2018 Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain problems
50 of the 734 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Explorer name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 41 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 50 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 10 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 10
Half of the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 45,000 and 107,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
734 complaints in all about the 2018 Ford Explorer, 10 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford Explorer transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure.
The vehicle had a premature water pump failure that leaked antifreeze into the engine compartment and caused the engine to seize up while traveling at a higher rate of speed
I’ve taken my vehicle multiple times to the Ford dealership due to continuing issues. Every time I’m told nothing is wrong and now I can’t even drive my car 5 feet
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while approaching a stop light, the vehicle started to vibrate without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the transmission support needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure continued.
2018 Ford Explorer developed a shudder and rough idle, sluggish vehicle operation, slow acceleration during launch. No warning lamps. Researched issues online and found a bulletin from Ford Motor Company dated October 9, 2020 that identified the issue as a torque converter defect.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications41 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SSM 54366 Service bulletinNov 12, 2025
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P025A C3239 U0109 P0011 P0012 P0014 P0015 P0016
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Ford Explorer names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Ford Explorer
Source: the same files- body and structure problems 291 complaints
- engine problems 124 complaints
- electrical problems 60 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 50 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (7% of everything owners filed about it), and 41 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 7 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 86,000 miles; half of them between 45,000 and 107,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.