Ford Explorer Sport
Owners filed 736 complaints across 10 model years of the Ford Explorer Sport. The 2001 drew the most (188); the 2005 the fewest (5).
Model years10
Complaints736
Recalls16
Fires53
Deaths9
Every Ford Explorer Sport model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | 1 | — | — | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2004 | 18 | 1 | — | 3 | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2003 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Structure › Body | Routine | |
| 2002 | 133 | 5 | 7 | 10 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 188 | 7 | 11 | 18 | Suspension | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 71 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 1999 | 93 | 0 | 5 | 6 | Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner | Fatalities reported | |
| 1998 | 121 | 0 | 13 | 5 | Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch | Routine | |
| 1997 | 37 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Engine and Engine Cooling | Fatalities reported | |
| 1993 | 5 | 0 | 1 | — | Tires › Tread/Belt | Routine |
Which Ford Explorer Sport years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2001 is the weakest year on record, with 188 complaints concentrated in the suspension. It carries 7 recalls.
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.