2015 Ford Explorer Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2015 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 59,220 miles. The words owners use most often: “exhaust fumes” (33% of reports).
- 66engine and engine cooling complaints
- 59,220median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 64%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.
- Exhaust fumes: mentioned in 22 of 66 complaints (33%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 15 of 66 complaints (23%)
- Action EA17002: mentioned in 7 of 66 complaints (11%)
- Structure engine: mentioned in 7 of 66 complaints (11%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 66 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 8 an injury.
Ford Explorer engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 1 | 1% | 35,682 |
| 2022 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 88,689 |
| 2021 Explorer | 10 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 51,250 |
| 2019 Explorer | 6 | 2% | 63,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 29 | 4% | 71,699 |
| 2017 Explorer | 77 | 5% | 89,600 |
| 2016 Explorer | 114 | 5% | 75,650 |
| 2015 Explorer | 66 | 4% | 59,220 |
| 2014 Explorer | 67 | 4% | 27,950 |
| 2013 Explorer | 67 | 3% | 61,151 |
| 2012 Explorer | 14 | 2% | 56,734 |
| 2011 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 85,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 14,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 1 | 3% | 88,350 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 67,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 10 | 5% | 53,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 164 | 26% | 45,776 |
| 2005 Explorer | 29 | 6% | 44,113 |
| 2004 Explorer | 71 | 5% | 55,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 69 | 6% | 50,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 163 | 5% | 74,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 39 | 10% | 86,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 90 | 9% | 56,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 100 | 7% | 64,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 189 | 10% | 100,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 198 | 11% | 98,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 81 | 6% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 45 | 5% | 139,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2015 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.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle, causing the contact headaches and nausea, and the two grandkids were complaining about headaches as well. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where…
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA17002 (Structure, Engine and Engine Cooling). The…
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of exhaust fumes was present inside the cabin of the vehicle, causing the driver and the passenger to experience nausea and dizziness. No medical assistance was required. The contact was concerned…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2015 Ford Explorers have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 66 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2015 Ford Explorer (4% of the 1,806 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 2015 Ford Explorer engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 59,220 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2015 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “exhaust fumes”, in 22 of 66 complaints, followed by “water pump” (15).
Other 2015 Ford Explorer problems
- Structure problems (410)
- Steering problems (347)
- Engine problems (226)
- Back Over Prevention problems (143)
- Electrical System problems (93)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (86)
- Power Train problems (86)
- Air Bags problems (84)
See all 2015 Ford Explorer problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Explorer years.