2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 7 | 23% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 10% |
| Seats | 3 | 10% |
| Structure | 3 | 10% |
| Wheels | 3 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Engine | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 31,770 miles (middle 50% between 7,500 and 80,000 miles), based on 21 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My vehicle's engine has on a number of occasions simply quit running. The engine has died while underway, and also when resuming from a stop. It will or has to this point cranked without problems each time this has happened. I've just been fortunate it hasn't quit while I'm in a driving situation that involves another…”
Engine · filed Apr 20, 2024
“The key gets stuck in the ignition when gear selector is placed in park. This issue is due to the Gear Shift Assembly - Ford (9L2Z-7210-BB) malfunctioning.”
Power Train · filed Jan 8, 2024
“The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The contact stated that the driver seat track had become defective causing the seat to move back and forth while driving. The contact had the seat track replaced by an independent mechanic; however, the failure returned soon after repair. The contact then took the…”
Seats · filed Sep 24, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Audit Query AQ10001 · opened Nov 18, 2010 · closed Dec 28, 2015
Technical service bulletins
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning…
SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2019
On vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission it is imperative that the converter pilot hub be greased with Motorcraft Multi-Purpose Grease Spray XL-5-A even if grease was not applied from the factory. Also verify…
SSM 47976 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 10, 2019
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-S3J9G-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2018
Various vehicles equipped with a 4.6L, 5.4L, 6.8L modular 3 valve engine built on or before 8-Jan-2016 may exhibit symptoms that may include upper end engine noise, rough running, misfire and/or engine damage. If…
SSM 47331 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any…
SSM 47201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 2018
2009-2017 vehicles equipped with a 6r80, 6r100, 6r140 automatic transmission have an updated main control valve body overhaul procedure. Refer to workshop manual (wsm), section 307-01 for main control valve body (7a100)…
SSM 46451 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 14, 2017
Some 2008-2017 ford/mercury/lincoln vehicles equipped with sync may generate a vhr that identifies a concern with the brakes and suspension category indicating service is required due to a brake system warning lamp…
SSM 46132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2016
Some 2008-2017 ford/mercury/lincoln vehicles equipped with sync may generate a vhr that identifies a concern with the brakes and suspension category indicating service is required due to a brake system warning lamp…
SSM 46132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2016
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
The 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2010 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 31,770 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.