NHTSA Safety Recalls
2013 Ford Explorer Recalls
The 2013 Ford Explorer has 12 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on January 19, 2024.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2013 Ford Explorer. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 12
- Owner complaints
- 2,237
- Crashes reported
- 44
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
11 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2013 Ford Explorer, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
12 recalls on the 2013 Ford Explorer
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- Campaign
- 24V031000
- Reported
- January 19, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,889,110
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012, 2014–2019 Explorer
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 21V746000
- Reported
- September 22, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 150,723
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012 Explorer
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 21V537000
- Reported
- July 15, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 631,176
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2014–2017 Explorer
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 20V675000
- Reported
- March 12, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 454,941
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2014–2017 Explorer
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 19V435000
- Reported
- June 10, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,194,173
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012, 2014–2017 Explorer
Fuel system, gasoline
- Campaign
- 15V812000
- Reported
- December 2, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 868
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 6 other models
Structure: body: door
- Campaign
- 15V171000
- Reported
- March 24, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 194,484
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012 Explorer
Steering: electric power assist system
- Campaign
- 14V286000
- Reported
- May 29, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 179,027
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012 Explorer
Latches/locks/linkages
- Campaign
- 13V270000
- Reported
- June 26, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 12,569
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 2 other models
Fuel system, gasoline
- Campaign
- 13V227000
- Reported
- May 31, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 390,783
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 8 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- Campaign
- 13V109000
- Reported
- March 27, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 3,037
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2 other models
Wheels: hub
- Campaign
- 17E048000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2011–2012, 2014–2017 Explorer
2013 Ford Explorer complaints by year
NHTSA has received 2,237 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer, the newest on October 15, 2026. Of these, 44 describe a crash (2%) and 11 a fire; owners reported 61 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer, the component group named most often is the steering (37%), followed by the structure (20%) and the engine (10%).
1 of the 2013 Ford Explorer's 12 recalls also concerns the steering.
Where 2013 Ford Explorer owners gave the mileage (1,534 complaints), the median was 76,718 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Steering836
- Structure439
- Unknown Or Other345
- Engine225
- Electrical System163
- Fuel/Propulsion System120
Complaints received, by year
| 2012 | 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 61 | |
| 2014 | 67 | |
| 2015 | 94 | |
| 2016 | 190 | |
| 2017 | 263 | |
| 2018 | 203 | |
| 2019 | 290 | |
| 2020 | 147 | |
| 2021 | 128 | |
| 2022 | 128 | |
| 2023 | 212 | |
| 2024 | 165 | |
| 2025 | 220 | |
| 2026 | 60 |
Complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 290. 19% arrived between 2012 and 2016, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2013 vehicles, the 2013 Ford Explorer drew 1.6× the complaints of the median Ford Explorer year in the same window: 9th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 2,237 complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Ford Explorer by model year
Other 2013 Ford models
Newest record on this page: October 15, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted