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Selling a junk Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Any Explorer Sport Trac sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Ford Explorer Sport Trac

NHTSA has 931 owner complaints on file for the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, model years 1997 to 2010, the 292nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (142, 15%), electrical system (89, 10%), body and structure (83, 9%). 81 complaints involved a crash, 32 a fire, and 12 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 62,001 miles. The 2001 model year has the most complaints (229). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19976Other010—
19988Electrical system010—
20003Suspension101—
2001229Transmission and drivetrain209674,334
2002190Transmission and drivetrain83445,000
200393Fuel system58162,000
2004108Suspension211259,544
200585Fuel system71180,000
20066Transmission and drivetrain000—
2007122Transmission and drivetrain132142,000
200834Transmission and drivetrain23162,000
20097Transmission and drivetrain000—
201040Transmission and drivetrain43131,770

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac recalls

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for speed control (2), seats (2), body and structure (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2010 model year, seats (campaign 10V161000, Apr 2010): FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FUSION, EXPLORER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, AND MERCURY MILAN AND MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 15, 2009 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3, 2010 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT MANUAL …
  • 2008 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 07V453000, Sep 2007): ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE AND 6R TRANSMISSION, THE BOLT SECURING THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE FITTINGS AT THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TORQUED DURING VEHICLE A…
  • 2001 model year, speed control (campaign 07V336000, Aug 2007): ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
  • 2007 model year, steering (campaign 07V181000, Apr 2007): ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE TWO BOLTS THAT ATTACH THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME MAY HAVE BEEN OVER-TIGHTENED. THIS CONDITION COULD RESULT IN ONE OR BOTH OF THE BOLTS FRACTURING, CAUSING THE STEERING …
  • 2004 model year, fuel system (campaign 06E056000, Jun 2006): CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTOR…

What a Ford Explorer Sport Trac is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Explorer Sport Trac on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Ford Explorer Sport Trac worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Explorer Sport Trac gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Ford Explorer Sport Trac that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Ford Explorer Sport Trac numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.