CarTold

2018 vs. 2019 Ford Explorer: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2018 and the 2019 Ford Explorer. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Five campaigns cover both years. Two campaigns (equipment and fuel system) cover the 2018 and not the 2019, while one campaign (equipment) covers the 2019 and not the 2018.

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 2018

  • 18V807000 fuel system
  • 25V685000 equipment

Only the 2019

  • 26V012000 equipment
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

2018 2019
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 7 6
Complaints on file 727 294
Investigations 2 1
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

2018

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

2019

Other 203 (69%)
Drivetrain 33 (11%)
Engine 20 (7%)

Full reports

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

2018 Explorer full report 2019 Explorer full report Every Explorer year compared

Sources and methodology