2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 100 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 100
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 23% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
4 Engine 11% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
6 Tires 10% of all complaints
7 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
8 Steering 4% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 23 complaints (23% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 14 complaints (14% of all).
Service brakes: 13 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 11 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 100 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine11 · 11%
knocking, grinding or other noise10 · 10%
stalls while driving7 · 7%
jerking, harsh shifts5 · 5%
steering or power steering problems5 · 5%
hesitation when accelerating4 · 4%
rust, corrosion4 · 4%
unintended acceleration4 · 4%
transmission slipping4 · 4%
vibration4 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	23	2
Electrical system	14	0
Service brakes	13	1
Engine	11	1
Engine and cooling	10	0
Tires	10	1
Fuel/propulsion system	4	0
Steering	4	0
Suspension	4	1
Vehicle speed control	4	2
Visibility	4	0
Wheels	4	0
Air bags	3	2
Exterior lighting	3	0

What owners report

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

The contact's wife had bruises on her chest from the seat belt. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Suspension · crash · 2022-05-27 · NHTSA complaint #11466453
4, precisely because of the engine shut off. Fortunately it happened in a stop-and-go traffic which did not result in any injury. I hate to think of consequences of this happening in fast moving traffic. My research showed that this problem is very common for these autos, and it seems that it is not taken care of.
Engine · crash · 2015-10-08 · NHTSA complaint #10780915
But when driver moved forward to leave, the gas pedal hesitated and then stuck, lunged forward out of control; startled the driver and car hit a pole. Driver received head lacerations from the rear view mirror glare adjustment lever and had to be taken to the hospital. He received 8 staples on top of his head.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2015-05-06 · NHTSA complaint #10714921
No passengers were in the truck at the time and would explain why the passenger side air bags did not deploy, due to the subsequent roll onto the drivers side and the extent of the damage to the drivers side as a result of the rollover I don't understand why the side impact airbags failed to deploy on the drivers…
Air bags · crash · 2009-04-16 · NHTSA complaint #10265663
I learned hard way last week and hit a cement post with the front bumper, I had actually stopped maybe 6 inches from the post but the surge after stopped propelled me maybe 7-8", it is a very very dangerous situation.
Powertrain · crash · 2008-01-14 · NHTSA complaint #10214734
Side impact on drivers door @ 20 mph, side airbags failed to deploy; yet all airbags on the vehicle(concorde) hitting me deployed. Ford say nothing is wrong....
Air bags · crash · 2006-06-11 · NHTSA complaint #10159528
On the second day after my purchase, while driving down a street at about 30 mph, it stalled. I had very little breaks and no steering. When I tried to crank it, it would turn over but not fire. For the last two years, I have had no luck fixing the issue.
Service brakes · 2020-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #11309675
The contact noticed power steering fluid leaking in the carport. He had to add power steering fluid every two weeks. While driving and making turns, there was an abnormal clunking noise emerging from the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated.
Powertrain · 2019-06-21 · NHTSA complaint #11221714

When owners complained

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

20066
200712
200816
20095
201011
20119
201210
20136
20157
20168
20171
20185
20191
20201
20221
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,486 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 100, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 100. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), stalls while driving (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 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 2007 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 2007 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.