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: other or unspecified
402 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Sep 17, 2025
For about the last 3 years, whenever the car is put into reverse, the rear backup camera is intermittently going blank. The camera eventually will display the image, but it can be several seconds before the camera view resumes. The Ford dealership wants to charge about $700 to replace the entire camera, but I don't think the camera is the issue given that so many recalls have been issued over the exact same issue. There have been multiple recalls issued by Ford for the same issue, but I can't find one on the 2015 Ford Explorer-Limited line.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 16, 2025
1. Component/System Failure: The water pump on my 2016 Ford Explorer failed, causing a significant antifreeze leak. The component is available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: The failure creates a risk of engine seizure while driving. Loss of engine coolant can cause the engine to overheat suddenly, potentially leading to a dangerous situation on the road that could harm myself or other drivers. 3. Confirmation of Problem: The problem has been confirmed by the dealer service department during inspection. The water pump leak was observed and diagnosed by a certified Ford service technician. 4. Inspections: The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. I have also documented prior repairs to the vehicle, including a timing chain replacement two years ago. The water pump issue has not yet been inspected by Ford corporate. 5. Warning Lamps/Symptoms: Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps on the dashboard. I noticed coolant leaking from the water pump area, and the temperature gauge began to rise. The leak was first observed AUG 15
Other or unspecified, Sep 12, 2025
The backup camera only works intermittently. Sometimes there will be a black screen that says somethings wrong and to contact the dealer but this has been an issue for the past couple years or so. I saw there was a recall for many other for vehicles of this age for the backup camera but not for the Explorer. I was shocked when I didn’t see it was included.
Other or unspecified, Sep 11, 2025
My back up camera doesn't work all the time. It is very intermittent.
Other or unspecified, Sep 11, 2025
REAR BACK UP CAMERA IMAGE IS REVERSED NOT ALWAYS IN COLOR CAMERA STAYS ON ONCE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE FOR SOMETIMES UP TO 20 SECONDS IMAGE IS NOT DISPLAYED AT ALL TIMES WHEN IN REVERSE AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WITHIN 24 HOURS THERE IS A 'SYSTEM UPDATE' THAT AFFECTS INFOTAINMENT SCREEN INCLUDING BLUETOOTH
Other or unspecified, Sep 10, 2025
Rear backup camera does not function. Either gives a blank image or a flipped/reversed image or a very grainy image. It has been properly inoperable for years, since at least 10/1/2022. Why were Explorers not included in recall 25V57200? The cameras were the same as the Edge and Expedition which were included, and I believe the same for the Mustang.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 9, 2025
The current recall of ford backup cameras including this year but not this vehicle type almost exactly matches what happens with this rear view camera. Either is blacks out completely or when it is on it shows the lines curving when In fact you are going straight and the picture can be extremely blurry as well.
Other or unspecified, Sep 9, 2025
Rear back up camera is glitching in and out and at times goes completely black or won’t come in at all once put in reverse
Other or unspecified, Aug 31, 2025
The exterior A-pillar trim part is loose causing water to leak through. You can hear/feel the air in the corner of the windshield as the SUV is moving. I have tried several times since receiving this recall notice in FEBRUARY 2024 to get this fixed and replaced through FORD. Each time brought my car in for service over the past 18 months, I was told that the part was not available but was on back order. In the meantime, water and moisture gets through causing a smell and mold. This is a health and safety issue. How do I get this repaired?
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 26, 2025
While driving with the ac on you can smell exhaust fumes in the cabin and it's worse towards the rear carbin of the vehicle. I've gotten nauseated and sleepy from the fumes and have had several headaches in addition to the other symptoms. Ford needs to recall this issue. Also I have an active recall for the window pillars and the dealership says they still dont have the parts to fix it, and it's been over a year, what's the hold up Ford??!!
