Ford Explorer Sport Trac Reliability
928 NHTSA complaints (1997–2010). Complaint rate: 2900.0 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 2001–2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (61 crash-related complaints). The 2009 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 Trac Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 67 | 4.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 63 | 1.6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 51 | 3.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 46 | 17.4% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 44 | 4.5% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 36 | 2.8% |
| ENGINE | 32 | 3.1% |
| TIRES | 29 | 10.3% |
| SUSPENSION | 28 | 3.6% |
| AIR BAGS | 28 | 46.4% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | View 1998View→ |
| 2000GOOD | — | 3 | 1 | — | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 229 | 20 | 9 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002AVOID | — | 190 | 8 | 3 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 93 | 5 | 8 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004AVOID | — | 108 | 21 | 1 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005AVOID | — | 84 | 7 | 1 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | — | View 2006View→ |
| 2007AVOID | — | 122 | 13 | 2 | View 2007View→ |
| 2008 | — | 34 | 2 | 3 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009GOOD | — | 7 | 0 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010 | — | 38 | 4 | 3 | View 2010View→ |
See also: Ford Explorer Sport Tracaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
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