The 2017 Ford Explorer boasts an impressive overall safety rating of 5 out of 5, making it a top choice for safety-conscious consumers. Not only does it excel in front and side crash tests with high ratings across the board, but it also features electronic stability control as a standard safety feature. For additional safety measures, the Explorer offers optional forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems, enhancing its safety profile even further.
Despite its strong safety record, it is important to note that the vehicle has received a considerable number of complaints, totaling 924, as well as 10 recalls. While these numbers may raise some concerns, it is essential for Ford to address these issues promptly to ensure the continued safety and satisfaction of Explorer owners. Overall, with its exceptional safety ratings and advanced safety features, the 2017 Ford Explorer stands out as a reliable and secure choice for drivers and families alike.
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Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2017 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD
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.
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.
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.
Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2017 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.
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 | 2017 Score | 2022 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Front Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | Not Rated |
| Front Crash Driver Side Rating | 4 | 4 | Not Rated |
| Front Crash Passenger Side Rating | 5 | 5 | Not Rated |
Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2017 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 |
The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2017 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 |
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.
Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.
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 2013-2017 explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting 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:
Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-07-15
Recall:
"ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 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 that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16v-245 or 19v-435. the outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture."Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.Remedy:
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2020-10-30
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 |