Ford Explorer vs Tesla Model X
Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.
Ford Explorer
- Total complaints
- 34,267
- Avg per model year
- 857
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 116
- Most complained year
- 2002 (3,294)
Top problems: Power Train, Structure, Steering
Tesla Model X
- Total complaints
- 1,501
- Avg per model year
- 138
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 39
- Most complained year
- 2016 (445)
Top problems: Unknown OR Other, Suspension, Electrical System
Complaints by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer | Tesla Model X | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22 | 5 | ||
| 2025 | 89 | 14 | ||
| 2024 | 19 | 25 | ||
| 2023 | 102 | 191 | ||
| 2022 | 253 | 122 | ||
| 2021 | 407 | 39 | ||
| 2020 | 1,185 | 123 | ||
| 2019 | 287 | 99 | ||
| 2018 | 716 | 189 | ||
| 2017 | 1,669 | 268 | ||
| 2016 | 2,437 | 445 |
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.