Ford Explorer Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Ford Explorer model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 43,113 federal complaints, 153 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 1996–1998, 2002, 2013, 2016. These years top the Explorer's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2001, 2005–2010, 2018–2019, 2021–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Transmission & drivetrain tops the Ford Explorer file with 5,573 complaints, concentrated in the 2002–2002 model years, most often reported around 75,900 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Too early to call | 36 | 11 | — | 1 |
| 2025 | Too early to call | 142 | 19 | Electrical | 3 |
| 2024 | Few reports | 26 | 10 | — | 1 |
| 2023 | Typical | 148 | 15 | Other | 4 |
| 2022 | Better year | 358 | 24 | Transmission & drivetrain | 9 |
| 2021 | Better year | 549 | 26 | Transmission & drivetrain | 13 |
| 2020 | Below average | 1,676 | 33 | Transmission & drivetrain | 37 |
| 2019 | Better year | 334 | 6 | Body & structure | 7 |
| 2018 | Better year | 875 | 7 | Body & structure | 20 |
| 2017 | Below average | 2,037 | 14 | Body & structure | 44 |
| 2016 | Avoid | 3,022 | 15 | Body & structure | 64 |
| 2015 | Below average | 2,214 | 9 | Other | 49 |
| 2014 | Below average | 2,042 | 7 | Steering | 44 |
| 2013 | Avoid | 2,790 | 12 | Steering | 59 |
| 2012 | Typical | 1,029 | 7 | Steering | 21 |
| 2011 | Typical | 1,499 | 8 | Steering | 31 |
| 2010 | Better year | 155 | 2 | Transmission & drivetrain | 4 |
| 2009 | Better year | 49 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2008 | Better year | 217 | 3 | Electrical | 5 |
| 2007 | Better year | 271 | 3 | Transmission & drivetrain | 7 |
| 2006 | Better year | 788 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 17 |
| 2005 | Better year | 604 | 3 | Body & structure | 14 |
| 2004 | Below average | 1,647 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 40 |
| 2003 | Typical | 1,369 | 7 | Body & structure | 33 |
| 2002 | Avoid | 4,097 | 10 | Transmission & drivetrain | 100 |
| 2001 | Better year | 503 | 12 | Wheels & tires | 19 |
| 2000 | Below average | 1,203 | 15 | Wheels & tires | 38 |
| 1999 | Below average | 1,737 | 15 | Wheels & tires | 48 |
| 1998 | Avoid | 2,374 | 14 | Wheels & tires | 74 |
| 1997 | Avoid | 2,150 | 12 | Wheels & tires | 64 |
| 1996 | Avoid | 1,818 | 11 | Wheels & tires | 72 |
| 1995 | Typical | 1,048 | 12 | Wheels & tires | 33 |
| 1994 | Below average | 1,531 | 7 | Wheels & tires | 50 |
| 1993 | Below average | 1,151 | 9 | Wheels & tires | 35 |
| 1992 | Typical | 848 | 7 | Wheels & tires | 26 |
| 1991 | Typical | 764 | 11 | Brakes & stability | 24 |
| 1990 | Few reports | 12 | 0 | — | 0 |
Questions buyers ask
What Ford Explorer years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 1996–1998, 2002, 2013, 2016 as the Ford Explorer years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Ford Explorer problem?
Transmission & drivetrain tops the Ford Explorer file with 5,573 complaints, concentrated in the 2002–2002 model years, most often reported around 75,900 miles.
What are the best Ford Explorer years to buy used?
The quietest Ford Explorer years in federal records are 2001, 2005–2010, 2018–2019, 2021–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Ford Explorer only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.