2014 Ford Explorer: problems, recalls and reliability
7 recalls and 1,679 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (32% of complaints); the 2012 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 7 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jan 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 1,679 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Steering simply shutoff and locked up while driving. I seen there's a recall on 2013 Ford exploers but not for 2014 even though its the same problem. Now im without a vehicle and it will be a expensive repair.”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2026
“I was driving down the highway, and I heard what sounded as if something had fallen on vehicle and cracked my window. However, there wasn't anything, so I got out of the car and saw that my B pillar trim had come off and was hanging down by the wires on the driver side of vehicle. This was very frightening as this could have resulted in an accident due to this piece falling apart on the side of the car.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2026
“The defective recall items outlined in NHTSA Recall 24V031 (safety recall notice 24S02) continue to remain unrepaired and unresolved. The original notice was dated January 2024 and advised that parts and repairs should be available by late 2024. As of May 26, 2026 parts are not available and the windshield trim attachments and related rubber seals are not in place. The safety recall notice details the risks associated with this unrepaired and unresolved recall item.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“When driving, the steering wheel became less responsive. The next day, we drove a few hundred miles and got gas. After turning the car back on, the steering became even less responsive, resulting in a lot of force being needed to be used in order to turn the vehicle. In addition to this, the car was extremely difficult to keep straight, making driving on a single-lane road extremely dangerous. We have dropped the car off at the dealership and are waiting until Monday or Tuesday for a diagnosis and repair.”Owner report · Steering · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however the parts were unavailable. In addition, the contact stated that the recall repair was initiated in 2024, and the parts were still unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted, and a complaint was filed. The contact's vehicle had not experienced any failure regarding the open recall repair.”Owner report · Structure · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2026
“My pillar are coming off to the point when it rains water get inside my car. It's messed up my system in my car. I can't close my sun roof and water comes down from my lights that's above my head where you put your sunny sunglasses in. I been calling around and still haven't got no where.”Owner report · Steering · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2026
“When I'm driving on the freeway. I could be on flatland and it will stall, I could be going down a hill and it stalls, I could be on a regular road, turning a corner, hitting a bump. And it stalls when I'm on the freeway, I have to get over very scary happens all the time when It happens I coast, I put it into park, i turn it off, and it restarts immediately every time. This is constantly happening. IHave a video and picture but it will not upload on this.But it says hell descending control fail”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 32 of these complaints and injuries in 38 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 7 campaigns
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.
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. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S63.
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, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
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.
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.
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 is 19S17.
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, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
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. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
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.
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. 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 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.
Remedy: 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 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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2014 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Explorer years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Explorer by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Ford Explorer reliable?
NHTSA has 1,679 owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 Ford Explorer. The most complained-about area is steering (32% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2014 Ford Explorer problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 70,215 miles or less.
Does the 2014 Ford Explorer have open recalls?
7 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.