2018 Ford Explorer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer years
- About as many complaints as other years 18th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 733 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Explorer. That ranks 18th out of 33 Explorer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (288 complaints, 39%), typically at around 60,950 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 7 fires, 13 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 733owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 288 | 39% | 60,950 | “pillar trim” (25%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 168 | 23% | 3,400 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 96 | 13% | 30,000 | “water pump” (24%) | $4,550 |
| Electrical System problems | 58 | 8% | 35,000 | “backup camera” (9%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 50 | 7% | 86,000 | “torque converter” (26%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 29 | 4% | 71,699 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 26 | 4% | 54,800 | — | — |
| Suspension | 23 | 3% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 20 | 3% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 19 | 3% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 16 | 2% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 2% | 1,200 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 2% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 10 | 1% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 1% | 749 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 1% | 5,600 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 1% | 35,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 0% | 982 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 12,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Ford Explorer recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure:body
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Suspension:rear
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
Equipment:electrical:engine block heater
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Structure:body:roof and pillars
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
Risk: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Structure:body
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Seats:mid/rear assembly; seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.5L GTDI engine. Due to an assembly error, the fuel pressure sensor may leak fuel.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S35.
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
- Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open Recalls (AQ22003) — opened Dec 16, 2022, still open.
- Windshield trim molding Item detachment (PE23001) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Feb 8, 2024, led to recall 24V031.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The water pump has failed
My vehhicle has been tested by ford service center and found to be affected by the factory defect that allows coolant to leak causing a catastrophic engine failure where the only remedy is a new engine block. My vehicle has 69919 miles. The problem was recognized when the vehicle bagan to misfire…
Exterior B-Pillar Applique / Door Trim Panel with keypad: The exterior B-pillar trim piece on the driver side front door frame has experienced catastrophic adhesive failure and clip breakage, detaching at the top portion while driving. This plastic trim is flapping at highway speeds and is at…
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque…
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at higher speeds, the front driverâs side seat belt might not prevent him from hitting the steering wheel in the event of a crash or while depressing the brake pedal to come to a sudden stop. The local dealer was…
Other Ford Explorer years
← 2017 Explorer · 2019 Explorer →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Explorer | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Explorer | 42 | 14 |
| 2025 Explorer | 104 | 20 |
| 2024 Explorer | 21 | 10 |
| 2023 Explorer | 111 | 15 |
| 2022 Explorer | 269 | 24 |
| 2021 Explorer | 445 | 26 |
| 2020 Explorer | 1,235 | 33 |
| 2019 Explorer | 299 | 6 |
| 2018 | 733 | 7 |
| 2017 Explorer | 1,701 | 13 |
| 2016 Explorer | 2,461 | 14 |
| 2015 Explorer | 1,808 | 8 |
| 2014 Explorer | 1,680 | 6 |
| 2013 Explorer | 2,237 | 11 |
| 2012 Explorer | 829 | 5 |
| 2011 Explorer | 1,197 | 6 |
| 2010 Explorer | 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 2018 Ford Explorer?
Owners most often report structure, unknown or other, engine problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 288 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 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 2018 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.