2026 Ford Explorer reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2026 Ford Explorer has 34 complaints with NHTSA after 1 year, or 34 per year. It is too early to rank against other Explorer years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Frontal, Internal engine parts, and Power adjuster.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (8 of 34), then Engine (6) and Seats (5). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 3,600 miles. Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2025

The 2025 Explorer has 100 complaints, 50 per year.

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 2026 Ford Explorer. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (14)

Recall air bags, frontal 2026-09-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V581000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. The active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly.

Remedy Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S65. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 14, 2026.

Vehicles affected 7

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 26V548000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.

Vehicles affected 10,001

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-08-13 · NHTSA campaign 26V532000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine. The engine connecting rod bearings may seize, which can result in engine failure.

Remedy Dealers will replace the engine long blocks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S58. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 18, 2026.

Vehicles affected 6

Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2026-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V470000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. An unoccupied driver's seat may recline unintentionally during certain scenarios, such as remote unlock or remote start.

Remedy Dealers will disable the driver seat module (DSM) feature until parts are available. Once available, the motor will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S53.

Vehicles affected 76,748

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 engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-05-27 · NHTSA campaign 26V343000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer, Ranger, and Bronco vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will replace the engine long block, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S35. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.

Vehicles affected 1,536

Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2026-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 26V205000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.

Vehicles affected 278

Recall visibility, defroster and HVAC, fan motor 2026-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 26V202000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and secure the instrument panel joints as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S22. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 3, 2026.

Vehicles affected 55

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 exterior lighting, headlights 2026-03-03 · NHTSA campaign 26V121000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer vehicles. The Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) system software may cause the passenger-side headlight to turn in the wrong direction when driving through curves in the road. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy The headlight control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C12. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.

Vehicles affected 35,772

Recall visibility, windshield 2026-01-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V024000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."

Remedy Dealers will remove and replace the windshield, free charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C02. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 22, 2026.

Vehicles affected 8

Recall Engine 2025-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 25V828000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.

Remedy Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.

Vehicles affected 6

Recall visibility, windshield 2025-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 25V730000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The windshield glass may have visible air bubbles, which can obscure the driver's visibility. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."

Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 6, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C60. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 27, 2025.

Vehicles affected 56,841

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

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

Complaints by component (34 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Seats

Visibility and wipers

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Adaptive cruise control

Service brakes

Warnings

Assist

Automatic emergency braking

Blind spot detection

Instrument cluster

Power windows

Seat belts

Speed control

Steering

Structure, body

Sunroof

Warning

Show 12 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 4 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 3,600 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving down the road."
structure, body · filed 2026-09-09
"Ford has issued a recall related to the driver seat recline memory feature. It is recall 26V470. The remedy (software-based) disables the driver seat recline memory feature altogether. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. Instead of…"
Seats · filed 2026-09-08
"On several occasions when trying to drive from a stopped position I press the gas and the car will move slowly but not shift into gear and then after turning off it struggles to restart. The check engine light is solid…"
Unknown or other, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-08
"Seal around the panoramic sunroof is failing and has caused loud wind noises and lack of proper weather seal. Vehicle has 7000 miles and this has randomly started. Loud wind whistle noise occurs now 100% of the time…"
Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-05
"On XXX around 6:30pm: Car would not go into reverse. Upon pressing the gas a 2nd time, a loud pop was heard from the back of the car. The car was then able to drive forward, however, when pressing on the brakes, the…"
Service brakes, Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A 4WD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A RWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2026 FORD EXPLORER HEV SUV HEV 4WD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2026 FORD EXPLORER HEV SUV HEV 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	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$3250
Explorer all-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic 10-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Explorer rear-wheel drive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	18	25	21 MPG	$3100
Explorer rear-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic 10-speed	Rear-wheel drive	20	29	24 MPG	$2700
Explorer Tremor all-wheel drive	2.3L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	19	23	21 MPG	$3100
Explorer Tremor all-wheel drive	3L, 6-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	22	19 MPG	$3400

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 2025 Ford Explorer See every Ford Explorer model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 Ford Explorer reliable?

What are common problems with a 2026 Ford Explorer?

Is the 2026 Ford Explorer more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2025 Explorer has 100 complaints, 50 per year.

Has the 2026 Ford Explorer been recalled?

The 2026 Ford Explorer has 14 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 2026 Ford Explorer?

Owners have filed 34 complaints about the 2026 Ford Explorer with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2026 Ford Explorer get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2026 Ford Explorer is 21.3 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.