no report yet
Front assembly: recliner
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
2010 Ford ExplorerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 115 owner complaints about the 2010 Ford Explorer, most often about the power train. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 23, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2010 Ford Explorer has problems
115 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
28Power train3 crash/fire/injury
20Seats
14Vehicle speed control2 crash/fire/injury
14Engine1 crash/fire/injury
12Electrical system
9Service brakes5 crash/fire/injury
8Fuel/propulsion system
6Air bags
6Service brakes, hydraulic
2811 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 28 | 3 |
| Seats | 20 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 2 |
| Engine | 14 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 1 |
| Air bags | 6 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 6 | 0 |
| 11 other systems | 28 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2010 Ford Explorer recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
81kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 22 power train complaints. 64% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles14under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2010 vs. every other Explorer year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Explorer median. How we score
6096339391,2078431,4501,7311,9591,3489523753,2951,1311,304497630208148331151,1988312,2391,6841,8202,4671,7067363031,25345627611321111440
'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2010 Ford Explorer safety ratings
2010 Ford Explorer 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (22.8% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2010 Ford Explorer, and the recalls they led to.
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion AuditNo recall
In owners' words
What Explorer owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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.
Driving 65 mph on I95 and it just shut off. The yellow wrench on dash came on. I somehow was able to Pull over to the shoulder without being killed. I cranked once then tried it again and it started. Drove all the way home and it’s running fine now. This is a common problem and Ford should be…
While driving on the highway, my Explorer did a sudden jolt and I had no control over the vehicle. It acted as though it was no in gear. I almost crashed going 60 mph on a 4 lane highway. It then did another large jolt and revved high into the red line. I took it to Firestone and they recommended…
Own a 2010 Explorer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.