U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Ford EXPLORER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

947 owner complaints analyzed

9 distinct recall campaigns

77,688 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 327 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Tires is the most frequently named component, appearing in 142 of 947 complaints (15.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	107	11.3%
Transmission and shifting	97	10.2%
Steering behavior	79	8.3%
Engine operation	36	3.8%
Electrical and battery issues	35	3.7%
Fuel system concerns	8	0.8%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Tires

142

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control

Tires:Tread/Belt

Electrical System

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Tires	142
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	77
Vehicle Speed Control	75
Tires:Tread/Belt	62
Electrical System	42
Air Bags	35
Engine And Engine Cooling	29
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	27

Tires: 142; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 77; Vehicle Speed Control: 75; Tires:Tread/Belt: 62; Electrical System: 42; Air Bags: 35; Engine And Engine Cooling: 29; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 27

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 68; 50,000 to 74,999: 67; 75,000 to 99,999: 73; 100,000 to 149,999: 57; 150,000 and above: 40

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (73). 620 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

237

2001

122

2002

2003

111

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2000: 237; 2001: 122; 2002: 80; 2003: 111; 2004: 77; 2005: 64; 2006: 33; 2007: 44; 2008: 49; 2009: 24; 2010: 25; 2011: 12; 2012: 14; 2013: 4; 2014: 10; 2015: 9; 2016: 10; 2017: 4; 2018: 1; 2019: 3; 2020: 3; 2021: 2; 2022: 3; 2023: 3; 2024: 2; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Tires leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 107 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 97 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 79 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10003196 · 2003-01-22 (January 22, 2003)

I CURRENTLY DRIVE A 2000 FORD EXPLORER 6 CYL. 2 WHEEL DRIVE W/ GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S TIRES. I WAS RECENTLY NOTIFIED BY MIDAS OF ORLAND PARK AFTER HAVING MY FRONT BRAKES REPLACED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE HAS A BELT THAT HAS SHIFTED. MY TIRES WERE REPLACED DUE TO THE RECALL OF THE FIRESTONE TIRES. AT THAT TIME I HAD ROUGHLY 16,000 MILES ON THE SUV. AT THE PRESENT TIME I HAVE JUST UNDER 40,000 MILES ON THE SUV. I DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE TIRE WAS BAD MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FORD EXPLORER IS A VERY ROUGH RIDE. I DO NOT GO OFF ROA…

Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003196 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005836 · 2003-02-14 (February 14, 2003)

CRITICAL DEFECT IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE/CRUISE CONTROLS 2000 EXPLORER. IN TWO INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE SAME CONDITIONS: 1) TRUCK , WHEN CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED TO SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 90 MPH, ON ICY AND SNOWY INTERSTATE (JANUARY 2003), BETWEEN NASHIVILLE AND CINCINNATI, OHIO. 2) TRUCK , WHEN CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED TO EXCES OF 90 MPH, ON DRY INTERSTATE (71) BETWEEN CINCINNATI, OHIO AND COLUMBUS OHIO. IN BOTH OCCURRENCES, TRUCK TOTALLY NON-RESPONSIVE TO BRAKING ATTEMPTS, TO THE EXTENT THAT DRIV…

Owner-reported narrative. 98,007 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005836 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003351 · 2003-01-24 (January 24, 2003)

TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SLIP BEFORE ENGAGING, O/D LIGHT IS FLASHING

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003351 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10004114 · 2003-01-17 (January 17, 2003)

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004114 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006790 · 2003-02-07 (February 7, 2003)

CONTINENTAL TIRE ON HIS VEHICLE CAUSING THE STEERING COLUMN TO VEER TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT INTERMITTENTLY. FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, NAME OF THE TIRE AND SERIAL NUMBER IS REQUESTED. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006790 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017222 · 2003-04-21 (April 21, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10017222 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006947 · 2002-08-22 (August 22, 2002)

I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1998 EXPLORER THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING WITH MY 2000 EXPLORER. FROM TALKING WITH THE FORD DEALER MECHANIC, THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT IS OCCURRING AFTER 30,000 MILES THAT IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE PROBLEM IS UPON STARTUP OF THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WILL CRANK, AND WHEN THE IGNITION KEY IS RELEASED, THE ENGINE DIES IMMEDIATELY. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING IS TO KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED. TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ONE FOOT MUST BE ON THE GAS AND ONE ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP…

Owner-reported narrative. 37,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006947 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10023459 · 2003-06-20 (June 20, 2003)

VEHICLE WILL NOT START AT TIMES WITHOUT DEPRESSING AND HOLDING ON THE GAS. VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND/OR THE RPM'S BARELY IDLE OVER 0. AT OTHER TIMES WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE RPM'S REV UP HIGH. SEEMS NOT TO BE GETTING SUFFICIENT POWER WHEN DRIVING, CAN DEPRESS GAS PEDAL TO FLOOR BUT WILL NOT PICK UP ANY SPEED. BEEN UNABLE TO TAKE THE TRUCK OVER 80 MPH. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023459 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016896 · 2003-05-02 (May 2, 2003)

THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH IN MY 2000 FORD EXPLORER XLT STARTED SMOKING WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL WAS TURNED ON. THE SERVICE MAN INFORMED ME THAT THIS SITUATION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT FIXED THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT A FIRE WOULD START BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE THAT WOULD TAKE OUT THE ENTIRE WIRING SYSTEM OF MY VEHICLE. FORD EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THIS A "HAZARD" IT WAS SOMETHING THEY CONSIDERED A "MAINTENANCE ISSUE." I HAVE 42,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016896 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10020485 · 2003-05-23 (May 23, 2003)

CONSUMER STOPPED VEHICLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ENGAGED THE TURN SIGNAL WHEN SMOKE SUDDENLY BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN ELECTRICAL WIRING MALFUNCTION. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10020485 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033241 · 2003-08-21 (August 21, 2003)

FUEL PUMP ON 2000 FORD EXPLORER NEEDS REPLACING. TRUCK HAS 60,772 MILES.. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 60,772 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033241 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10057200 · 2004-01-30 (January 30, 2004)

WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN IT IDLED AND STALLED. AFTER STALLING VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. ALSO, FUEL PUMP WAS NOT PUMPING FUEL PROPERLY, AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 9,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10057200 at NHTSA ↗