Ford Explorer · US data
Recall history (NHTSA)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 24, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace the windshield, free charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C02. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 22, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and secure the instrument panel joints as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S22. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 3, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine. The engine connecting rod bearings may seize, which can result in engine failure.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine long blocks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S58. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 18, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. The active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S65. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 14, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023-2024 Escape, 2024 Mustang, and 2025 Explorer vehicles. The fuel injectors may have been assembled without O-ring support discs, which can result in a fuel leak.
Remedy: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S54.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The rearview camera image may fail when the vehicle speed reaches 10 MPH or greater. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C34.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The transmission may be improperly secured due to loose cross member bolts.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission cross member bolts as necessary, free of charge. If the cross member bolts are missing, dealers will replace the cross member and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S03.
Fuel economy & engine specs (EPA)
18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG
2026 Explorer AWD · 3.0L 6-cyl · Part-time 4-Wheel Drive · Regular
Crash-test safety ratings (NHTSA)
2026 · 2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A 4WD
- Overall
- 5
- Frontal crash
- 5
- Side crash
- 5
- Rollover
- 4
What is the Ford Explorer?
The Ford Explorer is a vehicle sold under the Ford brand. This page pulls together real, government-sourced US data about this specific model: recall campaigns from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fuel economy and engine specs from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov, and crash-test ratings from NHTSA's own safety program.
Does the Ford Explorer have any open recalls?
NHTSA's recall database lists 53 recall campaigns for the Ford Explorer, between model years 2022 and 2026. The most recent one (NHTSA campaign 25V828000, received December 1, 2025) involves "ENGINE". These are the manufacturer's own recall filings with the federal government - not a summary we wrote, the actual campaign numbers and descriptions.
What's the real fuel economy of the Ford Explorer?
According to fueleconomy.gov (EPA/DOE), the 2026 Explorer AWD is rated at 18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG. It runs a 3.0L, 6-cylinder engine with part-time 4-wheel drive, on regular. Its official tailpipe CO2 rating is 439.0 grams per mile.
How does the Ford Explorer score on US crash tests?
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program tested the 2026 FORD EXPLORER GAS SUV N/A 4WD (model year 2026): 5-star overall, 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. Electronic stability control is listed as "Standard". Forward collision warning is listed as "No".
Como ler este número
How to read these numbers
De onde vem o dado
Where this data comes from
Cuidado
What this page does NOT say
O que fazer com isso
What to do with this
Glossário: os termos desta página
Recall
A formal campaign a manufacturer files with NHTSA when it finds a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard in a vehicle it already sold. Each one gets a unique campaign number and a free remedy for owners.
Fonte: NHTSA recallsByVehicle API — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - the US federal agency that collects recall filings and runs the government's own crash-test program. Its data is public record, free to reuse.
NHTSA campaign number
The unique ID NHTSA assigns to each recall (for example 23V070000). You can search this exact number on NHTSA.gov to read the manufacturer's own filing.
MPG
Miles per gallon - how far a vehicle travels per gallon of fuel, as measured in the EPA's own standardized lab tests. City, highway and combined MPG each reflect a different driving cycle.
Fonte: fueleconomy.gov — US EPA & Department of Energy.
Combined fuel economy
A weighted average of city and highway fuel economy (roughly 55% city, 45% highway) - the single number most often quoted for a vehicle.
5-Star Safety Rating
NHTSA's own crash-test program, independent from the manufacturer. It scores frontal crash, side crash and rollover risk from 1 to 5 stars; a vehicle configuration NHTSA hasn't tested yet shows as "Not Rated", not zero stars.
Fonte: NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Electronic stability control
A system that automatically brakes individual wheels to help the driver keep control during a skid. It's been mandatory on all new US cars since model year 2012.
Car recalls, MPG & safety ratings glossary (US) — todos os 10 termos.