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Reliability report · 2023 Ford Explorer · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,700/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The cleanest Explorer in this run — no expensive out-of-warranty pattern, just recalls and a free 2.3L block program to verify.

The 2023 is the settled year of the sixth generation. With 100 federal complaints and 14 recalls, it has none of the redesign-year noise of the 2020 and no standout out-of-warranty failure pattern. The recall list is short and specific: a rearview camera that can show a blue image (23V-686), a 2.3L turbo oil-supply line that can leak (23V-597), and a front strut-to-knuckle fastener that can be loose or missing (24V-091).

The one engine item worth knowing: some 2.3L cars built in a narrow spring-2023 window can crack the block and lose coolant into the oil — but Ford runs Customer Support Program 23B42, which replaces the engine long block free. That turns a scary-sounding problem into a paperwork check. Confirm the open recalls and the 23B42 program (if it's a 2.3L), get a normal pre-purchase inspection, and the 2023 is the easiest Explorer in this range to recommend.

Evidence: 100 NHTSA complaints · 14 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Calm

What that means: 100 federal complaints — the lowest of any Explorer year in our data, and a small fraction of the redesign-year 2020. The sixth generation has settled: the recall list is short, and the notable engine item — a 2.3L cracked-block concern on a narrow build window — is handled by a free Ford program that replaces the engine. Calm doesn't mean flawless; it means verify the recalls and there's no known money pit.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

100

Federal complaints

14

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2023 Ford Explorer SUV RWD (NHTSA VehicleId 17297)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

2.3L cracked engine block — covered free under Customer Support Program 23B42

moderate
  • 2.3L EcoBoost I4

Some 2023 Explorers with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine, built in a narrow window (late March to mid-May 2023), can crack the engine block and lose coolant into the oil. It sounds alarming, but Ford created Customer Support Program 23B42 — a CSP, the industry's quiet extended-coverage — that replaces the engine long block free on affected 2023 Explorer, Bronco, and Ranger 2.3L cars. On any 2.3L 2023, check whether the car falls in the affected build range and whether 23B42 was performed; a milky dipstick or coolant loss is the symptom to look for.

This is a 2.3L EcoBoost I4 problem. The 3.5L Ti-VCT V6, 3.5L EcoBoost V6, 2.7L EcoBoost V6, and 3.0L EcoBoost V6 don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

Under CSP 23B42 (long-block replacement)

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ford Explorer · NHTSA manufacturer communications (CSP 23B42 2.3L long-block replacement)

2.3L turbo oil-supply line — recall 23V-597moderate

  • 2.3L EcoBoost I4

On 2.3L GTDI cars, the turbocharger oil-supply line can be damaged and leak oil in the engine compartment — a fire risk near hot components, and a stall risk if enough oil is lost (recall 23V-597). The remedy is a free turbo-oil-supply-line replacement. Ford advises parking if an oil-pressure warning light or smoke appears. Confirm 23V-597 was completed on any 2.3L 2023.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ford Explorer · NHTSA recall database, 2023 Ford Explorer

$0

Under recall 23V-597

Front strut-to-knuckle fastener — recall 24V-091moderate

A 2023-specific chassis recall: the right-front lower fastener connecting the steering knuckle and strut may be loose or missing, which can throw off alignment (a steering pull or heavier effort) and, in the worst case, let the brake hose contact the tire and lose braking (recall 24V-091). The fix — inspect and tighten or install the fastener — is free. On a test drive, a steering pull or uneven tire wear is worth a second look; verify 24V-091 by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ford Explorer · NHTSA recall database, 2023 Ford Explorer

$0

Under recall 24V-091

Transmission park bolt and the camera chainmoderate

  • 10-speed automatic (10R60)

The 2023 shares the transmission-park-bolt recall with the 2022 (23V-070) — a loose internal bolt that could prevent engaging 'Park' even when the shifter indicates it — plus a 2023 rearview-camera recall for a blue image caused by a wire-harness splice error (23V-686), and the broader camera software chain. All free. Confirm the park-bolt and camera remedies were done.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ford Explorer · NHTSA recall database, 2023 Ford Explorer

$0

Recall repairs (23V-070, 23V-686, camera chain)

What you no longer worry aboutminor

The 2023 has shed the redesign-year troubles: the driveshaft-fracture and rear-axle-bolt recalls that hit the 2020-2022 cars don't reach 2023, the complaint volume is the lowest in our Explorer data, and the ten-speed's teething is largely behind it. The remaining list is short, specific, and free to fix. This is a case where 'Calm' reflects the data — verify the handful of recalls and the 23B42 program, and there's no known expensive pattern waiting.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2023 Ford Explorer

Some 2023 Explorers with the 2.3L engine can lose coolant into the oil from a cracked block — Ford replaces the long block free.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Ford dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 23V-5972.3L GTDI turbocharger oil-supply line may be damaged and leak oil — fire and stall risk. Free turbo-oil-supply-line replacement (2023). Ford number 23S50.open
  2. 24V-091Right-front lower strut-to-knuckle fastener may be loose or missing, risking misalignment and brake-hose damage. Free inspect/tighten/install (2023). Ford number 24S04.open
  3. 23V-070Transmission loose bolt could prevent engaging 'Park' even when the shifter indicates Park — rollaway risk. Free inspection/replacement (2022-2023). Ford number 23S06.open
  4. 23V-686Standard rearview camera may display a blue image due to a wire-harness splice error (FMVSS 111). Free harness inspection/repair (2023). Ford number 23C31.open
  5. 23V-342360-degree camera video output may fail, blanking the rearview image. Free camera replacement (2020-2023). Ford number 23S23.open
  6. 25V-455Low-pressure fuel pump may fail and stall the engine. Free remedy under development for Explorers (2021-2023). Ford number 25S75.open
  7. 25V-685Engine block heater may crack, leak coolant, and short-circuit — a fire risk. Free replacement or blanking-plug option (2016-2023). Ford number 25SA4.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2023 Explorer

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

23 MPG combined (20 city / 28 highway) for the RWD, 2.3L turbo on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 46405 (Explorer RWD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 2.3L turbo 20 MPG · RWD, 3.0L turbo 20 MPG · 4WD, 3.0L turbo 20 MPG · 4WD, 3.3L 20 MPG.

$2,700/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Theft

Stolen about 41% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Ford Explorer 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Ford Explorer 4dr 10, where 100 = average.

59 vs 100

41% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Under CSP 23B42 (long-block replacement)$0
Under recall 23V-597$0
Under recall 24V-091$0
Recall repairs (23V-070, 23V-686, camera chain)$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01On a 2.3L car, check whether it falls in the affected build window and whether CSP 23B42 (free long-block replacement for a cracked block) was performed — and look for a milky dipstick or coolant loss.
  2. 02Confirm the 2.3L turbo oil-supply-line recall 23V-597 (a fire/stall fix) was completed.
  3. 03Verify the front strut-to-knuckle fastener recall 24V-091 — and note any steering pull or uneven tire wear on the drive.
  4. 04Confirm the transmission park-bolt recall 23V-070 and the rearview-camera recalls (23V-686, 23V-342) were done.
  5. 05Check the low-pressure-fuel-pump recall 25V-455 status (remedy was still under development in 2025).
  6. 06Otherwise treat it as a normal pre-purchase inspection — there's no known expensive out-of-warranty pattern on this year.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

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vincanary.com/ford/explorer/2023