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CarsLore / Compare / Large SUVs / Explorer vs Model X

Ford Explorer vs Tesla Model X

Two large SUVs, compared on the same official records: MOT and inspection results, safety ratings, fuel use, recalls and owner complaints. 3 like-for-like measures: the Ford Explorer leads on 1, the Tesla Model X on 1, 1 too close to call.

Where each one leads

Ford Explorer

  • Fewer Ford Explorer cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (1.0% against 3.1%).

Tesla Model X

  • New Tesla Model X cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 0 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 75 for the Ford Explorer in 2022.

Too close to call: new York safety inspections failed, against cars of the same year.

Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare

At a glance

Ford ExplorerTesla Model X
Model years in the US safety record1984–20272015–2026
New cars registered in Europe10,009 (2010–2022)29,427 (2016–2022)
Licensed in the United Kingdom16,8005,984
On the road in the Netherlands7,4174,664
In traffic in Finland1,6171,396

EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).

Reliability and problems

Ford ExplorerTesla Model X
UK MOT first-time pass rate—83%
… against cars of the same age—−2%
New York safety inspections failed1.2%0.9%
… against cars of the same year−20%−19%
Illogical odometer records (NL)1.0%3.1%
US owner complaints34,6271,554
Most complaints aboutPower trainUnknown or other
Model year with most complaints2002 (3,295)2016 (450)
US recall campaigns14239
Manufacturer service bulletins5,035830
NHTSA defect investigations155125

Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).

Safety

Ford ExplorerTesla Model X
NHTSA overall rating5★ (2027)—

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).

Fuel, emissions and price

Ford ExplorerTesla Model X
Official combined fuel use, Canada10.4 l/100 km (2026)—
Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe75 g/km0 g/km
Average power of new cars in Europe267 kW (358 hp)423 kW (568 hp)
Average mass in running order2,547 kg2,538 kg
Dutch list price when new (median)€77,709€128,650
Average odometer in Finland86,000 km145,000 km

Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).