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Selling a junk Ford Explorer

Any Explorer 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

NHTSA has 38,749 owner complaints on file for the Ford Explorer, model years 1995 to 2022, the 2nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (5,258, 14%), body and structure (4,968, 13%), steering (4,084, 11%). 1,982 complaints involved a crash, 678 a fire, and 842 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 70,000 miles. The 2002 model year has the most complaints (4,100). 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 by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19951,048Tires1073912126,000
19961,818Tires2484611127,000
19972,150Tires1805812100,000
19982,374Tires21912414100,000
19991,737Tires143541581,500
20001,203Tires115841578,068
2001503Tires82301291,000
20024,100Transmission and drivetrain178711079,354
20031,369Body and structure7010775,700
20041,647Transmission and drivetrain6921467,850
2005604Body and structure308370,000
2006788Transmission and drivetrain188461,000
2007271Transmission and drivetrain146370,000
2008217Electrical system84378,500
200949Other80178,000
2010155Transmission and drivetrain130258,855
20111,501Steering484867,480
20121,037Steering1512769,000
20132,798Steering61161277,370
20142,050Steering4910770,000
20152,255Other551961,149
20163,049Body and structure58211549,125
20172,072Body and structure56161452,877
2018894Body and structure319750,000
2019349Body and structure20652,000
20201,736Transmission and drivetrain56163323,500
2021597Transmission and drivetrain2472648,000
2022378Transmission and drivetrain2532439,000

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 recalls

NHTSA lists 117 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for fuel system (12), body and structure (11), transmission and drivetrain (11). 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.

  • 2016 model year, body and structure (campaign 26V448000, Jul 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
  • 2020 model year, seats (campaign 26V451000, Jul 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sli…
  • 2020 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 26V402000, Jun 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resultin…
  • 2020 model year, seat belts (campaign 26V159000, Mar 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
  • 2020 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 26V117000, Mar 2026): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly.

What a Ford Explorer is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Explorer 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 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 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 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?
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 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.