Explorer Van Ford Explorer

Owners filed 15 complaints across 2 model years of the Explorer Van Ford Explorer. The 1997 drew the most (9); the 1998 the fewest (6).

Model years2

Complaints15

Recalls0

Fires0

Deaths0

Every Explorer Van Ford Explorer model year compared

Complaints per year

Year	Complaints	Relative volume	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
1998	6		0	—	—	Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit	Routine
1997	9		0	—	1	Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit	Routine

Which Explorer Van Ford Explorer years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 1997 is the weakest year on record, with 9 complaints concentrated in the power train › driveline › differential unit.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

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