Complaint volume
711 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Ford Explorer Complaints
711 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
711 Total complaints
14 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
12 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are structure, unknown or other, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 14 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 284 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 53,609 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to structure, unknown or other, engine?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Ford Explorer?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Ford Explorer
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Ford Explorer complaints?
14 Crash
7 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
30 Towed
5 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
STRUCTURE 250
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 114
ENGINE 57
POWER TRAIN 27
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18
SUSPENSION 15
BACK OVER PREVENTION 12
STEERING 11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 11
711 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2018 | ENGINE | WHEN ACCELERATING, THE SMELL OF EXHAUST FILLS THE CAR. WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS ALL YOU CAN SMELL IS EXHAUST. IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FROM DAY ONE. FORD TRIED TO FIX IT UNDER RECALL BUT IT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. YOU CAN STILL SMELL IT JUST THE SAME. NO DIFFERENCE AFTER THEIR ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10 |
| Apr 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | AS SOON AS WE DROVE OUR BRAND NEW FORD EXPLORER OFF THE LOT IT HAD A TERRIBLE SHAKE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS FLAT SPOTS FROM THE CAR SITTING AT THE DEALER. HOWEVER THE SHAKE GOT INCREASINGLY WORSE THE CLOSER WE GOT TO HOME TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TO REMOVE OUR DRINK FROM THE CUP HOLDER BECAUSE THEY WERE SHAKING SO BAD. WITHIN A WEEK WE HAD BACK AT THE DEALER TO TRY AND SOLVE THE ISSUE WITHOUT ANY LUCK. WE HAVE CAR AT THE DEALER SHIP TRYING TO GET FIXED 4 TIMES. THEY HAVE BALANCED THE TIRES 3 TIMES AND CHANGED THE DRIVE SHAFT ONCE. UNFORTUNATELY ITS STILL NOT FIXED. WE HAVE DOCUMENTS SHOWING WHAT THE DEALER HAD DONE TO ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE ISSUE BUT SEEING HOW ITS NOT WORKED I DONT SEE THE POINT IN UPLOADING THE DOCUMENTS UNLESS SPECIFICLY ASKED TO. | Crash: No Fire: No | 2 |
| Apr 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | DURING STARTUP ON COLD MORNINGS (NOT ALWAYS) I HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE FAILURE WARNINGS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE HAS NO POWER STEERING, TURN SIGNALS, OR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE WARNINGS ARE: 4WD OFF, CHECK PARKING AID, SEE MANUAL, SERVICE ADVANCETRAC, STEERING ASSIST FAULT, ABS LIGHT, AIRBAG LIGHT, PARKING BRAKE LIGHT IS ON EVEN THOUGH PARKING BRAKE IS NOT ON. ALSO THE CLIMATE CONTROL STILL SEES THE TEMPERATURE AS THE LAST TEMPERATURE FROM THE PREVIOUS DRIVE. SO IF IT WAS 80 OUT AND NOW 40, THE A/C BLOWS COLD AIR EVEN THOUGH IT IS COLD OUT. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, ONCE AT 749.3 MILES (3/12/2018) AND THE SECOND TIME AT 1440 MILES (4/2/2018). FIRST TIME DEALER DID NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR OVER A WEEK AND STILL CAN NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 749 |
| Apr 2018 | AIR BAGS,SEATS | ON 2, 2018 FORD EXPLORER BASIC MODEL VEHICLES, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR HAS COME ON AND THEN GONE OFF AND STAYED OFF WITH MY 14 YEAR OLD 118 LB, 5' 9" CHILD IN THE FRONT SEAT. FIRST INCIDENT: MARCH 23, 2018. IN THE FIRST VEHICLE THE JOURNEY WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES ON A 4 LANE ROAD. NO TURNING OR BRAKING AFFECTED THE CONDITION. SECOND INCIDENT: APRIL 4, 2018. IN THE SECOND VEHICLE, VIN [XXX], ON A HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTE JOURNEY, ON I-75 BETWEEN NAPLES, FL AND FT. MYERS, FL, MY CHILD SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE AIRBAG INDICATOR SHOWED THE AIRBAG WAS "ON". ON THE RETURN RIDE, WITH SITTING IN THE SAME POSITION, THE AIRBAG