NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 115 owner complaints for the 2010 Ford Explorer.
Recalled components: seats. Most-described problem: unintended acceleration or surging (9 complaints, 8%). Most-reported area: powertrain (28 complaints, 24%; median mileage when it happened: 80,500).
Fewer complaints than a typical Explorer year
The 2010 drew 46 owner complaints in its first three years, against 193 for a typical Explorer year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2015 to 2017; best years: 2019 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraint." The recliner gear plate teeth may be out of dimension specification which could result in limited pawl to gear plate tooth engagement.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seatback and head restraint may move rearward, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before april 30, 2010. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between december 15, 2009 through february 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners.
NHTSA listing: EXPLORER. Ford campaign 10C11.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Equipment (MARATHON SEAT COVERS, INC., 10E-043).
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Ford Explorer apart from an audit query, which reviews a company's recall and reporting duties rather than the vehicle.
What owners report
Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Explorer. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 80,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
Seats20 · 17%
Most named: front assembly, head restraint (3)
Brakes15 · 13%
Engine14 · 12%
Speed control14 · 12%
Electrical system12 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system8 · 7%
Unknown or other8 · 7%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Ford Explorer recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2010 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Explorer drew the most (659) and the 2010 drew 46.
Owner complaints
2010: 115 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford Explorer
Model year
Complaints
2010
115
2011
1,197
2012
828
2013
2,235
2014
1,678
2015
1,795
2016
2,455
2017
1,694
2018
731
2019
298
2020
1,225
2021
437
2022
268
2023
112
2024
21
2025
102
2026
38
Safety recalls
2010: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford Explorer
Model year
Recalls
2010
1
2011
6
2012
5
2013
11
2014
6
2015
8
2016
14
2017
13
2018
7
2019
6
2020
34
2021
27
2022
25
2023
15
2024
10
2025
22
2026
15
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Ford Explorer, the problems described most are unintended acceleration or surging (9), stalling or shutting off (6), and wheel bearing or hub problems (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2010 Ford Explorer?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2010 Ford Explorer apart from an audit query, which reviews a company's recall and reporting duties rather than the vehicle.
How do I check if my Explorer has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: EXPLORER.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.