2018 Ford Explorer problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure (170) · Structure:body (85) · Engine (63)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Explorer model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
290 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (7)
Structure:body 2026-07-14 · campaign 26V448000 · 288,314 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 Numb
Suspension:rear 2026-02-20 · campaign 26V101000 · 412,774 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 2025-10-10 · campaign 25V685000 · 59,006 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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 December 2026. Owners may contact Ford
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2024-01-19 · campaign 24V031000 · 1,889,110 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Structure:body 2021-05-05 · campaign 21V316000 · 616,967 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2019-08-28 · campaign 19V633000 · 639,137 vehicles
Defect: 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
Risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2018-11-14 · campaign 18V807000 · 144 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (191)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-30 · 25E10-S1 · Other
25e10-s1 owner letter
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-02 · 25E10-S1 · Emissions
new vehicle delivery hold - emissions recall 25e10 - supplement #1 certain 2018-2020 model year f-150 vehicles with 3.3l engines and 2016-2019 model year explorer, taurus, and flex vehicles with 3.5l engines powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming
Engine 2026-05-09 · 25B51 · Other
certain 2021-2024 model year bronco, 2021-2024 model year bronco sport, 2020-2022 model year corsair and escape, 2016-2024 model year explorer, 2019-2020 model year fusion, 2016-2018 model year focus rs, 2022-2024 model year maverick, 2016-2019 model year mkc and 2019-2024 model year ranger vehicles
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-25 · 25N17 · Other
advance notice – customer satisfaction program 25n17 certain 2015-2025 model year multiple vehicle lines rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Electrical System 2025-11-26 · TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 24-2165 to update the tsb service procedure. some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit various sync performance related concerns including but not limited to: display operation concerns navigation inoperative voice recognition concerns phone co
Showing the 6 most recent of 191 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-18 · Steering“my steering wheel is turning 360 degrees. my tires are not always turning with the steering wheel. this may become dangerous and would like to know if the 23s63/2023-678 recall is affected with my 2018 ford explorer? if it is not affected with the recall above could this be considered a recall? thank you. …”
2026-10-05 · Engine“my vehhicle has been tested by ford service center and found to be affected by the factory defect that allows coolant to leak causing a catastrophic engine failure where the only remedy is a new engine block. my vehicle has 69919 miles. the problem was recognized when the vehicle bagan to misfire causing the check engine light to come on resulting …”
2026-09-22 · Power Train · 107,300 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked. the dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. the contact was informed that the torque converte…”
2026-09-22 · Structure:body“exterior b-pillar applique / door trim panel with keypad: the exterior b-pillar trim piece on the driver side front door frame has experienced catastrophic adhesive failure and clip breakage, detaching at the top portion while driving. this plastic trim is flapping at highway speeds and is at imminent risk of completely flying off the vehicle. i'…”
2026-09-18 · Seat Belts · 50,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at higher speeds, the front driver’s side seat belt might not prevent him from hitting the steering wheel in the event of a crash or while depressing the brake pedal to come to a sudden stop. the local dealer was contacted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. t…”
2026-09-08 · Unknown Or Other“a pillar has not been fixed by local ford dealership. a pillars are cracked and loose…”
2026-09-05 · Engine“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 risk. the only indication was dashboard warning that said (engine coolant over temperature)this failure happened while taking daug…”
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other“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 the dealer and they indicate that the transmission needs to be replaced. they indicate that there is metal shavings in the trans f…”
2026-09-03 · Power Train“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 dealerships and nothing is ever done, it's been going on for years. well now it's become more of a safety hazard since i do transport my …”
2026-09-01 · Suspension“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 uncontrollable, crossed into the opposite lane, and drove into a ditch. the vehicle was driven on a back road to the residence and was th…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.