What breaks most · 1993 to 2005 model years
Ford Explorer Sport problems by year
Owners have filed 735 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Explorer Sport across model years 1993 to 2005. Three years stand out: 2001 for suspension complaints, 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 1998 for latches and locks complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1997 and 2003.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2002, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1997, 2003
- Complaints on file
- 7351993 to 2005, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001188 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 5653 fires · 72 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 76kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 16Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Tires (2) | |
| 37 | 4 | 0 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 121 | 5 | 0 | Latches and locks (33) | |
| 93 | 6 | 0 | Seats (14) | |
| 71 | 6 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (13) | |
| 188 | 18 | 7 | Suspension (33) | |
| 133 | 10 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (32) | |
| 65 | 4 | 1 | Body and structure (25) | |
| 18 | 3 | 1 | Body and structure (11) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (2) |
What fails on the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 18% |
33 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 16% |
30 | 4 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
26 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 11% |
21 | 2 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Seats | 8% |
15 | 1 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
14 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
13 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport |
| Air bags | 7% |
13 | 8 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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A clunking noise under the passenger seat. In looking at it, is seems there is a worn body bushing. Investigation on the web shows several incidences of something like this. The noise has gotten worse, the vehicle now has 54000 miles on it.i am the original owner.
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Started my vehicle it made a clunking noise then died. The timing chain broke and broke all the valves off the motor. *js
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There were no events leading up to this failure i was driving to go see a movie. The door lock on the drivers side stopped working (even with a key it will not unlock). No parts have been replaced on this door except for the door itself over 7 years ago.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Explorer Sport years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2002, 1998 carry the most filings on the Ford Explorer Sport. The 2001 alone has 188 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Ford Explorer Sport problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 33 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Explorer Sport problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Explorer Sport complaints that include mileage is about 76,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.