2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report two clusters of problems: rough or delayed transmission shifting, often very early in ownership, and cooling-system trouble such as radiator leaks and temperature gauge swings. Electrical glitches (warning lights, interior lights, an instrument cluster that fails) and brake concerns, including pedal placement and low pedal feel, come up repeatedly as well. Many complaints are filed under 30,000 miles, while engine and fuel-system reports tend to arrive at much higher mileage.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Rough shifting, delayed engagement, surging at stops

   • 22 complaints (22%)
   • median 10,217 mi at 1.5 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe harsh or delayed shifts, a lunge or slam when pulling away from a stop, and hesitation when merging into traffic. Some say the transmission seemed to disengage and the engine revved without the truck moving, and a few had warning lights followed by a dealer recommendation to repair or replace the transmission. Dealers often reset or reprogrammed the control module, or applied a calibration update, and in several cases the behavior returned. Many reports come in under 40,000 miles, several within the first few thousand, and some owners note the behavior is worse in cold weather or when the engine is cold.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the truck from a cold start and include several stop-and-go cycles; note any lunge, delayed engagement or revving without movement. Ask whether any transmission calibration or reprogramming has been done and whether fluid and service records exist.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought my '07 sportrac with 73,800 miles to the Ford dealer to troubleshoot a check engine light and the wrench light, which it displayed for a few minutes and disappeared. After some troubleshooting 2 hrs later, the guy came out and gave me some bad news. I will need to repair my transmission or replace it. He did tell me a new transmission would not be from Ford since they don't make those anymore and would be from another maker. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10557175, filed 2013-12, 73,800 miles

   “Ford sports trac 07, 8 cylinder. Automatic, 44000. It began around 20000. When one comes to a stop, the 4 wheel drive or transmission kicks in and the vehicle jumps and slams into gear. It appears to be getting worse the more I drive it. Also, a lot of blind spots.”

   NHTSA complaint #10239903, filed 2008-08, 20,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Unintended acceleration / brake and accelerator pedal

   • 13 complaints (13%)
   • median 26,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2020

   Owners describe the vehicle accelerating while they were braking, or the brake pedal sinking below the accelerator so that pressing the brake also caught the gas pedal, in some cases resulting in a collision. Others report the brakes engaging on their own at low speed on dry pavement, with multiple dashboard warning lights afterward, or the rear brakes locking and dragging. Dealers variously cleared the intake, could not reproduce the condition, or replaced an affected part; several owners say the problem returned. Reported at low mileage as well as higher mileage, from a few thousand up to about 45,000 miles, and typically at low speed or when braking from a stop.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Sit in the driver's seat and check pedal spacing and travel, and test braking at low speed on a clear lot. Ask whether any brake or throttle-related repairs or software updates have been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While crossing an intersection (eastbound) in my Ford explorer on a dry, flat straight paved road (I was starting from a stop sign, whereas the street I was crossing has no stop sign for the north and southbound intersecting road) ... With my foot on the gas at a very slow speed (under 5 MPH), the vehicles brakes engaged on their own after I was partially through the intersection, bringing my vehicle to a stop. My foot was solely on the gas pedal, and I was not applying the brakes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10330337, filed 2010-05, 54,032 miles

   “I was at the yield sign at the feeder lane approaching the nasa bypass in webster, texas when I applied my brakes as another car was ahead of me and had stopped. Instead of braking, my vehicle accelerated and I run into the rear of the car ahead. The cause of the problem is the design in the vehicle. The brake pedal when depressed is lower than the accelerator pedal and they are too close together. If the brake is not applied exactly right a person can unintentionally hit the accelerator pedal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10416611, filed 2011-08, 42,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Radiator leaks and rising temperature gauge

   • 10 complaints (10%)
   • median 59,250 mi at 4.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2015

   Complaints describe coolant leaking from the radiator, with pooling at the bottom and drips on either side, and the temperature gauge climbing briefly or the engine becoming loud before returning to normal. Several owners say a dealer identified a leaking radiator core or seam and quoted a replacement; others describe intermittent overheating that reset after shutting the engine off. One owner reported being told a service bulletin covered a fan programming issue. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 100,000 miles, with several in the 45,000-77,000 mile range.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look for coolant residue or staining on the radiator tanks and hoses, and check the coolant level and condition. Ask whether the radiator, thermostat or cooling fan programming has been addressed, and watch the temperature gauge on a long test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I noticed while driving my 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac that something was wrong with the engine. I thought it might be the transmission, because when accelerated it would become sluggish and make a loud roaring noise. The temperature light came on for about 8 seconds and the temperature gauge went to the top for about the same amount of time. Then the light went off and the gauge went back to normal. Then engine sound and speed appeared to be normal.”

