Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Explorer, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Structure411
- Unknown or other404
- Steering347
- Engine227
- Back over prevention145
- Electrical system93
- Fuel/propulsion system86
- Power train86
- Air bags84
- Suspension83
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 98 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 94 2015 Explorer vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 32 people died inside them, and 4 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2015 Ford Explorer failed the safety check 1.86% of the time — 10% less often than the average 2015 passenger car (2.08%). Median odometer at inspection: 102,121 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
21 first registered in 2015 are on Dutch roads; 100% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €106,482.
Most common APK defects
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld8
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)8
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde5
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm4
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt4
- Band beschadigd4
- Band onvoldoende profiel4
- Mistachterlicht werkt niet (goed)3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In New Zealand
3 2015 cars are on the New Zealand register; 33% arrived as used imports, 67% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 17.4 % |
| 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 16.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 10.4–16.9 L/100 km (about 14–23 mpg US), CO₂ 239–299 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 11.9 | 8.5 | 10.4 |
| Explorer FFV · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 9.7 | 11.9 |
| Explorer FFV AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 14.2 | 10.3 | 12.5 |
| Explorer AWD (EcoBoost) · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · Regular gasoline | 14.9 | 10.7 | 13.0 |
| Explorer FFV · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · E85 ethanol | 18.6 | 13.0 | 16.1 |
| Explorer FFV AWD · Sport utility vehicle: Standard · E85 ethanol | 19.2 | 14.1 | 16.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2015 Ford Explorer.
| 2024026 22 Jan 2024 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the exterior A-pillar trim on either side of the windshield may not be properly attached. As a result, the trim(s) could loosen an… |
| 2021438 16 Jul 2021 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the outer ball joint for the rear suspension toe link may seize. If this happens, the toe link could break while driving. This cou… |
| 2020536 11 Nov 2020 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the front link shaft (intermediate shaft) bracket can break. If this happens, there could be a loss of power to the wheels. Also, … |
| 2020524 3 Nov 2020 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the outer ball joint for the rear suspension toe link may seize. If this happens, the toe link could break while driving. This cou… |
| 2019280 11 Jun 2019 | Suspension Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear suspension toe link(s) could break. This could cause a sudden loss of vehicle stability. Note: This problem is more likel… |
| 2017224 25 Apr 2017 | Suspension On certain vehicles operated in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, soil properties unique to these areas could cause an accumulation of soil to occur at the at… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft may fail.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured January 17, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may have improperly welded rear suspension toe links that may fracture.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
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 2015 Ford Explorer: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11008948 | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. |
| 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 |
| 10251952 | For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbochargers replaced for oil leak symptoms and although oil may collect on the external surface of a turbocharger, it is extremely rare for a turbocharger assembly to be the root cause of the oil leak. Careful inspection of the turbocharger oil feed and drain tubes should be performed along with the recommended WSM procedures as needed. Warranty claims for turbochar |
| 10251934 | During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may allow the bolt to loosen resulting in the timing gear breaking and engine damage. Replacement of the bolt is critical to the repair and accurately following the installation procedure in the Workshop Manual (WSM) Section, 303-01 is extremely important. The bolt torque procedure can be found in the crankshaft front seal removal and installation procedure or in the engine assembly procedure. |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10232579 | Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Wheel Knuckle Replacement REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Program Terms: added 21R01 and 21R02 REASON FOR PROVIDING A NO-COST, ONE-TIME REPAIR: added 21R01 and 21R02 OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE: added mailing schedule for 21R01 and 21R02 OASIS ACTIVATION: added 21R01 and 21R02 |
| 10226951 | Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Toe Link Replacement Under Safety Recall 21S32, some of the affected vehicles exposed to a highly corrosive environment where road salt is used extensively during winter months, have experienced a seized toe link ball joint resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link. |
| 10222507 | Certain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Wheel Knuckle Replacement Ref 21S32 Submitting Owner Letter |
