2025 Ford Explorer

Too new to assess

The 2025 Ford Explorer is too new for this measure. Almost every complaint about a vehicle this recent is a first-year complaint, because that is all the service life there has been, so the figure cannot separate a genuine early defect from simple youth. The complaint counts, systems and recalls below still stand on their own. The most-reported system is electrical system (21 complaints), typically at 1.0 yr or about 4,000 miles.

Complaints: 150
Median age at failure: 1.1 yr
Median mileage: 4,000 n=18
Crash / fire / tow: 9.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 10

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

26V470000 2026-07-21

Seats:front assembly:power adjust

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.

Unexpected movement of the driver’s seat back may trap a second-row occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

26V451000 2026-07-14

Seats:mid/rear assembly

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.

A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

26V343000 2026-05-27

Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical

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.

A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

26V165000 2026-03-19

Back over prevention:software

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience multiple unexpected resets, resulting in loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) features, including pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

Loss of the rearview camera image and certain driver assistance features, can reduce the driver’s ability to detect hazards, increasing the risk of a crash.

26V159000 2026-03-17

Seat belts

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.

A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

26V121000 2026-03-03

Exterior lighting:headlights

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."

A headlight that turns incorrectly can result in increased glare to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.

26V122000 2026-03-03

Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:gas recirculation valve (egr valve)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.

An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

25V730000 2025-10-24

Visibility:windshield

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."

Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of a crash.

25V687000 2025-10-10

Trailer hitches

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.

While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.

25V543000 2025-08-22

Exterior lighting:tail lights

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. When towing a trailer, the tail lights on the trailer may fail to illuminate due to an improperly manufactured body control module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Trailer tail lights that do not illuminate as intended can reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Power train mileage not reported 2 mo in service

We have experience a wrench light on the dash in regards to a powertrain malfunction. I have done some research, it seams that there are a lot of other ford explorer owners that are experiencing this. I have found that there is also a possible TSB for this. Just wondering if this TSB could be recall eligible.

Power train mileage not reported 7 mo in service

Vehicle has 5700 miles on it. At roughly 3000 miles I noticed a clunk or tension thud at speeds under 12 mph, both moving forward and in reverse. Brought the vehicle to the dealer and was told it was unsafe to drive. Thus far they have replaced strut mount bushings and have told me the transmission mount was loose and that they have not been able to determine why. My impression is the transmission mount is a significant safety issue in that the vehicle could loose power and subsequent control at any time if the connection worsened or just happened again.

Power train mileage not reported 8 mo in service

After the Ford recall software update, the gear shifter will turn itself out of park and either into drive or reverse. The software update was in regards to the PCM resetting itself. We took it to the Ford dealer and because they can not duplicate the problem, the truck was returned to us. it has happened to us more than once and it is very alarming. I have two children on top of other children in the neighborhood. I don't trust this truck to stay in park even with it off at this point.

Other mileage not reported 0 mo in service

Hands free connection from cell phone to vehicle speakers and mic won't work properly. I consider this a safety issue as it requires me to pickup phone and turn off Bluetooth and work phone manually, looking at it, rather than hands-free. Dealer says corporate has no resolution. Ford consumer line said they're aware but no idea when or if a resolution will be available.

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.

2025 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