2012 Ford Explorer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,029 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Ford Explorer, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 95,657 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all Explorer years
What owners report
“Failure of Power Steering A hard steering wheel on a 2012 Ford Explorer with electric steering (EPAS”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
“The vehicle at start up has disabled power steering causing the vehicle unable to be steered. The vehicle was in a driveway and was about to place into drive gear when the warning light came on and could no longer turn the steering wheel.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
“An exhaust odor repeatedly occurred in the cabin while the vehicle was accelerating.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
“When engine is started, the airbag lights go off but come back on and stays on. This started a month ago and the warning light still switches on when the car is started”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
“I was driving with my child in the car when u hear a loud noise. After that i heard grinding. So when i got home we put the car on jack stands. There seemed to be no problems. The next day i took the car to a shop and was called to come back down. The mechanic showed us that the transfer case blew…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Explorer
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 704 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 66,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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.
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…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,…
Fix: Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without…
Fix: Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain replacement steering gears installed on model year 2011-2012 Explorers as service parts in September 2013 and January 2014. The affected gears may lock, preventing the driver from being able to steer the vehicle.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the suspect steering gears with new steering gears, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2014. Customers may contact Ford at…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 24V031.
Led to recall campaign 14V286000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 2012 Ford Explorer drew 1,029 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 21/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2012 Ford Explorer problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Ford Explorer are steering (358 complaints), body & structure (143), and other (132).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Explorer problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Ford Explorer problems around 66,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Ford Explorer have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Ford Explorer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.