| 10214492 | Some 2015-2016 vehicles equipped with 6F50/6F55 transmission and built on 2-Nov-2015 and through 1-Feb-2016 may exhibit no reverse, 3rd and 5th gear with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0715,P0717,P0756 and/or P2701. This may be caused by the direct clutch cylinder/tone wheel (7F283) inadvertently forcing the snap ring out of position resulting in damage to the direct clutch hub (7G384). Service part (7J250) complete rotating 3-5-R clutch module is now available. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01. For claiming, use causal part 7F283 and applicable labor operations in Section 7 of |
| 10214127 | Certain 2014-2016 Model Year Explorer Vehicles 2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt - In all of the affected vehicles, the air bag light may illuminate as a result of a worn or damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector. |
| 10212957 | Some 2013-2023 Ford or Lincoln vehicles with modems activated through FordPass or LincolnWay may experience 12 volt battery drain symptoms when the customer uses non-Ford/Lincoln phone applications as an alternate channel to access vehicle commands such as door lock/unlock, remote start, vehicle location, etc. The battery drain may be caused by excessive calls for data through the vehicle network keeping it in an activated state. Recommend that the customer uninstall the app to ensure this is not contributing to battery symptoms experienced. Advise the customer that unaffiliated third-party ap |
| 10208271 | This program provides a no-cost, one-time repair (if needed) to the rear wheel knuckles for six (6) months from the Repair Order (RO) opening date for field service actions 21S32 or 21S43 provided that the RO opening date occurs on or before July 31, 2023. This is a one time repair. In some of the affected vehicles exposed to a corrosive environment where road salt is used during winter months, the rear toe link ball joint located in the rear knuckle could seize. A seized toe link ball joint could wear out and develop a knocking noise after installation of the updated toe links in the FSA |
| 10207905 | Customer Satisfaction Program 21B11 - Supplement #1 - Certain 2014 - 2016 Model Year Explorer Vehicles 2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt |
| 10207049 | Some 2011-2022 Explorer and 2020-2022 Aviator vehicles may experience an inoperative roof opening panel motor. If diagnostics lead to a motor replacement, visually inspect the original motor for signs of water intrusion. If found, determine source of water leak prior to replacing the motor. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-17, Pinpoint Test A for 2011-2016 and Pinpoint Test B for 2017-2022 for identifying the source of the water leak. |
| 10206858 | Customer Satisfaction Program 21B11 Certain 2014-2016 Model Year Explorer Vehicles 2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt: In all of the affected vehicles, the air bag light may illuminate as a result of a worn or damaged connection to the rear inflatable seat belt connector. |
| 10205031 | Touchscreen navigation system - arabic language - blank screen |
| 10205012 | Harsh Engagement during elevated idle - Ambient temperature below -9 C. Some 2013-2015 Explorer vehicles located in Russia and equipped with a 3.5L Twin independent variable camshaft time (Ti-VCT) EFNGINE, MAY EXHIBIT A HARSH ENGAGEMENT DURING ELEVATED IDLE. tHE CONDITION USUALLY OCCURS WHILE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS BELOW -9 c. |
| 10205010 | 2.0L Ecoboost - Fuel odor |
| 10204987 | 49 CFR Part 579.5 Monthly Communications - March 2016 Air bag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B141B and/or B141C |
| 10204986 | 49 CFR Part 579.5 Monthly Communications - January 2016 |
| 10204979 | 2.0 GTDI/2.3L - Front wheel drive - Bibration and/or grinding/banging/clicking noise |
| 10201050 | Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test HK12 to cycle the affected VCT solenoid 10 times to attempt to clear the debris. For claiming, use causal part 6M280 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor |
| 10194428 | Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. This may be due to small debris causing the VCT solenoid to stick. Before attempting any component diagnosis or replacement of the VCT solenoid, refer to Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test HK11 to cycle the affected VCT solenoid 10 times to attempt to clear the debris. For claiming, use causal part 6M280 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor |
| 10189760 | Certain 2013 through 2017 Model Year Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles that are Registered or Sold in Certain States/Provinces Rear Toe Link Ball Joint Inspection This program is a proactive investigation by Ford Motor Company to obtain field data and parts for testing. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to inspect the toe link ball joint and, if necessary, replace both rear toe links and wheel knuckles on vehicles always registered and always residing in the Nashville (and Calgary) area. The replacement toe links and knuckles being installed contain no enhancements a |
| 10189755 | Certain 2013 through 2017 Model Year Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles that are Registered or Sold in Certain States/Provinces; Rear Toe Link Ball Joint Inspection This program is a proactive investigation by Ford Motor Company to obtain field data and parts for testing. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to inspect the toe link ball joint and, if necessary, replace both rear toe links and wheel knuckles on vehicles always registered and always residing in the Nashville, Houston, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Winnipeg, and Calgary areas. The replacement toe links an |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab
Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
Front Brake Hose Failure
Front brake hose failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation