2013 Ford Explorer buying guide

A data-driven checklist for buying a used 2013 Ford Explorer, built from 2,228 owner complaints, 11 recall campaigns, 139 service bulletins and federal safety records — not opinions.

Know before you buy

11 recall campaigns affect this model year. Check each one and confirm the repairs were done — recall work is free at any authorized dealer.
Main problem areas: steering (834), structure (436), engine (224), electrical system (163), fuel/propulsion system (120).
Symptoms owners describe: steering problems (181), loss of power (129), stalling (57), rust / corrosion (52), check engine light (41), vibration / shaking (39). Test-drive with these in mind.
Reported incident mileage: among 1,485 complaints with a usable odometer reading, half were filed between 49,500 and 113,000 miles (median 78,000). This describes when owners reported problems — it does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop one.
6 federal investigations have named this model year — read what they cover.
Crash-test rating: 5/5 stars overall from NHTSA. Full safety record.
Fuel economy: 18–23 MPG combined (EPA; engines: 3.5L 6-cyl, 2L 4-cyl).

When problems get reported

Reported incident mileage among 1,485 complaints with usable odometer readings.

under 20k		128
20–40k		136
40–60k		220
60–80k		274
80–100k		211
100–150k		359
150k+		157

Before you hand over money

Run the VIN through our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact build.
Check open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall that was never fixed is a free repair you can claim.
Get a pre-purchase inspection focused on the problem areas listed above.

This guide is generated from official NHTSA, EPA and FARS records. Complaints are unverified owner reports and raw counts are not adjusted for sales volume.