YearToAvoid

2014 Ford Explorer Suspension, Wheels & Tires Problems

NHTSA lists 127 Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints for the 2014 Ford Explorer, 8% of all complaints for the year, with 8 crashes and 4 injuries reported. Four related recalls cover rear suspension toe links and cross-axis ball joint knuckles, at a median failure mileage of 78,500.

Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints
127
8% of 1,678
Crashes reported
8
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
4
Median mileage
78,500 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical suspension symptoms owners report

  • Owners report the front or rear lower control arm fracturing or breaking in half during normal driving, sometimes causing a loss of control into a curb or another vehicle.
  • Owners describe the rear toe link splitting or fracturing at highway speed, causing the vehicle to spin and hit a guardrail.
  • Some report the steering wheel suddenly becoming difficult to turn or tightening up, followed by a crash.
  • Owners report a rear drag link detaching at highway speed, causing the vehicle to spin out of control.
  • Vibration or shaking from the rear of the vehicle at speeds over 50 mph that dealers could not resolve after tire balancing and replacement.
  • A few describe abnormal noise near the front bumper when turning the steering wheel, later traced to a half shaft.

When 2014 Ford Explorer suspension complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 18, 2014, latest Sep 19, 2026.

2014 Ford Explorer suspension, wheels & tires complaints: complaints filed per quarter152014 Q12016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q32024 Q22025 Q4
127 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q4 (15).

Suspension, Wheels & Tires recalls for the 2014 Ford Explorer

  1. NHTSA 21V537000Jul 15, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires631,176 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.

    Risk: A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.

  2. NHTSA 20V675000Mar 12, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires454,941 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.

    Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.

  3. NHTSA 19V435000Jun 10, 2019Suspension, Wheels & Tires1,194,173 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.

    Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.

  4. NHTSA 16V245000Apr 26, 2016Suspension, Wheels & Tires75,364 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured January 17, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may have improperly welded rear suspension toe links that may fracture.

    Risk: A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S18.

Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints by Explorer model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200539 (8%)
  2. 200615 (2%)
  3. 200731 (15%)
  4. 200813 (9%)
  5. 20095 (15%)
  6. 20108 (7%)
  7. 201135 (3%)
  8. 201227 (3%)
  9. 201393 (4%)
  10. 2014127 (8%)
  11. 201597 (5%)
  12. 2016130 (5%)
  13. 2017127 (8%)
  14. 201840 (5%)
  15. 201916 (5%)
  16. 202051 (4%)
  17. 202120 (5%)
  18. 202216 (6%)
  19. 202313 (12%)
  20. 20243 (14%)
  21. 20254 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

How many suspension, wheels & tires complaints does NHTSA show for the 2014 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 127 complaints in this category for the 2014 Explorer, which is 8% of all 1,678 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2014 Ford Explorer's suspension?
Yes. Four recalls (campaigns 21V537000, 20V675000, 19V435000, and 16V245000) cover rear suspension toe link fractures and cross-axis ball joint knuckle issues on 2013-2017 Explorer models, including the 2014 model year.
At what mileage do these suspension problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area on the 2014 Explorer is 78,500 miles.
Did the 2014 Explorer suspension issues cause crashes?
NHTSA data shows 8 crashes and 4 injuries linked to Suspension, Wheels & Tires complaints for the 2014 Explorer.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.