2018 Ford Explorer problems
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. As the first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford SUV range in North America, the Explorer is slotted between the Ford Edge and Ford Expedition. As with the Ford Ranger, the Explorer derives its name from a trim package previously offered on the Ford F-Series pickup trucks.
The Explorer has been offered in multiple chassis and powertrain layouts. The first two generations were directly derived from the Ford Ranger, switching to a model-specific chassis for the third and fourth generations. The fifth generation was repackaged as a crossover SUV, adopting a variant of the Ford Taurus chassis architecture.
Alongside the five-door Explorer wagon, a three-door Explorer wagon was offered from 1991 to 2003, officially referred to as the Explorer Sport after 1999, serving as the direct replacement of the Bronco II; the 2001–2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a crew-cab pickup derived from the model line. For police use, the Ford Police Interceptor Utility has been derived from the fifth and sixth-generation Explorer to replace the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (and the later Taurus-based Police Interceptor Sedan). Through rebranding, Mazda, Mercury, and Lincoln have sold versions of the Explorer; Lincoln currently markets the sixth-generation model line as the Lincoln Aviator.
For the North American market, the first four generations of the Explorer were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly Plant (Louisville, Kentucky) and at its now-closed St. Louis Assembly Plant (Hazelwood, Missouri); the model line is currently produced at Chicago Assembly Plant (Chicago, Illinois).
In 2020, CNBC reported the Ford Explorer range as the best-selling SUV of all time in America.
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Common 2018 Ford Explorer problems
The 2018 Ford Explorer has been a popular choice among families, but it has had a few issues that have caused concern for some owners. Here are the most common problems based on complaints from owners:
- Exhaust Fumes in Cabin: One of the most concerning issues reported by owners is the smell of exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. This problem can be potentially fatal if enough gas enters the cabin. The issue seems to be pervasive, with several police departments also reporting the problem in their Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles.
- Transmission Failure: Some owners have reported transmission failure near the 33,000-mile mark, accompanied by hard downshifts and odd noises. This issue can be expensive to fix, with some owners reporting that the entire transmission had to be rebuilt or replaced.
- Roof Rail Covers Detaching: There have been recalls related to roof rail covers that may become loose and detach at highway speeds, causing the potential for an accident.
- Faulty Fuel Pressure Sensor: There have been recalls related to a leaky fuel pressure sensor that could leak and potentially catch fire.
These issues are concerning, but it's important to note that the 2018 Ford Explorer has a relatively low number of recalls compared to its peers. If you're considering purchasing a used 2018 Ford Explorer, it's important to thoroughly test drive the vehicle, pay attention to any unusual smells or sounds, and have it inspected by a professional before purchasing. Additionally, it's always a good idea to check if the vehicle has any open recalls and have them addressed before purchasing.
2018 Ford Explorer car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Ford Explorer problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Structure problems
- Unknown or other problems
- Engine problems
- Electrical system problems
- Power train problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2018 Ford Explorer vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
Latest 25 complaints 2018 Ford Explorer
The NHTSA has received 424 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2018 Ford Explorer. Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles.
2024-10-27
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-27
- VIN: 1FM5K8DH0JG
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
- Summary: Doesn’t want to run right
2024-10-26
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-25
- VIN: 1FM5K8D87JG
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: As I made a turn, the toe link broke and caused my car to be thrown to side of road.
2024-10-26
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-22
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT8JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Driving home from work when all of a sudden my car started jerking, not shifting correctly and could hear a noticeable noise coming from the engine. Low oil pressure light came on and pulled over. Car would not restart. Had it towed to mechanic and was determined that the engine was hydrolocked due to coolant getting into the pistons and oil. New engine needed on a 6 year old car with 91,000 miles. Upon researching it seems this is a common problem with eco boost engines and I don’t believe I should be responsible for this apparent COMMON issue.
