2014 Ford Explorer buying guide

A data-driven checklist for buying a used 2014 Ford Explorer, built from 1,672 owner complaints, 6 recall campaigns, 130 service bulletins and federal safety records — not opinions.

Know before you buy

6 recall campaigns affect this model year. Check each one and confirm the repairs were done — recall work is free at any authorized dealer.
Main problem areas: steering (496), structure (274), engine (196), suspension (102), electrical system (100).
Symptoms owners describe: steering problems (107), loss of power (59), stalling (36), airbag warning light (35), vibration / shaking (23), clunking / rattling (21). Test-drive with these in mind.
Reported incident mileage: among 961 complaints with a usable odometer reading, half were filed between 40,000 and 106,000 miles (median 70,000). If the car you’re looking at is near that range, ask for service records covering it.
4 federal investigations have named this model year — read what they cover.
Crash-test rating: 5/5 stars overall from NHTSA. Full safety record.
Fuel economy: 18–23 MPG combined (EPA; engines: 3.5L 6-cyl, 2L 4-cyl).

When problems get reported

Reported incident mileage among 961 complaints with usable odometer readings.

under 20k		105
20–40k		126
40–60k		155
60–80k		152
80–100k		133
100–150k		221
150k+		69

Before you hand over money

Run the VIN through our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact build.
Check open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall that was never fixed is a free repair you can claim.
Get a pre-purchase inspection focused on the problem areas listed above.

This guide is generated from official NHTSA, EPA and FARS records. Complaints are unverified owner reports and raw counts are not adjusted for sales volume.