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2015 Ford Explorer AWD
The 2015 Ford Explorer AWD has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 1,748 owner complaints, and gets about 19 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.
SPECS
2015 Ford Explorer AWD at a glance
- Engine
- 6-cyl 3.5L
- Cylinders
- 6
- Displacement
- 3.5 L
- Drivetrain
- All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- Automatic (S6)
- Body
- Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
- Fuel
- Regular
Source: EPA / NHTSA vPIC, as of July 13, 2026.
SAFETY RECALLS · NHTSA
9 openSuspension
10/06/2019
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.
Wheels
28/08/2017
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.
Parking Brake
24/07/2015
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 vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
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.
Suspension
26/04/2016
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.
Power Train
10/11/2020
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.
Suspension
15/07/2021
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.
Suspension
12/03/2021
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.
Structure
19/01/2024
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. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed Feburary 16, 2024. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 18, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
NHTSA has opened one or more investigations covering this model. Recalls can follow an investigation, so check NHTSA for the latest before you buy.
Open safety recalls are free to fix at any franchised dealer. What recalls mean → Source: NHTSA recalls, as of July 13, 2026. Recalls can be issued any time, confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
OWNER COMPLAINTS · NHTSA
1,748 filed- 371
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exterior A-pillar and B-pillar trim appliques loosened and detached from the vehicle on multiple occasions. Due to the recurring failu
- 342
STEERING
Total loss of Power Steering ! Warning light display: "Steering Assist Fault", "Service AdvanceTrac", turn signals unable to lock and release. Hard Fault codes present: U3000 96-C8, C200D, 49-48 C1B00, 64-48. This problem star
- 342
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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
- 140
ENGINE
ENGINE LIGHT ACTIVATION code: P0430 Catalyst system efficiency below threshold Bank 2
- 72
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring underneath the secon
- 70
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ford has had this recall open since October of last year. My car has a faulty backup camera that is not working. It’s been 9 months since it came out and there still no forward motion except for mustangs for this recall to be fixed.
Problems owners reported to the government, useful for spotting patterns, not proof any one car has them. What complaints mean → Source: NHTSA complaints, as of July 13, 2026. Owner-submitted reports, not verified diagnoses.
CRASH-TEST RATINGS · NHTSA NCAP
- Overall
- ★★★★★
- Frontal
- ★★★★★
- Side
- ★★★★★
- Rollover
- ★★★★☆
Government crash tests of this model; not every trim or year is tested. Source: NHTSA NCAP, as of July 13, 2026.
FUEL & RUNNING COST · U.S. EPA
- Combined
- 19 mpg
- City / Hwy
- 17 / 23
- Est. fuel / yr
- $3,300
- CO₂ / mi
- 471 g
EPA lab estimates; real mpg varies by how you drive. Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov, as of July 13, 2026. Annual cost assumes 15,000 mi/yr at EPA's reference price.
All figures above come from free U.S. government sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, investigations, crash tests) and the EPA (fuel economy and specs). We don't show market price, insurance cost, or proprietary reliability scores, because there's no free, reliable public source for them. For a verdict on a specific listing, with a fair-offer number and what to ask the seller, that's the VINly app.
BEFORE YOU BUY
What to check on this car
Confirm the recalls were fixed
This model has 9 open NHTSA recalls (including the suspension). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
Watch for a pending investigation
NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.
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Test-drive the basics
Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.
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Check the title and the VIN
Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.
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Ask the seller the right questions
Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.
See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.
Quick answers
What is recalled on the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD? +
NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls for the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD, including the suspension. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.
What gas mileage does the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD get? +
The EPA rates the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD at 19 mpg combined (17 city / 23 highway), about $3,300 a year in fuel.
How safe is the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD? +
NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 stars for rollover resistance.
What do owners complain about on the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD? +
Owners have filed 1,748 complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford Explorer AWD, including 36 involving a crash. The most-reported area is structure.
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