YearToAvoid

2018 Ford Explorer Visibility & Wipers Problems

NHTSA lists 27 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2018 Ford Explorer, about 4% of its 731 total complaints. No crashes, fires, or injuries were reported, and there is no related recall. Median mileage at failure was 57,000 miles.

Visibility & Wipers complaints
27
4% of 731
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
57,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report

  • Windshield trim or molding detaches at highway speed, sometimes flapping against the glass or coming off entirely.
  • Rear hatch or back window glass shatters on its own with no impact, in one case near 50,000 miles.
  • Front windshield described as unusually soft, chipping or cracking easily from normal road debris.
  • Weather stripping and rubber seals around the windshield and doors deteriorate over time, needing replacement.
  • Blind spot mirrors are mounted at an angle that fails to show low-profile cars or headlights of vehicles at night.

When 2018 Ford Explorer visibility and wiper complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 26, 2018, latest Jul 13, 2026.

2018 Ford Explorer visibility & wipers complaints: complaints filed per month5Feb 2018Mar 2022Feb 2023Mar 2024Oct 2024Aug 2025Dec 2025
27 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2018 to Jul 2026; peak Feb 2023 (5).

Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2018 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Visibility & Wipers complaints by Explorer model year

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

  1. 20103 (3%)
  2. 201121 (2%)
  3. 201223 (3%)
  4. 201362 (3%)
  5. 201452 (3%)
  6. 201542 (2%)
  7. 201667 (3%)
  8. 201773 (4%)
  9. 201827 (4%)
  10. 20197 (2%)
  11. 202066 (5%)
  12. 202141 (10%)
  13. 202229 (11%)
  14. 202310 (9%)
  15. 20243 (14%)
  16. 202513 (13%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are visibility and wiper complaints on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 27 complaints in this area for the 2018 model year, which is about 4% of the 731 total complaints filed for that year.
Is there a recall for windshield trim detachment on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2018 Explorer, despite multiple owner complaints about trim detaching.
At what mileage do these visibility issues typically show up?
The median mileage at failure across these complaints is 57,000 miles, though individual reports range from very low mileage to over 80,000 miles.
Have these visibility problems caused any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data shows zero crashes, fires, or injuries linked to the 27 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2018 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.