What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
← All Ford Explorer generations
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 6.88 for 2005 (502 complaints across 73 listings) to 40.31 for 2002 (3,426 across 85), against a generation median of 13.92. The highest year, 2002, is 2.9 times that median. Flagged by our rule: 2002. NHTSA lumps Sport Trac pickup complaints into the same name search for these years, so we filtered them out by product name.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| about 109K for the flashing O/D light (CoPilot); 49K for a lunging shift on a 2006 | Automatic transmission failure, hesitation, overdrive light flashing | $2,840 typical transmission repair (CarComplaints, quoted by CarBuzz); $3,000 to $7,000 for a full Ford transmission replacement (Mister Transmission, not Explorer-specific) | CarBuzz says every model year of this generation had transmission complaints, and that 1,577 of the 3,618 NHTSA complaints it counted for 2002 were powertrain. CarBuzz quotes CarComplaints calling the 2002 its worst vehicle on record. Our own filtered 2002 count is lower, because we removed Sport Trac complaints. Shift hard and test reverse on the drive. |
| about 79K (CoPilot, 2002) | Cracked panel below the rear window | No sourced repair price | CarBuzz and CoPilot both name it. It is visible on inspection, so look at the lift gate glass surround. |
| not stated by the sources | Wheel bearing failure and body, paint and wheel/hub complaints | No sourced repair price | CarBuzz lists wheel bearing failure. CoPilot says body and paint topped the complaints for 2003 to 2005. Listen for hum at speed and check the paint on the lower panels. |
| not stated by the sources | 4.0L SOHC timing chain rattle | About $100 in parts and a kit near $55 if done at home (forum post). No shop price found. | HJL Autoparts says the rattle was reduced after 2002 but not fully resolved. A cold-start rattle is the sign. No shop labor quote found. |
| any | Recalls on file: right-side tire sidewall cuts (01V171000, 2002), cruise control deactivation switch (09V399000, 2002) | Free at a Ford dealer when open | 09V399000 covers 1995 to 2002 Explorers with the Texas Instruments switch, which may overheat, smoke or burn. Confirm by VIN. |
A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car. We also re-ran the ad test with the 'rust' flaw left out, because the ad reader counts phrases like 'no rust' as mentions, and publish a flag only if it passes both ways.
Complaints add up over a car's whole life, so older years in a generation can look worse here than they are. Read this flag next to the complaint details below.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 3,426 | Power Train, Structure, Suspension | |
| 2003 | 1,195 | Structure, Power Train, Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2004 | 1,322 | Power Train, Structure, Visibility | |
| 2005 | 502 | Structure, Power Train, Fuel System, Gasoline |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule, and it flags 2002 and 2011. Third-party lists commonly name 2002 to 2006 (CoPilot, Road Ethos), the whole 2002-2005 generation (CarBuzz), and 2016, 2017 and 2020 (Road Ethos). 2002 has 40.31 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (3,426 complaints across 85 listings) against a 2002-2005 median of 13.92. 2011 has 17.60 (1,197 complaints across 68 listings) against a 2011-2019 median of 5.61. 2006 has 9.00 (630 complaints across 70 listings) against a 2006-2010 median of 1.74, but its ads do not mention problems often enough to flag it.
CarBuzz says every model year of the 2002-2005 generation had transmission complaints, and quotes CarComplaints at a typical $2,840 repair. CoPilot adds a 2006 with a lunging shift at 49,000 miles costing about $1,800. Mister Transmission puts a full replacement on Ford vehicles at $3,000 to $7,000, which is not an Explorer-specific price.
RepairPal puts it at $1,253 to $1,617. The Weekly Driver reports quotes of $1,500 to $3,000 on 2011-2019 cars with the 3.5L V6, and EngineNeeds says dealers often charge $1,500 to $2,500, because the pump is inside the engine.
Yes. Consumer Reports covered a free fix Ford offered on 2011 to 2017 Explorers in 2017, which was not a recall. CBS reported a 2015 deposition in which a Ford representative called it a design issue, and Ford told CBS the odor poses no safety risk. If you notice an exhaust smell on a test drive, have it looked at before you buy.
Ford recalled 238,364 2020-2022 Explorers because the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and disconnect the driveshaft (Car and Driver, NHTSA 23V675000). The repair is free. A second recall, 23V199000, covers cars whose earlier software fix left out the automatic parking brake in Park.
No. The Sport Trac is a pickup truck with its own NHTSA model name. We excluded it. NHTSA's search for 'Explorer' also returns Sport Trac complaints in 2002 to 2005, so we removed them by product name.