2012 Ford EXPLORER - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Ford Explorer receives a commendable overall safety rating of 4 out of 5. It excels particularly in side crash tests with a flawless 5-star rating on the driver's side, passenger's side, and overall side barrier and pole ratings. The front crash ratings are also strong at 4 stars each for both the driver and passenger side. The vehicle is equipped with electronic stability control as a standard feature, enhancing its safety performance. Additionally, it offers optional forward collision warning to alert drivers of potential hazards on the road.

On the downside, the Ford Explorer lacks lane departure warning, which could be a valuable safety feature for preventing accidents due to unintentional drifting. It's worth noting that despite its safety strengths, the vehicle has a relatively high number of complaints, standing at 652, and a total of 6 recalls. This indicates that while the Explorer has solid safety ratings in crash tests, there may be issues with reliability or specific components that warrant attention from the manufacturer.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

652

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

4

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2012 Score 2022 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2012 Ford EXPLORER

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving 55 mph, the steering wheel seized. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was due to the steering however, the parts were on backorder. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reprogrammed the computer. the manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline. the contact stated that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 14v286000 (steering). the failure mileage was approximately 122,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-08-01
Complaint:
"one morning i got in my explorer and it beeped 3 times with a display light saying, "service power steering." when i took it to a mechanic to get looked at, he said ford had issued a recall on this part. however, when contacting cloninger ford of hickory, my year make and model are covered under this recall but not my vin. i do not understand this because clearly the power steering control module was an issue with the 2012 ford explorers and mine is having this problem but is not covered by the recall. until this is fixed i cannot drive it because it highly increases risk of accident. the fix is very expensive. any help getting this resolved would be greatly appreciated."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-03-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving 5 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering control module (pscm) needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 14v286000 (steering) however, the vin was not included. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 180,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-04-11
Complaint:
"we seen multiple online post about our make model and year ford having a recall. when our steering wheel locked and we lost complete control of our car more than once with kids and a baby in the car we brought it to ford to be fixed. they told us as long as the computer matched up with that issue it would be covered under an existing campaign. they then said ford denied it because it just missed the cut off time limit by a couple months and we would have to come out of pocket. they had no loaners for us or any help. we borrowed money from a family member, had to pay for a rental and we were reassured it was fixed. then we have the same issue but worse happen christmas eve, weeks after getting it repaired and assured it was fixed . we repaired it at the dealership and then once again lost power steering. we have an infant and kids. if we would’ve been on a major road it would’ve been possibly deadly as the steering wheels randomly locks and power steering fails. this is not okay. ford said they will get to it when they can and they have no loaners for us."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-12-12
Complaint:
"failure of electronic power assist steering system. without power steering, maneuverability becomes difficult as effort required for steering the vehicle drastically increases, putting the driver and those around them at risk. the dealer has reproduced and confirmed the issue. it has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. no warning lamps appear until failure is already evident. there is already a safety recall concerning the epas system. the service action for this recall at ford dealers is to check for diagnostic trouble codes and replace the power steering rack if certain codes are found. if none are found, however, they are to reprogram the epas system and extended coverage is provided should the epas system still fail with 10 years or 150,000 miles. epas system failure is not a common occurrence on any other ford models outside those affected by this recall, yet many still fail in affected vehicles shortly after the extended coverage expires. reprogramming the epas system does not fix the defective part but merely delays the inevitable, passing the cost of the repair to the owners and potentially putting those on the road around them in danger when the failure occurs. my vehicle has had the reprogramming done, closing the recall, and has aged past the extended coverage for replacement of the defective steering rack, which has now failed, and ford will not cover the cost of the repair."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-08-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized in position. after the failure, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. the power steering assist fault warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering gear. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-02-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. the contact stated that upon her son starting the vehicle, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. the eps warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering control module. the vehicle was not repaired. after investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 14v286000 (steering). the vin was included but the repair had already been completed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the nhtsa hotline for assistance. the failure mileage was 101,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-03-11
Complaint:
"driving my daughters home from cheer practice and there was all of a sudden a lot of alerting from the vehicle. my steering the vehicle became very hard, even just managing around corners i was having a hard time not going into the oncoming traffic lane. at a stop sign, i needed to turn towards home, i could barely turn the steering wheel and ended up driving on someone's property before i could complete the turn. i made a hard five point turn in the middle of traffic after turning on my emergency flashers. i did this also turning into my road and driveway. it was nerve racking as i felt, not only my life, but my children's were at risk. it was out of the blue because the vehicle was handling great, and when the "service power steering now" and "service advancetrac" indicators came on most steering control was all of a sudden lost. a dealer or service has not looked at the vehicle yet. we have an appointment with a ford dealer in three weeks, it is not driveable."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-08-11
Complaint:
"my power steering has locked up now for the 3rd time. it is crazy dangerous and puts my life and others in danger. i had it repaired at ford and it happened again. so it was towed back to ford and fixed again. both visits at this ford location were awful experiences. and i refuse to go back. and now my car is having the same issue yet again. and i dont want to be told again that i have to pay for a diagnostic test or anything like that. ridiculous! it's the same thing again. exact same thing. i'm not an idiot. and i dont want to end up dead driving an unsafe vehicle. what's wrong with ford that they are ignoring so many people having the same issue with the same car? why? i don't understand it? my family has always been loyal ford owners. however this has us very concerned."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-08-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as intended. the power steering warning light illuminated. the contact veered over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 143,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-11-11

Recalls for the 2012 Ford EXPLORER

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 explorer vehicles. the rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension."
Consequence:
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2019-06-10
Recall:
"ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin. these vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (cabj) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-09-22

FORD Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

FORD ranks 1 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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