NHTSA lists 102 complaints for the 2025 Ford Explorer, 8 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 5 complaints mention an injury, with 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported.
Data build 2026-10-09.
NHTSA lists this vehicle as FORD EXPLORER.
Recalls
See new recalls and investigations this week.
22 recalls. Showing the latest 10 of 22.
Date: 2026-07-21. Systems: SEATS.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. An unoccupied driver's seat may recline unintentionally during certain scenarios, such as remote unlock or remote start.
Consequence: Unexpected movement of the drivera s seat back may trap a second-row occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will disable the driver seat module (DSM) feature until parts are available. Once available, the motor will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 3, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S53.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-07-14. Systems: SEATS.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly. (excerpt)
Consequence: A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. (excerpt)
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters explaining the safety risk were mailed August 19, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Lincoln Aviator owner notif (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-06-30. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2027 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid and 2025-2027 Explorer Hybrid vehicles. A software error may prevent the vehicle from making the pedestrian warning sound at certain speeds. (excerpt)
Consequence: A vehicle that does not produce a warning sound may fail to alert pedestrians of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. (excerpt)
Remedy: Note: This is an expansion of Recall 25V691. Any vehicles previously repaired under 25V691 must have the new remedy completed. Ford will release an over-the-air (OTA) update or dealers will update the APIM software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will replace the digital signal processing module in Nautilus Hybrid vehicles equipped with 28 speakers, free of charge. This will be a phased c (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-05-27. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer, Ranger, and Bronco vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power. (excerpt)
Consequence: A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. (excerpt)
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine long block, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S35. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall becam (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-03-18. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Defect: 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 assistance (ADAS) features, including pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitorin (excerpt)
Consequence: Loss of the rearview camera image and certain driver assistance features, can reduce the drivera s ability to detect hazards, increasing the risk of a crash. (excerpt)
Remedy: The Image Processing Module A software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. This is a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2025 Aviator, 2025 Explorer, 2025 Nautilus notified owners on 4/13/2026. Phase 2 will include 2025 Navigator will notify owners on or about 4/20/2026. Phase 3 will include 2022-2024 Navigator will notify owners on or about 6/8/ (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-03-17. Systems: SEAT BELTS.
Defect: 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: 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.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-03-03. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Defect: 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: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 31, 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.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-03-03. Systems: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Defect: 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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipme (excerpt)
Consequence: A headlight that turns incorrectly can result in increased glare to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash. (excerpt)
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. (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2025-10-24. Systems: VISIBILITY.
Defect: 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 Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."
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.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2025-10-10. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid and 2025 Explorer hybrid police vehicles. A software error may prevent the vehicle from emitting the pedestrian warning sound at certain speeds. (excerpt)
Consequence: A vehicle that does not produce a warning sound may fail to alert pedestrians of an approaching vehicle, increasing the risk of injury. (excerpt)
Remedy: The audio control module and digital signal processing module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA2. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHT (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Manufacturer communications
187 manufacturer communications.
Communications by system| System | Count |
|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 106 |
|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 58 |
|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 23 |
|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 14 |
|---|
| ENGINE | 12 |
|---|
| STRUCTURE | 12 |
|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 11 |
|---|
| STEERING | 8 |
|---|
11037569
Date: 2026-09-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some 2024-2026 F-150, 2025 Explorer/Aviator, 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator, or 2026 F-Super Duty vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U211B:43:48 stored in the body control module (BCM) when performing a Self-Test. This DTC sets due to an internal BCM timing issue during the self-test
11037421
Date: 2026-09-15. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some 2025 Aviator/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message and diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) C1110:56 and/or U3000:96 stored in the power steering control module (PSCM) after programming. This may be due to a calibration mismatch in
11037289
Date: 2026-09-04. Type: Over The Air. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Quality improvements include: - Enables the Open On Approach feature on Platinum trim vehicles
11037306
Date: 2026-09-01. Type: Over The Air. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, LANE DEPARTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
26S21 Recall remedy Infotainment system update to prevent rearview camera image interruptions
11036517
Date: 2026-08-27. Type: Over The Air. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Quality improvements include: -Rear Gate latch calibration update to permit unlatching via the release button when the system has lost position memory and is stuck in a middle-latch position
11036525
Date: 2026-08-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 Nautilus built on or after 17-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-150 built on or after 1
11036529
Date: 2026-08-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some of the following vehicles: * 2023-2025 F-Super Duty built on or before 02-Feb-2025 * 2024-2026 Ranger/Bronco/Mustang * 2024-2025 F-150 built on or before 15-Jul-2025 * 2024-2025 Nautilus built on or before 16-Feb-2025 * 2025 Explorer/Aviator built on or before 01-Feb-2025 may exhibit all of t
11036530
Date: 2026-08-22. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: SEATS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service part W709919-S901 if the J-clip is completely detached from the seat cover and W715386-S424 if the clip is still partially a
11036318
Date: 2026-08-19. Type: Over The Air. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Quality improvements include: -Power Steering Control Module update to prepare the vehicle for a future BlueCruise enhancement
11036224
Date: 2026-08-10. Type: Over The Air. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Quality improvements include: -Android system update