Ford Explorer Sport Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 736 owner complaints across 10 model years of the Ford Explorer Sport (1993–2005). The most-complained-about year is 2001.

Pick your Ford Explorer Sport model year

• 1993
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005

What Ford Explorer Sport owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 736 complaints with NHTSA. The 2001 model year has the most, with 188.

• Power train: automatic transmission53
• Structure: body41
• Electrical system33
• Vehicle speed control30
• Seats: recliner26
• Latches/locks/linkages: latch23
• Seats22
• Suspension18

All Ford Explorer Sport recalls (5)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Ford Explorer Sport, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 07V336000 Reported August 3, 2007 3,600,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.

   Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch…

   Model years: 2001, 2002

2. Recliner (seats)

   NHTSA 06V114000 Reported April 10, 2006 8,585 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. The…

   Model years: 2001, 2002

3. Cables (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 03V280000 Reported August 5, 2003 448,005 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable may bind when the speed control is activated.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.

   Model years: 2001

4. Recliner (seats)

   NHTSA 03V281000 Reported August 5, 2003 1,552,880 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the…

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner…

   Model years: 2001, 2002

5. Hinge and attachments (structure)

   NHTSA 00V394000 Reported November 28, 2000 137,700 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles with steel hoods and certain pickup trucks equipped with sheet molding compound hoods. A wire formed hood striker could be susceptible to fatigue fractures. If the hood striker fractures, the hood could fly open while the vehicle is being driven.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the hood striker.

   Model years: 2000, 2001

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.