INDICATOR SHOWED THE AIRBAG WAS "OFF". BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING, NO BRAKING OR TURNING AFFECTED THE INCIDENT. WE BROUGHT BOTH VEHICLES BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH WE LEASED THEM AND SHOWED THEM THE ACCOMPANYING PICTURE. THEY TOLD US THAT IT COULD BE THAT MY CHILD IS TOO LIGHT FOR THE SEAT SENSOR, BUT THEY WERE NOT POSITIVE. THE HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPT AND HIS LEAD TECHNICIAN WITNESSED THE AIRBAG INDICATOR IN THE "OFF" POSITION WITH MY CHILD SITTING IN THE SEAT. THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. THEY ADVISED THEY CONTACTED FORD WITH THE FIRST VEHICLE VIN AND WERE DOING THE SAME WITH THIS SECOND VEHICLE AS WELL. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS THERE IS NO CERTAINTY, SHOULD WE GET INTO A VEHICLE CRASH AND NEED THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY, THAT THE AIRBAG WILL ACTUALLY DEPLOY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,200 |
| Mar 2018 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | MY WIFE AND I LEASED A 2018 FORD EXPLORER PLATINUM LAST SATURDAY. WE WANTED TO UPGRADE TO THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY. I FAILED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY IF THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE WENT TO ZERO MPH FOR STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THE WINDOW STICKER SAID IT HAD "ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL". I HAVE HAD TWO CARS WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE AND THEY HAVE BOTH WORKED DOWN TO ZERO MPH. DURING OUR FIRST DRIVE USING THE SO-CALLED "ADAPTIVE CRUISE", WE WERE FOLLOWING A CAR ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70MPH. RATHER SUDDENLY, THAT CAR SLOWED. OUR FORD WAS SLOWING DOWN BEAUTIFULLY; YOU COULD FEEL AND SEE THE EFFECTS OF THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING. THEN, SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT NOTICABLE WARNING TO US, THE BRAKING QUIT AND OUR CAR WAS COASTING TOWARDS THE CAR IN FRONT. WE NARROWLY MISSED A LOW SPEED REAR-END COLLISION. I WOULD CALL THIS CRUISE CONTROL A "PARTIAL" ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. I REALLY FEEL THIS ASPECT OF THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE SHOULD BE MORE PROMINENT IN ALL OF THE LITERATURE AS WELL AS ON THE WINDOW STICKER.. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE DECELERATION BEEN EXTREMELY FAST FROM 70MPH AND OUR CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED AND THE BRAKING SUDDENLY QUIT! THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE USED TO A CAR THAT WILL CONTINUE BRAKING ALL THE WAY TO A STOP. I DO CONSIDERABLE RUSH HOUR DRIVING AND AM IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC CONSTANTLY. OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS ARE ABLE TO BUILD CARS WITH A CRUISE THAT GOES DOWN TO ZERO. WHY NOT FORD? I WOULD EVEN HOPE THAT A SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE UPDATE COULD MAKE MY CAR CRUISE GO DOWN TO ZERO. THAT WOULD BE SUCH A GREAT SAFETY UPDATE TO OFFER CUSTOMERS. I BELIEVE STANDARDS SHOULD REQUIRE ZERO MPH CAPABILITY FROM ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROLS AND WOULD HOPE FORD COULD BE MADE TO FIX THIS RATHER DANGEROUS DEVICE. ANY MANUFACTURER USING SUCH A PARTIAL ADAPTIVE CRUISE SYSTEM SHOULD BE MADE TO NOTE THAT PROMINENTLY ON THE WINDOW STICKER AND IN THE LITERATURE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 125 |
| Mar 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | EVERY TIME I START MY CAR AND TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER IT SMELLS LIKE SULFUR IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR. IT IS SO SCARY TO THINK THAT CARBON MONOXIDE MIGHT BE SLEEPING IN THE CAR AND BE LIFE THREATENING TO MY SELF AND MY KIDS AND WIFE. THE REASON I BOUGHT THE THIS CAR IS TO BE SAFE, NOT TO POTENTIALLY BE KILLED! I'M SO DISAPPOINTED AND WISH I KNEW THIS PROBLEM BEFORE I BECAME STUCK WITH THIS DISASTER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10 |
