The 2010 Ford Explorer has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 33,256 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 155 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEATS10V1610002010-04-2033,256 affected
Defect
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINERS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Consequence
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL RECLINERS FOR BOTH POWER AND MANUAL SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN
26
3crashes1injuries
SEATS
17
ENGINE
14
1crashes
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
14
2crashes10injuries50deaths
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
SERVICE BRAKES
9
5crashes2injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
8
1crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8
1crashes1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
6
WHEELS
5
Total complaints155
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Odometer fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 ford explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 135,902. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, it was later discovered that…”
“Thing accelerate by itself while on highway od light blinking at high speeds and then when you come to a complete stop and try to takeoff it goes really slow with the rpms high then it will kick into gear, unsafe on the road. Truck willjump in gear then out on takeoff.”
“Odometer fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 ford explorer. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was approximately 150,000. Most recently, the contact downloaded the ford app, and when the…”
“3 times this has happened. I brake and it seems like I'm pressing the gas pedal and the brakes feel like they aren't stopping the vehicle. The third time put me in incoming traffic and the vehicle was totaled as it already had a rebuilt salvage title when we bought it.”
“3 times this has happened. I brake and it seems like I'm pressing the gas pedal and the brakes feel like they aren't stopping the vehicle. The third time put me in incoming traffic and the vehicle was totaled as it already had a rebuilt salvage title when we bought it.”
“The contact owns a 2010 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the anti-theft, roll stability, and fuel filler messages were displayed with an audible alarm before the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the…”
“The contact owns a 2010 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the anti-theft, roll stability, and fuel filler messages were displayed with an audible alarm before the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to the…”
“Transmission , wheel hub”
Defect investigations
InvestigationAQ10001 Opened 2010-11-18 · closed 2015-12-28
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2010 Ford Explorer as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.