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Home›Ford›Ford Explorer› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine · every model year

Ford Explorer engine problems, 2016–2027

1,218 of the 7,419 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Ford Explorer 2016–2027 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2016 (500), 2017 (315), 2020 (137). Filed under the same heading across these years: 1 manufacturer bulletin, 13 recall campaigns, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

1,218 complaints, 12 model years 16% of everything filed about the Explorer typically at 40k miles

Ford Explorer engine problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the engineShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20270———the year →
2026616%—5 recallsthe year →
202588%—15 TSBs · 3 recallsthe year →
20240——13 TSBsthe year →
20231110%—24 TSBs · 1 recallthe year →
20223212%—39 TSBs · 2 recalls · 1 investigationthe year →
2021 in depth6014%60k57 TSBs · 3 recalls · 1 investigationthe record →
2020 in depth13711%27k72 TSBs · 2 recallsthe record →
2019258%41k27 TSBsthe year →
2018 in depth12417%68k32 TSBsthe record →
2017 in depth31518%54k65 TSBs · 1 recallthe record →
2016 in depth50020%28k72 TSBs · 1 recallthe record →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
1,218complaints name the engine, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 92 · 2017: 140 · 2018: 83 · 2019: 68 · 2020: 48 · 2021: 42 · 2022: 118 · 2023: 211 · 2024: 166 · 2025: 163 · 2026: 87

40kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 672 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 9,000 and 81,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Two Police officers were patrolling in a city environment together in a 2016 Ford interceptor utility and had symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. This vehicle previously had all carbon monoxide related Ford recall work completed. The officers' symptoms included headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest spasms.
Engine at 28,975 miles Jun 21, 2018 NHTSA owner report
Law enforcement vehicle receiving high carbon monoxide level readings (10+ parts per million) in passenger cabin upon hard acceleration (from complete stop to 100+ MPH) with the air conditioning system on with the recirculation function activated
Engine at 32,000 miles Sep 13, 2017 NHTSA owner report
We purchased this vehicle march 2017. We have noticed that each time the vehicle requires rapid acceleration, for example passing another car on a two-lane road, you will smell exhaust fumes in the cabin of the vehicle.
Engine at 10,000 miles Jul 29, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Strong exhaust smell in passenger compartment when accelerating and/or merging into freeway traffic. I had to open all windows as my eyes were watering
Engine at 4,200 miles Jul 29, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Engine malfunction indicator lamp came on 10/15/20 while driving.. It was taken to the dealer and I was told that it was a thermostat problem which could wait until there was a loner car available.
Engine at 6,000 miles Oct 23, 2020 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

The 8 newest of 13; each model year’s page lists its own.

NHTSA investigation

1 manufacturer bulletin filed under this heading, any model year

Every one filed under the heading is listed. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Other systems with a record on the Ford Explorer

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Ford Explorer problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Ford Explorer years have the most engine complaints?

2016, 500; 2017, 315; 2020, 137. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2016 (20%).

Is there a recall for the engine on the Ford Explorer?

Yes — 13 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 26V548000 (2026), 26V532000 (2026), 26V343000 (2026), 26V205000 (2026). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the Ford Explorer?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 40,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 9,000 and 81,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.