CarTold

2017 vs. 2018 Ford Explorer: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2017 and the 2018 Ford Explorer. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Five campaigns cover both years. Nine campaigns (engine and engine cooling, seats, steering and others) cover the 2017 and not the 2018, while two campaigns (fuel system and seats) cover the 2018 and not the 2017.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2017

  • 16V925000 engine and engine cooling
  • 17E048000 wheels
  • 17V332000 seats
  • 17V530000 steering
  • 19V435000 suspension
  • 19V651000 seats
  • 20V675000 suspension
  • 21V537000 suspension
  • 25V347000 structure

Only the 2018

  • 18V807000 fuel system
  • 19V633000 seats
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2017 2018
Engines listed 2.3L 4-cyl, 3.5L V6 2.3L 4-cyl, 3.5L V6
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 18–22 18–22
Recall campaigns 14 7
Complaints on file 1688 727
Investigations 2 2
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2017

Other 1042 (62%)
Engine 252 (15%)
Drivetrain 114 (7%)

2018

Other 466 (64%)
Engine 102 (14%)
Electrical 47 (6%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2017 Explorer full report 2018 Explorer full report Every Explorer year compared

Sources and methodology