Explorer Van Ford Explorer

Owners filed 15 complaints across 2 model years of the Explorer Van Ford Explorer. The 1997 drew the most (9).

Model years2
Complaints15
Recalls0
Fires0
Deaths0

Which Explorer Van Ford Explorer years should you avoid?

Not enough of the record to single a year out. Fewer than 4 Explorer Van Ford Explorer model years have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to judge, so any ranking would be noise. The table below has every year as filed.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Every Explorer Van Ford Explorer model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
19986
0——Power Train › Driveline › Differential UnitRoutine
19979
0—1Power Train › Driveline › Differential UnitRoutine

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.