"How reliable is the 2010 Ford Explorer?"

"Based on 155 NHTSA complaints, the 2010 Ford Explorer has a median complaint mileage of 48000 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2010 Ford Explorer?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2010 Ford Explorer is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 155 total complaints filed."

2010 Ford Explorer: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 155 complaints

155

Total Complaints

48,000mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

8,000 25th Percentile

48,000 Median Mileage

87,233 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Seats

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine

Electrical System

Service Brakes

Unknown Or Other

Fuel/Propulsion System

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Wheels

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE HEADREST ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXTENDS OUTWARD WHICH FORCES THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS HEAD FORWARD. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED DISCOMFORT WHILE DRIVING EVEN WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO REST HIS SHOULDERS AGAINST THE BACK OF THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS PURC..."

"THE HEAD REST ON MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER LEANS SO FAR FORWARD THAT IT FORCES MY HEAD DOWN AND FORWARD. THE DEALER CANNOT ADJUST IT SO THAT YOU CAN SIT NORMALLY. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REMOVE THE HEAD REST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DRIVE WITH IT AND REMOVING IT REMOVES ANY PROTECTION. ..."

"JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2010 EXPLORER, TRADING IN OUR 2006. SINCE THIS IS OUR SEVENTH EXPLORER, WE DIDN'T BOTHER WITH A TEST DRIVE. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! WHEN WE WERE DRIVING HOME, WE WERE BOTH VERY UNCOMFORTABLE - THE HEAD RESTRAINTS WERE ANGLED SO FAR FORWARD THAT WE COULD NOT GET COMFORTABLE. WE PRIMARI..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 26 complaints

25th: 62,250 mi Median: 84,116 mi 75th: 120,000 mi

Seats 17 complaints

25th: 127 mi Median: 4,000 mi 75th: 15,005 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 14 complaints

25th: 4,072 mi Median: 9,800 mi 75th: 26,100 mi

Engine 14 complaints

25th: 44,427 mi Median: 80,500 mi 75th: 100,499 mi

Electrical System 10 complaints

25th: 17,750 mi Median: 48,000 mi 75th: 80,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

PA: 11 TX: 11 VA: 10 MI: 9 FL: 9 MO: 9 NJ: 8 WA: 6 MN: 6 AL: 5

Ford Explorer — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	764	113,804	Tread/Belt	70
1992	848	125,000	Tread/Belt	54
1993	1151	107,248	Tread/Belt	98
1994	1531	97,541	Tread/Belt	124
1995	1048	125,000	Tread/Belt	107
1996	1818	127,000	Tread/Belt	248
1997	2149	100,000	Tread/Belt	180
1998	2374	100,000	Tread/Belt	219
1999	1737	80,000	Tires	143
2000	1203	77,938	Tires	115
2001	500	90,500	Tires	82
2002	4095	79,000	Automatic Transmission	178
2003	1368	74,000	Automatic Transmission	70
2004	1647	65,000	Automatic Transmission	69
2005	604	70,000	Body	30
2006	788	60,000	Power Train	18
2007	271	69,000	Power Train	14
2008	215	78,000	Electrical System	8
2009	49	67,000	Vehicle Speed Control	8
2011	1481	65,000	Steering	48
2012	1013	62,000	Steering	14
2013	2757	74,000	Steering	61
2014	2011	64,000	Steering	48
2015	2138	54,600	Unknown Or Other	52
2016	2940	45,647	Steering	56
2017	1927	45,000	Structure	53
2018	819	42,000	Structure	23
2019	306	50,000	Structure	2
2020	1544	12,600	Power Train	50
2021	492	38,400	Power Train	21
2022	308	28,000	Power Train	25
2023	126	8,500	Unknown Or Other	11
2024	21	5,080	Unknown Or Other	0
2025	111	2,289	Electrical System	11

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Recliner

Campaign 10V161000 | 20/04/2010

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL RECLINERS FOR BOTH POWER AND MANUAL SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

Equipment

Campaign 10E043000 | 03/09/2010

AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Compare Ford Explorer

vs Chevrolet Tahoe → vs Jeep Grand Cherokee →

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28