2005 Ford Explorer Sport Trac: Reliability Data

84
Total Complaints
73,500mi
Median Mileage
Fuel/Propulsion System
Top Issue
7
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

41,250 25th Percentile
73,500 Median Mileage
135,215 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Fuel/Propulsion System
10
Body
10
Electrical System
10
Engine
4
Air Bags
4
Fuel System, Gasoline
4
Vehicle Speed Control
3
Unknown Or Other
3
Tires
3
Side/Window
3

Severity Assessment

7
Crashes
1
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DT: CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE SERVICE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK *NM"
"HIT BRAKES AND ENGINE ACCELERATES. THE CAUSE IS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL ARE TO CLOSE TOGETHER AND SAME DISTANCE FROM FLOORBOARD. I WEAR A SIZE 14 SHOE AND WHEN I NORMALLY HIT BRAKE, MY HEEL STAYS IN PLACE AND MY FOOT ALSO COVERS THE GAS WHEN I PRESS REAL HARD. I OWN OTHER VEHICLES AND TH..."
"DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING A 2005 FORD EXPLORER SPORTS TRACK AT 20-25 MPH THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL FELL OFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THE KNUCKLE BEHIND THE WHEEL BROKE. THE ZONE MANAGER FOR THE FORD MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE DRIVER MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING FOR THIS TO HA..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Fuel/Propulsion System 10 complaints
25th: 90,000 mi Median: 108,000 mi 75th: 143,500 mi
Body 10 complaints
25th: 40,000 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 125,456 mi
Electrical System 10 complaints
25th: 106,728 mi Median: 135,130 mi 75th: 150,743 mi
Air Bags 4 complaints
Median: 83,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 9 GA: 8 NJ: 6 VA: 6 AL: 5 FL: 5 SC: 4 CA: 4 PA: 4 OH: 4

Who Files Complaints?

13.1%
Original Owners
86.9%
Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer Sport Trac — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
200122920
20021908
2003915
200410821
200712213
2008342
2010384

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28