2025 Ford Explorer
17 recalls · 72 complaints · Safety Score F
Recall History
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023-2024 Escape, 2024 Mustang, and 2025 Explorer vehicles. The fuel injectors may have been assembled without O-ring support discs, which can result in a fuel leak.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S54.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The rearview camera image may fail when the vehicle speed reaches 10 MPH or greater. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Vi...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: The loss of the rearview camera image while in reverse can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C34.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requiremen...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The transmission may be improperly secured due to loose cross member bolts.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured transmission can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission cross member bolts as necessary, free of charge. If the cross member bolts are missing, dealers will replace the cross member and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S03.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer vehicles. The powertrain control module (PCM) may reset while driving, which can damage the park system or cause an engine stall.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A damaged park system can result in a vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park without the parking brake applied. An engine stall while driving can result in a sudden loss of drive power. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S35.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. A mounting bolt for the front subframe may have been tightened improperly.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A loose subframe bolt may reduce the vehicle's performance in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the subframe bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Owner notification letters were mailed May 21, 2025. Ford's number for this recall is 25S43.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Transit, F-150, and Explorer vehicles. The connecting rod and rod bearing components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the connecting rods and replace the engine long block assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S55.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer vehicles. The bolts securing the front brake caliper may not be tightened properly, which can result in a loss of front brake function and possible wheel damage.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Loss of brake function and wheel damage can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the bolts as necessary. If bolts are missing, the brake caliper and pads will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S60.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, folding, or sliding unexpectedly while driving.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the second-row seat switch, and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S67.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. When towing a trailer, the tail lights on the trailer may fail to illuminate due to an improperly manufactured body control module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Trailer tail lights that do not illuminate as intended can reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the body control module C on vehicles with less than 9,000 miles. For vehicles over 9,000 miles, dealers will perform a functional check on the body control module C and replace it as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Aviator 2025 owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2025. Explorer 2025 owner letters were mailed November 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C42.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Lincoln Corsair, Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The windshield glass may have visible air bubbles, which can obscure the driver's visibility. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 6, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C60. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 27, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer vehicles. The Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) system software may cause the passenger-side headlight to turn in the wrong direction when driving through curves in the road. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of F...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A headlight that turns incorrectly can result in increased glare to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The headlight control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C12. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 20, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 4, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience multiple unexpected resets, resulting in loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assis...
Consequence & Remedy
Consequence: Loss of the rearview camera image and certain driver assistance features, can reduce the driver’s ability to detect hazards, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The Image Processing Module A software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S21. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 25, 2026.
Recent Complaints
| Date | Component | Description | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/06/2026 | Visibility/Wiper | Front side windows (driver and passenger side) have a quality issue that creates a distorted, wave-like view when lookin... | No | No |
| 04/04/2026 | Suspension | Alignment went bad 23489 miles and took to dealer. It was inspected and found out the front cam bushings and bolts were ... | No | No |
| 04/03/2026 | Steering,lane Departure | My 2025 Ford Explorer pulls hard to the left, the steering wheel feels heavy, stiff, and gets hard to steer my wife and ... | No | No |
| 03/05/2026 | Engine | The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle starte... | No | No |
| 03/03/2026 | Power Train,vehicle Speed Control | On March 2nd 2026, while operating my 2025 Ford Explorer ST at highway speeds of approximately 78 MPH, the vehicle exper... | No | No |
| 02/11/2026 | Electrical System,service Brakes,engine | I am writing to formally report a series of catastrophic and life-threatening mechanical and electronic failures in my 2... | No | No |
| 02/09/2026 | Unknown or Other,back Over Prevention,forward Collision Avoidance | The vehicle failed the inspection related to Recall 25C42. Since owning the vehicle, I have experienced repeated intermi... | No | No |
| 02/06/2026 | Forward Collision Avoidance,lane Departure | While using Ford Blue Cruise, the Blue Cruise system failed to maintain lane control and fought the driver's steering wh... | Yes | No |
| 02/03/2026 | Electrical System,service Brakes,forward Collision Avoidance | Ever since I bought that vehicle, it's had system malfunctions. I received three letters directly from Ford explaining t... | No | No |
| 02/01/2026 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Car was parked on a driveway, decent grade, with 50 miles left to empty (no low fuel light on). Facing downward. Car d... | No | No |
Most Complained-About Components
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2025 Ford Explorer has 17 recall campaigns on record with NHTSA. Total complaints filed: 72.
The 2025 Ford Explorer has a Safety Score of 8/100 (Grade F). This score factors in recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash and fire reports (20%), and trend direction (10%).
The 2025 Ford Explorer received a Safety Score of F. This vehicle has a below-average safety record — review the specific recalls and complaints below. There are 6 crash reports on file.
Contact your nearest Ford dealership to schedule a free recall repair. You can also check your specific vehicle by VIN at NHTSA.gov. Manufacturers are required by law to fix recall-related defects at no cost.
Safety Score is calculated from recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash/fire reports (20%), and safety trend (10%).