Complaint volume
694 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
694 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
694 Total complaints
12 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 12 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 281 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 53,203 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?
12 Crash
7 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
29 Towed
5 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
STRUCTURE 248
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 113
ENGINE 55
POWER TRAIN 25
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18
SUSPENSION 14
BACK OVER PREVENTION 12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 11
STEERING 10
694 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | On Thursday, June 14, 2025, the check engine light illuminated on my 2018 Ford Explorer, which has fewer than 75,000 miles. I promptly contacted my trusted local mechanic, Bananno Automotive, to schedule an oil change and requested that they also inspect and diagnose the cause of the warning light. During their inspection, they performed a diagnostic scan and identified stored engine code P0430 – Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 2), which corresponds to the catalytic converter on the left side of the radiator. Concerned that delaying the repair could lead to increased emissions and potential damage to the engine, I authorized the necessary repairs. All work was completed by June 23, 2025. It was only after the repairs were finalized that I reviewed the Ford Warranty Guide and discovered that this issue is, in fact, covered under warranty. Unfortunately, Ford has denied reimbursement solely because the repairs were not performed at a Ford dealership. This is deeply disappointing, especially considering the repair cost exceeded $1,800, and no alternative solution or support has been offered. My intention in sharing this is to ensure that other Ford owners are not similarly affected by this type of parts failure and warranty denial. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | B pillar trim behind passenger door (vertical pillar) is peeling from the top. May fly off and cause a safety issue on roadway if unaddressed. Similar to existing recall of A pillar trim for same year and model as well as an existing recall for 2011-2017 B pillar trim (same issue as mine, but adjacent model years). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | About two years ago, I had the windshield replaced because I had a crack in it. A certified tech approved by my insurance replaced it. Once that happened, I noticed the right A-pillar was loose. Thinking it was something they did incorrectly, I called and they came to fix it; however, a day later, it did the same thing. The clips would not fit correctly. While going down the road, it flew off and scraped the side of my car. Now there isn't an A-pillar and I'm afraid water is getting into my car. Since that happened, my electrical system has been acting strange. I called the AutoNation and I was told the saw the recall, but they didn't have any fixes for it yet. That was in 2024. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The radio flickers on & off when started for about 10 minutes. It’s very distracting. The windshield makes a whistling noise when going above 50mph | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-Pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure almost caused a crash. Additionally, the contact later discovered that the passenger’s side A-Pillar trim had also detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the back-over prevention camera system failed to function as intended. The contact stated the back-over prevention camera seized and displayed a black screen. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed back over prevention camera system. The contact was informed that the back over prevention camera system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer twice due to the persistent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200. The VIN was unavailable. | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Jun 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P0303 (Misfire in cylinder #3). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who confirmed the failure. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and ignition coils. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, after the contact had the tires serviced, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter and engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 119,000 |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | On July 5, 2024, I was driving on Hwy. 12 in Napa, California. The front pillar on my window flew off on the highway. Luckily, no other cars were around and no one was hurt. When I took my car in for service, I told them I needed it fixed and the other pillar looked at. Ford in Walnut Creek told me that they were on backorder and had no idea when I would get a replacement part. I called again a couple of weeks ago to see what the status was and again, no idea when the part would come in. This is the fault of Ford. They should be mfg. these parts. In the meantime, I have been driving around for close to a year with no A-pillar and at risk of losing the other one. Please help. They need to be accountable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 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 repair was not yet available. No further information was available. 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 |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I can hear air coming from the windshield on the drivers side at the top | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 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 a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the clicking sound was the doors locking and unlocking continuously. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the keyless entry keypad on the driver's side door, resulting in battery drainage. The contact was informed that the keypad needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | I saw that Ford has issued a recall that affects 2016 and 2017 Ford Explorers due to a B-pillar trim piece that is not properly attached and may separate from the vehicle. My 2018 Ford Explorer also has this issue. Will 2018 Explorers be included in this recall? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 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 contact stated that the trim on the driver's and the passenger's side of the windshield was deteriorating and detaching from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the manufacturer was advising vehicle owners experiencing the failure to tape the trim pieces until the remedy was available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| May 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the front windshield trim on the passenger's side detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured exterior front windshield trim. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact was informed that the front exterior windshield trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall repair. In addition, the contact was informed that because the entire windshield exterior trim did not detach, the repair was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure), however the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,500. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 92,500 |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I took this vehicle for a recall on September 2024 mire than 9 months ago & as of today, there has been no solucion from customer service. I have send text messages to get an update & on January 2025 I was told that 3 of the 4 parts missing have arrived & they were just waiting for the last one. This recall have affected my business because I can't sell this vehicle due to the recall on it. I am really desperate to get the recall done so I can sell it. Carrillo's Auto Sales | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 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 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ENGINE | The water pump failed. It is internal in the engine. Not sure yet if coolant got into the motor. It is not safe to drive the vehicle and have to get it towed for this expensive repair. Water pumps should not fail at the rate they do on the ford 3.5 motors. They need to have a recall on them. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle has lack of acceleration during launch, sluggish vehicle operation, and shudder/vibration while driving. Vehicle acceleration falters while attempting to merge onto a freeway creating dangerous driving conditions for myself and others on the freeway. Ford has issued a TSB and Customer Satisfaction Program (number 20N07) to cover the costs of essential repairs to the torque converter for this problem but Ford claims my vehicle is not covered by this TSB/CSP. This is despite the fact Ford confirms my vehicle was assembled at the same plant during the same time period as the rest of the vehicles covered by the TSB/CSP. Vehicle is available for inspection. Ford should be compelled to include my vehicle in this important safety program. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I was pulling into my apartment division I heard a loud pop and the vehicle then died. I tried starting it back up and it then caught on fire. My door locks were stuck in the locked position and I could not get them to unlock. Within a few seconds (which felt like several minutes) the doors did unlock and I was able to get out. There were no warning lights or messages prior to this. Fire department did arrive and put out the fire. The car was a total loss. Report has been filed with insurance company. I purchased this car from BX Fort Myers LLC. I just purchased this vehicle from them and had for a total of 32 days. I did purchase the 12 month/12,000 mile extended warranty. I also purchased Gap insurance and informed them of what had happened. The one GM gave me a loaner for a week, got in trouble for giving me one and got demoted. the new GM said "definitely not" will not give me a loaner. I drive over an hour daily for my job and do need a vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim detached and struck other vehicles on several occasions. The contact stated that the other vehicles were able to continue driving on each occasion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim was replaced for a second time; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a repair fee might be charged because recall repair was a one-time free repair. The contact stated that the recall repair failed to correct the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 68,000 |
| Apr 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 a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. 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 failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating excessively and the vehicle hesitated with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while driving uphill the message "Hill Start Assist Not Available" was displayed. The contact was able to drive uphill; however, the failure recurred after driving a short distance. The transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle was not able to pull into the driveway. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that there were metal shards found in the engine and that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 86,000 |