Ford Explorer vs Tesla Model X
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
Tesla Model X
- Total complaints
- 1,520
- Avg per model year
- 140
- Recall campaigns (all years)
- 39
- Most complained year
- 2016 (448)
Top problems: Unknown / Other, Suspension, Electrical System
Complaints by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer | Tesla Model X | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34 | 6 | ||
| 2025 | 98 | 15 | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 26 | ||
| 2023 | 108 | 192 | ||
| 2022 | 264 | 126 | ||
| 2021 | 423 | 41 | ||
| 2020 | 1,212 | 127 | ||
| 2019 | 294 | 100 | ||
| 2018 | 728 | 192 | ||
| 2017 | 1,691 | 268 | ||
| 2016 | 2,449 | 448 |
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.