The 2019 Ford Explorer is a standard sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle covered by 7 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 299 owner complaints and 6 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 2 report a crash and 0 report a fire; 5 complaints report injuries totalling 6 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Structure, named in 150 complaints (50.2% 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 2019 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD 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 2019 Ford Explorer variants: 2019 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD — 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 (6)
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) that include the 2019 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 21V316000 — Structure:body 05/05/2021
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.
Campaign 19V633000 — Seats:front Assembly:recliner 28/08/2019
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.
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 26V012000 — Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 15/01/2026
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final 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 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
Campaign 26V101000 — Suspension:rear 20/02/2026
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
Consequence: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
Campaign 26V448000 — Structure:body 14/07/2026
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Consequence: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Owner Complaints (299)
Owners have filed 299 complaints about the 2019 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 | 150 | 50.2% |
| Unknown Or Other | 47 | 15.7% |
| Power Train | 35 | 11.7% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 6.7% |
| Engine | 19 | 6.4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 4.7% |
| Suspension | 11 | 3.7% |
| Steering | 9 | 3.0% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 2.0% |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1.3% |
| Wheels | 4 | 1.3% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1.3% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Structure, 150 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2025 with 91 filings. Owners filed 299 complaints in total across 8 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 2 and those involving a fire number 0; 5 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2019 Ford Explorer as a standard sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle and published ratings for 7 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 18–22 MPG; the median configuration returns 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 22 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 21 |
Showing the 4 most common configuration groups of 7 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 2019 Ford Explorer have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 299 complaints for the 2019 Ford Explorer when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Structure with 150 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2019 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) covering the 2019 Ford Explorer in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 21V316000 for Structure:body.
What is the 2019 Ford Explorer's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2019 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD 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 2019 Ford Explorer get?
The EPA rated 7 configurations of the 2019 Ford Explorer. Combined fuel economy ranges from 18 to 22 MPG, with a median of 20 MPG (median city 17, median highway 24).