Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 717 consumer complaints across the 12 model years of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac (1997–2010) that have at least 5 complaints. 2001 has the most, with 167. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (138 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Explorer Sport Trac years →
All Explorer Sport Trac model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 31 | 30,000 | 1 | 17 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Falling |
| 2009 | 6 | 20,000 | 0 | 13 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 23 | 65,265 | 1 | 14 | — | Rising |
| 2007 | 100 | 39,275 | 1 | 24 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 5 | 74,000 | 0 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 66 | 68,000 | 0 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 86 | 43,768 | 0 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 78 | 58,500 | 0 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 144 | 48,104 | 2 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 167 | 71,760 | 4 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1998 | 5 | 51,700 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 6 | 107,500 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain138 22%
- Electrical system87 14%
- Body and structure79 13%
- Engine cooling75 12%
- Vehicle speed control73 12%
- Brakes66 11%
- Fuel system59 9.4%
- Suspension50 8.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2001: “I was driving on the interstate at 65mph when my left rear tire blew a flat. When I came to a stop safely, the tire was completely separated on the sidewall and the tire was smoking! Couldn't believe my eyes. I've now been reading that this michelin tire was recalled in other sizes. This event occurred on 8/17/2016 and the tire had 35,000 miles on it.”
NHTSA complaint #10896785, filed 2016-08, 215,000 miles2010: “Traveling on the nys thruway passing a car at approximately 75mph and my engine goes dead. No power or gas no power steering nothing. I manage to get to the shoulder of the road and I can smell something burning. I was towed to the nearest Ford dealership to find that my fuel pump control module and wiring harness are melted together. Scariest thing that ever happened to me.”
NHTSA complaint #11047615, filed 2017-11, 80,000 miles2003: “I was leaving the store parking lot. I started the car, pressed the break, put the vehicle in drive and the passenger side airbag deployed. This is the second time this has happened since the first incident in september 2014. The vehicle was not hit or bumped in any way. I was not backing out, I was in drive to pull out of the space.”
NHTSA complaint #10703696, filed 2015-04, 153,718 milesOther Ford models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology