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2017 Ford Explorer

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
14
on record
MPG
27
combined

Heavily recalled

14 safety recalls on record. Confirm with the seller that every campaign has been completed.

Vehicle Summary

2017 Ford Explorer

14 recalls
1673 complaints
27 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 14 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 33 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 1,673 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
14
Owner complaints
1,673
Complaints citing a crash
33

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

14 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

14 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 19V651000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEATS

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with power front seats. The seat frames may have sharp edges.

    Consequence

    Occupants my contact the sharp edges when reaching between the power front seat and center console, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective tape on the exposed inside edge and tab of the power seat frames, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S29.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 17V530000high

    Steering issue

    STEERING

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus and Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan vehicles. The steering gear heat shield fasteners may corrode, allowing the heat shield to detach.

    Consequence

    If the heat shield detaches, the steering gear may overheat, increasing the steering effort required by the driver, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Ford will notify owners, and dealers to inspect and replace the heat shield fasteners as needed, free of charge. The recall began on September 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S23.

    Full campaign record
  • 17V332000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer, F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles equipped with a manual driver's seat back recliner mechanism. In the event of a crash, the seat back frame may not restrain the occupant due to having inadequate welds. As such, these vehicles may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202a, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

    Consequence

    If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy

    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C08.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V925000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.

    Consequence

    An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V316000high

    Body/structure issue

    STRUCTURE:BODY

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.

    Consequence

    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V347000high

    Body/structure issue

    STRUCTURE:BODY

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.

    Consequence

    Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.

    Full campaign record
  • 25V685000high

    Engine issue

    EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

    Consequence

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.

    Full campaign record
  • 26V101000high

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION:REAR

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.

    Consequence

    A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.

    Full campaign record
  • 26V448000high

    Body/structure issue

    STRUCTURE:BODY

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.

    Consequence

    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed August 24, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2017 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 2017 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.

NHTSA crash tests

2017 Ford Explorer Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2017 Ford Explorer Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2017 Ford Explorer Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2017 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 2017 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

1,673 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

1,673
Total
33
Crashes
10
Fires
50
Injuries

Most reported components

  • STRUCTURE616
  • ENGINE380
  • OTHER280
  • WHEELS/TIRES67
  • ELECTRICAL62

Notable Issues

1673 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 50 reports involve injuries. 33 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

body/structure issues (rust, door problems, trim)616
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)380
miscellaneous issues280

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 Ford Explorer, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 26V448000

    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 26V101000

    A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 25V685000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  4. Recall

    Recall 25V347000

    Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23001

    Windshield trim molding Item detachment

  6. Recall

    Recall 24V031000

    A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

  7. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23001

    Windshield trim molding Item detachment

  8. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation EA17002

    Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab

  9. Recall

    Recall 21V537000

    A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  10. Recall

    Recall 21V316000

    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  11. Recall

    Recall 20V675000

    A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  12. Recall

    Recall 19V651000

    Occupants my contact the sharp edges when reaching between the power front seat and center console, increasing their risk of injury.

  13. Recall

    Recall 19V435000

    A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

  14. Recall

    Recall 17E048000

    A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.

  15. Recall

    Recall 17V530000

    If the heat shield detaches, the steering gear may overheat, increasing the steering effort required by the driver, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.

  16. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation EA17002

    Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab

  17. Recall

    Recall 17V332000

    If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.

  18. Recall

    Recall 16V925000

    An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.

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
  1. Recall

    Recall 26V448000

    A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 26V101000

    A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  3. Recall

    Recall 25V685000

    An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  4. Recall

    Recall 25V347000

    Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23001

    Windshield trim molding Item detachment