2000 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
3 Suspension 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

infotainment or screen glitches1 · 33%
seat belts1 · 33%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	1	0
Powertrain	1	1
Suspension	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Rear passenger tire snapped off in august of 2005, rear drivers side tire snapped off in december 2005.
Powertrain · crash · 2005-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #10144998
Radio lcd does not light up or seat belt alarm when not wearing a seat belt. This happened after having service work done on my vehicle at the ford dealer in elk grove ca.
Electrical system · 2005-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #10134839
While driving at low speeds on a slightly wet surface rear of the vehicle will lose traction and slide. The cause of the failure is undetermined.
Suspension · 2003-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #10034486

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20031
20052

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 15,523 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 48% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (33%), seat belts (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2000 Ford Explorer Sport Trac from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2000 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.