2010 Ford Explorer

No clear pattern

16.8% of complaints about the 2010 Ford Explorer arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2010 vehicle, but with only 155 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is power train (29 complaints), typically at 6.9 yr or about 81,000 miles.

Complaints: 155
Median age at failure: 5.0 yr
Median mileage: 48,000 n=121
Crash / fire / tow: 9.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10E043000 2010-09-03

Equipment

MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING SIDE AIRBAGS. THE HEAVIER SEAT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

10V161000 2010-04-20

Seats:front assembly:recliner

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINERS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINT." THE RECLINER GEAR PLATE TEETH MAY BE OUT OF DIMENSION SPECIFICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LIMITED PAWL TO GEAR PLATE TOOTH ENGAGEMENT.

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

In owners’ own words

Seats mileage not reported 2 mo in service

THE HEAD REST ON MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER LEANS SO FAR FORWARD THAT IT FORCES MY HEAD DOWN AND FORWARD. THE DEALER CANNOT ADJUST IT SO THAT YOU CAN SIT NORMALLY. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REMOVE THE HEAD REST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DRIVE WITH IT AND REMOVING IT REMOVES ANY PROTECTION. *TR

Seats mileage not reported 7 mo in service

THE HEAD REST ON MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER LEANS SO FAR FORWARD THAT IT FORCES MY HEAD DOWN AND FORWARD. THE DEALER CANNOT ADJUST IT SO THAT YOU CAN SIT NORMALLY. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REMOVE THE HEAD REST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DRIVE WITH IT AND REMOVING IT REMOVES ANY PROTECTION. *TR

Seats 1,000 mi 9 mo in service

THE HEADREST IN MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER FORCES YOUR HEAD AND NECK FORWARD IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE POSTION. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE POSITION. *TR

Power train 120,000 mi 10 mo in service

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER W/APPROX. 120M MILES. MY O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND I GOT A "CK TRANSMISSION" MESSAGE. AFTER EXPLORING THE INTERNET I FOUND OVER 200 OTHER OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I TERRIFIED 2 TAKE 2 MY FORD DEALER AFTER READING COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS. THE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES FROM STARTING THE CAR. *TR

Other Explorer model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2010 Ford Explorer

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Explorer model years

How to read this