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2005 Ford Explorer
The 2005 Ford Explorer appears in 0 NHTSA recall campaigns and in 487 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is structure: 258.9 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 65.3 per 1,000 across all 2005 model-year vehicles and against 83.7 per 1,000 for the Ford Explorer line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 526.7 complaints per model year across the 45 Ford Explorer model years on this register; 22 complaints reported a crash and 6 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2011 (80); the most recent in the file is dated 24 Mar 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 2 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 24 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
No NHTSA recall campaign names the 2005 Ford Explorer. The page exists because 487 complaints do.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2005 Ford Explorer (black) against all 2005 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2005 | Explorer line | All 2005 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 258.9 | 83.7 | 65.3 |
| Power Train | 165.8 | 146.1 | 117.3 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 74.5 | 56.8 | 53 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 66 | 15.6 | 50.7 |
| Electrical System | 59.2 | 48.9 | 122.7 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 50.8 | 61.5 | 58.1 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 153 | 258.9 | 83.7 | 65.3 |
| Power Train | 98 | 165.8 | 146.1 | 117.3 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 44 | 74.5 | 56.8 | 53 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 39 | 66 | 15.6 | 50.7 |
| Electrical System | 35 | 59.2 | 48.9 | 122.7 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 30 | 50.8 | 61.5 | 58.1 |
| Visibility | 23 | 38.9 | 38.9 | 22.9 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 17 | 28.8 | 14.8 | 27.9 |
| Air Bags | 15 | 25.4 | 26.1 | 85 |
| Suspension | 15 | 25.4 | 52 | 42 |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 25.4 | 54.7 | 23.7 |
| Wheels | 14 | 23.7 | 14.5 | 9.2 |
| Engine | 13 | 22 | 35.3 | 42.1 |
| Steering | 12 | 20.3 | 60.8 | 75.5 |
| Fuel System, Other | 11 | 18.6 | 2.3 | 6.9 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 10 | 16.9 | 12.6 | 21.3 |
| Tires | 10 | 16.9 | 138.9 | 16.2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 13.5 | 54.4 | 33 |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 13.5 | 6.1 | 23 |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 40 |
| Equipment | 5 | 8.5 | 13.2 | 10.3 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | 5.1 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3.4 | 16.8 | 10.7 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| Seats | 2 | 3.4 | 18.6 | 13.7 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 1 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 1 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 10.5 |
487 unique complaints, 591 component mentions; 14 injuries and 1 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA09013 | Engineering analysis | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl) | 18 Aug 2009 | 12 Feb 2013 | — |
| PE09020 | Preliminary evaluation | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | steering:column | 21 Apr 2009 | 19 Aug 2009 | — |
Other Ford Explorer model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1988 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1989 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 12 | — |
| 1991 | 8 | 608 | 1,915,500 |
| 1992 | 4 | 633 | 1,267,784 |
| 1993 | 6 | 936 | 2,574,157 |
| 1994 | 4 | 1,206 | 2,024,373 |
| 1995 | 5 | 842 | 5,837,982 |
| 1996 | 6 | 1,447 | 5,543,470 |
| 1997 | 7 | 1,729 | 6,792,376 |
| 1998 | 9 | 1,955 | 9,567,644 |
| 1999 | 9 | 1,340 | 12,178,996 |
| 2000 | 9 | 936 | 10,560,697 |
| 2001 | 6 | 373 | 10,104,564 |
| 2002 | 4 | 3,266 | 5,511,406 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1,124 | 959,406 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1,285 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 487 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 616 | 199,942 |
| 2007 | 1 | 200 | 11 |
| 2008 | 1 | 133 | 1,497 |
| 2009 | 0 | 30 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 97 | 33,256 |
| 2011 | 6 | 657 | 3,609,175 |
| 2012 | 5 | 410 | 3,607,517 |
| 2013 | 11 | 984 | 5,100,891 |
| 2014 | 6 | 660 | 4,260,351 |
| 2015 | 8 | 635 | 5,716,171 |
| 2016 | 14 | 717 | 5,832,874 |
| 2017 | 13 | 316 | 6,354,133 |
| 2018 | 7 | 52 | 3,905,452 |
| 2019 | 6 | 1 | 3,848,705 |
| 2020 | 33 | 0 | 6,198,017 |
| 2021 | 26 | 0 | 5,838,416 |
| 2022 | 24 | 0 | 4,646,746 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 3,599,589 |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 1,814,933 |
| 2025 | 20 | 0 | 1,434,649 |
| 2026 | 14 | 0 | 571,142 |
| 2027 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 76,748 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Explorer model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2005 Ford Explorer have?
0 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year. Across all model years the Ford Explorer line has 142 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2005 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 2 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2005 Ford Explorer complain about most?
Structure: 153 of 591 component mentions (258.9 per 1,000). Next is power train with 98. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 24 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.