2000 Ford Explorer Sport problems & reliability
71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport, 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.
6 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 13 | 18% |
| Electrical System → | 12 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 13% |
| Seats | 9 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 13% |
| Suspension | 6 | 8% |
| Tires | 6 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 7% |
| Steering | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% |
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 68,112 miles (middle 50% between 51,400 and 110,000 miles), based on 41 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer sport. The contact stated that while starting the ignition, the engine warning indicator remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where four 02 oxygen sensors were replaced. After the repair the failure persisted but the vehicle was not further…”
Engine · filed Feb 19, 2014
“I got into my car to go to lunch from my place of employment with my ceo. When I sat down the seat fell back and the seat back would not catch again. I took my life into my hands driving home that evening. Contacted our local ford dealer where we purchased the car, they said the part was no longer available and they…”
Seats · filed Oct 25, 2013
“This was a terrible event... My car was aimed down my 300 ft driveway. I don't believe at that point or if it was stuck I didn't know the accelerator was stuck but I soon realized something was wrong. As I headed to new albany high school for water class the explorer went faster and faster on rt 161... The clutch…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Apr 3, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
28 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport. The 10 most recent:
Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission…
CSP-08B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2008
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Revised procedure for adjusting alignment on all suspensions - new right hand upper control arm design for torsion bar front suspensions. *tt
042419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Low line pressure reading at wide open throttle (wot), slipping shifts and / or delayed engagements with possible diagnostic trouble codes p0732, p0733, p1762 set on vehicles built before 12/1/2001. *tt
02138 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2003
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c1233 & c1234 - replace anti-lock brake system euc. *mj
16437 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2002
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Some vehicles may exhibit repeat service for an air bag lamp on with diagnostic trouble codes b1994 and b1998 set. *tt
16131 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2002
Some vehicles with 4wabs may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes c1233 and c1234 (anti-lock brake sensor output failures) in slippery conditions. *tt
16021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2002
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 2000 Ford Explorer Sport 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 2000 Ford Explorer Sport?
- · 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 68,112 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.