Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
115
Complaints
8
Crashes
0
Fires
13
Injuries
50
Deaths
Owners of the 2010 Ford Explorer have filed 115
safety complaints with NHTSA
between December 2009 and February 2026.
The most complained-about system is the power train,
named in 28 of them
(24%). The typical failure was reported at 40,707 miles, the median
across the 95 complaints that gave an
odometer reading.
NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this
vehicle.
Recalls (1)
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
10V161000 · April 20, 2010
The defect
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINERS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINT." THE RECLINER GEAR PLATE TEETH MAY BE OUT OF DIMENSION SPECIFICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LIMITED PAWL TO GEAR PLATE TOOTH ENGAGEMENT.
The risk
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL RECLINERS FOR BOTH POWER AND MANUAL SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY · up to 33,256 vehicles across all model years covered
Defect investigations (1)
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
AQ10001
Closed audit query · opened November 18, 2010 · closed December 28, 2015
unknown or other
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.
What owners report
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add
up to more than 115.
POWER TRAIN 28 24%
SEATS 20 17%
ENGINE 14 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 14 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12 10%
SERVICE BRAKES 9 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 7%
AIR BAGS 6 5%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 6 5%
WHEELS 5 4%
STEERING 4 3%
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2010 at 20.
2009 to 2026, the last of them a part year
In owners' own words
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
50 deaths · 10 injured · crash · 1,200 miles
BOUGHT CAR FROM BATES FORD IN LEBANON, TN NEW. WITHIN THE FIRST 1500 MILE I EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONE INCIDENT WHERE I TRIED TO STOP BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 36000 MILES NOW AND BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF THIS THE LAST RESULTED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN PLANO, TEXAS. THERE WERE 3 VEHICLES INVOLVED.THE PLANO, TEXAS POLICE OFFICER WHO DROVE THE CAR TO A SAFE LOCATION FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. EARLY IN MY CAREER I WAS A POLICE OFFICER WHOSE SPECIALTY WAS TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION. I HEARD SIMILAR EXPLAINATIONS FOR ACCIDENT AND IN PERHAPS ONE FATAL ACCIDENT FOUND THAT A BRAKE LINE RUPUTURED CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT CAUSE. THIS …
NHTSA complaint 10606873, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
2 injured · crash · 30,000 miles
I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND AS I WAS AT A FULL STOP, I SAW THAT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD MOVED. SO I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I SAW THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD STOPPED, I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I HIT THEM AGAIN AND STILL NOTHING, MY CAR KEPT ON GOING. BY THE THIRD SLAM ON THE BRAKES IT FINALLY TOOK HOWEVER I ENDED UP HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND HER THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. THIS IS NOT OKAY!!! MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS. WHY HASN'T A RECALL OCCURRED? DOES SOMEONE NEED TO PASS AWAY FOR ONE TO HAPPEN? MY ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. AT THE HOUR I WAS TRAVELING THERE IS NORMALLY NO TRAFFIC BUT OPEN HIGHWAY. …
NHTSA complaint 10489040, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
1 injured · crash · towed · 104,000 miles
COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE ALL OF A SUDDEN SURGED FORWARD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP IT WITH THE BRAKES. IT SURGED SO FAST AND HARD THAT IT REAR ENDED A YUKON WHICH WAS PARKED ABOUT 10 FEET IN FRONT OF ME , WHICH FORCED THE YUKON FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET WHICH THEN BROADSIDED A PARKED PICKUP. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN A PARKING AREA, ADJACENT TO A GAS STATION. MY DAUGHTER WAS UNBUCKLING FROM HER SEATBELT WHEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND CAUSED HER HEAD TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD. TURNING THE BILL INTO INSURANCE, OUR VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. WE HAD BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR 2 MONTHS WHILE INSURANCE TOOK ITS TIME TOTALLING IT. WE NOW HAVE TO PURCHASE A NEW …
NHTSA complaint 11141963, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash · towed · 120,000 miles
AUGUST 16, 2018 I HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF MY 2010 FORD EXPLORER ACCELERATING WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED AND OUT OF NO WHERE MY VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD SO FAST. THE SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE WAS EXTREMELY LOUD. MY DAUGHTER HAD UNBUCKLED HER SEAT BELT SINCE WE WERE ALL BUT STOPPED AND HIT HER HEAD ON IMPACT. MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY FAST AND HIT THE REAR END OF A LARGE YUKON TRUCK WHICH WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF ME. THE YUKON THEN WAS PUSHED FORWARD AND BROAD SIDED AN OLDER TRUCK WHICH WAS PARKED AT A GAS PUMP. THIS WAS ALL A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON THE SIDE PARKING LOT OF A STORE. MY VEHICLE WAS ALMOST STOPPED, WITH …
NHTSA complaint 11172172, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 135,902. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, it was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 224,283. The information was from a Carfax Report.
NHTSA complaint 11719863. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
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.
NHTSA complaint 11713879. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was approximately 150,000. Most recently, the contact downloaded the Ford App, and when the maintenance history was checked, it was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was approximately 243,000. The contact stated that the date listed on the Ford App was June 2025.
NHTSA complaint 11712675. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
crash · towed
3 times this has happened. I brake and it seems like I'm pressing the gas pedal and the brakes feel like they aren't stopping the vehicle. The third time put me in incoming traffic and the vehicle was totaled as it already had a rebuilt salvage title when we bought it.
NHTSA complaint 11689973. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
towed · 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the anti-theft, roll stability, and fuel filler messages were displayed with an audible alarm before the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the residence. However, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the PCM and ECM had short circuited and failed. The contact was informed that the short circuit was caused by water drainage from the moonroof onto the PCM and ECM computers. The contact stated that the moonroof had previously failed and failed to properly close. The vehicle was not yet …
NHTSA complaint 11683569, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEAT BELTS
Transmission , Wheel Hub
NHTSA complaint 11600447. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon
law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back.
What each state asks for
, read from the statutes.
Where these numbers come from
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file
, published August 20, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API
, most recent campaign filed August 12, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file
, published 2026-08-19.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst