Ford Explorer vs Honda CR-V
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Ford Explorer
- Total complaints
- 34,444
- Avg per model year
- 862
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 119
- Most complained year
- 2002 (3,295)
Top problems: Power Train, Structure, Steering
Honda CR-V
- Total complaints
- 15,916
- Avg per model year
- 531
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 62
- Most complained year
- 2018 (2,137)
Top problems: Electrical System, Air Bags, Engine
Complaints by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer | Honda CR-V | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34 | 135 | ||
| 2025 | 98 | 247 | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 388 | ||
| 2023 | 108 | 514 | ||
| 2022 | 264 | 255 | ||
| 2021 | 423 | 329 | ||
| 2020 | 1,212 | 352 | ||
| 2019 | 294 | 1,097 | ||
| 2018 | 728 | 2,137 | ||
| 2017 | 1,691 | 1,765 | ||
| 2016 | 2,449 | 392 | ||
| 2015 | 1,782 | 670 | ||
| 2014 | 1,676 | 587 | ||
| 2013 | 2,234 | 382 | ||
| 2012 | 827 | 403 | ||
| 2011 | 1,197 | 553 | ||
| 2010 | 115 | 481 | ||
| 2009 | 33 | 386 | ||
| 2008 | 148 | 961 | ||
| 2007 | 208 | 887 |
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.