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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2018 Ford Explorer — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 733 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

733
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
15
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
7
Involved Fire
owner-reported
12
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Ford Explorer — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

1,196 complaints

829 complaints

2,237 complaints

1,680 complaints

1,808 complaints

2,460 complaints

1,710 complaints

733 complaints

299 complaints

1,233 complaints

445 complaints

269 complaints

111 complaints

21 complaints

104 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Structure 288 reports
Unknown Or Other 168 reports
Engine 95 reports
Electrical System 57 reports
Power Train 50 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling 29 reports
Back Over Prevention 26 reports
Suspension 23 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Structure ODI 11633306 12/31/2024

While traveling on [XXX] eastbound in the St. Louis, MO area I heard a pop and noticed my passenger side A-frame trim body piece was free from the top mooring point. This caused me to have to exit the freeway earlier than expected. Fortunately, the trim piece did not come completely dislodged and cause further danger on the freeway. I still need to drive this vehicle with a…

Steering ODI 11385739 12/31/2020

VEHICLE WHEN ACCELERATING PULLS SHARPLY TO RIGHT . PROBLEM NOT RESOLVED AFTER 30 DAYS AT DEALERSHIP. ALIGNMENT WAS NOT PROBLEM. WAS DOCUMENTED WHILE UNDER WARRANTEE ANT WAS FIRST NOTICED AT 21000 MILES AND DOCUMENTED

Unknown Or Other ODI 11385749 12/31/2020

WE TOOK OUR 2018 FORD EXPLORER INTO THE SHOP LAST WINTER COMPLAINING OF A BAD SMELL. THE SHOP KEPT OUR CAR FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. 2 WEEKS AGO MY WIFE WENT TO THE ER AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. WE BEGAN WORKING WITH FOR TO HELP GET THIS FIXED, 5 DAYS LATER SHE PASSED OUT AT THE WHEEL AND WRECKED INTO A TELEPHONE POLL. WHILE …

Electrical System ODI 11707788 12/30/2025

During a storm, our SUV had water leaking in through the top, middle of the windshield. The water soaked the dashboard controls and our heating/air system was stuck on high heat and would not turn off. It was 70° and it was extremely hot in the SUV and the windows kept fogging up making it hard to see. Our temperature controls no longer work properly.

Electrical System ODI 11707887 12/30/2025

I am filing a safety complaint regarding unresolved recalls on my 2018 Ford Explorer (VIN: [XXX] ). FIRST RECALL: Over two years ago, I was notified to repair the exterior A-pillar trim/window shields. The dealer in Yakima, WA, placed me on a waiting list and said the part was unavailable. I have been waiting over two years with no resolution. Recently, while driving on the h…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2018 Ford Explorer, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2018 Ford Explorer reliable?
Owners have filed 733 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Explorer, most often about structure. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Ford Explorer years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.