2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems & reliability
66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac vehicles were involved in 37 fatal crashes with 28 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 11 | 17% |
| Structure → | 11 | 17% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 10 | 15% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 11% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 8% |
| Engine | 4 | 6% |
| Steering | 4 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% |
| Power Train | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 126,260 miles), based on 49 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The dash cluster don't work cant see your rpms,speed,the fuel gauge gos up and down can't see milage or trip meter if you hit the dash it will work but go out going down the road and I researched it and its a common issue and I cant aford a new dash cluster I got a speeding ticket yesterday because I couldn't see my…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 17, 2026
“As I was driving to work one morning suddenly my headlights and all interior lights, such as the dashboard, suddenly went out without any warning and nothing electrical would work such as the radio and the windows and all the gauges in the dash dropped to zero or the needle fell all the way to the left. This has…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 2, 2025
“I got into an accident where I hit a semi head on and at 40 mph and the airbags never deployed. I got hurt and may seek a lawyer.”
Air Bags · filed Oct 8, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS
Preliminary Evaluation PE09020 · opened Apr 21, 2009 · closed Aug 19, 2009
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
Neutral tow capability - service kit requirements. *tt
0645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Neutral tow capability -- service kit requirements. *tt
05252 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR. *SC
05-11-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 11, 2005
Steering shudder during low speed maneuvers - 4.0l engine. *tt
0427 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp coming on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0171, p0172, p0174 and/or p0175 (fuel system too rich or lean). *tt
18719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
No 3rd gear, dtc p0733 (3rd gear incorrect ratio) and flashing tcil - vehicles built prior to 9/23/2004. *tt
05611 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd. *tt
030508 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Vibration diagnosis - tire/wheel runout. *tt
052624 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Weld bonding procedure. *tt
042616 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 31, 2004
Moan/vibration during air conditioning operation. *tt
042511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 27, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.