8,832 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2023 and 2025

The 2023 Explorer has 109 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2025 has 100 complaints, 50 per year. The 2024 has fewer complaints per year than the 2023.

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 2024 Ford Explorer. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (10)

Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2026-07-14 · NHTSA campaign 26V451000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters explaining the safety risk were mailed August 19, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Lincoln Aviator owner notification letters were mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S52. This recall expands Recall 25V393. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Vehicles affected 387,911
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2026-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V371000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 10R60 automatic transmission. An unintentional powertrain control module (PCM) reset may occur while the vehicle is in motion and result in park system damage.
Remedy Dealers will inspect for park system damage and replace the park system components as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2026. Owners may contact customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S39. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 12, 2026.
Vehicles affected 58
Recall Seat belts 2026-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 26V159000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Vehicles affected 561
Recall back-over prevention, software 2026-03-03 · NHTSA campaign 26V123000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C11. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Vehicles affected 889,950
Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V012000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer 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 February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 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 January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
Vehicles affected 2,403
Recall trailer hitch 2025-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 25V687000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Vehicles affected 1,412
Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 25V442000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Remedy Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Vehicles affected 200,237
Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2025-06-13 · NHTSA campaign 25V393000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, folding, or sliding unexpectedly while driving.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the second-row seat switch, and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S67.
Vehicles affected 304,662
Recall Labels 2024-11-08 · NHTSA campaign 24V852000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Vehicles affected 27,678
Recall hybrid propulsion 2024-09-13 · NHTSA campaign 24V685000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 3.3L Hybrid engines. The 12-Volt battery cable may chafe against the Belt-integrated Starter Generat (BiSG) and short circuit.
Remedy Dealers will install a tie strap between the battery cable and high voltage cable, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S61.
Vehicles affected 61

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

Complaints by component (20 total)

Forward collision avoidance
3
Suspension
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Electrical system
2
Seats
2
Steering
2
Air bags
1
Back-over prevention
1
Engine
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Of the 4 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 8,832 miles.

Complaints filed per year

720246202572026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The problem with my car is that I replaced the catalytic converter four months ago; I used an original part from the dealership. I am very concerned that the catalytic converter has failed again after only four months.…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-10
  • "The center display went blank and a/c controls under it would not work. Stopped vehicle and pushed ignition button to off and waited 1 minute and pushed ignition back to on on and display was still blank. Got to…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-06-24
  • "have been getting a warning coming up saying pre-collision sensor not available sensor blocked over 100 times brought it to the dealership and they said that the bracket for the sensor is broken due to road debris,…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-06-23
  • "During a severe, multi-lane impact crash, the second-row outer seatbelts completely failed to maintain restraint and failed to retract. Both occupants in the second-row outer seating positions (ages 5 and 7) sustained…"
    Seat belts · filed 2026-06-17
  • "pre-collision warning light comes up, saying sensor blocked and sensor is not blocked. Brought it to the local dealership found that the cruise control module bracket is damaged no visible damage or strikes to the…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-06-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2024 Ford Explorer HEV SUV 4WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2024 Ford Explorer HEV SUV RWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2024 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2024 Ford Explorer SUV RWD 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 all-wheel drive 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic 10-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800
Explorer all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Explorer all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 10-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Explorer flex-fuel all-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic 10-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Explorer rear-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 18 25 20 MPG $3250
Explorer rear-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 10-speed Rear-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
Explorer rear-wheel drive 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic 10-speed Rear-wheel drive 21 28 24 MPG $2700
Explorer Timberline all-wheel drive 2.3L, 4-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 19 22 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

6th generation, 2020–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-30 synthetic (2.3L/3.0L EcoBoost); 5W-20 synthetic (3.3L V6/hybrid) , 5.2 qt capacity
Tire size 255/65R18 (Base) to 275/45R21 (Platinum/ST)

Known issues for this generation

Three NHTSA recalls address the same defect on 2020-2022 Explorers: the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect, which can result in a loss of drive power or a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied. Recall 22V-255 covered 252,936 vehicles, with dealers either replacing the bushing and axle cover or updating the electronic parking brake software depending on the model. Recall 23V-199 then covered 674 vehicles whose powertrain control module update under 22V-255 had not included the automatic electronic parking brake feature, fixed with a further software update. Recall 23V-675 covered 238,364 vehicles with a hardware remedy: dealers replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt and inspect the axle cover for damage near the bolt hole. All repairs were free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2023 Ford Explorer Next year 2025 Ford Explorer See every Ford Explorer model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2024 Ford Explorer reliable?

Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Ford Explorer over 3 years — 7 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 13 Explorer years on this site. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Middle or rear assembly, Automatic transmission, and Seat belts.

What are common problems with a 2024 Ford Explorer?

The complaints owners file most often name Forward collision avoidance (3 of 20), then Suspension (3) and Visibility and wipers (3). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 8,832 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2024 Ford Explorer more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2023 Explorer has 109 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2025 has 100 complaints, 50 per year. The 2024 has fewer complaints per year than the 2023.

Has the 2024 Ford Explorer been recalled?

The 2024 Ford Explorer has 10 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 2024 Ford Explorer?

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2024 Ford Explorer with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2024 Ford Explorer get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2024 Ford Explorer is 21.1 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.