| Mar 2018 | STRUCTURE | CRACK ON WINDSHIELD BY BODY AT TOP, NO SCRATCH ABOVE ON PAINT, STRATCH STARTED SMALL AND IS GROWING | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2018 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE INTEGRATED BLIND SPOT MIRROR ON BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE IS MOUNTED AT THE WRONG ANGLE. IT DOES NOT SHOW THE BLIND SPOT OF THE CAR. YOU CAN NOT SEE ANY PORTION OF LOW PROFILE CARS IN THE BLIND SPOT MIRROR AND YOU CAN NOT SEE THE HEADLIGHTS OF MOST VEHICLES AT NIGHT. IT DOES SHOW THE VERY TOP OF TALLER CARS (SUVS/TRUCKS/VANS). I HAVE PHOTOS TAKEN WHILE DRIVING OF CARS THAT ARE IN THE BLIND SPOT. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTOS, YOU CAN SEE ONLY THE VERY TOP OF THE VAN AND ALMOST NONE OF THE STANDARD CAR. AT NIGHT, THE ROOF OF THE CAR IS NOT AS HELPFUL TO SEE AS THE HEADLIGHTS. I CHECKED ANOTHER 2018 EXPLORER AT THE DEALERSHIP AND IT HAD THE SAME VIEW IN THE BLIND SPOT MIRROR. THE FORD SERVICE TECHNICIAN AGREED THAT THE VIEW ON THE 2018 EXPLORER WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE VIEW ON HIS PERSONAL 2016 FORD FUSION. HOWEVER, SINCE ALL OF THE 2018 EXPLORERS HAD THE SAME VIEW, IT COULD NOT BE FIXED. OLDER MODELS APPEAR TO HAVE BLIND SPOT MIRRORS THAT ARE CORRECTLY POSITIONED. 2014 FORD EXPLORER, 2015 FORD TRANSIT, AND 2016 FORD FUSION ALL HAD CORRECTLY POSITIONED BLIND SPOT MIRRORS. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO SIDE SWIPING A CAR AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ON THE DAY I PURCHASED THE EXPLORER. AS I WAS RELYING ON THE BLIND SPOT MIRRORS AND NO PORTION OF THE CAR COULD BE SEEN. THANKFULLY, A HORN SAVED US BOTH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 121 |
| Feb 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | FULL ACCESSORY POWER ACTIVE, NEXT VEHICLE SHUT OFF TO SAVE ENERGY THIS HAPPEN FIRST TIME ON DECEMBER 23,2017 ON DECEMBER 24, 2017 HAD TO HAVE IT JUMP, ON DECEMBER 25, 2017 WOULD NOT START AT ALL, DECEMBER 26, 2017 TOWED TO CLASSIC FORD THE STATED BATTERY WAS BAD REPLACE IT UNTIL FEBRUARY 14, 2018 THE SAME STATED AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 15, 2018 THREE TIMES I GOT THE SAME MESSAGE ON THE THIRD ONE A WRENCH CAME ON THE SCREEN THE DEALER CLASSIC FORD HAS HAD WITH NO RESOLVE IN SITE I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE A CASE NO CAS-14137401 HAVE A COMPLAINT MADE A REPRESENTATIVE NAME ANNETTE CALL ME TWICE LETTING ME KNOW THAT FORD HAS NO REPLACEMENT OR EXCHANGE POLICY BEING THAT THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT'S WRONG THEY SHOULD CANCEL THE LEASE AND LEASE ME ANOTHER VEHICLE IN GOOD FAITH THE FIRST TIME I HAD IT JUMP START I WAS LEAVING CHURCH, THE 26TH WAS TOWED FROM MY HOME, IN FEBRUARY THE FIRST TIME LEAVING THE FITNESS CENTER, SAME DAY IN DRIVEWAY, LAST IN PARKING LOT FROM THERE TO DEALER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,600 |
| Feb 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | GO TO FORDEXPLORERNIGHTMARE.COM, READ THE 2 KEY DOCUMENTS, OTHER STORIES AND SHARE YOUR STORY. CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING FROM THESE VEHICLES. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY WREAKS OF GAS FUMES (NOT CARBON MONOXIDE) ON THE INSIDE OF THE CARE. THIS PRIMARILY HAPPENS BETWEEN 1/4 TO TO A FULL GAS TANK. THE SMELL ALWAYS OCCURS AFTER A GAS FILL UP. THE GAS TANK IS NEVER OVERFILLED. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN TAKING A SHARP TURN AFTER A STOP SIGN/LIGHT, AND WHEN BRAKING SWIFTLY. LIVING IN A NORTHERN CLIMATE, THE GAS SMELL GETS TO BE SO BAD, THAT WINDOWS NEED TO PERIODICALLY BE OPENED IN ORDER TO VENT THE VEHICLE OF GAS SMELL. THIS DOES NOT GO OVER WELL WHEN IT IS ZERO OUTSIDE. WITH OVER 3500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THE GAS SMELL SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. IT STARTED TO SMELL ON DAY 1 OF POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE FIRST GAS FILL UP.NOW, THE WHOLE GARAGE SMELLS OF GAS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME (2 HOURS). WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE ON A COLD MORNING PARKED OUTSIDE, WITH ALL BLOWERS RUNNING FULL, THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WILL WREAK OF GAS AFTER 5 MINUTES. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A FORD DEALERSHIP THIS WEEK. THEY SUPPOSEDLY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. IT DOES APPEAR TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THE CARBON MONOXIDE PROBLEM AS THIS IS GAS FUME SMELLS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5 |