Most common 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Explorer Sport Trac complaints by model year
Best Explorer Sport Trac years: 2006, 2009, 1997. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2004, 2003. Compare all years →
2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac recalls (1)
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and Mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between December 15, 2009 through February 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before April 30, 2010. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac:
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three…
What 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
The transmission will not upshift from low gear, from take off for awhile and give me the wrench sign, also will cut off the cruse control if being used or will not allow me to use it. After taking the vehicle to a transmission shop it was diagnosed to a faulty speed sensor, and was told that Ford put out a safety recall on this problem because the speed sensor has down shifted to low at highway speeds locking the rear drive up and causing accidents. I have check my vehicle recalls and did not find this recall on this. I have investigated this on the internet and found that there was indeed a recall on this problem. Why would my vehicle not be recalled to replace this defective speed sensor? Before a major accident happens.
Coasting to stop at intersection transmission did not disengage and engine suddenly accelerated to 2000 RPM. Held brakes and rear tires spun. I knocked trans into neutral and engine returned to normal. It has done this twice in 2 days. No floor mats and no contact with accelerator pedal. I did have a witness to this incident. Uncommanded acceleration -very bad! Is there a recall for this already?
Engine & cooling
My vehicle's engine has on a number of occasions simply quit running. The engine has died while underway, and also when resuming from a stop. It will or has to this point cranked without problems each time this has happened. I've just been fortunate it hasn't quit while I'm in a driving situation that involves another vehicle in the position to crash into me as I'm restarting the engine. There is not a particular situation I can point to where it does this more. The engine has less than 120K miles and maintence is routine. OBD by certified mechanics has not shown any defective readings. I've also check on-line and found it's not just my vehicle, but others in different years are doing the same thing. There's nothing on the Ford website that addresses this issue.
I have a 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac with approximately 26000 miles. I was driving down the interstate and I saw smoke coming from between the cab and the bed. I pulled off the freeway, onto an exit ramp to a frontage road. I called 911. Before the fire department arrived, the vehicle was on fire. It is a total loss. The vehicle is now at the original Ford dealership where the vehicle was purchased.
Brakes
When the brakes are engaged, that accelerator also engages causing the vehicle to not stop. Which caused a serious wreck. This has been checked out by the Ford dealer on multiple occasions. Several others have also reported this issue. Truck is totaled and airbags did not deploy with direct front end impact.
I just recently purchase this used vehicle and while coming to a stop or applying the brake the vehicle accelerated instantly at the same time brake pedal was pushed. I was wearing boots at the time and the toe of the boot does stick out further then my slip on shoes. This happen twice both times while wearing boots. I tried to observe what May be the cause although I was approaching stopped vehicles at the time. I recreated the movement while parked in neutral, engine running and wearing boots. The same thing happen. What happens is the toe of my boots push the accelerator as I pushed the brake pedal and it moved down toward the accelerator pedal. It appears to be a design issue as the accelerator and brake pedal are very close to the same level. The accelerator pedal should be further down and away from the break pedal. …
2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Explorer Sport Trac rates average: 37% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Explorer Sport Trac at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
The transmission & drivetrain — 7 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (6) and brakes (4).
How many recalls does the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac have?
There is 1 recall for the 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, the most recent from April 20, 2010 (recliner). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2009 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2004 and 2003. See the full Ford Explorer Sport Trac years comparison.
At what mileage do 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 30,000 miles; 70% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.