2015 Ford Explorer
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Structure is the leading concern among 1,791 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 26 Explorer model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 37 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 98 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraOct 13, 2025
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 25V695000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, roof and pillarsJan 19, 2024
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.
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
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 24V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJul 15, 2021
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.
A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 21V537000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearMar 12, 2021
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.
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 20V675000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftNov 10, 2020
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.
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.
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 20V692000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJun 10, 2019
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.
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
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 19V435000 on NHTSA.gov
Wheels, hubAug 28, 2017
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.
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
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 17E048000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearApr 26, 2016
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.
A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 16V245000 on NHTSA.gov
Parking brakeJul 24, 2015
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."
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.
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 15V464000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: back over prevention
133 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, Back over prevention, Sep 11, 2025
Back up camera is intermittent like the other Ford models effected by other recalls. Adaptive Cruise Control and front collision warning system out of calibration, senses buildings and other obstacles on the left intermittently. Cruise control comes on but is not working. No accidents because of this defect.
Structure, Back over prevention, Sep 10, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim was detaching from both the driver’s and passenger’s side of the windshield. While in reverse, the back over prevention camera screen was black and fail to display the image of the rear of the vehicle. The message “Camera Not Available" was displayed on the screen. The failure had become more persistent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Back over prevention, Sep 9, 2025
The back up camera works only intermittently. It's fine sometimes and other times I just get a black screen. this has been going on for a year or more.
Back over prevention, Jul 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while shifted to reverse, the rearview camera failed to display an image, comprising the back over prevention system. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (Back Over Prevention); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Back over prevention, Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the camera was blank. The contact stated that occasionally the camera image was distorted. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (Back Over Prevention) however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The contact stated that the failure had become more prevalent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact attempted to call the manufacturer, but the number was inoperable. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Jun 11, 2025
Backup camera doesn’t come on when in reverse. Works maybe 20% of the time. Other maybe 80%, the screen doesn’t do anything or says error.
Back over prevention, Jun 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into reverse, the rearview camera displayed an inverted image. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rearview camera. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V368000 (Back Over Prevention); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 87,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, May 27, 2025
The reverse backup camera gives a mirror view so the left side of the car appears on the right side of the screen. Making it unsafe to backup because you turn the wrong way if you go by what the camera shows you.
Back over prevention, Dec 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the backup camera image was displayed on the wrong side of the screen creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the camera unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The backup camera was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Back over prevention, Nov 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the back-up camera was intermittently inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Back over prevention, Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the camera was blank at times. While reversing, the image was transposed and flipped. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was a message to contact the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed her there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 69,000.
Exterior lighting, Wheels, Back over prevention, Oct 3, 2024
The vehicle was sold to me by “Buffalo Auto Sales 2 at 3012 Spencer Hwy Pasadena, TX 77504 on [XXX]. They violated the DTPA and all employees failed to disclose the vehicle had dozens of major safety issues with two open safety recalls. These safety issues include Major ABS issues and failures, Power Steering/drivetrain, front end passenger wheel & both rear end wheel failures within the mechanisms such as control arms, tie rods inner and outer & even one within the wheel component that was dangerously bent. The headlight pigtails are torched. These couldn’t even be fixed with even replacement OEM parts/Ford Dealership parts and Ford Dealership expertise. My safety, my children’s safety, family and passengers were all at risk multiple times over the past three weeks. Every time on the highway or local roads not being able to sustain maximum speeds over 20- 40 mph because touching the gas even after a red light would cause the engine to hesitate to turn or stutter. This caused me multiple trips back to Buffalo Auto Sales 2 and multiple mechanics even multiple Ford Dealerships. On September 12th 2024, I discussed these severe safety issues with Buffalo Auto Sales 2, my salesman originally offered to place me into another vehicle, give me back my large cash deposit, or “attempt to fix the vehicle”. The manager immediately refused to do the right thing and claim to “fix the vehicle himself”.. however when I asked if the manager Jeff has experience as a mechanic he replied he does not have mechanic experience. That day they claim to have “fixed” the ABS problem, and in turn the vehicle was still shaking while in motion at any speed. Even after I thought Ford Service could fix the tie rod recall, that still did not work because the rear was still shaking. I had Tire experts and mechanics even change front tires, and do an alignment on September 30th 2024.. The vehicle is still shaking dangerously while in motion. Warnings on are ABS, Chk Engine & Tire Pressure lights. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Back over prevention, Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the backup camera image was reversed, and the objects displayed on the screen appeared on the opposite side, causing confusion to the driver while reversing. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 196,000.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Oct 25, 2023
The backup camera does not come up all the time. Sometimes it shows a blank screen or if it does show the camera picture is on the opposite side then what it show(backwards). Thank you
Back over prevention, Aug 6, 2023
The rear backup camera on our 2015 Ford Explorer began glitching, reversing the image, or going completely blank in autumn of 2022. We took it to a local Ford dealership on November 17, 2022 for service and was told the camera needed to be replaced. We waited days, then weeks for a replacement, and finally gave up after contacting a different dealership which had the same problem obtaining replacement cameras. We have heard about Ford recalls for this problem and searched online for information. It appears there was an NHTSA recall a few years back covering model years 2019-2020, and now there is a similar recall for model years 2020-2023. I have read of MANY similar complaints from vehicle owners of models 2014 to present. WHY AREN'T MORE MODELS YEARS COVERED BY THESE RECALLS? It appears to be the same problem?
Back over prevention, Jul 21, 2023
Rear camera is faulty. Screen will “roll” like bad movie film. Sometimes it’s a black screen. Sometimes the screen doesn’t change at all and says to contact dealer.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jul 10, 2023
Rear camera stopped working
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jun 29, 2023
Sudden back up camera failure without a warning light or message. There has not been an accident/incident but it is difficult to see behind the vehicle at certain angles when turning my head to the rear to back up. I have not yet had it checked by a mechanic because upon further research found that it may be too costly for me to have repaired. I had no obvious issues before it stopped working.
Back over prevention, Apr 17, 2023
Rear cross traffic alert stopped working . No warning signs. Out of warranty 2015 Ford Explorer. When backing up and someone walks behind vehicle audible alert does not work. Only 35,000 miles on vehicle, original owner. Dashboard screen still works. First time occurance. Screen menu shows alert is turned on.
Back over prevention, Mar 3, 2023
My rear camera intermittently goes off in the middle of backing up.
Back over prevention, Feb 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the back-up camera intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who agreed to service the vehicle; however, the mechanic was informed by the dealer that there was a shortage of camera available to be sold due to a recall on other vehicle models. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Back over prevention, Jan 30, 2023
The backup camera flashes intermittently. Sometimes the backup camera will work, sometimes the Ford Sync screen goes black and a message pops up stating "Backup camera not available, please contact the Ford dealership" and sometimes the Ford Sync screen will remain as it looks when driving forward. It is currently a recall for 2020 and 2021 models. The problem has been reported to Ford and a case number has been documented.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Jan 27, 2023
The backup camera fails constantly when you put the Ford Explorer into reverse the camera works sometime and sometime it do not work a message will pop up saying that there is a problem with the camera and need to be service this is happening to a lot of the 2015 Ford Explorers and older and there should be a recall because if you look online there have been thousands of people having the same problem with their backup camera
Back over prevention, Mar 25, 2022
rear-view camera doesn't not come on when you back up and says contact ford dealer
Back over prevention, Oct 3, 2021
The reverse camera randomly cuts out while I am reversing. I have almost hit cars and can't rely on it to back up safely.