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What 281 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (281)Crash / fire / injury (5)Body & structure (142)Transmission & drivetrain (34)Electrical system (19)Engine (18)Fuel system (16)Suspension (9)Steering (8)Visibility & wipers (7)Engine & cooling (6)Brakes (4)

1 of 281 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 26, 2024EngineFuel system1 injury

Operator law enforcement was idling for an extended time in this vehicle. He was found unconscious in the vehicle and diagnosed with acute carbon monoxide poisoning. He was hospitalised for 4 days, and suffers continuing neurological deficits. Post-incident testing by engineer instructed by operator indicated two improper or incomplete welds on exhaust system, allowing exhaust to pool under vehicle and enter passenger compartment through HVAC fresh air intake. Post-incident testing recreated rising CO levels in passenger compartment. Vehicle has also been inspected by manufacturer. There were no warning lamps or messages.

NHTSA ODI 11568138

Working with the data? Download all 281 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 2019 Ford Explorer verdict →