no report yet
Structure: body
NewRisk. A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 Ford ExplorerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 736 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford Explorer, most often about the structure. It is covered by 7 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 November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Ford Explorer has problems
736 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
288Structure4 crash/fire/injury
96Engine8 crash/fire/injury
58Electrical system8 crash/fire/injury
51Power train1 crash/fire/injury
29Engine and engine cooling
26Back over prevention
23Suspension
21Steering
19Fuel/propulsion system
11517 other systems17 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 288 | 4 |
| Engine | 96 | 8 |
| Electrical system | 58 | 8 |
| Power train | 51 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 29 | 2 |
| Back over prevention | 26 | 0 |
| Suspension | 23 | 2 |
| Steering | 21 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 19 | 5 |
| 17 other systems | 115 | 17 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2018 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 · 2026 Q3
Suspension: rear
NewRisk. A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
no report yet
Electrical: engine block heater
Risk. An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2023 Q3
Structure: body
Risk. A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Front assembly: recliner
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…
repaired · 2020 Q1
Fuel system, gasoline
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
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 structure problems start?
61kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 123 structure complaints. 84% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 39% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
22under 30k miles103under 100k miles20100k 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.
Engine
13 owners mentioned a cost$4,400median
Middle half: $2,800 – $6,000
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
2018 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
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2018 Ford Explorer, and the recalls they led to.
- Hertz/Vehicles Rented with Open RecallsOpen
- Windshield trim molding Item detachmentLed to recall 24V-031
In owners' words
What Explorer owners report
Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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 received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the parts to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that in April, the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair. Although the…
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 26V448000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, one of the…
Own a 2018 Explorer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.