2015 Ford Explorer problems and complaints

Owners have filed 1788 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Explorer. The most-reported areas: Structure (408), Unknown Or Other (402), Steering (345).

Key takeaways

  • 1788 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 37 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 98 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Structure40823%
Unknown Or Other40222%
Steering34519%
Engine22613%
Back Over Prevention1317%
Electrical System925%
Fuel/Propulsion System865%
Power Train855%
Air Bags845%
Suspension835%
Engine And Engine Cooling664%
Seat Belts382%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD5/55/55/54/5
2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD5/55/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Suspension,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-09-20

Failure of replaced toelinks to be properly torque or design flaw. The toelinks continue to slide out of alignment and kick bottomf of both tires out. Causes instability in car, issues with differential and unnecessary wear of rear tires.

Structure - filed 2026-09-20

Driving down road and A pillar trim started to vibrate. Eventually while driving within 2 hour the lower part of the pillar raised up and flopped in wind. It was inspected and rejected for recall replacement in April 2025. Visual inspection by dealer service writer states the a pillar trims definitely meets the require...

Power Train - filed 2026-09-20

Oil smell in vehicle cabin, most likely from ptu, based on the oil smell.

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More for the 2015 Ford Explorer

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.