2011 Ford Explorer Engine Problems
Owners have filed 83 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 83,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “water pump” (24% of reports).
- 83engine complaints
- 83,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $7,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 51%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Water pump: mentioned in 20 of 83 complaints (24%)
- Exhaust fumes: mentioned in 10 of 83 complaints (12%)
- Hard acceleration: mentioned in 5 of 83 complaints (6%)
- Inside engine: mentioned in 5 of 83 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2011 Ford Explorer at $7,350, and half of them between $1,700 and $9,900.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 65 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 83 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 6 | 14% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 8 | 8% | 9,000 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 9% | 8,664 |
| 2022 Explorer | 30 | 11% | 61,500 |
| 2021 Explorer | 49 | 11% | 69,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 116 | 9% | 8,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 19 | 6% | 22,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 96 | 13% | 30,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 241 | 14% | 23,350 |
| 2016 Explorer | 382 | 16% | 16,650 |
| 2015 Explorer | 226 | 13% | 30,156 |
| 2014 Explorer | 196 | 12% | 38,500 |
| 2013 Explorer | 225 | 10% | 56,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 79 | 10% | 53,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 83 | 7% | 83,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 14 | 12% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 4 | 12% | 73,842 |
| 2008 Explorer | 21 | 14% | 85,500 |
| 2007 Explorer | 28 | 13% | 82,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 58 | 9% | 81,850 |
| 2005 Explorer | 17 | 3% | 115,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 44 | 3% | 114,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 22 | 2% | 145,500 |
| 2002 Explorer | 49 | 1% | 134,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 6 | 2% | 98,250 |
| 2000 Explorer | 9 | 1% | 153,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 104,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 6 | 0% | 171,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 147,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 77,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 130,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2011 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
While stopped at a stop sign my engine suddenly died, before restarting a low oil pressure light came on but went out immediately. I was approximately 40 miles from home when I got to my destination. The car was showing no signs of issues, no warning lights or errors. When I went back out to start…
Unknown
Burnt exhaust smell in cabin after hard acceleration. The smell is overwhelmingly bad causing nose and eye burning and coughing. To remedy the smell the windows have to be rolled down to air out the cabin.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Ford Explorers have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 83 owner complaints about engine for the 2011 Ford Explorer (7% of the 1,197 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford Explorer engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 83,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $7,350 (half paid between $1,700 and $9,900), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “water pump”, in 20 of 83 complaints, followed by “exhaust fumes” (10).
Other 2011 Ford Explorer problems
- Steering problems (742)
- Structure problems (110)
- Electrical System problems (95)
- Power Train problems (64)
See all 2011 Ford Explorer problems or engine problems across all Explorer years.