Ford Explorer Sport Reliability
939 NHTSA complaints (1993–2005). Complaint rate: 71.3 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2001–2002 Ford Explorer Sport. The 2004–2005 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Ford Explorer Sport Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 55 | 1.8% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 41 | 2.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 40 | 2.5% |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 37 | 8.1% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 33 | 6.1% |
| TIRES | 31 | 16.1% |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 30 | 0.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 28 | 7.1% |
| SEATS | 28 | 0.0% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 23 | 0.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993GOOD | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | View 1993View→ |
| 1997GOOD | — | 44 | 4 | 6 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998 | — | 145 | 5 | 17 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999 | — | 127 | 7 | 5 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 102 | 6 | 10 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 243 | 23 | 14 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002AVOID | — | 160 | 12 | 7 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 85 | 4 | 3 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004GOOD | — | 23 | 5 | — | View 2004View→ |
| 2005GOOD | — | 5 | 0 | — | View 2005View→ |
See also: Ford Explorer Sportaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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