YearToAvoid

2015 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems

NHTSA lists 105 electrical system complaints for the 2015 Ford Explorer, about 6% of its 1,791 total complaints for the year. There are no related recalls tied to this component. Median mileage at failure was 53,000 miles.

Electrical System complaints
105
6% of 1,791
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
53,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical electrical symptoms owners report

  • Vehicles stall and light up all dashboard warning indicators while driving at highway speed, sometimes after a violent jerk, then restart minutes later on their own.
  • Owners describe headlights with a sharp cutoff line where the upper portion of the road stays completely dark, making hills and unlit roads hard to see.
  • Some vehicles show a "no key detected" warning followed by a stall at speed, with dealers unable to find a fault code and the issue recurring intermittently.
  • Owners report warning lights and alarms triggering along with a stall that requires towing, with dealers diagnosing a failed communication module that later fails again after replacement.
  • Fleet operators report repeated failures of body control modules, wiring harnesses, and restraint control modules on police-package units, both before and after they enter service.
  • One owner reported a backup camera failure that led to a collision while backing into a pole.

When 2015 Ford Explorer electrical complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 27, 2014, latest Sep 15, 2026.

2015 Ford Explorer electrical system complaints: complaints filed per quarter82014 Q42016 Q42018 Q32020 Q12021 Q42023 Q42025 Q2
105 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q2 (8).

Electrical System recalls for the 2015 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Electrical System complaints by Explorer model year

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

  1. 201014 (12%)
  2. 201199 (8%)
  3. 201267 (8%)
  4. 2013183 (8%)
  5. 2014121 (7%)
  6. 2015105 (6%)
  7. 2016130 (5%)
  8. 201799 (6%)
  9. 201862 (8%)
  10. 201919 (6%)
  11. 2020230 (19%)
  12. 202151 (12%)
  13. 202242 (16%)
  14. 202314 (13%)
  15. 20242 (10%)
  16. 202523 (23%)

Frequently asked questions

How many electrical system complaints does the 2015 Ford Explorer have?
NHTSA lists 105 electrical system complaints for the 2015 Explorer, about 6% of all 1,791 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2015 Ford Explorer electrical system?
No related recalls are listed for this component in the NHTSA data provided.
At what mileage do electrical problems typically show up on the 2015 Explorer?
The median mileage at failure for electrical system complaints is 53,000 miles.
Did the 2015 Explorer's electrical problems cause any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data shows 2 crashes and 1 injury linked to electrical system complaints on the 2015 Explorer, with no fires reported.
Is the electrical system worse on the 2015 Explorer than other model years?
The 2015 Explorer's electrical complaints make up 6% of its total complaints, lower than the 2010 (12%), 2020 (19%), and 2025 (23%) model years shown in NHTSA data.

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.