RecallRepo

2015 Ford Explorer Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2015 Ford Explorer has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,716,171 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2,187 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the unknown or other. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

BACK OVER PREVENTION 25V695000 2025-10-13 1,448,655 affected
Defect

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…

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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…

STRUCTURE 24V031000 2024-01-19 1,889,110 affected
Defect

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.

Consequence

A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed Feburary 16, 2024. Owner notification letters…

SUSPENSION 21V537000 2021-07-15 631,176 affected
Defect

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,…

Consequence

A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.…

SUSPENSION 20V675000 2021-03-12 454,941 affected
Defect

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,…

Consequence

A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

POWER TRAIN 20V692000 2020-11-10 15,587 affected
Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.…

SUSPENSION 19V435000 2019-06-10 1,194,173 affected
Defect

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.

Consequence

A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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…

SUSPENSION 16V245000 2016-04-26 75,364 affected
Defect

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.

Consequence

A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

PARKING BRAKE 15V464000 2015-07-24 7,165 affected
Defect

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…

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
394
6crashes41injuries
STEERING
333
4crashes10injuries
STRUCTURE
253
2injuries
ENGINE
225
1crashes1fires7injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
130
4crashes2injuries
BACK OVER PREVENTION
91
1crashes
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
86
1crashes11injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
85
AIR BAGS
83
7crashes15injuries
POWER TRAIN
81
4crashes4injuries
Total complaints2,187

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The b pillar plastic trim pieces are detaching from the vehicle on both sides. If these plastic pieces become dislodged at high speeds on a highway if could potentially cause damage to another vehicle/ cause a crash. There is a recall for the 2017 ford explorers for the same problem (25s53)…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-22

“This 2015 ford explorer xlt - the power steering goes out. Multiple times. No recall with many many of these vehicles reporting to have the same problem. I was 200 miles away from home when this happened. The steering becomes extremely stiff and jerks. Making it very dangerous.”

STEERING · reported 2026-06-13

“The contact owns a 2015 ford explorer. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a black image. The local dealer…”

BACK OVER PREVENTION · reported 2026-06-08

“Tried countless times to have a recall repaired at this facility, at my convenience. Set up an appointment to stay with car, when that time came, the service department didn't know who I was or what the recall was about. This was a red flag for me, my vin# brought this part to this place, looking…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-04

“The contact owns a 2015 ford explorer. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number 25v695000 (back over prevention);however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact…”

BACK OVER PREVENTION · reported 2026-05-18

“My ford explorer has less than 97,000 miles on it and im experiencing popping noises and slight play in steering. Upon inspecting the tie-rod I found that the rack and pinion had play in it. The vehicle hasn't been wrecked so there's no reason I should be losing my steering rack under 100k miles.”

STEERING · reported 2026-05-18

“The trim piece that has the keyless entry pad on it that was attached to the drivers door came off while driving down the interstate.”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2026-05-17

“The contact owns a 2015 ford explorer. The contact stated that the power steering feature was intermittently inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. A technician attempted to diagnose the vehicle, but no diagnostic trouble codes were retrieved. The contact was informed that the failure…”

STEERING · reported 2026-05-09

Defect investigations

Investigation EA15005 Opened 2015-09-28 · closed 2018-11-02

Front Brake Hose Failure

On April 29, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE15-017 to investigate a report alleging incidents of front brake hose failure in model year (MY) 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles used by the Sacramento Police Department in its pursuit driving training program (VOQ 10705832).On…

Investigation EA17002 Opened 2017-07-27 · closed 2023-01-17

Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab

During the EA17-002 investigation, the agency reviewed and analyzed reports of exhaust odors in the passenger cabins of Model Year 2011 to 2017 Ford Explorers. This investigation required an approach that incorporated knowledge and expertise from the automotive, medical, environmental health, and occupational safety…

Investigation EA17002 Opened 2017-07-27 · closed 2023-01-17

Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab

During the EA17-002 investigation, the agency reviewed and analyzed reports of exhaust odors in the passenger cabins of Model Year 2011 to 2017 Ford Explorers. This investigation required an approach that incorporated knowledge and expertise from the automotive, medical, environmental health, and occupational safety…

Investigation PE15017 Opened 2015-04-29 · closed 2015-09-28

Front brake hose failure

On April 29, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE15-017 to investigate reports of low-mileage failures of front brake jounce hoses in model year (MY) 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles operated as training vehicles by the City of Sacramento, California (ODI VOQ No. 10705832). To date,…

Investigation PE16008 Opened 2016-07-01 · closed 2017-09-12

Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor

During the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the Ford carbon monoxide allegations, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified additional Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.Presently, ODI has identified 791 VOQs for Model…

Investigation PE16008 Opened 2016-07-01 · closed 2017-09-12

Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor

During the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the Ford carbon monoxide allegations, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified additional Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.Presently, ODI has identified 791 VOQs for Model…

Investigation PE23001 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2024-02-08

Windshield trim molding Item detachment

On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-001 to investigate allegations of A-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (MY) 2011-2019 Ford Explorer vehicles. At the time of opening, the office had received 164 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting this failure. ODI has…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2015 Ford Explorer as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.