Complaint volume
710 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
710 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
710 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
710 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact had been calling the local dealer to schedule an appointment for over 9-months and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the lack of parts. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Ford sent me a recall notice for my 2018 Explorer A-Pillar replacement February 2024. I made an appointment and they attempted to install the new A-Pillars. However they broke the new replacement part (drivers side) during the install. They gave me my Explorer back without an A-Pillar and said they would expedite getting an new one. It's now been over a year, the dealership is not responsive, only saying it's a manufacture problem. I called Ford and get the same message. Meanwhile I have a very unsightly SUV, it is also very noisy to drive. Additionally, I would like to replace this vehicle, but its now worth much less. Is their anything that the NHTSB can do to hold Ford accountable for this repair? Thank you in advance, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | AIR BAGS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The vinyl on the top part of the dash has completely seperated which is causing a major white reflection on my window and rendering the car unsafe to drive. Ford refuses to address the issue. I also suspect if my air bags deployed this could impact how they deploy or cause additional vinyl shrapnel hitting an occupant in the face in the event of a crash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My vehicle has defect in the electronic power brake assist system that lead to extended stopping distances and cause me to hit someone from behind. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | The internal water pump system on the EcoBoost engine in the 2018 Ford Explorer failed after 7 years and only 63,880 miles. The vehicle was taken into the shop multiple times when the check engine light came on and the defect was not located until the vehicle failed. Due to the design, it is not easily fixed and cost an outrageous amount of money to fix for a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles. This is a safety risk because if this is a common issue, which it is, and the engine fails while driving it, the driver is not able to get to a safe area to address damages and is left stranded. There are numerous complaints regarding the design flaw of having the water pump inside the engine. The manufacturer refuses to address the flaw. The check engine light came on and was taken in and wrongly diagnosed each time until the engine failed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the A-pillar trims on the front passenger’s side and the front driver's side became loosened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at 70 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened. The contact stated that the hood was slightly ajar. The message "Hood Ajar" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and pushed the hood down. The contact continued driving. Most recently, while driving 70 MPH, the failure reoccurred with the message "Hood Ajar" displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the shoulder and pushed down and closed the hood. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The dash cover came unglued and is rolling up exposing a white cloth that reflects on the windshield makingit hard to see | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the serpentine belt had failed. The contact replaced the serpentine belt, and the vehicle was repaired. Later, while operating the vehicle, several electrical warning lights were displayed. The battery was replaced, but the failure persisted. The contact replaced the alternator; however, after replacing the alternator, the transmission remained stuck in park(P), rendering the vehicle undrivable. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 155,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 155,000 |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had become loose and were deteriorating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected several times, and the dealer determined that the trims needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 75,000 |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger side A-pillar trims detached. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 98,000 |
| Aug 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I previously reported a battery 'explosion' in this 2018 Ford Explorer with ODI 11678705 due to my concern for a potentially highly dangerous situation for my grandchildren who were riding with me. And myself. An unpleasant smell intermittently followed this car that morning July 10 Upon opening the hood it was evident that battery acid had leaked out of the battery and 'exploded' covering most visible engine parts. Entire time of drive there was no 'alert' showing up on my dashboard July 11 car would not start to take to Ford dealership. AAA towed car with AAA driver remarking 'looks like your battery exploded!' Engine compartment cleaned by service, battery replaced July 12 July 18 engine light came on. Ford dealership contacted, no service appointment available until Aug 20. Advised by Ford service to take short trips only, and stop driving if engine light started flashing. I restricted my driving. July 27 started car for trip to church. Loud banging coming from under hood. Stopped driving. Car towed July 28 to Ford dealership repair. Car was not into service dept until Aug. 5. Aug 6, Ford service decided to get input from a more experienced technician to diagnose the problem with 2018 Ford explorer Aug 7, Ford service escalated case to Ford corporate for engineering help with identifying 'electrical' problem with my car. Ford service rep stated 'you car is throwing a code not typically seen with explorers) How can be safe if these my car had a battery issues mechanics freely admit they have not seen before. And now trained Ford mechanics cannot even find or fix the broken link that truly may be responsible for back to back engine failures? Dealer has finally been able to provide a rental. This car has been maintained according to factory recommendations at Sunset Ford and Bommarito Ford St. Loui | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger side A-pillar trim detached. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, parts were not available for several months. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Aug 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the driver's side A-pillar trim. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim was blown off the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); and believed that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 110,000 |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The dashboard is string to come up the glue is no longer holding and it cause the leather to shrink and come up cause a white glare on the windshield and making it hard to see | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal acidic odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Upon raising the hood and inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the battery cap was unsecured, and the battery acid had covered the interior of the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where the engine compartment was cleaned, and the battery was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the battery was previously replaced at a different dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 73,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 73,000 |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | I believe I am getting the Cam Phaser Rattle sound in my 2018 Ford Explorer Platinum with the 3.5L EcoBoost Engine. Through research I have seen that this is a common problem among other 3.5L EcoBoost Engines like the F-150, Expedition, and Navigator. This happens at Cold Start ups I noticed. I have tried calling my dealership and Ford Corporate about this issue and they say that they can't cover this at all. My vehicle is at 65k miles (just outside the warranty). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This recall was opened in Jan 2024. It’s been almost two years and parts still not available. I use my vehicle for business as part of Turo and they deactivated this vehicle in 2024 and won’t let me add it back until repaired. I have loss of income around 25,000 due to this. Easy remedy still no fix. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE | Engine light turning off and on. Engine overheating light on. Told by Ford dealership that I need engine replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | We have been trying to get Safety Recall Notice 24S02/NHTSA recall 24V031 accomplished by our Ford dealership for several months and they say that the parts required are on back order from Ford. My complaint with Ford Motor Company is not having the parts needed for the dealerships to comply with the recall. Currently, the parts are on an emergency order from the dealership. The part on the right side A pillar is vibrating at highway speed and I am expecting a failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, front driver’s side and passenger’s side A-pillar trims loosened and vibrated in the wind. Several local dealers were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 105,000 |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the roof rail covers separated from the vehicle and flew off on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the roof rail covers molding was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 86,000 |