NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 303 owner complaints for the 2019 Ford Explorer.
Recalled components: body structure, suspension, equipment, and seats. Most-described problems: transmission failure or replacement and shaking, shuddering or vibration (17 complaints, 6% each). Most-reported area: body structure (151 complaints, 50%; median mileage when it happened: 63,000).
One of the best Explorer years by owner complaints
The 2019 drew 41 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 144 for a typical Explorer year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2015 to 2017; best year: 2019. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 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.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles.
The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
Risk: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles.
The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles.
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."
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020F-150 and 2019-2020F-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.
NHTSA listing: EXPLORER. Components: Seats: front assembly, recliner; Seats: mid/rear assembly. Ford campaign 19C07.
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 investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2019 Ford Explorer; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
Preliminary evaluation PE23001Closed Feb 8, 2024 (opened Jan 27, 2023)
On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-001 to investigate allegations of A-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (MY) 2011-2019 Ford Explorer vehicles.
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 24V-031, listed above.
NHTSA listing: EXPLORER. Component: Body structure (body, roof and pillars).
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 303 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Explorer. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Most named: body (43) · Median 63,000 miles at failure, from 67 reports with mileage
Powertrain35 · 12%
Most named: automatic transmission, torque converter (4)
Electrical system20 · 7%
Most named: horn (7)
Engine19 · 6%
Fuel and propulsion system14 · 5%
Suspension13 · 4%
Steering9 · 3%
Unknown or other49 · 16%
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 2019 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 2019 drew 41.
Owner complaints
2019: 303 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
1,198
2012
831
2013
2,239
2014
1,684
2015
1,820
2016
2,467
2017
1,706
2018
736
2019
303
2020
1,256
2021
463
2022
277
2023
115
2024
21
2025
113
2026
44
Safety recalls
2019: 6 recallsTap 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
16
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 303 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Explorer, the problems described most are transmission failure or replacement (17), shaking, shuddering or vibration (17), and the engine not starting (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2019 Ford Explorer safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2019 Ford Explorer earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2019 Ford Explorer?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2019 Ford Explorer. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Feb 8, 2024.
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.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 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.