Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (0)
No US recalls found for the 2005 Ford Explorer.
Owner complaints (497)
Owners filed 497 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Explorer (22 crashes, 6 fires, 14 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 44 model years of this model, it ranks #24 for the most complaints (median 630).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 151 | |
| Power train | 99 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 44 | |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 40 | |
| Electrical system | 36 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 29 | |
| Visibility | 23 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 17 |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 Ford Explorer.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Ford Explorer 4-DR. | – | – | – | – |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2005 Ford Explorer version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer 2WD 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,200 |
| Explorer 2WD 4.6 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,450 |
| Explorer 2WD FFV 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 19 | 15 | $4,450 |
| Explorer 4WD 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,450 |
| Explorer 4WD 4.6 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 17 | 14 | $4,800 |
| Explorer 4WD FFV 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,450 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 2WD FFV 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 19 | 15 | $4,450 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4WD FFV 4.0 L Automatic 5-spd | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,450 |
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada). Recalls updated 2026-10-30.