NHTSA Safety Recalls
2021 Ford Explorer Recalls
The 2021 Ford Explorer has 26 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on July 14, 2026.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2021 Ford Explorer. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 26
- Owner complaints
- 447
- Crashes reported
- 14
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
5 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2021 Ford Explorer, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
26 recalls on the 2021 Ford Explorer
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- Campaign
- 26V451000
- Reported
- July 14, 2026
- Vehicles affected
- up to 387,911
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2025 Explorer, 1 other model
Power train: automatic transmission
- Campaign
- 26V402000
- Reported
- June 24, 2026
- Vehicles affected
- up to 741,195
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020 Explorer, 3 other models
Seat belts
- Campaign
- 26V159000
- Reported
- March 17, 2026
- Vehicles affected
- up to 561
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 210, seat belt anchorages
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2025 Explorer, 1 other model
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- Campaign
- 26V117000
- Reported
- March 3, 2026
- Vehicles affected
- up to 604,533
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer, 3 other models
Back over prevention: software
- Campaign
- 26V123000
- Reported
- March 3, 2026
- Vehicles affected
- up to 889,950
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 111, rear visibility
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2024 Explorer, 3 other models
Equipment: electrical: engine block heater
- Campaign
- 25V685000
- Reported
- October 10, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 59,006
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2016–2018, 2020, 2022–2023 Explorer, 8 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- Campaign
- 25V455000
- Reported
- July 7, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 850,318
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2022–2023 Explorer, 9 other models
Back over prevention: software
- Campaign
- 25V442000
- Reported
- June 27, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 200,237
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2024 Explorer, 19 other models
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- Campaign
- 25V393000
- Reported
- June 13, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 304,662
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2025 Explorer, 1 other model
Back over prevention: software
- Campaign
- 25V159000
- Reported
- March 14, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 49,399
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2023 Explorer, 2 other models
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- Campaign
- 25V166000
- Reported
- March 14, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 4,247
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Seat belts
- Campaign
- 25V093000
- Reported
- February 14, 2025
- Vehicles affected
- up to 240,510
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2020 Explorer, 1 other model
Equipment: other: labels
- Campaign
- 24V852000
- Reported
- November 8, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 27,678
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 208, occupant crash protection
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2025 Explorer, 6 other models
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- Campaign
- 24V635000
- Reported
- August 23, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 90,736
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2022 Explorer, 4 other models
Engine
- Campaign
- 24V598000
- Reported
- August 9, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 85,238
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- Campaign
- 23V675000
- Reported
- October 6, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 238,364
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
- Campaign
- 23V626000
- Reported
- September 8, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,954
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and fire
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer, 1 other model
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- Campaign
- 23V342000
- Reported
- May 12, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 442,973
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2023 Explorer, 2 other models
Back over prevention: display function
- Campaign
- 23V305000
- Reported
- April 28, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 523
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 111, rear visibility
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
- Campaign
- 23V199000
- Reported
- March 24, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 674
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
- Campaign
- 23V069000
- Reported
- February 10, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 3,674
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022 Explorer
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- Campaign
- 23V022000
- Reported
- January 23, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 382,759
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020, 2022–2023 Explorer, 2 other models
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 21V870000
- Reported
- November 10, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 20
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Back over prevention: software
- Campaign
- 21V735000
- Reported
- September 22, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 228,297
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020 Explorer, 2 other models
Air bags: side/window: curtain
- Campaign
- 21V652000
- Reported
- August 23, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 592
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 214, side impact protection
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Engine
- Campaign
- 20V788000
- Reported
- December 17, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,405
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2020 Explorer, 1 other model
2021 Ford Explorer complaints by year
NHTSA has received 447 owner complaints about the 2021 Ford Explorer, the newest on October 19, 2026. Of these, 14 describe a crash (3%) and 5 a fire; owners reported 17 injuries.
In complaints about the 2021 Ford Explorer, the component group named most often is the power train (28%), followed by the engine (11%) and the electrical system (11%).
5 of the 2021 Ford Explorer's 26 recalls also concern the power train.
Where 2021 Ford Explorer owners gave the mileage (107 complaints), the median was 44,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Power Train127
- Unknown Or Other86
- Engine50
- Electrical System47
- Back Over Prevention36
- Visibility/Wiper28
Complaints received, by year
| 2021 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 49 | |
| 2023 | 86 | |
| 2024 | 82 | |
| 2025 | 103 | |
| 2026 | 109 |
Complaints about the 2021 Ford Explorer peaked in 2026, when NHTSA received 109. 53% arrived between 2020 and 2024, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2021 vehicles, the 2021 Ford Explorer drew 1.0× the complaints of the median Ford Explorer year in the same window: 12th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 447 complaints about the 2021 Ford Explorer are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Ford Explorer by model year
Other 2021 Ford models
Newest record on this page: October 19, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted