{"id":"2018_ford_explorer","make":"Ford","make_slug":"ford","model":"Explorer","model_slug":"explorer","year":2018,"url":"/ford/explorer/2018/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":39694,"model":"Explorer FWD","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.3,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":19,"hwy":27,"comb":22,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":409,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":2850,"save_spend":-3000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39697,"model":"Explorer AWD","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.3,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":18,"hwy":25,"comb":21,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":429,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":2950,"save_spend":-3500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39693,"model":"Explorer 2WD FFV","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":6,"displ":3.5,"eng":"FFV","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":17,"hwy":24,"comb":20,"cityA":13,"hwyA":18,"combA":15,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Gasoline or E85","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":455,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":3100,"save_spend":-4250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39695,"model":"Explorer FWD","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":6,"displ":3.5,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":17,"hwy":24,"comb":20,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD","co2":453,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":3100,"save_spend":-4250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39698,"model":"Explorer AWD","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":6,"displ":3.5,"eng":"","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":16,"hwy":22,"comb":19,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":480,"fe_score":3,"ghg_score":3,"fuel_cost":3300,"save_spend":-5250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39699,"model":"Explorer AWD","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":6,"displ":3.5,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":16,"hwy":22,"comb":18,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":486,"fe_score":3,"ghg_score":3,"fuel_cost":3450,"save_spend":-6000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"},{"id":39696,"model":"Explorer AWD FFV","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":6,"displ":3.5,"eng":"FFV","turbo":false,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":16,"hwy":22,"comb":18,"cityA":12,"hwyA":16,"combA":14,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Gasoline or E85","vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","co2":483,"fe_score":3,"ghg_score":3,"fuel_cost":3450,"save_spend":-6000,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"FMX","modified":"Wed Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2018"}],"vclass":"Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD","segment":"Midsize / large SUV","recalls":[{"campaign":"26V448000","component":"STRUCTURE:BODY","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2026-07-14","owner_notified":"","units":288314,"summary":"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, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. 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.","notes":"","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"26S54","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"26V101000","component":"SUSPENSION:REAR","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2026-02-20","owner_notified":"2026-03-16","units":412774,"summary":"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.","notes":"","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"26S08","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"25V685000","component":"EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2025-10-10","owner_notified":"","units":59006,"summary":"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.","notes":"","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"25SA4","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"},{"campaign":"24V031000","component":"STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2024-01-19","owner_notified":"2024-07-18","units":1889110,"summary":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"24S02","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"21V316000","component":"STRUCTURE:BODY","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2021-05-05","owner_notified":"2021-10-01","units":616967,"summary":"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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"21S22","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V633000","component":"SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2019-08-28","owner_notified":"2019-10-21","units":639137,"summary":"Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms.  Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms.  The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, \"Head Restraints\" and 207, \"Seating Systems.\"","consequence":"A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.","remedy":"Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge.  The recall began October 21, 2019.  Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.  Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"19C07","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"18V807000","component":"FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE","mfr":"Ford Motor Company","reported":"2018-11-14","owner_notified":"2018-12-07","units":144,"summary":"Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.5L GTDI engine.  Due to an assembly error, the fuel pressure sensor may leak fuel.","consequence":"A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.","remedy":"Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line assembly, free of charge.  The recall began December 7, 2018.  Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.  Ford's number for this recall is 18S35.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"18S35","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"critical"}],"recall_count":7,"critical_count":2,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":35,"grade":"F","complaints":{"count":731,"crash":16,"fire":7,"injured":13,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Structure",290],["Unspecified",168],["Engine",95],["Electrical System",60],["Power Train",49],["Engine And Engine Cooling",29]],"by_year":{"2018":40,"2019":43,"2020":37,"2021":38,"2022":41,"2023":123,"2024":135,"2025":190,"2026":84},"excerpts":[["2022-01-28","Back Over Prevention","The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing from the garage, the rearview camera was inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the fail\u2026"],["2021-12-20","Structure","The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the roof rail cover had detached from the vehicle. The dealer was mad\u2026"],["2021-12-16","Structure","Roof rack rail cover came off on highway, almost caused an accident. The other roof rack rail cover is lose but I have yet to receive the recall for the roof rack rail cover."]]},"investigations":[{"action":"PE23001","component":"STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS","opened":"2023-01-27","closed":"2024-02-08","campaign":"24V031","subject":"Windshield trim molding Item detachment","summary":"On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-001 to investigate allegations of A-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (MY) 2011-2019 Ford Explorer vehicles. At the time of opening, the office had received 164 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting this failure. ODI has received 671 VOQs regarding this failure, including 1 alleged crash and 2 alleged injuries. Some consumers have reported that the failure occurred while they were driving at highway speeds, with the detached trim panel entering the path of travel of the vehicle behind them, requiring the driver of the following vehicle to take evasive action. It is noteworthy that motorists who experi"},{"action":"AQ22003","component":"LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH","opened":"2022-12-16","closed":"","campaign":"","subject":"Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls","summary":"NHTSA is opening this audit query to investigate whether The Hertz Corporation (Hertz) has complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. \u00c2\u00a7 30120(i).NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates Hertz rented vehicles to customers without having performed required recall repairs. Accordingly, we are opening this audit query to seek additional information concerning this issue."}],"ncap":[{"desc":"SUV AWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.174,"seats":null,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null},{"desc":"SUV FWD","overall":5,"frontal":5,"side":5,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.164,"seats":null,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":16,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":22,"ncap":5,"complaints":731},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}