Most common 2000 Ford Explorer Sport problems
Share of the 71 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Explorer Sport complaints by model year
Best Explorer Sport years: 2005, 2004, 1997. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 1998, 1999. Compare all years →
2000 Ford Explorer Sport recalls (1)
Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and attachments
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles with steel hoods and certain pickup trucks equipped with sheet molding compound hoods. A wire formed hood striker could be susceptible to fatigue fractures. If the hood striker fractures, the hood could fly open while the vehicle is being driven.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hood striker.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport:
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2000 Ford Explorer Sport owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
When I bought the car three years ago it had just a rebuilt transmission in it. Less than a month after I purchased it I had to have a 2nd rebuilt transmission put in it when my o/d light began flashing. Just yesterday I was driving down the freeway(I-5 in seattle, wa) when my transmission failed and I had to coast across 3 lanes of freeway traffic to come to a stop on the shoulder. Thankfully I was able to make it safely to the shoulder but the situation could have ended very differently. I could have very easily gotten into an accident. I have been looking online and am finding that hundreds if not thousands of Explorer owners have had the exact same issues that I have experience! It makes me sick that Ford had yet to do anything about the problem.
Multiple failures report from the vehicle computer system for failing transmission. This car is barely three yrs old with low mileage and the transmission is already failing. Fords service explanation is that the vehicle requires regular transmission coddling (service) to maintain the overall life of the transmission. And of course I'm just over the mileage for powertrain warranty converage. I understand from more than one reputable car service dealers that the Explorer is notorious for transmission failures.
Electrical system
I started my Ford Explorer Sport on January 30 for a few minutes to warm it up, before I drove to work. I ran back into the house for aprox 4 minutes, when I came back out the front of the Explorer was in flames, it totally burned before the fire dept could get there taking our barn with it.
Have had numerous problems with my Explorer. Have had 2 transmission valve body replaced, air intake control valve replaced, faulty witing for the laft tail light replace, ignition switch replaced, air bag contacts replaced, turn signal arm and cotrols replaced.
Engine & cooling
No events LED up to the crankshaft failure. Our 2000 Ford Explorer was being driven as a daily routine trip in town. The car died at a stop light. I was able to restart the car . The car made a loud clunk. I drove the vehicle into a parking lot and shut it off. We had a certified Ford mechanic come out to look at the car. He was very familiar with this v6 engine. He stated to us that the crankshaft Ford used was a cast iron crank and not a forged steel crank. What happens is the crankshaft will develop cracks in it and eventually break apart. His comment was it was a bad idea and bad design by Ford. This mechanic worked for Ford for 18 years and stated that this particular engine was used from 1995-2001 and I believe he said it was a cologne v6 .our 2 options at this point is to put in a new motor or junk the car. This vehicle is a 2000 Ford Explorer Sport 2 door. Two wheel drive. …
There is a customer complaint recall on Ford Explorer sports that Ford customer relations said information was sent out on and people I talk to have not received this information. I am currently having this problem with my vehicle and when taking to the dealership I am told yes there was and Ford knows that the tensioner chain is bad and they have a quiet recall on them and mine was covered but because of the miles on mine it is not and Ford will do nothing about it. They know this is a problem and they should fix it and in all vehicles not just a complaint. The vehicle rattles and does not want to run with this problem. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport a good car?
Based on 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Explorer Sport rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Explorer Sport 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 2000 Ford Explorer Sport?
The transmission & drivetrain — 13 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the electrical system (12) and engine & cooling (10).
How many recalls does the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport have?
There is 1 recall for the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport, the most recent from November 28, 2000 (hinge and attachments). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2004 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 1998 and 1999. See the full Ford Explorer Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Explorer Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 21% 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.