Other or unspecified, Aug 19, 2025
The back up camera only works occasionally because of the height of vehicle it is difficult to back up safely . Sometimes the camera works and other times it sends a message to contact the dealer
Other or unspecified, Jul 11, 2025
THE EXTERIOR A-PILLAR APPLIQUE TRIM CLIP ATTACHMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY VEHICHLE HAVE LIFTED OFF THE VEHICHLE AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS FAILED OR HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY THIS SAFETY RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jul 3, 2025
My back up camera will work then it stops working as im backing up and says unavailable contact dealer
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 3, 2025
This has happened multiple dates. I can't enter that on the next screen. Probably started 9+ months ago. My backup camera goes blank and then back on sporadically. Sometimes, when I put in reverse and sometimes when I'm in the middle of reversing. Sometimes for a couple of seconds (or more) and sometimes until I change gears and go back to reverse. I see there is a recall for some Ford explorer years and was wondering why the 2015 wasn't included. My issues sound similar to the recalled years. Putting in notice in case there are more 2015s like me experiencing likewise issues. Thank you for taking the time to review my issue. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jul 2, 2025
My vehicle’s backup camera does not work about 98% of the time and a black screen will show up with a message saying it is not working. Once in a great while it will actually work.
Other or unspecified, Jun 25, 2025
My backup camera is malfunctioning. 1st incident I was backing out of a parking spot, and the camera screen just blacked out, and 2 pedestrians were walking behind my car, and the 2 seconds later the car started beeping, warning me of the pedestrians, I almost hit them. 2nd time i was backing out of my parking spot at work, and a coworker was walking behind my car, the camera gave me a warning that the camera was malfunctioning, and then started beeping like crazy, but the camera did not turn on. 3rd time i was backing out at a store, and a car just flew by narrowly missing me, and the camera did not turn on, My camera has been malfunctioning off and on now.
Other or unspecified, Jun 24, 2025
Malfunction of rear view camera, available upon request. When in reverse the camera will go black and read "Camera is Unavailable. Please contact your dealership." It will not attempt to show a live picture until placed back into park and into reverse again. Often it will not function correctly even after that. It now happens almost constantly to the point it is completely unreliable. The fear of endangering someone or something by relying on a rear view camera that I know could malfunction at any moment, is too great. The problem was witnessed by a Ford Dealership mechanic who was repairing the recall on the frame piece to the windshield. The mechanic attempted to resolve the issue by resetting/updating the display, but unfortunately the problem continues. No other representatives, police, insurance, etc have witnesses the issue. There are never any warnings the issue may occur.
Seats, Other or unspecified, Jun 9, 2025
The first complaint references Recall 24V031. I received a notice dated February 2024 to correct this issue. It is now June 2025 and my dealer still does not have the parts. The trim pieces have come apart and flap while driving. I just don't think 18 months with no remedy is acceptable especially when it could cause a safety hazard. The second complaint with this vehicle is the door trim. It appears to be stitched however has come apart for years now. The dealership said that Ford could be putting a recall on but hasn't happened. A quick search online shows that many explorers has had the same issue.
Other or unspecified, Jun 5, 2025
Backup camera either shows black screen, or a warming box appears stating to see dealership. Will work intermittently.
Other or unspecified, Jun 2, 2025
The back up camera works on and off. I nearly hit a person when the camera suddenly stopped working. Thank goodness I was backing up very slowly and the guy knocked in my rear window.
Other or unspecified, Jun 2, 2025
Drivers side A Post windshield trim piece came flying off vehicle while driving on the highway. I just learned that Ford came out with a recall on this part almost 1 & 1/2 years ago and they have still not fixed or remedied this condition. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I am now worried that the passenger side trim piece will come off next, potentially causing an accident or additional hazard on the roadway. I went to my local Ford dealer and was told by the service department that there is nothing they can do, due to not having any parts available and to check back in late summer.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 31, 2025
The rear backup camera is either a blank black screen, or has distorted display. The directional guides do not display combined with a reverse presentation. Sometimes displays, system is malfunctioning, contact your manufacturer.
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.
Other or unspecified, May 16, 2025
My backup camera does not always work. Just get a black screen
Structure, Other or unspecified, May 14, 2025
On the hood, the paint is coming off (and has been for several years). It looks like maybe where it was "clamped" (for lack of better words) while they were painting the hood and maybe the paint didn't adhere like it should. I have actually seen several 2015 Ford Explorers that have the exact same paint spots missing on their hoods. One time I almost tried to get into another Explorer because it was black and the paint was missing in the same spot and i thought it was my car. My next issue is the back up camera doesn't work more often than it does. It always says unavailable. I know there have been recalls on other Fords for the exact same reason, so not sure why 2015 Ford Explorers were excluded.