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What 1,669 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Explorer

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,669)Crash / fire / injury (49)Steering (495)Body & structure (274)Engine (196)Suspension (102)Electrical system (99)Transmission & drivetrain (79)Fuel system (71)Engine & cooling (67)Visibility & wipers (53)Airbags (47)

3 of 1,669 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 18, 2024Transmission & drivetrain1 injury

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after refueling and had placed the vehicle in park (P) and had turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that she was at the rear of the vehicle on the passenger side by the gasoline port, she had inserted the fueling nozzle into the gas filler tube when the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact stated she pulled the fuel nozzle out of the port and then attempted to enter the vehicle through the front passenger door but was unable to get into the vehicle. The contact said that the vehicle rolled backward down the inclined gas station driveway rolled into the roadway and stopped. The contact stated that she was shaken and was not sure if the front passenger door had struck her. The contact stated that she felt pain on her right side from the right side of her face to her hip, but she had not received medical attention. The contact was asked if she had set the parking brake and she reported that she had not. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

NHTSA ODI 11583754

Mar 10, 2023SteeringTransmission & drivetrainFire

My 2014 Ford explore Set fire and lost control of steering on the highway the transfer case set fire, which made the driveshaft explode and twist. There were no warning signs of this. And we are very lucky that we were not hurt in this we have lost so much money and time there is no way that this was not due to a recall when I contacted Ford they pretty much told me the car was totaled and I was going to have to pay a lot of money depending on how much damage the fire did.

NHTSA ODI 11511279

Jun 16, 2022Transmission & drivetrainCrash

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was in park, it inadvertently shifted to reverse and the vehicle hit a tree. There was no failure warning lights. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and repaired the cosmetic damages. There was no failure diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11469562

Working with the data? Download all 1,669 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Ford Explorer verdict →