- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 9
- on record
- MPG
- 27
- combined
Heavily recalled
9 safety recalls on record. Confirm with the seller that every campaign has been completed.
Vehicle Summary
2015 Ford Explorer
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 9
- Owner complaints
- 1,755
- Complaints citing a crash
- 36
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
9 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
9 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 19V435000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
Consequence
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
- 17E048000high
Tire/wheel issue
WHEELS:HUB
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.
Consequence
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
- 15V464000high
Brake system issue
PARKING BRAKE
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."
Consequence
If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.
- 16V245000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
Consequence
A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S18.
- 20V692000high
Drivetrain issue
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
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.
Consequence
The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the link shaft bracket, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners received an interim notification detailing safety risk December 8, 2020. A second letter will be mailed when parts become available in January 2021. The recall began February 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
- 21V537000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
Consequence
A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
- 20V675000high
Suspension issue
SUSPENSION:REAR
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.
Consequence
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
- 24V031000high
Body/structure issue
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
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.
Consequence
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
- 25V695000high
Rear-visibility system issue
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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.
Consequence
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2015 Ford Explorer.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 17.4%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2015 Ford Explorer 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 17.4% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2015 Ford Explorer, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
22
City
34
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $1,944
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 329 g/mi
How this compares
The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2015 Ford Explorer against its peers.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 329 grams per mile — about 4.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
1,755 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 1,755
- Total
- 36
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 95
- Injuries
Most reported components
- OTHER370
- STRUCTURE366
- ENGINE341
- STEERING318
- AIR BAGS84
Notable Issues
1755 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 95 reports involve injuries. 36 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2015 Ford Explorer, newest first.
- Recall
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23001
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
- Recall
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23001
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA17002
Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab
- Recall
A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA15005
Front Brake Hose Failure
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE16008
Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
- Recall
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA17002
Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE16008
Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
- Recall
A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA15005
Front Brake Hose Failure
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE15017
Front brake hose failure
- Recall
If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE15017
Front brake hose failure
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- Drive type
- FWD
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Regular Gasoline
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Seats
- 5
Fuel economy
22
City
34
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual cost
- $1,944
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation PE23001
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
- Recall
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation PE23001
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA17002
Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab


