Wheel & Tire complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 | 4 | 1% | — |
| 2021 | 6 | 1% | 0 miles |
| 2020 | 17 | 1% | 57,000 miles |
| 2019 | 6 | 2% | 9,000 miles |
| 2018 | 18 | 2% | 24,000 miles |
| 2017 | 76 | 4% | 20,000 miles |
| 2016 | 63 | 3% | 21,000 miles |
| 2015 | 18 | 1% | 48,000 miles |
| 2014 | 30 | 2% | 72,000 miles |
| 2013 | 22 | 1% | 69,000 miles |
| 2012 | 5 | 1% | 145,000 miles |
| 2011 | 11 | 1% | 63,000 miles |
| 2010 | 5 | 4% | 62,000 miles |
| 2009 | 4 | 12% | 103,000 miles |
| 2008 | 10 | 7% | 67,000 miles |
| 2007 | 28 | 13% | 43,000 miles |
| 2006 | 10 | 2% | 95,000 miles |
| 2005 | 25 | 5% | 81,000 miles |
| 2004 | 60 | 5% | 72,000 miles |
| 2003 | 70 | 6% | 89,000 miles |
| 2002 | 115 | 3% | 79,000 miles |
| 2001 | 70 | 19% | 105,000 miles |
| 2000 | 227 | 24% | 67,000 miles |
| 1999 | 376 | 28% | 84,000 miles |
| 1998 | 711 | 36% | 90,000 miles |
| 1997 | 680 | 39% | 104,000 miles |
| 1996 | 585 | 40% | 139,000 miles |
| 1995 | 209 | 25% | 155,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
While traveling on I-26 east near North Carolina MM 51 in the left lane, the vehicle suddenly pulled uncontrollably to the left resulting in a sideswipe of the guardrail. The vehicle then swerved to the right stopping near the center of the interstate. My wife was able to move the vehicle to the right shoulder under its own power. The right front tire/wheel was laying almost flat attached to the vehicle only by the brake line. The entire wheel assembly was detached from the steering/suspension system. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center and inspected by my insurance adjuster. The vehicle was determined a total loss. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. The NC Highway Patrol responded but did not complete an accident report.
Tire: 275/45/r21 110w all season Reported to authorized dealer (ford dealership) back in November 2024. Authorized representative from Pirelli came out this month to dealership regarding issue. No concern for safety whatsoever. Rep. Only offered maybe 25% that's with purchasing new set of tires and sending my current tires back. Tires are falling apart in chunks.
While driving down the interstate, the tires (rear passenger?) suddenly locked/stuck. This caused vehicle to lose control, 360, and slam into the guardrails. Prior to this incident, when the car was turned on, it stalled a bit like it was about to turn off. This lasted for a few seconds, but returned to normal. So may be a component of electrical and/or directly related to the rear tire. There were no warning messages. Driver was thankful injuries did not occur. Could have flipped, or slammed into other cars, trees, etc. This is a serious issue. While the vehicle was being loaded onto the wrecker, in neutral, the rear passenger tire was visibly stuck. This was observed by owner, husband, police officer and tow company. When offloading from the tow truck, the tire made a loud pop and movement returned to normal. Vehicle is currently at the shop (ford dealership). …
On October 25, 2021; my wife and I were driving across country when we experienced a blow-out at 75 MPH in New Mexico (about 80 miles west of Amarillo. The blow-out was caused by body cladding, which came off the right rear door of our 2021 Ford Explorer - apparently attributable to 19+ MPH desert cross winds at highway speeds of 75 MPH. The trim lodged in the right rear wheel well; slicing the tire and cutting a gash from the aluminum rim. We had to get to California for a scheduled closing on our new home and were therefore unable to stay in Amarillo or Albuquerque for the three days required to receive a matching rim and tire, so I had a nearby tire store install a wheel of a different size with an offsetting tire size to approximate the circumference of the stock wheels and tires. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on a six-hour trip, the low tire message was displayed, and the tire quickly deflated. The contact slowed down and pulled into a service center and inflated the tire. The vehicle was then driven without failure. While pulling into a parking lot, the driver's side rear wheel detached from the vehicle. The previous tire lug nut had been factored out for installation at a tire center. The towing company became aware that all five bolts had sheared off, and some of the bolts were in the parking lot. The vehicle was inspected by the local dealer, and it was determined that the rear passenger's side wheel was missing lug nuts as well. The contact stated that three of the five lug nuts had sheared off. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and whenever attempting to accelerate the vehicle would display a jerking sensation. It would jump as if it wanted to fail and or stall. power train malfunctioning, hill start pre-collision assist, front camera low visibility, as well as others, all had illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the all wheel drive module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred them to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 34,412.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer equipped with Hankook Tires, Tire Line: Ventus S1 Noble 2, Tire Size: 255/50/R20, DOT Number: (Unavailable). The contact stated that the tread on all four tires were extremely low. The vehicle was taken to a tire shop where the tread depth was measured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in TSB: SSM46905 and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 19,700.
I was traveling on the interstate (~75 mph) when the rear of my vehicle suddenly jerked to one side with enough force to cause a loss of control. There were no lights or warning sounds to indicate that there was anything wrong with the vehicle in that moment or leading up to it. I was fortunate enough that no contact was made with any other vehicles as my car crossed all three lanes; from the center lane to the far right and then back across all three lanes to the far left. The car skidded off the highway and slid onto a sloped embankment before it stopped. Obviously, I or someone else could have been seriously injured or even killed. I was able to drive the car back up on the shoulder of the highway. Everything was functioning properly EXCEPT the steering. I was able to drive at ~15 mph to the nearest exit. I was then towed to my mechanic's shop. …
Related recalls (1)
Tires › Sidewall
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right side tires May have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tires and, if any slices are found, the cut tires will be replaced. Owner notification began June 7, 2001.
NHTSA investigations
Tire valve cracking
On October 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by Ford motor company.the valves were supplied to Ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Explorer years have wheel & tire problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (711), 1997 (680), 1996 (585), 1999 (376) and 2000 (227) model years. Wheel & Tire complaints make up 36% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Ford Explorer wheel & tire problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 01V-171 (sidewall, May 24, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Explorer wheel & tire problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles; 39% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the tread/belt (1,537 mentions), followed by the sidewall (107).
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.