The 2015 Ford Explorer is a standard sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle covered by 6 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 1,811 owner complaints and 9 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 37 report a crash and 1 report a fire; 57 complaints report injuries totalling 98 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Structure, named in 411 complaints (22.7% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2015 Ford Explorer variants: 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD — 5★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (9)
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) that include the 2015 Ford Explorer. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 19V435000 — Suspension:rear 10/06/2019
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Consequence: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
Campaign 17E048000 — Wheels:hub 28/08/2017
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.
Consequence: A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Campaign 15V464000 — Parking Brake 24/07/2015
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence: If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.
Campaign 16V245000 — Suspension:rear 26/04/2016
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured January 17, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may have improperly welded rear suspension toe links that may fracture.
Consequence: A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S18.
Campaign 20V692000 — Power Train:axle Assembly:axle Shaft 10/11/2020
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Explorer, 2014-2015 Taurus and 2014 Edge vehicles equipped with 2.0L or 2.3L engines and front wheel drive. The support bracket for the front drive axle halfshaft may fail.
Consequence: The failed bracket could result in a loss of park function which can cause unintended vehicle movement, and loss of motive power while driving which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the link shaft bracket, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners received an interim notification detailing safety risk December 8, 2020. A second letter will be mailed when parts become available in January 2021. The recall began February 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
Campaign 21V537000 — Suspension:rear 15/07/2021
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
Consequence: A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
Campaign 20V675000 — Suspension:rear 12/03/2021
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
Consequence: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Campaign 24V031000 — Structure:body:roof and Pillars 19/01/2024
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. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Campaign 25V695000 — Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 13/10/2025
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Owner Complaints (1,811)
Owners have filed 1,811 complaints about the 2015 Ford Explorer with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 411 | 22.7% |
| Unknown Or Other | 404 | 22.3% |
| Steering | 347 | 19.2% |
| Engine | 227 | 12.5% |
| Back Over Prevention | 146 | 8.1% |
| Electrical System | 93 | 5.1% |
| Power Train | 86 | 4.7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 86 | 4.7% |
| Air Bags | 84 | 4.6% |
| Suspension | 83 | 4.6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 66 | 3.6% |
| Seat Belts | 38 | 2.1% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Structure, 411 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2017 with 270 filings. Owners filed 1,811 complaints in total across 13 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 37 and those involving a fire number 1; 57 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2015 Ford Explorer as a standard sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle and published ratings for 6 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 18–23 MPG; the median configuration returns 17 city / 23.5 highway / 19.5 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 23 |
Showing the 3 most common configuration groups of 6 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2015 Ford Explorer have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 1,811 complaints for the 2015 Ford Explorer when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Structure with 411 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2015 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) covering the 2015 Ford Explorer in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 19V435000 for Suspension:rear.
What is the 2015 Ford Explorer's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2015 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 5 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2015 Ford Explorer get?
The EPA rated 6 configurations of the 2015 Ford Explorer. Combined fuel economy ranges from 18 to 23 MPG, with a median of 19.5 MPG (median city 17, median highway 23.5).