Owners have filed 1,670 safety complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 32 crashes, 6 fires, 38 injuries, 2 deaths.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2014 Ford Explorer, here is how reports break down by system.
"My pillar are coming off to the point when it rains water get inside my car. It’s messed up my system in my car. I can’t close my sun roof and water comes down from my lights that’s above my head where you put your sunny sunglasses in. I been calling around and still haven’t got no where."
"Power steering failed during normal operations. This occurance was in 2021. Paid Ford over $2000 to perform repairs. Now January 2025 same issue occurred. This safety hazard needs to be addressed"
Complaint filings for the 2014 Ford Explorer over time:
Across the Ford Explorer model years we track, the 2016 has the most complaints on file (2,425); the 2014 ranks 4 of 7.
7 recalls apply to some or all 2014 Ford Explorer vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.
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.
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 resulti…
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.
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.
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 Yor…
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 I…
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.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,670 complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.
The 2014 Ford Explorer has 7 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2014 Ford Explorer an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.