Ford Explorer owners have reported a total of 33,816 problems for their cars built in the 30 model years listed in the chart below. The chart shows the number of problems reported across all service years for each given model year of the Ford Explorer. The 2002 Ford Explorer cars have the most problems reported (3,441 problems).
The following chart shows the 37 most common problems for Ford Explorer cars. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's power train (4,521 problems). The second most common problem is related to the vehicle's structure (4,450 problems).
It would not be fair to compare the Ford Explorer of an older model year to newer model years since older vehicles have been in service longer and thus are expected to have more problems. In order to compare the reliability across Explorer model years, we use the PPMY index which is defined as the problems reported per thousand vehicles per Year. A smaller PPMY index indicates greater reliability of the given model year cars.
PPMY = P / S / Y * 1000,
where P = total problems reported during the life of a Ford Explorer model year; S = total units sold of the model year; Y = years since the debut of the model year (the age of the vehicle).
The results are shown in Table 3.
| Explorer Model Year | Problems | Sales [1] | Vehicle Age |
PPMY Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 302 | 223,876 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 483 | 221,040 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 1,539 | 265,337 | 6 | |
| 2019 | 306 | 129,997 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 810 | 254,718 | 8 | |
| 2017 | 1,905 | 357,721 | 9 | |
| 2016 | 2,888 | 279,387 | 10 | |
| 2015 | 2,136 | 224,409 | 11 | |
| 2014 | 1,980 | 209,112 | 12 | |
| 2013 | 2,740 | 239,413 | 13 | |
| 2012 | 1,010 | 86,916 | 14 | |
| 2011 | 1,468 | 82,807 | 15 | |
| 2010 | 148 | 72,248 | 16 | |
| 2009 | 46 | 25,872 | 17 | |
| 2008 | 208 | 89,892 | 18 | |
| 2007 | 244 | 107,108 | 19 | |
| 2006 | 722 | 177,606 | 20 | |
| 2005 | 556 | 197,645 | 21 | |
| 2004 | 1,436 | 295,689 | 22 | |
| 2003 | 1,207 | 301,251 | 23 | |
| 2002 | 3,441 | 492,580 | 24 | |
| 2001 | 402 | 227,748 | 25 | |
| 2000 | 984 | 378,383 | 26 |
Another way to measure the reliability across the model years of the Ford Explorer is to use the total number of problems reported during the vehicle's first year in service, as shown in the Table 4.
| Model Year | Problems Reported |
|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | |
| 2024 Explorer | |
| 2023 Explorer | |
| 2022 Explorer | |
| 2021 Explorer | |
| 2020 Explorer | |
| 2019 Explorer | |
| 2018 Explorer | |
| 2017 Explorer | |
| 2016 Explorer | |
| 2015 Explorer | |
| 2014 Explorer | |
| 2013 Explorer | |
| 2012 Explorer | |
| 2011 Explorer | |
| 2010 Explorer | |
| 2009 Explorer | |
| 2008 Explorer | |
| 2007 Explorer | |
| 2006 Explorer | |
| 2005 Explorer | |
| 2004 Explorer | |
| 2003 Explorer | |
| 2002 Explorer | |
| 2001 Explorer | |
| 2000 Explorer | |
| 1999 Explorer | |
| 1998 Explorer | |
| 1997 Explorer | |
| 1996 Explorer |
| ☘ Explorer Service Bulletins |
| ⚑ Explorer Safety Recalls |
| ☤ Explorer Defect Investigations |
| Compare Reliability: |