NHTSA lists 39 complaints for the 2026 Ford Explorer, 3 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 3 complaints mention an injury, with 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported.
Data build 2026-10-08.
NHTSA lists this vehicle as FORD EXPLORER.
Recalls
See new recalls and investigations this week.
15 recalls. Showing the latest 10 of 15.
Date: 2026-09-09. Systems: AIR BAGS.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. The active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly.
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S65. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 14, 2026.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-08-25. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power. (excerpt)
Consequence: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. (excerpt)
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identifica (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-08-13. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine. The engine connecting rod bearings may seize, which can result in engine failure.
Consequence: Engine failure can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing oil to leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine long blocks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S58. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 18, 2026.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
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: 2026-03-31. Systems: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
Consequence: An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2026-03-31. Systems: VISIBILITY.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.
Consequence: An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and secure the instrument panel joints as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S22. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 3, 2026.
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.
Manufacturer communications
53 manufacturer communications.
Communications by system| System | Count |
|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 23 |
|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 17 |
|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 14 |
|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 |
|---|
| STRUCTURE | 6 |
|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 6 |
|---|
| ENGINE | 4 |
|---|
| STEERING | 3 |
|---|
11037425
Date: 2026-09-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Some 2026 Explorer vehicles may exhibit wind noise and/or water intrusion from the panoramic roof panel glass seal. Inspection may find that the seal is rolled or separated from the glass. The seal is not serviceable separately from the glass. To correct this condition, replace the panoramic roof pa
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
11036601
Date: 2026-08-27. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Nautilus/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature intermittently/consistently unavailable when BlueCruise is active and when traveling in a "Blue Zone". Speed sign recognition may also be inaccurate. If there are
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
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
11036224
Date: 2026-08-10. Type: Over The Air. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Quality improvements include: -Android system update
11036107
Date: 2026-08-05. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature intermittently/consistently unavailable when BlueCruise is active and when traveling in a "Blue Zone". Speed sign recognition may also be inaccurate. If there are no activ
11035581
Date: 2026-08-04. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE, VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Some 2024-2026 Explorer vehicles built on or before 27-Feb-2026 and equipped with the panoramic glass roof may exhibit an uneven gap at the front edge of the roof opening panel shield when fully closed. The gap is an appearance issue only, but may allow outside light to pass through the opening. A n
11035556
Date: 2026-08-03. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnosti
11035269
Date: 2026-07-23. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) while the charging system is operating properly with no charging related di