2024-10-22
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-10
- VIN: 1FM5K8D83JG
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 35 MPH over a bump in the roadway, the steering wheel turned to the left while driving straight on the roadway. The contact stated that his daughter had not seen warning light illuminated. The contact drove to his daughter location and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the driver’s side rear wheel rear suspension toe link had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
2024-10-22
SEAT BELTS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-01-18
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT5JG
- Components: SEAT BELTS
- Summary: For the 2nd row passenger seat the clip has broken. You can not safely have a passenger in the seat. I have been trying for over a year to get the part. I was told by the last person who looked at it that it is specific to the air bag seat belts in the second row. I also had a coworker who had the exact same part break. For the first 6 months I tried to get this resolved they were so far backordered that the dealership would not even take my name to get on the list for the back order. They finally took my name last month, but its still on back order. It has now been over a year with a seat unalbe to be used for a passenger. I am trying to figure out how if so many people are in line for this part that it is not a safety recall issue...Also why are they not just replacing the entire set up as they seem to have a very common issue going on here. What if that were to have broken during an accident.
2024-10-22
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-01
- VIN: 1FM5K7B85JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump had leaked into the engine and advised the contact to maintain the anti-freeze level at full. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion where it was diagnosed with the same failures and advised the contact to reach out to the local dealer for assistance. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2024-10-17
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-10-17
- VIN: 1FM5K8F80JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2024-10-15
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-08-05
- VIN: 1FM5K8D85JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact's wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 125,787.
2024-10-10
STEERING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-09-10
- VIN: 1FM5K8D81JG
- Components: STEERING
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized and failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for over a year. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
2024-10-09
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-02-01
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT3JG
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: Got a letter in February from Ford about recall 24S02/NHTSA recall 24V031and have not seen any updates in the last t months ????
2024-10-08
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-10-08
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT4JG
- Components: VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); the roof racks started to detach from the vehicle, almost causing the sunroof to fracture. The contact stated that the side view mirrors seized without warning. The contact had to shift to park and turn off and restart the vehicle for the side view mirrors to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
2024-10-04
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-10-04
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the bottom section of the front windshield rubber trim seal had deteriorated and became unsecured. While driving at various speeds, the unsecured trim was blown into the field of view of the driver, creating a visibility hazard. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,000.
2024-09-27
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-09-24
- VIN: 1FM5K7DH9JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: My check engine light came on took the SUV to Ford Dealership for service. They informed me that my engine had coolant intrusion and that I would need a new engine. In reviewing this information online I noticed that there have been multiple recalls on the EcoBoost engine with the same problem.
2024-09-24
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-24
- VIN: 1FM5K8DH6JG
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the bushing joint had fractured and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer who had confirmed the diagnostic result. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The manufacturer had confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 62,500.
2024-09-18
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-09-18
- VIN: 1FM5K8F84JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2024-09-12
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-01-15
- VIN: 1FM5K8HT5JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle during car washes due to the failure. Additionally, the driver side A-pillar trim had become loosened. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,030. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2024-09-09
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-04-29
- VIN: 1FM5K7DH5JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: My 2.7L eco boost ford explorer had a crack in the intake manifold allowing water to leak into the piston heads. This resulted in engine misfire and ultimately led to a full engine replacement. The service technicians at the dealership noted that the 2.7 L eco boost are notorious for cracked engine components due to a mismatch in metal alloy. In reference to NHTSA# EA23002.
2024-09-09
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-09-09
- VIN: 1FM5K8B8XJG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the passenger’s side windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2024-09-06
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-03-31
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT9JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: I purchased this vehicle Nov. 2021 with 46,000 miles and still having warranty on it. After driving less than 3000 miles began to see large/heavy amounts of blue smoke coming from the exhaust when starting the vehicle along with random loud noise at certain times when starting. Checked the oil and it was almost 2 quarts low and oil life said only 33% left. Complained that I thought it was burning oil at the dealership and their fix was to give me a free oil change and a new air filter saying there was no problem. I continued to have these same issues over the next 2 years with no documentation by the dealership of my complaints and no solution to the continued problems. At 1 point it was over 3 qrt. low on oil with none on the ground. Then on 3- 31-24 while headed for vacation and over 3 hrs from home driving 70+ MPH lost all power to the vehicle and thankfully close to an exit on highway. Had expense of a rental to continue on vacation. Had to reach out to a friend to tow the vehicle back 3+ hrs to home. Had an independent mechanic diagnose the car finding out it was a catastrophic misfire and loss of compression in 2 cylinders. Complained to dealership who then did their own diagnostics getting same answer. The vehicle by this time out of warranty and dealership doesn't want to help with paying for a new motor. Made 2 complaints to Ford directly with zero help. All of this should've been documented at the time of complaints so when the misfire actually occurred I might've gotten some help. I can't afford a new motor so had to borrow a car from a neighbor while figuring out what to do. The dealership solution was to trade me out of it into a newer vehicle which I'm not fond of and have a significantly higher payment which I didn't want either do to having now negative equity in the trade. Now finding out there is a recall on the same issue but for different year. I would hope that they would recall all Ecoboost and there would be some compensation
2024-09-04
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-08-08
- VIN: 1FM5K7DH5JG
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
- Summary: Check engine light showing. Diagnostic testing shows misfire in cylinder #3. Ford dealership ran diagnostic testing ($169.95) and verified concern and found coolant intrusion cylinder #3. Advised, due to mileage (75,976 miles), replacement of long block. Replacement cost estimated at $11k. No repairs have been performed at this point due to excessive cost. Second Diagnostic test ($89.95) with independent mechanic - confirmed original verification and found evidence of wear on long block. Mechanic stated that he currently had a Ford Edge in the shop with the same issues. There is currently a class action law suit against Ford for same the issue..
