NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 296 owner complaints for the 2019 Ford Explorer.
6Safety recalls
296Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: body structure, suspension, equipment, and seats. Most-reported area: body structure (150 complaints, 51%; median mileage when it happened: 63,100). Excludes the Police Interceptor Utility (EPA lists its 3.3L flex-fuel engine as an Explorer from 2020).
6 safety recalls for the 2019 Ford Explorer
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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 October 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.
What owners report
The areas named in the 296 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Explorer. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Body structure150 · 51%
Most named: body (43) · Median 63,100 miles at failure (66 reports)
Powertrain35 · 12%
Most named: automatic transmission, torque converter (4)
Electrical system19 · 6%
Most named: horn (7)
Engine19 · 6%
Fuel and propulsion system14 · 5%
Suspension11 · 4%
Steering9 · 3%
Unknown or other45 · 15%
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: 296 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford Explorer
Model year
Complaints
2016
2,451
2017
1,691
2018
731
2019
296
2020
1,220
2021
433
2022
268
2023
110
2024
21
2025
101
2026
36
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
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV AWD
Rollover risk 17.4%
Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
Questions
What are the most common 2019 Explorer problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: body structure (150), powertrain (35), electrical system (19). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
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.
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 Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
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.