   NHTSA complaint #10458525, filed 2012-05, 45,000 miles

   “Without any indication why, the temperature indicator began to rise and the engine became rather loud. No indicator (idiot lights) lights came on at all. Pulled over to check the engine, left the engine running and the heat indicator returned to normal immediately. Started to drive and the same issue started again. This time I pulled over and shut the engine down completely. Restarted the engine 2~3 mins later, which appears to have re-set the system, as I have not have a similar problem since.”

   NHTSA complaint #10462081, filed 2012-06, 105,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Warning lights and electrical glitches

   • 14 complaints (14%)
   • median 14,495 mi at 1.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2024

   Complaints describe dashboard warning lights (tire pressure, check engine, stability control) lighting up together, interior or dome lights turning on and off over bumps and in turns, and intermittent HVAC blower speed. One owner reported a no-start traced to a failed instrument cluster, and another had the ignition component replaced when the lights recurred. Dealers often could not duplicate or fully resolve the problem. Mostly reported under about 30,000 miles, though some appear past 100,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that all warning lamps behave normally at key-on and after start, and test the blower at every speed. Ask about prior electrical repairs, wiring harness routing work or cluster replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Advancetrac rsc system activated on dry road surface for no cause - causing disabled transmission line/no power to wheels & reduced engine power and resulting in emergency pullover in high speed traffic situation. Ford service unable to find cause - can not duplicate.”

   NHTSA complaint #10248008, filed 2008-11, 15,490 miles

   “Pulling into traffic traction control engages in dry conditions, taking all acceleration power away. Traction indicator on dash lights up, unable to disengage with traction button. Vehicle does not stall, however there is little to no power to accelerate to appropriate driving speed. Brakes also engage anti-lock. There is no warning, except when you commit to accelerating, both instances occurred from a stop sign, about 4 minutes after starting to drive the vehicle.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10206673, filed 2007-10, 5,125 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Spark plugs breaking during replacement

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe misfires and rough running under load that lead to spark plug service, and then report that one or more plugs cracked or broke off in the cylinder head and needed a special tool and extra labor to remove. Complaints note the higher-than-expected cost of the job and that dealers were already familiar with the broken-plug issue. Typically reported from about 75,000 to 115,000 miles, when plugs come due for service.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the spark plugs have been replaced and by whom, and request the invoice to see if any plugs broke during removal. Factor potential extraction labor into the cost of a high-mileage truck.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As cited by other readers, Ford has placed ht-1 ceramic plugs in the explorer series which are very expensive. These plugs constantly develop stress cracks and break during replacement, requiring a special tool to remove them. When they break (2~3 on average), be ready to pay additional charges to cover the extra time needed for removal/clean-out by the mechanic. Something needs to be done by Ford to replace these plugs.”

   NHTSA complaint #10462092, filed 2012-06, 100,000 miles

   “Spark plugs may be contributing to a skip under load. However, Ford has used some unusual spark plug that is a serious problem for end users to either change themselves or extraordinarily expensive for the consumer to have changed by Ford. Ford service quote is $300.00 to have changed. This is a terrible design and engineering screw up that is ridiculous. Ford needs to step up and admit they have a poor design and not keep charging customers for their mistake.”

   NHTSA complaint #10452125, filed 2012-03, 77,250 miles

Buying note. A cold-start test drive with several stop-and-go cycles and a look at the cooling system will surface the two most common complaint areas on this model year. Records showing transmission calibration work, radiator service and spark plug replacement make a used example easier to assess.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.