2024-09-04
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-06-01
- VIN: 1FM5K8GT3JG
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: I am the original owner of my 2018 Ford Explorer. I brought it to my dealership for issues and one was, I have been experiencing a loud intermittent obnoxious noise while driving over 55 mph. Sounds like it is coming from the top of my windshield to the roof, before the sunroof. Nothing is loose, up in this area at all. The BOTTOM RUBBER TRIM, all across the bottom of my windshield has come away from the windshield showing deformation in its entirely of large GAPS. The technician confirmed this is where the noise is coming from and is a HAZZARD and needs to be replaced for $500.00. I have extended warranty; however, it does not cover this, BUT FORD SHOULD, IT IS DEFECTIVE !!
2024-09-03
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-04-03
- VIN: 1FM5K7D87JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the A-Pillar trim on the driver's side loosened and was blown off the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim from the highway. The contact stated that later, the passenger’s side A-Pillar trim also blew off the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the trim pieces needed to be replaced; however, parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,920.
2024-08-31
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-02-20
- VIN: 1FM5K8HT9JG
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Our 2018 Ecoboost Ford Explorer started releasing smoke from the tailpipe when starting in April 2023. I took it in to the Ford of Kirkland dealership in early May 2023. They kept my car for 9 weeks, and then said there is nothing wrong with it and gave it back in July 2023. The car kept having the same issue. This was while it was still under warranty about 96,000 miles. Fast forward to February 2024, the car has continued to smoke this entire time since the dealership gave it back in July. In February, I was driving home on the freeway going up hill when the car suddenly decelerated rapidly. I was able to get off the freeway and have my husband come and he got it home. We contacted the dealership (Ford of Kirkland) the same one that did nothing in 2023. They trailered it in for a look. The response we got from the service manager was that "The engine needs replaced due to scoring in the cylinder and low compression". We could not afford to pay for an engine replacement, so we wrote a letter to Ford, who responded "thank you for letting us know, but there are no recalls and it is out of warranty, so save your receipts and if a recall comes up you could potentially be reimbursed". I received this response from Ford in June 2024, so basically they were unwilling to help. Imagine my surprise that a recall was just announced today for the exact issue we have with our car in other model years, but not our model year. I would like to know my rights. I am still paying on a car that has a failed engine, with Ford basically having told me they will do nothing. As noted, this issue is confirmed by the Ford of Kirkland dealership, which I have in writing from the service manager. The car has not been inspected by the manufacturer directly, but IS available for inspection if you would like. The car has been sitting for several months now, while we try to figure out what to do. We don't have $10,000 to replace a motor that we should not need to replace.
2024-08-29
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-08-29
- VIN: 1FM5K7F80JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side and the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had separated, causing water entry into the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2024-08-29
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-08-29
- VIN: 1FM5K7D86JG
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshields started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2018 Ford Explorer recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 4 recalls for different components of the 2018 Ford Explorer.
2024-01-19
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Components: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
- Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
- Consequence: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 18, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
2021-05-05
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Components: STRUCTURE:BODY
- Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
- Consequence: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
2019-08-28
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Components: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
- Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
- Consequence: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
2018-11-14
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
- Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.5L GTDI engine. Due to an assembly error, the fuel pressure sensor may leak fuel.
- Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel line assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 7, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S35.
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