104 NHTSA safety recalls cover the Ford Explorer, across model years 2006–2027. Every recall repair is free at any Ford dealer.
Is yours affected? Check your Explorer by VIN — or pick your model year below for every recall, complaint and fix.
What these recalls fix, grouped by the vehicle system NHTSA files them under:
Ford is recalling 2026 Explorer vehicles with a passenger air bag that may not deploy properly in a crash, increasing injury risk. Owners should contact Ford for free replacement.
Ford is recalling certain 2024 Explorer vehicles with a 2.3L engine and 10R60 transmission. A damaged park system may not shift into park, causing rollaway and injury risk. Owners should contact Ford for free repairs.
Ford is recalling 2026 Bronco vehicles with engine piston dome issues that may cause power loss and crash risk. Owners must have their engine inspected and repaired by dealers.
Ford is recalling 2026 Explorer vehicles with 2.3L engines due to potential engine failure causing loss of drive power and fire risk from oil leaks. Owners must have engine long blocks replaced free by dealers.
Ford is recalling 2025-2027 Explorer and Aviator vehicles with driver seats that may unintentionally recline, potentially trapping second-row occupants. Owners must contact Ford for free repairs to disable the seat module.
When the Ford Explorer recalls were issued, by year — a cluster usually means one defect recalled in stages or across a platform.
Owners have filed 15,329 complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Explorer; the most reported area is steering. These are reports, not recalls: they are how NHTSA spots defects.
See Ford Explorer complaints, TSBs and investigations by year →
We have 104 NHTSA safety recalls on record for the Ford Explorer, covering model years 2006–2027. The most recent was issued Sep 9, 2026 (Air Bags).
The 2020 Ford Explorer has the most, with 34 recalls on record. Every model year with a recall is listed on this page with links to each one.
By system: Power Train (13), Back Over Prevention (13), Fuel System, Gasoline (11), Engine and Engine Cooling (10).
None of these recalls carries an NHTSA do-not-drive or park-outside warning, but each fixes a safety defect, so book the free repair promptly.
Run a VIN recall check: enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact year, then confirm at NHTSA.gov which are still unrepaired on your vehicle. Any Ford dealer can also look it up.
Yes. Federal law requires Ford to fix safety recalls free of charge at any authorized Ford dealer, regardless of the vehicle’s age or how many owners it has had.
