2010 Ford Explorer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 27th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Ford Explorer. That ranks 27th out of 33 Explorer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (28 complaints, 24%), typically at around 80,500 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 13 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 115owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 Ford Explorer problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 28 | 24% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 20 | 17% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 14 | 12% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 12% | 9,800 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 10% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 8% | 92,600 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 7% | 61,355 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 7% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 5% | 32,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 5% | 6,900 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 4% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 3% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 35,525 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 6,900 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 5,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Ford Explorer recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between december 15, 2009 through february 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraint." the recliner gear plate teeth may be out of dimension specification which could result in limited pawl to gear plate tooth engagement.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seatback and head restraint may move rearward, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before april 30, 2010. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit (AQ10001) — opened Nov 18, 2010, closed Dec 28, 2015.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 135,902. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, it was later discovered that…
Thing accelerate by itself while on highway od light blinking at high speeds and then when you come to a complete stop and try to takeoff it goes really slow with the RPMs high then it will kick into gear, unsafe on the road. Truck willjump in gear then out on takeoff.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was approximately 150,000. Most recently, the contact downloaded the Ford App, and when the…
3 times this has happened. I brake and it seems like I'm pressing the gas pedal and the brakes feel like they aren't stopping the vehicle. The third time put me in incoming traffic and the vehicle was totaled as it already had a rebuilt salvage title when we bought it.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the anti-theft, roll stability, and fuel filler messages were displayed with an audible alarm before the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the…
Other Ford Explorer years
← 2009 Explorer · 2011 Explorer →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Explorer | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Explorer | 42 | 14 |
| 2025 Explorer | 103 | 20 |
| 2024 Explorer | 21 | 10 |
| 2023 Explorer | 110 | 15 |
| 2022 Explorer | 269 | 24 |
| 2021 Explorer | 442 | 26 |
| 2020 Explorer | 1,232 | 33 |
| 2019 Explorer | 299 | 6 |
| 2018 Explorer | 733 | 7 |
| 2017 Explorer | 1,699 | 13 |
| 2016 Explorer | 2,461 | 14 |
| 2015 Explorer | 1,806 | 8 |
| 2014 Explorer | 1,679 | 6 |
| 2013 Explorer | 2,236 | 11 |
| 2012 Explorer | 829 | 5 |
| 2011 Explorer | 1,197 | 6 |
| 2010 | 115 | 1 |
| 2009 Explorer | 33 | 0 |
| 2008 Explorer | 148 | 1 |
| 2007 Explorer | 208 | 1 |
| 2006 Explorer | 630 | 1 |
| 2005 Explorer | 497 | 0 |
| 2004 Explorer | 1,304 | 0 |
| 2003 Explorer | 1,131 | 2 |
| 2002 Explorer | 3,295 | 4 |
| 2001 Explorer | 375 | 6 |
| 2000 Explorer | 952 | 9 |
| 1999 Explorer | 1,348 | 9 |
| 1998 Explorer | 1,959 | 9 |
| 1997 Explorer | 1,731 | 7 |
| 1996 Explorer | 1,450 | 6 |
| 1995 Explorer | 843 | 5 |
See all Ford Explorer problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Ford Explorer?
Owners most often report power train, seats, engine problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 28 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Ford Explorer?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 Ford Explorer a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer model years, the 2010 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.