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2010 Ford Explorer

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Ford Explorer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 609.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

95 reports with mileage · 20 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

6 reports
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40,707 miles · Dec 1, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic

I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND PRESSED THE BRAKE. THERE WAS A TRUCK INFRONT OF ME, THE HARDER I PUSHES THE BREAK THE MORE THE ENGINE TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE TIRES WERE SCREECHING BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL TRYING TO GO. ME AND MY KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HITTING ANOTHER …

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I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND PRESSED THE BRAKE. THERE WAS A TRUCK INFRONT OF ME, THE HARDER I PUSHES THE BREAK THE MORE THE ENGINE TRIED TO ACCELERATE. THE TIRES WERE SCREECHING BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL TRYING TO GO. ME AND MY KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE REAR END. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. HOPING THEY CAN FIND A FIX BEFORE IT SERIOUSLY INJURES MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE'S LOVED ONES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10438028

Mileage unknown · Nov 15, 2011
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control

INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. CAR IS IN DRIVE AND MOVING FORWARD. WHEN MOVING FOOT TO APPLY BRAKE AND PUSHING DOWN ON BRAKE PEDAL THE GAS PEDAL IS ALSO ENGAGED CAUSING THE CAR TO HAVE THE BRAKE AND GAS APPLIED AT THE SAME TIME. THE HARDER I PUSH ON THE BRAKE THE MORE GAS IS GIVEN TO THE ENGINE. SINCE THE CAR IS ALREADY MOVING F…

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INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. CAR IS IN DRIVE AND MOVING FORWARD. WHEN MOVING FOOT TO APPLY BRAKE AND PUSHING DOWN ON BRAKE PEDAL THE GAS PEDAL IS ALSO ENGAGED CAUSING THE CAR TO HAVE THE BRAKE AND GAS APPLIED AT THE SAME TIME. THE HARDER I PUSH ON THE BRAKE THE MORE GAS IS GIVEN TO THE ENGINE. SINCE THE CAR IS ALREADY MOVING FORWARD, REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE WILL LET THE CAR MOVE FORWARD. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. ONLY BY PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WAS I ABLE TO CONTROL THE SITUATION. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AS I THOUGHT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE 2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED I REALIZED I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE AND GAS AT THE SAME TIME. EVEN THOUGH I AM AWARE THIS CAN HAPPEN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN MY DRIVEWAY AND AT THE LOCAL POST OFFICE. THE REAL PROBLEM IS GETTING YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING FORWARD AND THEN BACK ON THE BRAKE BEFORE YOU RAM INTO SOMETHING. SO FAR SO GOOD. OTHERS MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10435723

800 miles · Mar 31, 2011
Service Brakes, HydraulicVehicle Speed Control

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE WHILE BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED DURING ONE OF THE FAILURES, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD MOMENTARILY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE SURGED MOMENTARILY BEFORE EXPERIENCING AN INCRE…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE WHILE BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED DURING ONE OF THE FAILURES, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD MOMENTARILY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE SURGED MOMENTARILY BEFORE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE. AN UNKNOWN REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AFTER THE FIRST VISIT TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,200.

NHTSA ODI #10393871

3,000 miles · Feb 28, 2011
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WE HAVE A 2010 FORD EXPLORER THAT IS HAVING BRAKE ISSUES. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN NORMALLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES SOFT AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. ONLY AFTER DEPRESSING THE PEDAL AT FULL FORCE WILL THE TRUCK FULLY STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW. THERE IS NO TELLING ON WHEN IT COULD HAPPEN. IT IS TOTA…

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WE HAVE A 2010 FORD EXPLORER THAT IS HAVING BRAKE ISSUES. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN NORMALLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES SOFT AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. ONLY AFTER DEPRESSING THE PEDAL AT FULL FORCE WILL THE TRUCK FULLY STOP. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW. THERE IS NO TELLING ON WHEN IT COULD HAPPEN. IT IS TOTALLY RANDOM. I WAS ALMOST IN A VIOLENT ACCIDENT TODAY. WE ARE BRINGING IT BACK FOR SERVICE IN THE MORNING. IF YOU OWN A 2010 EXPLORER, PLEASE HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10384829

8,000 miles · Sep 1, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT APPLIED HIS FULL BODY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION. THE …

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT APPLIED HIS FULL BODY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION. THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURES WOULD OCCUR AFTER TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A PERIOD OF TWO HOURS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADREST WERE NOT ADJUSTABLE AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 1/19/2010 UPDATED 01/27/11*JB

NHTSA ODI #10353394

6,900 miles · Aug 10, 2010
Service Brakes, HydraulicStructureVehicle Speed Control

2010 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED WITH ADJUSTABLE PEDALS. THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE MY FOOT CONTACTED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED. WHEN THE BRAKE IS FULLY DEPRESSED IT IS BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IF THE FOOT IS NOT FULLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT C…

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2010 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED WITH ADJUSTABLE PEDALS. THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE MY FOOT CONTACTED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED. WHEN THE BRAKE IS FULLY DEPRESSED IT IS BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IF THE FOOT IS NOT FULLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT CONTACTS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10348563

Official recalls

1

10V161000 · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

Apr 20, 2010

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL RECLINERS. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINT." THE RECLINER GEAR PLATE TEETH MAY BE OUT OF DIMENSION SPECIFICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LIMITED PAWL TO GEAR PLATE TOOTH ENGAGEMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEATBACK AND HEAD RESTRAINT MAY MOVE REARWARD, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE MANUAL RECLINERS FOR BOTH POWER AND MANUAL SEATS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE APRIL 30, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.

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