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2011 Ford Explorer Recalls & Complaints

8

open safety recalls on record

Serious

1,499 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.15 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V435000

Suspension:Rear

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

Remedy & full details

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 is 19S17.

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.

Serious17E048000

Wheels:Hub

loss of the wheel or wheel end can raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.

Serious15V171000

Structure:Body:Door

If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, raises the risk of personal injury.

Remedy & full details

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.

Serious14E001000

Steering

The inability to steer the vehicle raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the suspect steering gears with new steering gears, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2014. Customers may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 13S14.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain replacement steering gears installed on model year 2011-2012 Explorers as service parts in September 2013 and January 2014. The affected gears may lock, preventing the driver from being able to steer the vehicle.

Serious14V286000

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, raises the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy & full details

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S06.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 17, 2010, through February 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist.

Serious11V063000

Seats

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT BACK MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, raises the risk of INJURY.

Remedy & full details

FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 EXPLORER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 15, 2010, THROUGH DECEMBER 13, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SECOND ROW 60% SEATS WITH MANUAL RECLINER MECHANISMS THAT MAY HAVE COMPONENTS THAT ARE OUT OF DIMENSIONAL SPECIFICATION. THESE SEATS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS."

Serious21V746000

Suspension:Rear

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

Remedy & full details

Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 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, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.

Serious24V031000

Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars

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

Remedy & full details

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 A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.

Complaint volume

1,499 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

48Crashes
4Fires
30Injuries
0Deaths

Across 1,499 complaints. Severity Index 0.15.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Steering727 · 48%Unknown Or Other112 · 7%Electrical System91 · 6%Engine83 · 6%Power Train62 · 4%Structure56 · 4%Structure · Body50 · 3%Air Bags44 · 3%
  1. Steering — 727 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 112 reports
  3. Electrical System — 91 reports
  4. Engine — 83 reports
  5. Power Train — 62 reports
  6. Structure — 56 reports
  7. Structure:Body — 50 reports
  8. Air Bags — 44 reports
  9. Fuel/Propulsion System — 35 reports
  10. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 28 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (12) · 1996 (11) · 1997 (12) · 1998 (14) · 1999 (15) · 2000 (15) · 2001 (12) · 2002 (10) · 2003 (7) · 2004 (4) · 2005 (3) · 2006 (4) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (1) · 2010 (2) · 2011 · 2012 (7) · 2013 (12) · 2014 (7) · 2015 (9) · 2016 (15) · 2017 (14) · 2018 (7) · 2019 (6) · 2020 (33) · 2021 (26) · 2022 (24) · 2023 (15) · 2024 (10) · 2025 (19) · 2026 (11)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.