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2013 Ford ExplorerProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2,239 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer, most often about the steering. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 24V-031 the manufacturer reports only 21% of affected cars repaired.

2013 Ford Explorer
35
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.9× the Explorer median · #4 of 34 years by complaints
Safety recalls11Lowest repair rate 21%Owner complaints2,23997 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage95kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 5, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2013 Ford Explorer has problems

2,239 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering83715
Structure43910
Engine22615
Electrical system1633
Fuel/propulsion system1202
Power train1199
Suspension795
Engine and engine cooling673
Electronic stability control (ESC)450
20 other systems35224

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

11 recalls

2013 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.

21%repaired · 2026 Q2

Body: roof and pillars

Recall 24V-031 · Jan 19, 2024 · 1,889,110 vehicles · 393,641 repaired

Risk. A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

40%repaired · 2023 Q4

Suspension: rear

Recall 21V-746 · Sep 22, 2021 · 150,723 vehicles · 60,151 repaired

Risk. A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

57%repaired · 2023 Q4

Suspension: rear

Recall 21V-537 · Jul 15, 2021 · 631,176 vehicles · 358,760 repaired

Risk. A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

57%repaired · 2022 Q3

Suspension: rear

Recall 20V-675 · Mar 12, 2021 · 454,941 vehicles · 259,186 repaired

Risk. A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 7 more recalls
64%repaired · 2020 Q3

Suspension: rear

Recall 19V-435 · Jun 10, 2019 · 1,194,173 vehicles · 764,444 repaired

Risk. A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

80%repaired · 2017 Q1

Fuel system, gasoline

Recall 15V-812 · Dec 2, 2015 · 868 vehicles · 696 repaired

Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

68%repaired · 2016 Q4

Body: door

Recall 15V-171 · Mar 24, 2015 · 194,484 vehicles · 131,621 repaired

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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

83%repaired · 2015 Q4

Steering: electric power assist system

Recall 14V-286 · May 29, 2014 · 179,027 vehicles · 148,074 repaired

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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Latches/locks/linkages

Recall 13V-270 · Jun 26, 2013 · 12,569 vehicles

Risk. If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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?

95kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 611 steering complaints. 54% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
39under 30k miles332under 100k miles279100k 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

61 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $1,800 – $2,500

Unknown or other

16 owners mentioned a cost

$750median

Middle half: $384 – $1,239

Engine

14 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $2,000 – $3,000

Structure

13 owners mentioned a cost

$700median

Middle half: $300 – $759

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

2013 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

'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

2013 Ford Explorer safety ratings

2013 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2013 Ford Explorer frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2013 Ford Explorer side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2013 Ford Explorer side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: Optional
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2013 Ford Explorer, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Front Brake Hose FailureEA15005 · closed Nov 2, 2018
    No recall
  2. Exhaust Odor in Passenger CabEA17002 · closed Jan 17, 2023
    No recall
  3. Electric power steering failurePE12017 · closed Jun 12, 2014
    Led to recall 14V-286
  4. Front brake hose failurePE14027 · closed Feb 3, 2015
    No recall
  5. Ford Explorer Exhaust OdorPE16008 · closed Sep 12, 2017
    No recall
  6. Windshield trim molding Item detachmentPE23001 · closed Feb 8, 2024
    Led to recall 24V-031
In owners' words

What Explorer owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Vehicle exhibits identical dangerous low-speed steering binding and loss of electronic power assist as described in Recall 14S06, but my VIN is excluded due to an arbitrary build date cut-off. Build Date of 08/2012. Recall cut off of 02/2012
Complaint 11775966 · Nov 5, 2026
The steering rack limiter on the passenger side dislodged itself and got caught on the rack and pinion teeth causing my wheel to get stuck
Complaint 11764872 · Sep 17, 2026
This is a 2013 Ford Explorer experiencing the exact catastrophic power steering failure described in Recall 14S06 / 15S18. The rack has failed twice, creating an immediate crash hazard. The current recall parameters are inadequate as they exclude my VIN despite identical component failure. Not only…
Complaint 11754999 · Aug 5, 2026

Own a 2013 Explorer?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.