Ford Explorer Sport
Owners filed 736 complaints across 10 model years of the Ford Explorer Sport. The 2001 drew the most (188).
Model years10
Complaints736
Recalls16
Fires53
Deaths9
Which Ford Explorer Sport years should you avoid?
Going by 736 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Ford Explorer Sport years to avoid are 2001.
- 2001188 complaints, 2.0× a typical Explorer Sport year, most often about the suspension.
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 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 | |
| 2001Avoid | 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 |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.