Ford Explorer Sport Trac Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2001 draws 4.81 complaints per run and the 2007 1.6, a 3.0-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 68.6% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 113 complaints, typically at 5.4 years.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Ford Explorer Sport Trac — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2010	1.53	29	19	yes
2009	1	5	5	yes
2008	1.05	22	21	yes
2007	1.6	83	52	yes
2006	1	4	4	yes
2005	1.96	51	26	yes
2004	2.12	72	34	yes
2003	2.28	66	29	yes
2002	4	116	29	yes
2001	4.81	125	26	yes
1998	1	4	4	yes
1997	1.25	5	4	yes

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 6 Ford Explorer Sport Trac years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2001, 2002, 2003; the three worth hunting are 2007, 2005, 2004.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Ford Explorer Sport Trac — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	66	12.1%	covered
1 year	56	22.4%	covered
2 years	49	31.4%	covered
3 years	47	40%	you pay
4 years	47	48.6%	you pay
5 years	42	56.3%	you pay
6 years	39	63.5%	you pay
7 years	27	68.4%	you pay
8 years	38	75.4%	you pay
9 years	38	82.4%	you pay
10 years	25	87%	you pay
11 years	27	91.9%	you pay
12 years	11	93.9%	you pay
13 years	14	96.5%	you pay
14 years	7	97.8%	you pay
15 years	12	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 31.4% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 68.6% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 30% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, the early trouble is Engine And Engine Cooling and Service Brakes — reported at around 3.5 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 5.4 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Ford Explorer Sport Trac — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	113	5.4 yrs	5	2
Electrical System	69	5.6 yrs	—	7
Structure	68	7.2 yrs	2	1
Vehicle Speed Control	65	5.4 yrs	9	10
Engine And Engine Cooling	59	3.5 yrs	1	2
Service Brakes	48	3.8 yrs	7	—
Suspension	40	5.5 yrs	3	1
Air Bags	40	4.6 yrs	19	2

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Explorer Sport Trac's vehicle class. Per production run, the Ford F-150 draws 2.5, the Dodge Ram 2.54 and the RAM 1500 3.06, against 2.32 for the Explorer Sport Trac. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Ford Explorer Sport Trac — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Explorer Sport Trac	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Ford F-150	18,750	466	1981–2026
Dodge Ram	10,632	188	1994–2012
RAM 1500	10,420	201	2013–2026
Chevrolet Silverado	15,453	445	1999–2026
GMC Sierra	6,907	419	1989–2026
Ford Ranger	8,575	280	1982–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Recalls18 campaigns Fuel economy17 mpg best Common problems7,071 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices577 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2001–2010

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.32 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Explorer Sport Trac years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2001, 2002, 2003. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2007, 2005, 2004. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Explorer Sport Trac problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 5.4 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Explorer Sport Trac problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 31.4% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 30% of the complaints here.

Is the Explorer Sport Trac more reliable than the Ford F-150?

Yes: 2.32 complaints per production run for the Explorer Sport Trac against 2.5 for the Ford F-150.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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