repaired · 2026 Q2
Body: roof and pillars
Risk. A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
2011 Ford ExplorerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,198 owner complaints about the 2011 Ford Explorer, most often about the steering. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 24V-031 the manufacturer reports only 21% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 28, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2011 Ford Explorer has problems
1,198 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
743Steering20 crash/fire/injury
110Structure2 crash/fire/injury
95Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
83Engine4 crash/fire/injury
64Power train
44Air bags
35Fuel/propulsion system
28Electronic stability control (ESC)
24Suspension
15118 other systems16 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 743 | 20 |
| Structure | 110 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 95 | 4 |
| Engine | 83 | 4 |
| Power train | 64 | 3 |
| Air bags | 44 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 35 | 3 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 28 | 1 |
| Suspension | 24 | 3 |
| 18 other systems | 151 | 16 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2011 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.
repaired · 2023 Q4
Suspension: rear
Risk. A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Suspension: rear
Risk. A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2016 Q4
Body: door
Risk. If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Show 2 more recalls
repaired · 2015 Q4
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
no report yet
Seats
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BACK MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
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 steering problems start?
68kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 574 steering complaints. 64% were reported before 100,000 miles.
141under 30k miles367under 100k miles207100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
41 owners mentioned a cost$1,800median
Middle half: $1,500 – $2,126
Engine
9 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $700 – $8,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2011 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
2011 Ford Explorer safety ratings
2011 Ford Explorer SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Optional
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2011 Ford Explorer, and the recalls they led to.
- Exhaust Odor in Passenger CabNo recall
- Electric power steering failureLed to recall 14V-286
- Ford Explorer Exhaust OdorNo recall
- Windshield trim molding Item detachmentLed to recall 24V-031
In owners' words
What Explorer owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Estaba estacionado poniendo gas a mi exprorer y cuando la encendí el volante se puso muy duro y me marco el código P07AE-09 y también apareció falla en el sistema de dirección asistida.
Car has a history of showing a P07AE-09 code in the power steering control module. When the code logs in the computer the car loses power steering assist while driving causing the steering to be hard to turn. Upon researching the cars recall work we seen that the car had the power steering control…
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2011 Ford Explorer, VIN [XXX]. After recently filling the vehicle with fuel, I went to drive it and received a “Power Steering Assist Fault” message on the dashboard. The vehicle then lost power steering assistance, making the steering extremely…
Own a 2011 Explorer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.