Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train2
- Service brakes1
- Tires1
- Air bags1
- Electrical system1
- Vehicle speed control1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac failed the safety check 2.90% of the time — 15% more often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,611 miles.
310first inspections
2.90%failed on safety
124,611 mimedian odometer
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 14.0–15.7 L/100 km (about 15–17 mpg US), CO₂ 322–361 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.1 | 11.5 | 14.0 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 17.2 | 12.2 | 15.0 |
| Explorer Sport Trac · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 17.7 | 12.7 | 15.4 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 18.0 | 12.9 | 15.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10148819 | This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the ball joint assembly may cause a perceptible increase in steering effort. |
| 10143079 | Various vehicles equipped with a 4.6L, 5.4L, 6.8L modular 3 valve engine built on or before 8-Jan-2016 may exhibit symptoms that may include upper end engine noise, rough running, misfire and/or engine damage. If diagnosis leads to only camshaft/camshaft roller follower(s) requiring replacement, replace all of the camshaft roller followers on both banks/cylinder heads with part number 3L3Z-6564-A, not just the faulty roller follower(s). When replacing the camshaft roller followers, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-01. |
| 10137113 | Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle. Only approved Genuine Ford accessories or originally installed systems are supported and certified to function correctly with other vehicle systems. If you suspect a system has been modified, the following resources can be used to verify original equipment: Monroney Label (Window Sticker), Professional Technician Society (PTS) OASIS tab select |
| 10099463 | 2009-2017 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 6R80, 6R100, 6R140 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAVE AN UPDATED MAIN CONTROL VALVE BODY OVERHAUL PROCEDURE. REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL (WSM), SECTION 307-01 FOR MAIN CONTROL VALVE BODY (7A100) OVERHAUL PROCEDURES. NOT ALL VALVE BODIES REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. INSPECT THE VALVE BODY BORES, SPRINGS AND VALVES AS DIRECTED DURING DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. REFER TO GENERAL SERVICE BULLETIN (GSB) G0000093 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAIN CONTROL INSPECTION FOR A VIDEO CLIP TO AID IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THESE REPAIRS. |
| 10091151 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10090681 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10055783 | LINCOLN/MERCURY/FORD: THERE IS FLUID LEAKING AROUND THE TRANSMISSION BULKHEAD CONNECTOR SLEEVE, FROM THE TRANSMISSION. MODEL 2009-10 EXPEDITION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, F-150, NAVIGATOR, MOUNTAINEER. *PE |
| 10055318 | FORD/MERCURY: TO PREVENT HARNESS DAMAGE, ON SOME VEHICLES, RESULTING IN CONTACT WITH TIRE OR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, PROPER ROUTING OF WIRING HARNESS FOR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR IS KEY. 2006-2010 EXPLORER, MOUNTAINEER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. *PE |
| 10039053 | FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION. *RM |
| 10038965 | COMM-TRANS LUND: SOME 2009-2011 MODELS MAY HAVE THE AIR BAG INICATOR FLASHING WITH A STORED TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *RM |
| 10029565 | FORD/MERCURY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NO CRANK, CRANK NO START, DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM, OR IDLE CONCERN WITH OR WITHOUT MIL ILLUMINATION/DTC'S DUE TO THE PCM ENGINE HARNESS CHAFFING AGAINST THE PCM MOUNTING BRACKET. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)